Breakdown of Zij lezen altijd een andere editie dan wij.
een
a/an
wij
we
zij
they
lezen
to read
altijd
always
dan
than
ander
other
de editie
the edition
Questions & Answers about Zij lezen altijd een andere editie dan wij.
Why do we use dan here instead of a word meaning 'from', since English often says 'different from'?
In Dutch, comparisons of difference using ander or andere (other/different) always pair with dan. It behaves grammatically like a comparative (e.g., bigger than, smaller than), so it literally equates to 'an other edition than'.
Why is it een andere editie with an -e on the end of ander?
The noun editie is a de-word (de editie). When you use the indefinite article een with a singular de-word, the adjective gets an -e at the end. You would only drop the -e if it were a het-word, like in een ander boek.
Why does the sentence use the stressed pronouns zij and wij instead of ze and we?
The sentence is making a direct contrast between what they read and what we read. Using the stressed pronouns zij and wij naturally highlights this strong contrast.
Could I say ...dan ons at the end of the sentence instead of ...dan wij?
In correct Dutch, it must be wij. The comparison is between the subjects of the sentence: 'They read... than we (read).' Because wij is the subject of that implied second verb, you must use the subject pronoun. While you might hear dan ons in very casual street Dutch, it is considered a grammatical mistake.
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