Breakdown of Wij interesseren ons voor de spin en het insect.
de spin
the spider
het insect
the insect
zich interesseren voor
to be interested in
Questions & Answers about Wij interesseren ons voor de spin en het insect.
Why does this sentence use voor when English uses "in" (interested in)?
Because it uses the reflexive verb zich interesseren, which takes the fixed preposition voor. Fixed prepositions rarely translate word-for-word, so it is best to memorize the whole combination: zich interesseren voor (to be interested in).
Wait, doesn't the lesson say the preposition is in, as in geïnteresseerd in?
That is the tricky part! There are two different ways to say this. If you use the adjective geïnteresseerd (with the verb zijn), you use in: Wij zijn geïnteresseerd in de spin. But if you use the reflexive verb zich interesseren, you must use voor. Both mean the same thing, but you cannot mix the prepositions.
Why do we need the word ons here?
Because zich interesseren is a reflexive verb. The pronoun must match the subject wij (we), so you use ons (ourselves). You are literally saying "We interest ourselves for the spider."
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