Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ten slotte schaffen wij de software aan.
Why is the verb schaffen placed before the subject wij?
Because the sentence starts with the connecting phrase Ten slotte. Just like the addition words in this lesson, it triggers an inversion. In Dutch, the main verb must sit in the second position of the sentence. When you put a connector at the beginning, the subject (wij) has to move to the other side of the verb to keep the verb in spot number two.
Why is the word aan sitting at the very end of the sentence?
It belongs to the separable verb aanschaffen, which means to purchase or acquire. When you use a separable verb as the main action in a simple present-tense sentence, the prefix (aan) splits off and gets kicked to the very end of the clause.
Is it possible to write Ten slotte as a single word?
Not in this sentence. When written as two words (ten slotte), it means finally or lastly in a sequence, which fits perfectly here. If you write it as one word (tenslotte), the meaning changes to after all (as in: He is your brother, after all).
How would the word order look if I started the sentence with the subject Wij?
If you start with Wij, the verb schaffen stays in the second position, and the connector moves inward. The sentence would become: Wij schaffen ten slotte de software aan.