Breakdown of Wij geven de voorkeur aan deze versie.
de versie
the version (text, software)
de voorkeur geven aan
to prefer
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Questions & Answers about Wij geven de voorkeur aan deze versie.
Why does the Dutch use geven de voorkeur aan instead of a single verb for "prefer"?
Dutch often uses this expression, which literally translates to "give the preference to." While you can use a single verb like verkiezen (to prefer/elect), de voorkeur geven aan is a very standard and common way to express preference in slightly more formal or professional contexts.
Why is the preposition aan used before deze versie?
The preposition aan (to) is tied to the verb geven (to give). Just like in English where you "give something to someone or something," in Dutch you give the preference to (aan) this version.
Could I use liever to express preference here instead?
Yes! For a more casual or conversational tone, you could say Wij hebben liever deze versie (literally: "We have rather this version"). The phrase de voorkeur geven aan used in this sentence sounds a bit more elevated or official.
Quick refresher: why is it deze versie and not dit versie?
Versie is a de-word (de versie). For de-words, we use the demonstratives deze (this) and die (that). We only use dit and dat for het-words.