Learn Dutch: Wij zijn in staat om het antiek te restaureren.

While this lesson focuses on passive expressions of capability like Het antiek is te restaureren (The antique can be restored), in staat zijn om is the active equivalent. It puts the focus on the people doing the action, translating directly to "are able to" or "are capable of."

Could we just use kunnen instead of in staat zijn?

Yes! Wij kunnen het antiek restaureren means the exact same thing (We can restore the antique). Using in staat zijn om is simply a slightly more formal or emphatic way to stress that you have the actual skills, tools, or resources to do it.

Why do we need both om and te in this sentence?

The fixed expression in staat zijn requires the om ... te + infinitive structure when you link it to an action. The word om introduces the action part of the sentence, and te must go immediately before the infinitive verb at the very end (restaureren).

Is antiek singular or plural here?

It is singular. The word antiek is a neuter noun (het antiek) that refers to antiques as a broad, collective category. While English speakers often use the plural "the antiques," Dutch commonly uses this singular collective noun.