Wij lichten de catering in voordat Sofie opduikt.

Sofie

Breakdown of Wij lichten de catering in voordat Sofie opduikt.

• wij: we
• voordat: before
• de catering: the catering service

Questions & Answers about Wij lichten de catering in voordat Sofie opduikt.

Why is it Wij and not we?

Both wij and we mean we.

• we is the unstressed, much more common form in everyday Dutch.
• wij is the stressed form, used for emphasis, contrast, or slightly more formal style.

So:

• We lichten de catering in = the most natural everyday version
• Wij lichten de catering in = we inform the catering staff, possibly with emphasis on we

In many sentences, either one is possible.

What does lichten ... in mean here?

Lichten ... in is the separable verb inlichten, which means:

• to inform
• to brief
• to notify

So Wij lichten de catering in means We inform the catering staff.

This is not related to the literal meaning of lichten as to lift or to lighten. You need to learn inlichten as one complete verb with its own meaning.

Why is in separated from lichten?