Wij werken in juni.

Breakdown of Wij werken in juni.

wij
we
in
in
werken
to work
juni
June

Questions & Answers about Wij werken in juni.

Why is it wij here? Can I also say we?

Yes. Wij and we both mean we.

  • we is the more common, unstressed form in everyday speech.
  • wij is the stressed form, often used for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

So:

  • Wij werken in juni.
  • We werken in juni.

Both are correct. In many normal situations, We werken in juni sounds more natural.


Why is the verb werken and not werkt?

Because the subject is wij / we.

In the present tense, Dutch verbs change depending on the subject:

  • ik werk = I work
  • jij werkt = you work
  • hij/zij werkt = he/she works
  • wij werken = we work
  • jullie werken = you (plural) work
  • zij werken = they work

So with wij, you use the plural form werken.


Does werken here mean present time, or can it also refer to the future?

It can do both, depending on context.

Dutch often uses the simple present to talk about:

  • habits: Wij werken in juni.
  • planned future events: Wij werken in juni. = We are working in June / We will work in June.

So even though the verb is present tense in form, it can refer to a future plan when the time expression in juni makes that clear.


Why do you use in juni?

Dutch uses in with months:

  • in juni = in June
  • in mei = in May
  • in december = in December

This works very much like English in June.


Why is there no article before juni?

Because Dutch month names normally do not take an article in this kind of sentence.

So you say:

  • in juni
  • in april
  • in november

not normally:

  • in de juni

That would sound wrong in standard Dutch.


Why is juni not capitalized?

In Dutch, names of months are normally written with a lowercase letter, unless they begin the sentence.

So:

  • Wij werken in juni.
  • Juni is vaak warm.

This is different from English, where June is always capitalized.


Can the word order change?

Yes. Dutch word order is flexible, but the finite verb usually stays in the second position in a main clause.

So these are both correct:

  • Wij werken in juni.
  • In juni werken wij.

If you move In juni to the front, the verb werken must come before the subject wij. That is a very important Dutch word order rule.

With the unstressed pronoun, you would very often hear:

  • In juni werken we.

How do I pronounce wij?

Wij is pronounced roughly like English why.

So:

  • wijwhy

The ij sound is one of the famous Dutch vowel sounds. In many accents, it sounds close to ei, so learners often just aim for something like why at first.


How do I pronounce juni?

juni is pronounced approximately like YOO-nee.

A rough guide:

  • ju sounds like yu
  • ni sounds like nee

So: YOO-nee

The j in Dutch is usually like English y in yes.


Is werken only about paid work, or can it mean other kinds of work too?

Usually werken means to work, especially in the general sense of doing work or having a job.

Depending on context, it can mean:

  • to work at a job
  • to be working
  • to function/work (for machines, systems, methods)

In Wij werken in juni, the most natural reading is that we work / we are working in June.


Would a Dutch speaker naturally say this sentence on its own?

Yes, it is grammatically correct and natural.

However, by itself it sounds a little context-dependent, because speakers often add more detail, for example:

  • Wij werken in juni veel. = We work a lot in June.
  • Wij werken in juni niet. = We don’t work in June.
  • Wij werken in juni aan het project. = We work on the project in June.

So the sentence is fine, but in real conversation it often appears as part of a bigger context.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Dutch

Master Dutch — from Wij werken in juni to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions