Wij lezen de vierde pagina.

Both wij and we mean we.

• wij is the full/stressed form
• we is the unstressed form and is very common in everyday Dutch

So Wij lezen de vierde pagina and We lezen de vierde pagina are both correct. Using wij can sound a bit more emphatic, careful, or formal.

Because with wij/we in the present tense, Dutch uses the plural verb form, which usually ends in -en.

For lezen (to read), the present tense is:

• ik lees = I read
• jij leest = you read
• hij/zij leest = he/she reads
• wij lezen = we read
• jullie lezen = you all read
• zij lezen = they read

So wij lezen is the normal present-tense form.

Yes. In Dutch, the plural present tense often looks exactly the same as the infinitive.

So:

• infinitive: lezen = to read
• plural present: wij lezen = we read

That is very normal in Dutch and can feel a little surprising to English speakers at first.

This is a normal main clause in Dutch, and the word order is:

subject + verb + object

So:

• Wij = subject
• lezen = verb
• de vierde pagina = object

That is very similar to English in a simple sentence like this.

Because pagina is a de-word in Dutch.

Dutch nouns normally take either:

• de
• het

You simply have to learn which one goes with each noun. For this noun, it is:

• de pagina
• plural: de pagina's

So the sentence correctly uses de vierde pagina.

Because vierde is the ordinal number: fourth.

Compare:

• vier = four
• de vierde pagina = the fourth page

Dutch uses ordinal numbers the same way English does when you are putting something in order.

Some examples:

• de eerste pagina = the first page
• de tweede pagina = the second page
• de derde pagina = the third page
• de vierde pagina = the fourth page

Because when an adjective or ordinal comes before a noun, it usually gets an -e ending.

Here, vierde is functioning like an adjective before pagina:

• de vierde pagina

This -e ending is very common in Dutch. You will see the same thing with regular adjectives too:

• de grote pagina = the big page
• de nieuwe pagina = the new page

So vierde is the expected form here.

It can mean both, depending on context.

Dutch often uses the simple present where English might use either:

• we read
• we are reading

So Wij lezen de vierde pagina could mean:

• We read the fourth page
• We are reading the fourth page

If Dutch wants to emphasize the ongoing action, it can also use a construction like:

• Wij zijn de vierde pagina aan het lezen

But the simple present is very common and natural.

Yes, absolutely.

That is probably the version you will hear most often in everyday Dutch. The difference is mainly:

• We lezen de vierde pagina = neutral, everyday
• Wij lezen de vierde pagina = a bit more emphatic or formal

Both are correct.

wij is pronounced roughly like English why, but with a Dutch sound quality.

A helpful approximation is:

• wij ≈ why

In normal speech, wij and we are both common, and we is easier to pronounce for many learners.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

• lezen ≈ LAY-zuh(n)

A few notes:

• the le sounds like lay
• the z is voiced, like the z in zoo
• the final -en is often reduced in everyday speech, so it may sound more like lezuh

So in natural speech, lezen is often not pronounced as fully as an English speaker might expect.

A rough guide is:

• vierde ≈ VEER-duh

A few things to notice:

• vier has a long vowel sound
• the r may sound different from English r
• the final -de is pronounced like duh

This word can be a little tricky because the spelling looks longer and heavier than how it feels in actual speech.

The plural is pagina's.

So:

• de pagina = the page
• de pagina's = the pages

The apostrophe is used because the word ends in a vowel and Dutch spelling uses an apostrophe in many such plurals.

Example:

• Wij lezen de vierde pagina.
• Wij lezen de eerste drie pagina's.

Because de vierde pagina is the direct object of lezen.

You are reading the fourth page, so Dutch simply says:

• Wij lezen de vierde pagina

If you wanted to say something like on the fourth page, then you would use a preposition:

• op de vierde pagina = on the fourth page

So:

• Wij lezen de vierde pagina = we are reading the fourth page
• Op de vierde pagina staat een foto = there is a photo on the fourth page