Wij hebben al een boek gelezen.

We have already read a book.

Breakdown of Wij hebben al een boek gelezen.

• hebben: to have
• het boek: the book
• wij: we
• lezen: to read
• al: already

Questions & Answers about Wij hebben al een boek gelezen.

Why is hebben used as the auxiliary verb instead of zijn?

In Dutch, most verbs form the present perfect tense with hebben. Zijn is used with certain verbs of motion or change of state (like gaan, komen, or worden). Since lezen (to read) does not imply motion or change of state, we use hebben.

Why do we place gelezen at the end of the sentence?

In Dutch subordinate clauses or sentences with a helping verb, the past participle (gelezen) often comes at the end. This sentence uses the present perfect, and the combination of hebben + gelezen means the participle naturally appears last.

What does al mean, and why is it used here?

Al typically means "already." It emphasizes that the action has happened before now or earlier than expected. In English, we say "We have already read a book," and al conveys the same meaning in Dutch.

Is there a difference between Wij and We in Dutch?

They both mean "we" in English. Wij is slightly more emphatic, while we is more neutral. For everyday speech, we is more common, but wij can be used to add emphasis or formality.

Why do we say een boek (singular) instead of een boeken when referring to something we've read?

Een boek is the singular form, meaning "a book." If you want to say that you've read multiple books, you’d say Wij hebben al boeken gelezen. The choice between singular and plural depends on how many books you want to indicate.