Wij moeten vandaag nieuwe woorden oefenen.

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Breakdown of Wij moeten vandaag nieuwe woorden oefenen.

• nieuw: new
• moeten: to have to
• vandaag: today
• het woord: the word
• oefenen: to practice

Questions & Answers about Wij moeten vandaag nieuwe woorden oefenen.

Why does the sentence use wij instead of we?

In Dutch, wij is the more emphasized form of the personal pronoun meaning we. When you want to give extra emphasis to the fact that it is we (and not someone else) who must do something, you use wij. In more casual speech, however, we is also perfectly normal.

What does moeten mean and why is it used here?

Moeten means must or have to. It expresses necessity or obligation. In this sentence, it shows that practicing new words is not just a suggestion but something that needs to be done.

Can vandaag go somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes. Dutch word order is quite flexible for adverbs like vandaag. You could say, for example, Wij moeten nieuwe woorden vandaag oefenen, or Vandaag moeten wij nieuwe woorden oefenen. However, the exact placement can slightly affect emphasis.

Why do we use nieuwe instead of nieuw?

Adjectives in Dutch often take an -e ending when they come before a noun. Because woorden (words) is a plural noun, the adjective nieuw becomes nieuwe.

What does oefenen imply compared to leren or studeren?

Oefenen focuses on the idea of practicing something repeatedly to improve skill or knowledge. Leren is more general, meaning to learn, and studeren often implies more formal study, like reading textbooks or attending classes. Oefenen is specifically about repeated practice.