Wij spreken over de belangrijke plannen tijdens de maaltijd.

We talk about the important plans during the meal.

Breakdown of Wij spreken over de belangrijke plannen tijdens de maaltijd.

• wij: we
• de maaltijd: the meal
• belangrijk: important
• over: about
• het plan: the plan
• tijdens: during
• spreken: to talk

Questions & Answers about Wij spreken over de belangrijke plannen tijdens de maaltijd.

Why is over used here instead of a different preposition like van?

In Dutch, spreken over is the common way to say talk about something. Although van can mean of, you wouldn’t typically use spreken van to mean talk about. Instead, spreken van often sounds more like you’re referring to something indirectly or implying something else.

What does tijdens mean in this sentence?

Tijdens translates to during in English. It indicates that something (in this case, speaking about the important plans) is happening in the course of another event (the meal).

Why is the word plannen in the plural form here?

Because they are talking about multiple plannen (plans). If it were just one plan, you would use plan (singular). Using de belangrijke plannen signals that there are several plans being discussed.

Is it okay to start the sentence with Tijdens de maaltijd instead?

Yes, you could say Tijdens de maaltijd spreken wij over de belangrijke plannen. The meaning remains the same. Be aware that this changes the emphasis slightly—placing more focus on the time aspect (during the meal) at the beginning. But both forms are grammatically correct.

What is the difference between This sentence and one using Wij praten instead of Wij spreken?

Praten and spreken both mean to speak/talk in Dutch, but spreken often has a slightly more formal or deliberate feel compared to praten. In everyday conversation, they can be used almost interchangeably.