Wij zullen samen de sleutel van de auto zoeken, omdat we moeten vertrekken.

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Breakdown of Wij zullen samen de sleutel van de auto zoeken, omdat we moeten vertrekken.

• samen: together
• moeten: must
• zullen: will
• de sleutel: the key
• omdat: because
• de auto: the car
• zoeken: to look for
• vertrekken: to leave

Questions & Answers about Wij zullen samen de sleutel van de auto zoeken, omdat we moeten vertrekken.

Why do we use “zullen” instead of “gaan” in this sentence?

Zullen is often used to express a future action or intention in Dutch, much like “will” in English. Gaan can also indicate a future action, but it more strongly emphasizes the idea of “going to do something” or the immediacy of an action. Using zullen here focuses on the plan or intention to look for the key together.

Why is “samen” placed right after “zullen” and not at the end of the sentence?

Dutch word order typically places short adverbs (like samen) near the verb complex. Keeping samen close after zullen helps to clarify that you’ll do this activity together. You’ll often notice that time, manner, or place adverbs go fairly early in Dutch sentences.

Is there a difference between “de sleutel van de auto” and “de autosleutel”?

They both mean "the car key," and both are correct. De autosleutel is a compound noun that blends the idea into one word. De sleutel van de auto is slightly more descriptive, literally “the key of the car.” In everyday use, de autosleutel might be more common.

When should I use “Wij” versus “We”?

Wij and we both mean “we” in English. Typically, wij is used for emphasis or when it is important to clearly distinguish “we” (as opposed to someone else) as the subject. We is a more neutral or unstressed form. In casual speech, we appears more often than wij.

Why do we say “omdat we moeten vertrekken” instead of just “want we moeten vertrekken”?

In Dutch, omdat (because) usually introduces a subordinate clause where the verb is placed at the end. Want also means “because,” but it keeps a main clause word order. So if you say omdat we moeten vertrekken, note that moeten appears before vertrekken at the end of the clause. If you say want we moeten vertrekken, the clause is not subordinate, and the verb order remains subject–verb. Both are correct, but they have slightly different sentence structures.