Wij willen vroeg opstaan, zodat wij naar de markt kunnen gaan.

We want to get up early so that we can go to the market.

Breakdown of Wij willen vroeg opstaan, zodat wij naar de markt kunnen gaan.

• wij: we
• gaan: to go
• naar: to
• willen: to want
• de markt: the market
• zodat: so that
• kunnen: can
• vroeg: early
• opstaan: to get up

Questions & Answers about Wij willen vroeg opstaan, zodat wij naar de markt kunnen gaan.

Why do we say opstaan instead of something like "sta op" in this sentence?

Opstaan is the infinitive form meaning "to get up." It functions as a single verb here. Using the imperative form "sta op" would mean giving someone a direct command to stand up, which is not the intended meaning.

Why is vroeg placed right before opstaan?

In Dutch, adverbs often appear before the infinitive when describing how or when the action is done. "vroeg" (early) modifies the verb "opstaan" (to get up), so it’s placed just before it.

In the phrase zodat wij naar de markt kunnen gaan, why are kunnen and gaan both used?

Dutch often uses a modal verb followed by a main verb in the infinitive. "kunnen" (can) is the modal verb, indicating possibility or ability, and "gaan" (to go) is the main action.

Is it correct to use we instead of wij?

Yes, you can say "we willen vroeg opstaan" or "zodat we naar de markt kunnen gaan." "we" and "wij" are both correct forms of the Dutch pronoun for "we," but "wij" can sound a bit more emphatic in some contexts.

Why is the structure zodat wij naar de markt kunnen gaan instead of "zodat wij kunnen naar de markt gaan"?

In Dutch subordinate clauses, the verb (or verbs) typically go to the end of the clause. In this case, "kunnen" (modal verb) is placed before "gaan" (main verb) at the end of the clause. You wouldn’t insert "kunnen" directly after "wij" because that would break the standard Dutch word order.