Wij blijven hier totdat wij ons huiswerk afhebben.

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Breakdown of Wij blijven hier totdat wij ons huiswerk afhebben.

• wij: we
• ons: our
• het huiswerk: the homework
• blijven: to stay
• afhebben: to finish
• totdat: until

Questions & Answers about Wij blijven hier totdat wij ons huiswerk afhebben.

Why does the sentence use totdat instead of something like tot?

In Dutch, totdat introduces a subordinate clause and means until in a way that implies a condition needs to be completed or fulfilled. Tot alone tends to mean until in a more direct sense (often leading to a prepositional phrase rather than a full clause). When an action needs to happen first (e.g., finishing homework), totdat is preferred.

What does afhebben mean, and why not just use klaarmaken or afmaken?

Afhebben literally means something like to have (something) finished. You’ll frequently see afmaken (to finish something) or klaarmaken (to prepare or get something ready). However, saying ons huiswerk afhebben is a common, idiomatic way of expressing that your homework is fully done. It hints at the end result (finished state) rather than the process of finishing.

Why do we use ons here instead of onze?

In Dutch, whether you use ons or onze depends on the gender and number of the noun. Huiswerk is a singular, neuter noun (het huiswerk), so you say ons huiswerk. You would use onze with de words (e.g., onze auto, onze kat).

Is there a difference between Wij and We in written or spoken Dutch?

Wij and We both mean we in English. Wij is more emphatic, often used in more formal settings or when you want to emphasize the subject. We is more common in everyday, casual spoken Dutch.

How does totdat affect word order?

Totdat introduces a subordinate clause, which typically pushes the conjugated verb to the end of that clause. So in the phrase ... totdat wij ons huiswerk afhebben, afhebben (a separable verb construction) ends the sentence. This is standard Dutch word order for subordinate clauses.