…
Breakdown of De tijd is belangrijk wanneer wij een maaltijd koken.
zijn
to be
wij
we
koken
to cook
de maaltijd
the meal
belangrijk
important
wanneer
when
de tijd
the time
Questions & Answers about De tijd is belangrijk wanneer wij een maaltijd koken.
Why is it de tijd and not het tijd?
In Dutch, tijd is a masculine/feminine noun, which always takes the article de. If a noun is a so-called ‘de-woord’, you should use de and not het.
Why does the sentence use wanneer wij instead of wanneer we?
In Dutch, wij and we mean the same thing (like “we” in English), but wij tends to be more emphatic or slightly more formal. Both are correct, though, so you could also say wanneer we without changing the meaning significantly.
What is the role of wanneer in this sentence?
Wanneer is a conjunction that means “when” in a temporal sense. It is used here to indicate the time or occasion on which something happens—in this case, when we cook a meal. You can think of it as linking the phrase about time being important to the action of cooking a meal.
Is it correct to say een maaltijd koken or should I say eten koken?
Both are correct, but they can sound slightly different. Een maaltijd koken emphasizes that you’re cooking a meal, often implying a more complete or structured set of dishes. Eten koken focuses more generally on cooking food. In everyday speech, you’ll hear both.
How do I know where to place wanneer in a sentence?
In Dutch, wanneer (as a conjunction) usually comes at the start of a clause, similar to “when” in English. This means it typically introduces a subordinate clause—wanneer wij een maaltijd koken—and you place it right at the beginning of that clause, followed by the subject (wij), then the rest of the clause.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?”
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning DutchMaster Dutch — from De tijd is belangrijk wanneer wij een maaltijd koken to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions