Learn Hardcore Dutch: Wij bezoeken onze vriend na het werk.

In Dutch, Wij and We both mean "we," but Wij is often used when you want to emphasize the subject, like stressing "we (as opposed to someone else) are doing something." We is usually more neutral.

What does onze mean, and why not use ons?

Onze and ons both mean "our." You use onze with plural nouns and singular de-words (like vriend) and ons with singular het-words (like het boek → ons boek). Since vriend is a de-word, we say onze vriend.

Why is na het werk at the end of the sentence?

Word order in Dutch often places time expressions (like na het werk) toward the end. Generally, a common pattern is subject → verb → direct object → time. So you get Wij bezoeken onze vriend na het werk, which flows naturally in Dutch.

Why do we use bezoeken here instead of a phrase like gaan bezoeken?

Bezoeken simply means "to visit." In Dutch, you can say Wij gaan onze vriend bezoeken to emphasize "we are going to visit," but it's more common and straightforward to say Wij bezoeken onze vriend ("We visit our friend") when expressing a planned or habitual action.

What is the difference between bezoeken and op bezoek gaan bij?

Both phrases revolve around "visiting," but bezoeken is the direct verb for "to visit.” Op bezoek gaan bij literally translates to "to go on a visit to," adding a sense of going somewhere specifically. So you could say Wij gaan op bezoek bij onze vriend na het werk—a longer way to express the same idea.