Wij bespreken ons onderzoek, zoals we dat ook tijdens onze laatste vergadering deden.

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Breakdown of Wij bespreken ons onderzoek, zoals we dat ook tijdens onze laatste vergadering deden.

• wij: we
• onze: our
• dat: that
• tijdens: during
• ons: our
• bespreken: to discuss
• het onderzoek: the research
• laatste: last
• zoals: like
• de vergadering: the meeting
• doen: to do

Questions & Answers about Wij bespreken ons onderzoek, zoals we dat ook tijdens onze laatste vergadering deden.

Why is it ons onderzoek instead of something like onze onderzoek?

In Dutch, onderzoek is a neuter noun (an het-word), so it takes the possessive pronoun ons. If it were a de-word, then onze would be used.

Why do we use bespreken instead of something like praten over or discussiëren in this sentence?

Bespreken emphasizes a more structured or detailed discussion, often used in formal or semi-formal contexts to talk through details. Praten over can be more casual, and discussiëren can sometimes imply a debate.

What is the function of zoals here?

Here, zoals introduces a subordinate clause that describes in the same way or manner as something else. It essentially says: "We discuss our research in the same way/as we did during our last meeting."

Why is deden at the end of the subordinate clause?

In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb typically goes to the end. Since zoals introduces a subordinate clause, deden (the past-tense verb) ends up at the end.

Could the word order be zoals we dat ook deden tijdens onze laatste vergadering?

Yes. Dutch word order can be relatively flexible. Moving tijdens onze laatste vergadering to the end is acceptable and doesn't change the meaning. It’s just a slight stylistic choice.

Why do we say onze laatste vergadering and not ons laatste vergadering?

The word vergadering is a feminine (common) noun—a de-word—so it takes onze and not ons. The adjective form laatste remains the same in this case, but the possessive pronoun changes to onze because vergadering is a de-word.