…
Breakdown of Ik herinner me de keer dat wij samen een boek lazen.
ik
I
het boek
the book
wij
we
lezen
to read
dat
that
samen
together
een
a, an
herinneren
to remember
me
myself
de keer
the time
Questions & Answers about Ik herinner me de keer dat wij samen een boek lazen.
Why does the sentence use me after Ik herinner?
In Dutch, the verb herinneren is reflexive and typically appears as zich herinneren: ik herinner me, jij herinnert je, hij herinnert zich, and so on. This means the action "to remember" is turned back onto oneself, hence the need for a reflexive pronoun.
What does de keer mean in this context?
De keer means "the time" in the sense of a specific occasion. Here, it refers to a particular moment or event that the speaker is recalling.
Why do we use dat here instead of another relative pronoun?
In Dutch, dat typically introduces relative clauses when referring to a "thing" rather than a person. Since de keer (the time) is not a person, we use dat. If we were referring to a person, for instance de man (the man), we could use die.
Why is the past tense of lezen used here as lazen?
Dutch irregular verbs have distinct past tense forms. Lezen becomes las in the singular and lazen in the plural. Since wij (we) is plural, lazen is the correct conjugation.
Is there a difference between using wij and we in this sentence?
Wij and we both mean "we" in Dutch. The difference is mostly about emphasis. Wij is more emphatic, used when you really want to stress "we" (as opposed to someone else), whereas we is the more neutral form.
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 Ik herinner me de keer dat wij samen een boek lazen 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