Wij moeten minstens een uur na het avondeten ontspannen.

we

Breakdown of Wij moeten minstens een uur na het avondeten ontspannen.

• na: after
• ontspannen: to relax
• moeten: must
• een: a, an
• het avondeten: the dinner
• minstens: at least
• het uur: the hour

Questions & Answers about Wij moeten minstens een uur na het avondeten ontspannen.

Why is wij used here instead of we?

In Dutch, wij and we both mean "we," but wij puts a bit more emphasis on the subject. It's somewhat like stressing "WE have to..." in English, making it clear it's about us as a group. We is completely fine too, just slightly less emphasized.

Why does minstens appear before een uur?

Dutch generally places adverbs of degree (like minstens or "at least") before the time expression to emphasize the amount or extent. It's also common to see it in this spot to attach directly to the duration: "minstens een uur."

Can you explain why the verb ontspannen is at the end of the sentence?

In Dutch subordinate clauses or extended constructions, the main infinitive or the second part of the verb phrase often goes to the end. Here, we have a structure with moeten + infinitive ("must relax"), so ontspannen is placed at the end. It's a common pattern in Dutch word order.

Why is the phrase na het avondeten used instead of something like na avondeten?

In Dutch, evening meal ("avondeten") is used with the definite article het when saying "after dinner." So, it's typically na het avondeten rather than na avondeten. Omitting the article can sound incomplete or informal in most contexts.

What's the difference between minstens and ten minste?

They both convey "at least," but minstens is generally used in a more casual sense, often with amounts or durations (like minstens een uur). Ten minste can sometimes be used interchangeably, but it also appears in more formal or idiomatic expressions, like "Ten minste houdbaar tot" (best before date). In everyday conversation about time or quantities, you're more likely to hear minstens.