Wij moeten sneller naar de markt fietsen om op tijd te zijn.

We have to bike faster to the market to be on time.

Breakdown of Wij moeten sneller naar de markt fietsen om op tijd te zijn.

• zijn: to be
• wij: we
• naar: to
• om: for
• de markt: the market
• moeten: must
• fietsen: to bike
• tijd: time
• sneller: faster

Questions & Answers about Wij moeten sneller naar de markt fietsen om op tijd te zijn.

Why do we use sneller instead of just snel?

Sneller is the comparative form of snel, which means "fast." So sneller translates to "faster." It describes that you have to bike more quickly than you would otherwise do.

Is sneller an adjective or an adverb in this sentence?

In Dutch, the comparative form sneller can serve as an adverb describing the manner of biking (how you are biking: fast), rather than describing a noun. Here, it modifies the verb fietsen ("to bike"), so it's an adverb.

Why do we see fietsen instead of fiets?

In Dutch, when two or more people are involved and combined with wij (we), the correct form is fietsen ("we bike"). Also, infinitive forms appear after certain constructions (like moeten + infinitive), so we use fietsen rather than fiets or fietst.

What does the phrase om op tijd te zijn signify?

Om op tijd te zijn literally means "in order to be on time." The word om is paired with te + infinitive to express purpose or why the action is done, in this case to indicate the reason for biking faster.

Is there a direct object in this sentence?

The sentence Wij moeten sneller naar de markt fietsen om op tijd te zijn doesn’t have a traditional direct object. It has a direction or destination (naar de markt) rather than an object being acted upon. The focus is on the manner of traveling (faster) and the purpose (to be on time).