Het jaar is voorbij en wij willen opnieuw plannen maken voor de toekomst.

to be

Breakdown of Het jaar is voorbij en wij willen opnieuw plannen maken voor de toekomst.

• wij: we
• en: and
• voor: for
• willen: to want
• opnieuw: again
• het jaar: the year
• de toekomst: the future
• voorbij: over
• plannen maken: to make plans

Questions & Answers about Het jaar is voorbij en wij willen opnieuw plannen maken voor de toekomst.

Why is voorbij used in this sentence instead of another term like afgelopen?

Both voorbij and afgelopen can mean something has ended. However, het jaar is voorbij places more emphasis on the year having passed, whereas het jaar is afgelopen can feel more like the event or period has finished. In everyday Dutch, both are acceptable; voorbij is just a bit more common in this specific context.

Why does the sentence place voor de toekomst at the end?

In Dutch, phrases that indicate time or future intention often come towards the end of the sentence. It emphasizes the context (the future), showing the goal of plannen maken as something intended for that future, rather than an immediate action.

What is the difference between wij and we in Dutch?

They both mean we in English. Wij is the stressed form, used when you want to emphasize we rather than someone else. We is used when no special emphasis is needed. In spoken language, we is more common.

Why is opnieuw plannen maken used instead of saying something like weer plannen maken?

Opnieuw emphasizes starting fresh or doing something again from scratch. Weer also means again, but opnieuw carries a nuance of a new or repeated initiative. If you want to convey a sense of renewed planning, opnieuw is more precise.

Is the word order opnieuw plannen maken typical in Dutch?

Yes. In Dutch, it’s quite normal to place the adverb (opnieuw) before the noun phrase (plannen) and the verb that follows (maken). The structure can feel inverted to English speakers, but it’s a common pattern in Dutch to have adverbs come first in such expressions.