Wij lopen ontspannen in het park.

We walk in a relaxed manner in the park.

Breakdown of Wij lopen ontspannen in het park.

• wij: we
• in: in
• lopen: to walk
• het park: the park
• ontspannen: relaxed

Questions & Answers about Wij lopen ontspannen in het park.

Why is the subject written as Wij instead of We?

In Dutch, Wij is the more emphasized or “stressed” form of “we,” typically used in a slightly more formal or pronounced way. You can also use we (unstressed form) in casual speech. They both mean “we,” but the choice often depends on style, emphasis, and sometimes personal preference.

What part of speech is ontspannen in this sentence?

Ontspannen functions like an adverb here, describing how Wij lopen (we are walking). Literally, it conveys that the walking is done in a relaxed manner. In Dutch, it can also be seen as an adjective placed after the verb to describe the state or manner of the subject.

Can I use wandelen instead of lopen in this sentence?

Yes, you can say Wij wandelen ontspannen in het park and it would still mean something very similar. Wandelen typically emphasizes strolling or walking in a leisurely way. Lopen can mean walking in general (or even running in some contexts), but in most everyday situations they can be used interchangeably for “walking.”

Is the word order correct if I want to emphasize where we are walking?

In Dutch, you could move the phrase in het park to the front for emphasis: In het park lopen wij ontspannen. However, you might need to adjust punctuation or intonation in speech to make it sound natural. Word order in Dutch can be flexible, but you must ensure the verb (in this case lopen) generally comes in second position in a main clause.