Wij hebben meer bestek nodig voor onze gasten.

We need more cutlery for our guests.

Breakdown of Wij hebben meer bestek nodig voor onze gasten.

• wij: we
• onze: our
• voor: for
• meer: more
• nodig hebben: to need
• het bestek: the cutlery
• de gast: the guest

Questions & Answers about Wij hebben meer bestek nodig voor onze gasten.

What does bestek mean in this sentence?

Bestek translates to cutlery in English. It refers to the set of utensils—such as knives, forks, and spoons—that people use for eating.

How does the construction hebben … nodig work in Dutch?

In Dutch, expressing need is done with the construction hebben ... nodig. Instead of using a dedicated verb for “to need,” Dutch speakers say “to have … needed.” In this sentence, Wij hebben meer bestek nodig literally translates to “We have more cutlery needed,” which is understood as “We need more cutlery” in English.

Why is the subject Wij explicitly included?

While Dutch allows for the subject to be dropped in informal contexts when it’s clear from the situation, including Wij emphasizes that it is we who need more cutlery. This explicit inclusion helps clarify the subject and adds emphasis, much like saying “we ourselves” in English for clarity or emphasis.

What does meer mean and why is it placed before bestek?

Meer means more. In Dutch, adjectives and quantifiers typically come before the noun they modify. So, meer bestek means “more cutlery,” with the structure following the standard order: subject, verb, quantifier + noun, and then any additional complements.

What is the role of the phrase voor onze gasten in the sentence?

The phrase voor onze gasten is a prepositional phrase that tells us for whom the extra cutlery is needed. It translates as “for our guests” and provides additional contextual information regarding the purpose of acquiring more cutlery.

How is the verb hebben conjugated for the subject wij?

In Dutch, the verb hebben (to have) is conjugated as hebben when the subject is wij (we). For example, you have ik heb, jij hebt, hij/zij heeft, but for wij you correctly use hebben, as seen in the sentence.