Wij dekken de tafel voor het feest.

We set the table for the party.

Breakdown of Wij dekken de tafel voor het feest.

• wij: we
• de tafel: the table
• voor: for
• het feest: the party
• dekken: to set

Questions & Answers about Wij dekken de tafel voor het feest.

What does the verb dekken mean in this sentence?

In this context, dekken means to set the table. Although it can literally translate as “to cover,” in Dutch the phrase dekken de tafel is an idiomatic expression meaning that we are arranging the table—placing dishes, cutlery, and other items—in preparation for a meal.

Why is de used before tafel while het is used before feest?

Dutch nouns have grammatical genders. Tafel is a common gender noun, so it takes the definite article de. On the other hand, feest is a neuter noun, requiring the article het. This rule explains why we say de tafel for “the table” and het feest for “the party.”

What role does the preposition voor play in the sentence?

The word voor functions as a preposition meaning for. It introduces the phrase voor het feest, which explains the purpose of setting the table—that is, it is being done in anticipation of the party.

Why is the subject Wij used instead of the shorter we?

Both Wij and we translate to “we” in English, but Wij is often chosen for emphasis or clarity. Using Wij can stress that a specific group is performing the action or differentiate the subject from others.

Is the word order in this sentence typical for Dutch declarative sentences?

Yes, the sentence follows a standard Dutch word order: the subject (Wij) comes first, followed by the verb (dekken), then the object (de tafel), and finally the prepositional phrase (voor het feest) that provides additional context. This structure is common in Dutch declarative sentences.