Wij hebben plezier in het park.

We have fun in the park.

Breakdown of Wij hebben plezier in het park.

• hebben: to have
• wij: we
• in: in
• het park: the park
• het plezier: the fun

Questions & Answers about Wij hebben plezier in het park.

What does the Dutch expression plezier hebben mean, and how does it compare to the English phrase to have fun?

The expression plezier hebben literally translates to to have fun. Just like in English, the Dutch phrase uses the verb hebben (to have) along with the noun plezier (fun) to indicate that one is experiencing enjoyment. The structure is straightforward and very similar to its English equivalent.

Why is there no article before plezier in the sentence?

In Dutch, abstract nouns like plezier often appear without an article when used in a general or non-specific sense. This is similar to English where we say “have fun” instead of “have the fun.” The absence of an article emphasizes that it refers to fun in general.

What is the function of the phrase in het park in this sentence?

The phrase in het park serves as an adverbial prepositional phrase that specifies the location where the action takes place. Here, het is the definite article meaning the, so het park translates to the park. It tells us where the fun is being had.

Is it necessary to include the subject Wij in this sentence, or can it be omitted?

Including the subject Wij (which means we) is common in Dutch to clearly indicate who is performing the action. While in informal speech the subject might sometimes be dropped if it’s obvious from context, it is standard practice—especially in written or formal Dutch—to include it for clarity and emphasis.

Can you explain the overall word order of the sentence?

Certainly! The sentence follows a typical Dutch word order: Subject (Wij) + Verb (hebben) + Object (plezier) + Adverbial phrase (in het park). This structure is quite similar to English, making it easier for English speakers to understand the basic sentence construction in Dutch.