Wij gaan volgende maand op vakantie en willen rustig ontspannen.

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Breakdown of Wij gaan volgende maand op vakantie en willen rustig ontspannen.

• gaan: to go
• en: and
• willen: to want
• ontspannen: to relax
• op: on
• rustig: peacefully
• volgende: next
• de maand: the month
• de vakantie: the vacation

Questions & Answers about Wij gaan volgende maand op vakantie en willen rustig ontspannen.

What does Wij gaan mean in this sentence, and why is gaan used instead of a specific future tense form?

Wij gaan translates to "we are going". In Dutch, the verb gaan is commonly used to indicate future plans—much like the "going to" future in English. Instead of using a dedicated future tense form, Dutch speakers use gaan + an infinitive to express an action that will happen soon.

What is the meaning of volgende maand and what role does it play in the sentence?

Volgende maand means "next month". It acts as a time expression that specifies when the action will take place. In the sentence, it follows the conjugated verb gaan, which is typical in Dutch for placing time indicators immediately after the main verb.

How does op vakantie function, and why is the preposition op used here?

Op vakantie translates to "on vacation". In Dutch, the phrase op vakantie gaan is the standard way to express the idea of going on holiday. The preposition op is conventionally used to indicate that one is embarking on a vacation or leave, similar to the expression in English even though the structure is different.

Why is willen rustig ontspannen structured with rustig inserted where it is, and what does this tell us about Dutch word order?

In the phrase willen rustig ontspannen, willen is the modal verb meaning "to want" and ontspannen is the main verb meaning "to relax". The adverb rustig (meaning "calmly" or "quietly") is placed directly before the main verb to indicate the manner in which the action is performed. Dutch often positions adverbs before the main verb in constructions with modal verbs, which is why the order is willen → rustig → ontspannen.

How are the two parts of the sentence connected, and what does their connection imply about subject usage?

The two parts of the sentence are connected by the conjunction en, which means "and". This joining indicates that both actions—going on vacation and wanting to relax—are performed by the same subject (Wij). The structure efficiently conveys two related plans or desires in a single sentence, a common feature in Dutch when the actions share the same subject.