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Questions & Answers about Wij eten lunch samen.
What does each individual word in Wij eten lunch samen mean?
- Wij means we.
- eten is the present tense of to eat.
- lunch refers to the midday meal.
- samen translates as together.
How is the sentence structured in terms of word order compared to English?
The sentence follows the typical Dutch word order: Subject (Wij) – Verb (eten) – Object (lunch) – Adverb (samen). This mirrors the English structure in "We eat lunch together," where each element appears in a similar sequence.
Why is the verb eten not conjugated with an additional “-t” for the subject Wij?
In Dutch, the present tense verb form for plural subjects like Wij remains in its base form. For example, while the singular first person requires ik eet (with a change), the plural keeps the form as eten.
Why is there no article before lunch in the sentence?
Much as in English when we say "eat lunch" rather than "eat the lunch" in a general sense, Dutch commonly omits an article before meal names. The noun lunch is used without an article to refer to the meal in general.
Can the adverb samen be placed elsewhere in the sentence for emphasis?
Yes, Dutch allows some flexibility with adverb placement. For instance, to emphasize the togetherness, you might say Samen eten wij lunch. However, the standard and most natural order remains Wij eten lunch samen.
Is it acceptable in Dutch to drop the subject Wij in this sentence?
No, unlike in some pro-drop languages, Dutch typically requires the subject to be explicitly stated. Even in informal contexts, including Wij ensures clarity, so it is standard practice to keep it in the sentence.