Breakdown of Voor de bijeenkomst poets ik de vloer, zodat onze gasten een schone kamer zien.
ik
I
onze
our
zien
to see
zodat
so that
de kamer
the room
schoon
clean
voor
before
de bijeenkomst
the meeting
de gast
the guest
de vloer
the floor
poetsen
to clean
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Questions & Answers about Voor de bijeenkomst poets ik de vloer, zodat onze gasten een schone kamer zien.
What does the phrase Voor de bijeenkomst mean and indicate in this sentence?
It means "Before the meeting." This phrase establishes the time frame by showing that the action takes place prior to the meeting.
How is the verb poets used in this sentence, and why doesn’t it have a -t ending?
Poets is the first person singular present tense form of poetsen (meaning "to clean" or "to polish"). In Dutch, the first person singular form typically drops the -t ending, so ik poets is correct.
What is the function of zodat in the sentence, and why is it preceded by a comma?
Zodat introduces a subordinate clause that explains the purpose of cleaning the floor—namely, ensuring that our guests see a clean room. As in English, where a clause like "so that our guests see a clean room" clarifies the result or purpose of an action, Dutch grammar requires a comma to separate this subordinate clause from the main clause.
Why is the adjective schone used before kamer, and what rule determines its ending?
The noun kamer (room) is modified by the adjective schoon. Since it is an indefinite common gender noun, Dutch grammar rules require the adjective to take an -e ending, making it schone. This rule helps indicate that the adjective is attributive.
How are the subjects structured in both clauses of the sentence, and is any subject omitted?
In the main clause, ik (I) is clearly the subject performing the action poetsen. In the subordinate clause introduced by zodat, onze gasten (our guests) serves as the subject for the verb zien. No subject is omitted; each clause explicitly states its subject.