Breakdown of Wij spelen het spelletje in het park.
wij
we
in
in
het park
the park
spelen
to play
het spelletje
the game
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Questions & Answers about Wij spelen het spelletje in het park.
What does Wij mean in this sentence, and why is it used?
Wij translates to “we” in English and functions as the subject of the sentence. Although both wij and we mean “we,” wij is often used when you want to emphasize the subject.
How is the verb spelen correctly conjugated in this sentence?
In Dutch, when the subject is the first-person plural (wij), the verb is used in its base form. That is why we see spelen instead of a form with an extra ending, which is appropriate for plural subjects in the present tense.
Why is the noun written as het spelletje instead of het spel, and what does the diminutive form indicate?
Spelletje is the diminutive form of spel. In Dutch, adding -je to a noun creates a diminutive, often conveying a sense of smallness or endearment. Diminutive nouns are always neuter, which is why the article het is used, regardless of the gender of the original noun.
Why does the sentence use het park and what determines this article?
The noun park is a neuter noun in Dutch. Neuter nouns take the definite article het rather than de. Therefore, the prepositional phrase in het park correctly uses het to reflect the gender of park.
What is the word order in Wij spelen het spelletje in het park, and why is it structured that way?
The sentence follows a typical Dutch word order for declarative sentences: subject (Wij), verb (spelen), object (het spelletje), and then the adverbial phrase of place (in het park). This structure adheres to the common Subject-Verb-Object pattern found in both Dutch and English, with location information placed at the end of the sentence.
Is there any difference between using wij and we in conversational Dutch?
Yes, while wij and we both mean “we,” wij is the stressed form and is often used for emphasis or clarification. In everyday casual conversation, we is common, but wij might be preferred when you want to clearly distinguish “we” from another group.