Breakdown of Wij hebben voordeel als we samen oefenen.
hebben
to have
wij
we
samen
together
oefenen
to practice
als
when
het voordeel
the advantage
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Questions & Answers about Wij hebben voordeel als we samen oefenen.
Why is there no definite article before voordeel in the sentence?
In Dutch, when expressing a general benefit or advantage, the noun is often used without an article. In this context, voordeel is treated as a general concept—similar to saying “advantage” in English without “a” or “the.”
What role does the conjunction als play in this sentence?
als is a subordinating conjunction that introduces a condition. It essentially means “if” or “when,” indicating that the advantage is obtained under the circumstance of practicing together.
Is the subject pronoun wij necessary at the beginning of the sentence?
Including wij clarifies and emphasizes that it is specifically “we” who benefit. While Dutch sometimes allows dropping the subject when it’s clear from context, it’s common and often helpful to include it in full sentences for clarity.
How is the form of oefenen determined in the clause als we samen oefenen?
In this clause, oefenen is the correctly conjugated form for the subject we in the present tense. Although the form is identical to the infinitive, it is not an uninflected verb here—the position at the end of the subordinate clause is standard in Dutch.
Can the subordinate clause als we samen oefenen be placed at the beginning of the sentence, and what would be the effect?
Yes, you can restructure the sentence as "Als we samen oefenen, hebben wij voordeel." Placing the clause first puts stronger emphasis on the condition under which the advantage occurs, yet the overall meaning remains unchanged and the grammatical structure stays correct.