Learn Hardcore Dutch: Door samen te koken, besparen we tijd en geld. - By cooking together, we save time and money.

After certain prepositions (like door) Dutch uses te + infinitive to form an infinitive clause expressing purpose or means. Without te, koken cannot function as the head of that clause.

Why is besparen placed before we? I would expect we besparen.

Dutch main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule. Because the introductory phrase Door samen te koken occupies the first position, the finite verb besparen must come second, so the subject we follows in third position.

Can I rephrase it as We besparen tijd en geld door samen te koken?

Yes. If you start with the subject, you get:
We besparen tijd en geld door samen te koken.
Both versions are correct; this one simply places the adverbial clause at the end.

Is the comma after koken mandatory?

No, it’s not mandatory. It’s recommended when a longer introductory phrase precedes the main clause, as it clarifies the boundary between that phrase and the verb–subject combination.

Is besparen always followed by a direct object like tijd or geld?

Yes. Besparen is a transitive verb taking a direct object: you bespaar(t) iets. Common objects are tijd (time) and geld (money). To combine them, use en: tijd en geld.

How would I say this sentence in the past tense?

You simply change besparen to its past form bespaarden:
Door samen te koken bespaarden we tijd en geld.

Can samen go after te, like door te samen koken?

No. The correct order is samen (the adverb) immediately before te + infinitive:
samen te koken. You cannot separate te from koken or insert samen between them.

Where do I put a word like veel (a lot) if I want to say “We save a lot of time and money”?

Place veel before each noun or once if it applies to both:
We besparen veel tijd en (veel) geld door samen te koken.

How do I pronounce besparen and door?

• besparen: /bə-ˈspaː.rən/ (stress on the second syllable)
• door: /doːr/ (long oo sound, similar to the English door)