Log inSign up

Door samen te koken, besparen we tijd en geld.

Door samen te koken, besparen we tijd en geld.
By cooking together, we save time and money.
FromLesson 18inHardcore Dutch
……

Breakdown of Door samen te koken, besparen we tijd en geld.

wij
we
koken
to cook
en
and
samen
together
het geld
the money
de tijd
the time
door
by
besparen
to save

Questions & Answers about Door samen te koken, besparen we tijd en geld.

What does door mean in door samen te koken?

In this context door is a preposition meaning by or through, indicating the means.
So door samen te koken = by cooking together.

Why do we need te before koken?
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)

More from this lesson

sterkvolDe kast staat vol boeken.Gelukkig voel ik me vandaag sterk en vol energie.gelukkighet beroepTom is gelukkig met zijn nieuwe beroep als leraar.vereisen
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?”
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Dutch

Master Dutch — from Door samen te koken, besparen we tijd en geld to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Dutch freeBrowse the full course