Breakdown of Een andere prioriteit is elke dag oefenen.
zijn
to be
oefenen
to practice
elke
every
de dag
the day
een
a, an
ander
other
de prioriteit
the priority
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Questions & Answers about Een andere prioriteit is elke dag oefenen.
Why is the infinitive oefenen used here without om and te?
In this sentence elke dag oefenen is functioning as a noun‐like phrase (an infinitive phrase) after the copula is. In such cases Dutch often drops the om … te construction. You could make it more explicit by saying Een andere prioriteit is om elke dag te oefenen, but it’s perfectly natural and more concise to leave out om and te.
Could I say dagelijks oefenen instead of elke dag oefenen?
Yes. Dagelijks oefenen (“exercising daily”) is a common, more succinct alternative. You would then have Een andere prioriteit is dagelijks oefenen, which carries exactly the same meaning.
Why does andere have an -e ending in een andere prioriteit?
In Dutch, attributive adjectives (those placed directly before a noun) generally take an -e ending when the noun is accompanied by an article (definite de, indefinite een) or another determiner (e.g. mijn, zijn, andere). That’s why ander becomes andere here.
Why do we say Een andere prioriteit is … and not Is een andere prioriteit …?
Dutch is a V2 language. In a main clause, the finite verb must be in the second position. Since een andere prioriteit is the first element (subject), is must follow immediately as the second.
Can I start the sentence with the infinitive phrase, e.g. Elke dag oefenen is een andere prioriteit?
Yes. That inversion is grammatically correct. You still obey V2: the verb is comes second. Fronting elke dag oefenen emphasizes the action itself as the topic.
What is the function of elke dag oefenen in this sentence?
It’s a predicative complement (subject complement) after the copula is, describing what the “other priority” actually is.
Why is there no article before elke dag?
Here elke dag functions as an adverbial time expression (“every day”), not as a noun phrase. Time‐and‐frequency adverbials in Dutch stand alone without de, een, etc.
Can I use iedere dag oefenen instead of elke dag oefenen?
Absolutely. Iedere dag and elke dag are largely interchangeable when indicating frequency, so Een andere prioriteit is iedere dag oefenen is equally correct.
Is oefenen a verb or a noun here?
Grammatically it’s the infinitive form of the verb oefenen, but in this construction it behaves like a noun (a “verbal noun” or gerund‐like phrase) as part of the complement.