Learn Hardcore Dutch: We zoeken een duurzame oplossing waarvoor iedereen kan betalen. - We are looking for a sustainable solution that everyone can afford.

In Dutch, adjectives placed directly before a singular de-word (and before all plural nouns) receive an -e ending. Since oplossing is a singular de-word, duurzaam becomes duurzame.

Why is waarvoor written as one word, and what function does it serve?

Waarvoor combines the relative pronoun waar- (“for which”) with the preposition voor. It introduces the relative clause waarvoor iedereen kan betalen, linking back to oplossing.

Could I use voor wie iedereen kan betalen instead of waarvoor iedereen kan betalen?

No. Voor wie refers to people. Since oplossing is a thing, you must use the thing-referring form waarvoor.

Why is the verb phrase kan betalen placed at the end of the clause waarvoor iedereen kan betalen?

Relative clauses in Dutch are subordinate, so the finite verb (kan) and any infinitives (betalen) form a verb cluster at the very end of that clause.

Why isn’t there a comma before waarvoor as there often is in English?

Defining relative clauses in Dutch aren’t set off by commas. You simply attach the clause directly to the main sentence.

Does kan betalen just mean “can pay,” or is there another nuance?

Literally it’s “can pay,” but idiomatically it means “can afford.” Here the sentence means, “We’re looking for a sustainable solution that everyone can afford.”

Why do we use betalen here instead of kopen?

Betalen voor iets focuses on the ability to pay the cost (“to pay for something/afford”). Kopen would mean “to buy/install,” shifting the emphasis away from affordability.

Why is it we zoeken and not we zoekt?

Dutch verbs agree with their subjects. For wij/we (we) you use the first-person plural zoeken. Zoekt is the third-person singular form used with hij/zij/het.