Breakdown of Wij rijden op de snelweg, maar halverwege stoppen we voor koffie.
maar
but
wij
we
voor
for
stoppen
to stop
de koffie
the coffee
op
on
rijden
to drive
halverwege
halfway
de snelweg
the highway
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Questions & Answers about Wij rijden op de snelweg, maar halverwege stoppen we voor koffie.
What does rijden mean and why is it used with op de snelweg?
rijden means “to drive” or “to ride” in a vehicle. In Dutch you drive on a road or motorway, so you say rijden op de snelweg. Saying rijden in de snelweg would sound unnatural, and naar de snelweg would mean “towards the motorway.”
Why do we say op de snelweg instead of in de snelweg or op de autosnelweg?
Most Dutch speakers just say snelweg; adding auto is redundant. And Dutch always uses op with roads/highways: you’re “on” them, not “in” them.
What is halverwege, and why doesn’t it need an article?
halverwege means “halfway” or “midway” and acts as an adverb, not a noun. Adverbs don’t take articles, so you simply say halverwege without de or het.
Why is there a word order inversion in “halverwege stoppen we…”?
Dutch follows the V2 (verb-second) rule. When you put an adverbial like halverwege at the start, the finite verb (stoppen) must come next, followed by the subject (we).
Why don’t we say voor de koffie here?
With voor koffie you express purpose (“we stop for coffee”). When you talk about having coffee in general (not a specific cup), Dutch often drops the article.
What role does maar play, and how does it affect clause structure?
maar is a coordinating conjunction meaning but. It joins two independent clauses, each of which still follows the V2 rule. So after maar the verb returns to second position in the next clause.
Can we use we instead of wij, or even omit the subject?
Yes. wij is the emphatic/full form of “we,” and we is the more common spoken form. In casual conversation you can even drop it if it’s clear who’s doing the action.