Breakdown of Vandaag zitten wij samen in de klas.
wij
we
in
in
samen
together
vandaag
today
zitten
to sit
de klas
the classroom
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Questions & Answers about Vandaag zitten wij samen in de klas.
Why is the verb zitten placed before the subject wij?
Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb always comes in the second position. Since Vandaag occupies slot one, zitten moves into slot two and wij follows.
Why is zitten used instead of zijn to mean “to be”?
Dutch often uses posture verbs like zitten, staan, or liggen to express location or position. Zitten here indicates that you are seated in the classroom. Using zijn would be grammatically correct but less idiomatic for a physical location.
What’s the function of samen, and is it mandatory?
Samen means “together” and emphasizes that you and others share the same space. It’s not grammatically required—Vandaag zitten wij in de klas is still correct—but without samen you lose the nuance of doing it jointly.
Why do we say in de klas instead of in klas?
Most singular, countable Dutch nouns need an article. Klas is common gender, so you need de: in de klas. Omitting the article would be ungrammatical here.
When should you use wij versus the shorter we?
We is the unstressed, everyday subject form. Wij adds emphasis or is more formal. You can say either Vandaag zitten we samen in de klas (neutral) or Vandaag zitten wij samen in de klas (emphatic).
Why is Vandaag capitalized if Dutch days are usually lowercase?
Only proper nouns are capitalized in Dutch, and days of the week are not proper nouns. However, the first word of any sentence is always capitalized, so Vandaag gets a capital letter simply because it starts the sentence.
Could you reorder the sentence to Wij zitten vandaag samen in de klas, and if so, does it change the emphasis?
Yes. Wij zitten vandaag samen in de klas is perfectly grammatical. Starting with wij focuses on the subject, while starting with vandaag highlights the time. Thanks to V2, you just ensure the verb stays in the second slot.
How do you express the English continuous aspect, like “we are sitting together in class”?
Dutch typically uses the simple present for ongoing actions. Vandaag zitten wij samen in de klas covers both “we sit” and “we are sitting.” If you want to stress the activity, you might add a verb: Vandaag zitten wij samen in de klas te werken (“we are in the classroom working together”), but there’s no separate progressive form like English.
What’s the difference between klas and klaslokaal?
Klas can mean both the group of students or their classroom, depending on context. Klaslokaal specifically means the physical room. Saying in de klas is more idiomatic for “in class,” whereas in het klaslokaal is a bit more formal and purely about the room.