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Breakdown of Die keuze helpt ons veilig te blijven.
die
that
blijven
to stay
helpen
to help
ons
us
veilig
safe
de keuze
the choice
Questions & Answers about Die keuze helpt ons veilig te blijven.
What role does die play in die keuze?
Die is a demonstrative pronoun meaning that. It specifies which choice you’re talking about. If you wanted to say “this choice,” you’d use deze instead of die.
Why is the verb helpt in the singular form?
The subject of the sentence is die keuze, which is grammatically singular. In Dutch, a singular subject takes a singular verb ending in -t in the present tense: keuze → helpt.
Why do we use ons here instead of wij?
Ons is the object pronoun meaning us, whereas wij is the subject pronoun meaning we. Since we’re describing what the choice does to us, we need the object form ons.
How does veilig te blijven work grammatically?
This is an infinitive clause introduced by te (“to”). It expresses the result or purpose of the action: “to stay safe.” Dutch often places te + infinitive at the end of a main clause when it complements a verb like helpen.
Why is the infinitive clause placed at the end of the sentence?
In Dutch main clauses, all parts of the infinitive construction (te + infinitive) follow the other elements (subject, verb, object). That’s why veilig te blijven comes after helpt ons.
Can you say die keuze helpt ons om veilig te blijven?
Yes. Adding om is optional with helpen. Both forms are correct:
- helpt ons veilig te blijven
- helpt ons om veilig te blijven
They mean the same, though some speakers find the version without om slightly more concise.
Why isn’t there a dat (that) introducing the clause?
When you use an infinitive clause with te, you don’t need dat. If you tried to use dat, you’d have to switch to a finite verb, for example:
Die keuze helpt ons zodat we veilig blijven.
But with te blijven, the infinitive construction stands on its own.
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