Wij ontdekken nieuwe woorden in de tekst.

We discover new words in the text.

Breakdown of Wij ontdekken nieuwe woorden in de tekst.

• wij: we
• in: in
• nieuw: new
• het woord: the word
• de tekst: the text
• ontdekken: to discover

Questions & Answers about Wij ontdekken nieuwe woorden in de tekst.

Why is it wij and not we in this sentence?

In Dutch, wij and we both mean “we,” but they are used differently. Wij is the full, stressed form and is often used for emphasis or in writing. We is the unstressed, more colloquial form you’d hear in everyday speech. In a neutral written example like this, wij is perfectly fine.

Why is the verb ontdekken used with wij, instead of wij ontdekt?

Dutch verb conjugation in the present tense follows a simple pattern:

• For ik (I), use the stem: ik ontdek.
• For jij/je after the verb, hij/zij/het, and u, add -t: jij ontdekt, hij ontdekt.
• For wij/jullie/zij, use the infinitive (stem + -en): wij ontdekken, jullie ontdekken, zij ontdekken. Since wij is first-person plural, we keep the full infinitive ontdekken.

What exactly does ontdekken mean, and how does it differ from vinden?

Ontdekken means “to discover” or “to uncover”—it often implies you’re finding something new or previously unknown. Vinden simply means “to find” and can be used more generally (e.g. finding your keys). So:

• wij ontdekken nieuwe woorden = we discover new words (for the first time, or uncover them in the text)
• wij vinden de sleutel = we find the key (we locate something known/existing)

Why is there no article before nieuwe woorden? In English we’d say “the new words.”

Dutch handles plural noun phrases in two ways:

1. Indefinite plural (general sense): no article.
   Example: nieuwe woorden = new words (in general)
2. Definite plural: add de.
   Example: de nieuwe woorden = the new words (specific ones)
   Here we talk about discovering new words in general, so there’s no article.

Why is woorden plural, and could you say een nieuw woord instead?

Woorden is plural (“words”) because the sentence suggests multiple words are being discovered. If you wanted to say “We discover a new word,” you’d switch to singular:

• Wij ontdekken een nieuw woord in de tekst.

Notice two changes:

1. woorden → woord (singular)
2. You need the indefinite article een before singular nouns.

Can I move in de tekst to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Dutch allows you to start with a prepositional phrase for emphasis or style. When you do that, the verb still comes second, and the subject follows:

• In de tekst ontdekken wij nieuwe woorden. This puts extra focus on in de tekst, but the meaning remains the same.

What’s the word order here, compared to English?

Basic Dutch word order in a simple main clause is Subject – Verb – Object – (Adverbial):

• Wij (S) ontdekken (V) nieuwe woorden (O) in de tekst (Adv/prepositional phrase).
  English is similar: We discover new words in the text.
  If you front an adverbial, the Dutch verb still stays in second position.

How do I pronounce ontdekken, woorden, and tekst?

Approximate Dutch pronunciations (using simple symbols):

• ontdekken: [ont-DEK-kən]
  
  • o as in “on,” e as in “bed,” final -en is a reduced schwa [ə].
• woorden: [VOR-dər(n)]
  
  • w like English v, oo like English “or,” final -en often reduces to [ər].
• tekst: [tekst]
  
  • Very similar to English “text,” but the t sounds are crisper and the e is short.