Breakdown of Voorlopig bewaren wij alle bewijsstukken in deze doos.
wij
we
in
in
deze
this
alle
all
bewaren
to keep
de doos
the box
voorlopig
for the time being
het bewijsstuk
the piece of evidence
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Questions & Answers about Voorlopig bewaren wij alle bewijsstukken in deze doos.
What does Voorlopig mean in this sentence?
Voorlopig means “for the time being” or “temporarily.” It indicates that the action is not permanent and may change later.
Why is the verb bewaren placed directly after Voorlopig and before wij?
Dutch follows a V2 (verb-second) word order. When you put an element like Voorlopig in the first position, the finite verb (bewaren) must come second, pushing the subject (wij) into third position.
Could I say We instead of wij here? Do they differ in formality or emphasis?
Yes. Both wij and we mean “we.” Wij is more formal or emphatic (often used in writing or to stress the subject), while we is more colloquial in speech.
What is the exact meaning of bewijsstukken?
Bewijsstukken literally means “pieces of evidence” or “evidence documents.” It refers to any items, papers, or materials that serve as proof in a legal or official context.
Why is alle bewijsstukken placed before in deze doos?
In Dutch the typical order is Subject–Verb–Direct Object–Prepositional Phrase. Here alle bewijsstukken is the direct object, and in deze doos is the locative prepositional phrase, so the object comes first.
Could I also say We bewaren voorlopig alle bewijsstukken in deze doos? Does the meaning change?
Yes, that word order is fine. Placing voorlopig after bewaren still means the same; it just shifts the emphasis slightly. Fronting voorlopig (as in the original) highlights the temporariness more strongly.
What’s the difference between voorlopig and tijdelijk?
Both can mean “temporary.” Voorlopig often implies “for now, until something else happens,” and is very common in everyday language. Tijdelijk is a bit more formal and direct, closer to “temporary” in English.
Could I replace bewaren with opbergen or opslaan? Are there nuance differences?
- Opbergen is used for physically putting things away (e.g., in a cupboard).
- Opslaan usually refers to saving data or digital files.
- Bewaren is more general and covers keeping, storing, or preserving both physical and abstract items.
Is there any nuance if I move in deze doos to the front, like In deze doos bewaren wij voorlopig alle bewijsstukken?
Yes. That sentence is grammatically correct and simply shifts the emphasis onto the location. By fronting in deze doos, you highlight that the key point is where the evidence is being stored.