Breakdown of Iedere speler wil even snel zijn als de trainer.
zijn
to be
elke
every
willen
to want
snel
fast
als
as
even
just
de speler
the player
de trainer
the coach
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Questions & Answers about Iedere speler wil even snel zijn als de trainer.
What does even mean in this sentence?
even here is an adverb meaning equally or just as, used for making an equality comparison (“as fast as”).
Why is there no te before zijn?
Because willen is a modal verb in Dutch, and modals are followed by the bare infinitive without te.
Why does zijn appear at the very end of the sentence?
In a Dutch main clause with a modal verb (here wil), the finite verb (wil) takes the second position, and any infinitive verbs (zijn) go to the end.
Why is als used here and not dan?
als is used for comparisons of equality (“as … as”). dan is reserved for comparisons of difference (“faster than”).
Could we say zo snel zijn als de trainer or net zo snel zijn als de trainer instead of using even snel?
Yes.
- zo snel zijn als … is a neutral way to say “be as fast as ….”
- net zo snel zijn als … adds a slight emphasis on “just as fast.”
- even snel zijn als … stresses equality in a more colloquial style.
What is the difference between Iedere speler and Alle spelers in this context?
- Iedere speler (singular) focuses on each individual player (“every single player”).
- Alle spelers (plural) refers to the group as a whole (“all the players together”).
Both are grammatically correct but carry a slightly different nuance.
Why is the verb wil (not wilt) used with iedere speler?
iedere speler is treated as a third‐person singular subject, so it takes wil. If the subject were jij you’d say jij wilt, but hij/iedere speler wil.
Why is de trainer definite rather than een trainer?
Using de trainer implies a specific, known trainer (e.g. your team’s coach). If you meant any trainer in general, you’d say een trainer.
Could we rephrase to Alle spelers willen even snel zijn als de trainer? Would that be correct?
Yes. Here you switch to the plural subject Alle spelers, so the verb becomes willen. The meaning is nearly the same, but you shift from “every individual player” to “the players as a group.”