Breakdown of Toen de sportschool dicht was, deden we oefeningen in het park.
zijn
to be
wij
we
in
in
het park
the park
doen
to do
toen
when
de oefening
the exercise
de sportschool
the gym
dicht
closed
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Questions & Answers about Toen de sportschool dicht was, deden we oefeningen in het park.
What does sportschool mean in this context?
Sportschool literally means “sports school,” but in Dutch it refers to a gym or fitness center, the place where you go to work out.
Why is dicht used here instead of gesloten?
Both words can mean “closed,” but dicht is more idiomatic when talking about a business or facility being closed (“de winkel is dicht”). Gesloten is also correct, but feels a bit more formal or like a sign on the door.
Why use toen instead of als or wanneer?
Toen is used for a single event in the past (“when the gym was closed”). Als is used for repeated or habitual actions, and wanneer usually for questions or more formal contexts.
Why does the main clause start with Deden we instead of We deden?
Because the sentence begins with a toen-subordinate clause, Dutch requires inversion in the main clause: the finite verb (deden) comes first, then the subject (we).
Could you explain the word order in Toen de sportschool dicht was?
In subordinate clauses introduced by a conjunction like toen, the finite verb goes to the end. So you get: conjunction (Toen) + subject (de sportschool) + predicate adjective (dicht) + verb (was).
Why is in het park used instead of op het park?
When you’re within the boundaries of a location like a park, Dutch uses in. Op would suggest “on top of” or surface contact, which doesn’t fit in this context.
Why is oefeningen plural rather than singular?
Because you typically do multiple exercises during a workout. Oefening (singular) would mean just one exercise.
Why is the simple past deden used instead of the present perfect?
Dutch commonly uses the simple past for storytelling or describing past events. You could say we hebben oefeningen gedaan, but we deden oefeningen is more concise and frequent in narratives.