Breakdown of Ik zou in die boekhandel uren kunnen doorbrengen.
ik
I
in
in
die
that
kunnen
can
het uur
the hour
doorbrengen
to spend
zou
would
de boekhandel
the bookstore
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Questions & Answers about Ik zou in die boekhandel uren kunnen doorbrengen.
What does zou mean in this context?
Zou is the past-tense form of zullen, used here to form the conditional. It softens the statement, so Ik zou uren kunnen doorbrengen literally means “I could spend hours,” implying a hypothetical or potential action rather than a simple statement of ability.
Why are kunnen and doorbrengen at the end of the sentence?
Dutch follows a verb-second rule for the finite verb (here zou) and pushes other infinitives to the end. When you combine a conditional (zou), a modal (kunnen) and a main verb (doorbrengen), the order becomes:
- finite verb in second position: zou
- adverbials/objects: in die boekhandel uren
- modal infinitive: kunnen
- main infinitive: doorbrengen
Why is it in die boekhandel instead of in de boekhandel?
Using die (the demonstrative pronoun) instead of the regular definite article de signals “that specific bookstore” already known to both speaker and listener. If you simply meant “the bookstore” in general, you would say in de boekhandel.
Could I use bij die boekhandel or naar die boekhandel instead of in die boekhandel?
No, each preposition changes the meaning:
- in die boekhandel = inside that bookstore (where you spend your time).
- bij die boekhandel = at or near the bookstore (outside or in its vicinity).
- naar die boekhandel = going to that bookstore (expressing movement toward it).
Why is uren used without an article (not de uren or een paar uren)?
Just like in English “hours,” Dutch uses uren in the plural to express an indefinite amount of time. If you wanted to specify “a few hours,” you’d say een paar uur (note singular uur after paar).
What exactly does doorbrengen mean and why is it one word here?
Doorbrengen is a separable verb meaning “to spend (time).” In infinitive form it’s written as one word: door (through/passage) + brengen (to bring). You can attach any time expression to it:
- twee weken doorbrengen – to spend two weeks
- een middag doorbrengen – to spend an afternoon
At the end of a clause with another verb (like kunnen), it stays combined as doorbrengen.
Is there a difference between Ik zou in die boekhandel uren kunnen doorbrengen and Ik kan uren in die boekhandel doorbrengen?
Yes.
- Ik kan uren… uses present-tense kan, stating a general ability: “I can spend hours…”
- Ik zou…kunnen… adds the conditional layer, implying a hypothetical, polite suggestion or desire: “I could spend hours… if I wanted/if I had the time.”
If I want to emphasize “hours,” can I move uren elsewhere in the sentence?
You can shift word order for focus, but keep the verb cluster at the end. For example:
- Uren zou ik in die boekhandel kunnen doorbrengen.
This stresses uren, meaning “It’s hours that I could spend in that bookstore.” The overall verb order (zou … kunnen doorbrengen) remains unchanged.