Breakdown of Wij gaan morgen de tentoonstelling in het oude gebouw bezoeken.
wij
we
gaan
to go
morgen
tomorrow
in
in
oud
old
bezoeken
to visit
het gebouw
the building
de tentoonstelling
the exhibition
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Questions & Answers about Wij gaan morgen de tentoonstelling in het oude gebouw bezoeken.
Why does bezoeken (to visit) come at the end of the sentence?
In Dutch main clauses that have two verbs—here the finite verb gaan plus the infinitive bezoeken—the finite verb sits in the second position, and the non-finite verb (the infinitive) goes to the very end. That’s why bezoeken appears clause-finally.
What function does gaan serve in this sentence?
Here gaan is a semi-modal verb used to form a near-future tense. It works like English “going to” (I’m going to visit), indicating a planned action rather than literal movement.
Why is the time adverb morgen placed before de tentoonstelling?
Dutch prefers the order Time–Manner–Place after the finite verb. Putting morgen (time) immediately after gaan follows that pattern. You can also front morgen for emphasis:
Morgen gaan we de tentoonstelling in het oude gebouw bezoeken.
Why does oude get an ‑e in het oude gebouw?
Adjectives in Dutch take an ‑e when they precede a noun with a definite article (de or het) or a de-word in plural. Since gebouw is a neuter noun with the article het, the adjective “old” becomes oude.
What’s the relationship between de tentoonstelling and in het oude gebouw?
The prepositional phrase in het oude gebouw modifies de tentoonstelling, telling you which exhibition—namely, the one in the old building. If you wanted it as a separate place adverbial instead, you could say:
Wij gaan morgen de tentoonstelling bezoeken in het oude gebouw.
Do we need te before bezoeken after gaan?
No. With semi-modals like gaan, kunnen, mogen, you directly use the infinitive without te. It’s gaan bezoeken, never gaan te bezoeken in standard Dutch.
Could you use zullen instead of gaan to talk about the future?
Yes. Zullen also marks the future:
Wij zullen morgen de tentoonstelling in het oude gebouw bezoeken.
Using zullen is more neutral; gaan often adds a nuance of intention or plan.
Can you use we instead of wij here?
Absolutely. We is the unstressed, more colloquial form of “we.” In everyday speech you’d usually say We gaan morgen..., whereas Wij gaan morgen... sounds a bit more emphatic or formal.