Daarom leggen we lege bloempotten apart, zodat we ze later kunnen recyclen.

Breakdown of Daarom leggen we lege bloempotten apart, zodat we ze later kunnen recyclen.

wij
we
later
later
zodat
so that
kunnen
can
ze
them
leeg
empty
daarom
therefore
apart leggen
to set aside
de bloempot
the flowerpot
recyclen
to recycle
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Questions & Answers about Daarom leggen we lege bloempotten apart, zodat we ze later kunnen recyclen.

Why is Daarom used at the beginning instead of Omdat?

Daarom is an adverb meaning “therefore” or “that’s why.” It refers back to a reason already given and stands in main‐clause word order (subject–verb).
Omdat is a conjunction meaning “because,” and it introduces a subordinate clause with verb‐final order.
So if you start with Daarom, you say “For that reason, …” with normal word order. If you start with Omdat, you’d say Omdat …, then the verb goes to the end.


What is the role of apart here? Is it part of a separable verb?

In this sentence, apart is just an adverb meaning “separately”” or “aside.”
It is not part of a separable verb. The verb is leggen (“to lay/put”), and you add apart after the object:
“we leggen de bloempotten apart” = “we put the flower pots aside.”


Why do we use leggen here? Could we say zetten or plaatsen?

Dutch has several verbs for “put”:

  • leggen = to lay something down (often horizontal)
  • zetten = to set something (often vertical)
  • plaatsen = more formal, “to place”
    In the context of setting items aside, leggen … apart is very common. You could also say we zetten lege bloempotten apart, and people will understand, but leggen apart is the usual collocation for “putting aside.”

Why is leeg inflected to lege in lege bloempotten?

Dutch adjectives get an –e ending when they stand before a noun that has a definite article or is plural/indefinite. Here bloempotten is plural and indefinite, so you add –e:
leeglege bloempotten
If it were singular indefinite (een leeg bloempot) you’d also get lege. Only singular indefinite with het‐words sometimes stays plain: een groot huis (no –e on groot).


Why is there no article before lege bloempotten? Could I say de lege bloempotten?

Omitting the article makes it general: “empty flower pots” in general.
de lege bloempotten would mean “the empty flower pots” (specific ones you already have in mind).
Both are possible, but if you’re just referring to all empty pots, leave out the article.


Why do we use ze and not hun or hen to refer to bloempotten?

ze is the normal object‐pronoun for “them” (regardless of gender or animacy in Dutch).

  • ze = direct object (“We see them”)
  • hun = indirect object (“We give them (people) something”)
  • hen = object‐pronoun for people in formal style
    Since bloempotten are objects and you’re using them as a direct object, use ze.

In zodat we ze later kunnen recyclen, why does kunnen recyclen come at the end?

zodat is a subordinating conjunction (“so that”), so it pushes the finite verb (kunnen) into second position and the other verb (recyclen) to the very end.
Structure:
1) zodat
2) subject (we)
3) finite verb (kunnen)
4) object (ze)
5) adverb (later)
6) non‐finite verb (recyclen)


Could I use om ze later te recyclen instead of zodat we ze later kunnen recyclen?

Yes. om … te is another way to express purpose:
Daarom leggen we lege bloempotten apart om ze later te recyclen.
Differences:

  • zodat … kunnen recyclen: you mention the subject (we) and the ability/mode (kunnen)
  • om … te recyclen: more compact, no subject in the clause (it’s assumed same subject)

Both are correct; choose based on style and emphasis.