Breakdown of We bespreken eerst elke mogelijke oplossing voordat we stemmen.
wij
we
elke
every
eerst
first
voordat
before
bespreken
to discuss
de oplossing
the solution
mogelijk
possible
stemmen
to vote
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about We bespreken eerst elke mogelijke oplossing voordat we stemmen.
Why is eerst placed between the verb and the object? Can’t it go at the beginning?
Time adverbs like eerst can appear in several positions. Putting eerst right after the finite verb (We bespreken eerst…) keeps the neutral main‐clause word order. If you front eerst, you must invert subject and verb: Eerst bespreken we elke mogelijke oplossing. Starting with eerst adds more emphasis on “first.”
What’s the difference between eerst and voordat?
eerst is a temporal adverb meaning “first” within one clause. voordat is a subordinating conjunction meaning “before,” and it introduces a whole new clause. So the structure is: discuss first (eerst), before voting (voordat…).
Why doesn’t the first clause end with a comma before voordat?
In Dutch, a comma before subordinating conjunctions like voordat is optional and often omitted in short, clear sentences. You could write “We bespreken eerst elke mogelijke oplossing, voordat we stemmen,” but the comma isn’t required.
Why is stemmen at the end, and is it really an infinitive here?
In subordinate clauses introduced by words like voordat, the finite verb moves to the clause’s end. The form stemmen looks like an infinitive but is actually the present‐tense form for wij stemmen (1st/3rd person plural), which coincides with the infinitive form.
Why is the object elke mogelijke oplossing singular? Could I use alle mogelijke oplossingen?
elke mogelijke oplossing means “each possible solution,” implying you treat them one at a time. alle mogelijke oplossingen means “all possible solutions” collectively. Use elke + singular when you want an item‐by‐item approach.
Why doesn’t bespreken split like other Dutch verbs?
Verbs with prefixes such as be-, ge-, her- are inseparable in Dutch. bespreken is one of those, so it always stays together: we bespreken, never we spreken…bes.
Can we omit the subject we in the subordinate clause?
No. Dutch generally requires an explicit subject in subordinate clauses. You need voordat we stemmen; dropping we (voordat stemmen) is ungrammatical.
What’s the difference between we and wij?
Both mean “we.” we is the unstressed, more common spoken form. wij is used when you want to stress the subject (“we ourselves”), or in more formal writing.