Breakdown of Leg de afstandsbediening op de tafel zodat we de tv kunnen aanzetten.
wij
we
de tafel
the table
zodat
so that
kunnen
can
aanzetten
to turn on
op
on
leggen
to put
de afstandsbediening
the remote control
de tv
the TV
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Questions & Answers about Leg de afstandsbediening op de tafel zodat we de tv kunnen aanzetten.
What is the role of Leg in this sentence?
It’s the imperative (command) form of the verb leggen (to lay or put). Dutch imperatives for jij/je usually drop the ending -t and use the verb stem, so leg means “put” or “place” here.
What does afstandsbediening mean and why is it one word?
Afstandsbediening means “remote control.” Dutch often forms compound nouns by sticking words together: afstand (“distance”) + bediening (“control” or “operation”) → afstandsbediening.
Why is it op de tafel and not op tafel or op het tafel?
- Tafel is a “de-word,” so you use de.
- You can drop the article in more general statements (“Leg het boek op tafel”), but when you refer to a specific table, you include de.
- Het tafel is impossible because tafel is common gender, not neuter.
What does zodat mean and how does it affect word order?
Zodat means “so that” and introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb (here kunnen) and any other verbs move to the very end, creating a verb cluster: we de tv kunnen aanzetten.
Why is it kunnen aanzetten instead of aanzetten kunnen?
In Dutch subordinate clauses, the modal verb precedes the main verb in the verb cluster. You keep the order modal + main verb, so kunnen aanzetten (“can turn on”).
Why do we say de tv and not het tv?
The full word televisie is a “de-word,” so its abbreviation tv also takes de: de tv.
Can we use inschakelen instead of aanzetten? What’s the nuance?
Both mean “to turn on” (a machine or device). Aanzetten is more everyday/colloquial; inschakelen is slightly more formal or technical. Either works for a TV.
Is a comma required before zodat?
A comma before zodat is optional in Dutch. It can improve readability (“...tafel, zodat we...”) but leaving it out is perfectly acceptable.
Could we rearrange to aan kunnen zetten instead of kunnen aanzetten?
Informally you might hear “...zodat we de tv aan kunnen zetten,” splitting the verb cluster. In standard written Dutch, you usually keep them together at the end, but both are understood.