Doordeweeks kookt zij; in het weekend kookt hij.

she

Breakdown of Doordeweeks kookt zij; in het weekend kookt hij.

• hij: he
• koken: to cook
• in: in

Questions & Answers about Doordeweeks kookt zij; in het weekend kookt hij.

Why is the verb before the subject in kookt zij and kookt hij?

Dutch main clauses are verb-second (V2). Whatever you put first (here, the time phrase Doordeweeks / in het weekend), the finite verb must come second, and the subject follows:

• Doordeweeks kookt zij.
• If you start with the subject instead, the order looks like English: Zij kookt doordeweeks. Both are correct; fronting the time phrase emphasizes the time frame.

Can I say kookt ze instead of kookt zij?

Yes. Zij is the stressed/formal form; ze is the unstressed everyday form. After the verb (in this V2 structure) you will very often hear kookt ze in speech. The sentence with zij is a bit more emphatic or stylistically balanced with hij in the second clause.

How do I know whether zij means she or they here?

By verb agreement and context:

• Zij kookt = she cooks (3rd person singular: verb ends in -t).
• Zij koken = they cook (3rd person plural: verb ends in -en). In the sentence you see kookt, so zij = she.

Why is there a semicolon? Could I use a comma, a period, or a conjunction?