Learn Hardcore Dutch: Kun je de stoelen even opzij schuiven? - Could you slide the chairs aside for a moment?

Statement: Je kunt de stoelen even opzij schuiven.
(You can move the chairs aside.)
Question: Kun je de stoelen even opzij schuiven?
(Can you move the chairs aside?)

The rule: in a yes/no question, the finite verb (here kun) comes before the subject (je). This is called inversion and is very regular in Dutch.

Why is it Kun je and not Kunt je or Je kunt?

The verb is kunnen (to be able to / can).

Normal 2nd person singular: je kunt (or je kan – both are common).
Inverted (question) form: kun je (or kan je).

So:

Statement: Je kunt goed Nederlands spreken.
Question: Kun je goed Nederlands spreken?

You do not say Kunt je. When je/jij comes after the verb, Dutch normally drops the final -t:

Jij kunt goed Nederlands spreken.
(stressed subject, normal order)
Kun jij goed Nederlands spreken?
(question, stressed jij, still without -t)

What exactly does even mean here? Is it really about time, like “for a moment”?

Literally, even can mean “for a moment/for a sec”, but in sentences like this its main role is to make the request sound softer and friendlier.

Kun je de stoelen opzij schuiven?
→ sounds like a straightforward request; neutral.

Kun je de stoelen even opzij schuiven?
→ sounds more casual and polite, like “Could you just move the chairs aside (for a sec)?”

So you can think of even here as a mix of:

“just”
“for a moment”
a politeness softener

In everyday speech, it often doesn’t really refer to time; it just makes the sentence less direct.

Is opzij schuiven a separable verb like German separable verbs or English phrasal verbs?

It behaves very similarly.

schuiven = to push, to slide
opzij = to the side / aside

Together they form a common combination:

Ik schuif de stoelen opzij. (main clause: particle at the end)
Kun je de stoelen opzij schuiven? (infinitive: opzij schuiven stays together)
Ik heb de stoelen opzij geschoven. (perfect tense: opzij before the past participle)

So functionally, opzij schuiven behaves like a separable verb (verb + particle/adverb), even though grammatically opzij is an adverb of direction.

How would I say this as a normal statement instead of a question?

Just use normal word order (subject before verb):

Je kunt de stoelen even opzij schuiven.
You can move the chairs aside (for a moment).

Compare:

Question: Kun je de stoelen even opzij schuiven?
Statement: Je kunt de stoelen even opzij schuiven.

Why is it de stoelen? How is the plural of stoel formed?

Stoel (chair) is a common-gender noun:

Singular with definite article: de stoel (the chair)
Plural: de stoelen (the chairs)

Plural formation:

Base: stoel
Add -en → stoelen
The oe stays the same; you just add -en.

Dutch uses de for all plurals, regardless of gender:

de stoel, de stoelen
het huis, de huizen

What level of politeness is Kun je de stoelen even opzij schuiven? Does it sound rude?

This is an informal but generally polite request, especially because of even.

Rough nuance:

Kun je de stoelen opzij schuiven?
Neutral request: “Can you move the chairs aside?”
Kun je de stoelen even opzij schuiven?
Softer, more friendly: “Can you just move the chairs aside (for a sec)?”

For extra politeness you can add:

Kun je de stoelen even opzij schuiven, alsjeblieft?
(please, informal)

It’s not rude; it’s what you’d say to friends, family, or colleagues you talk to informally.

How would I say this formally, with u instead of je?

Formal you is u. The verb then takes the u form:

Kunt u de stoelen even opzij schuiven?

That is appropriate for speaking to someone you don’t know well, older people (depending on culture), customers, etc.

Note: In Belgium, Kan u ...? is also widely used, but in the Netherlands Kunt u ...? is more standard.

Can I move even to another place in the sentence?

Yes, you have some flexibility, and the meaning stays almost the same. Common options:

Kun je de stoelen even opzij schuiven?
Kun je even de stoelen opzij schuiven?

Both are perfectly natural. The second sometimes puts a tiny bit more emphasis on the action being brief, but in practice they’re both understood the same.

You normally don’t put even right at the end here:

✗ Kun je de stoelen opzij schuiven even? (unnatural)

What is the difference between opzij and other words like aan de kant or weg?

All can be used when you want something moved away, but they have slightly different flavors:

opzij schuiven – literally “move aside / to the side”.
Neutral, very common for moving things a little bit out of the way.
aan de kant zetten/schuiven – “put/move to the side”.
Very similar to opzij, maybe slightly more like “out of the way”.
wegzetten / weghalen – “put away / remove”.
Often implies removing it more completely, not just a little bit aside.

In your sentence, opzij schuiven is exactly right for moving chairs a bit so they’re not in the way.

How do you pronounce schuiven, especially the ui sound?

Schuiven is pronounced roughly like:

schui – [sxœy] or [sxœʏ] (depending on accent)
- sch: like a harsh kh
  - s sound (in many accents), a bit like clearing your throat
- ui: a diphthong with no direct English equivalent; somewhere between “uh” + “y” (try saying English “o” in “go” but with your lips more rounded and your tongue more forward)
ven – [vən] (schwa + n)

So simplified: SCHUY-ven, with that special Dutch ui vowel.

Could I also say Wil je de stoelen even opzij schuiven? instead of Kun je ...??

Yes, and both are very common in everyday Dutch.

Nuance:

Kun je de stoelen even opzij schuiven?
Literally: “Can you move the chairs aside?” (focusing on ability, but used as a normal request).
Wil je de stoelen even opzij schuiven?
Literally: “Do you want to move the chairs aside?”
Functionally: “Would you (please) move the chairs aside?”

In real life, both are understood as polite requests, not questions about ability or desire. Context and tone of voice matter more than the small difference between kun and wil.