Learn Hardcore Dutch: In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid. - In this project we share the responsibility.

In dit project – within this project, focusing on the project as a context or framework.
Bij dit project – more like in connection with / as part of this project. Often used when talking about work, tasks, or involvement:
- Bij dit project werken we met drie teams.
Op dit project – used especially in some work or construction contexts, like on this job / on this site:
- Ik werk op dit project sinds januari.

For the meaning “In this project we share the responsibility”, In dit project is the most neutral and natural.

Why does the verb come before wij in In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid?

This is due to the Dutch verb-second (V2) rule:
in main clauses, the finite verb must be in second position in the sentence.

Order here:

In dit project – first element (a prepositional phrase)
delen – finite verb (must be second)
wij – subject
de verantwoordelijkheid – object

So:

In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid. ✅
In dit project wij delen de verantwoordelijkheid. ❌ (verb is not in 2nd position)

If you start with the subject, you also follow V2:

Wij delen in dit project de verantwoordelijkheid. ✅
(Subject = first element, delen = verb in 2nd position)

Can I also say Wij delen in dit project de verantwoordelijkheid? Is there a difference?

Yes, that is correct Dutch:

Wij delen in dit project de verantwoordelijkheid.

Differences:

In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid.
– Emphasis a bit more on this project as the context.
Wij delen in dit project de verantwoordelijkheid.
– Emphasis a bit more on we as the subject.

In everyday language the difference is small; both are normal. The original version just foregrounds “in this project” more strongly.

What is the difference between wij and we here?

Dutch has two forms for “we”:

wij – stressed form (more emphasis)
we – unstressed form (more neutral, common in speech)

Both would be grammatically correct:

In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid.
– Slightly emphasizes we: we (and not someone else) share it.
In dit project delen we de verantwoordelijkheid.
– More neutral; this is what you’d hear most often in speech.

In most neutral sentences, Dutch speakers naturally prefer we unless they want emphasis or are writing more formally.

Can I drop the subject and say In dit project delen de verantwoordelijkheid like in Spanish or Italian?

No. Dutch is not a “pro‑drop” language.
You must include the subject pronoun:

In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid. ✅
In dit project delen we de verantwoordelijkheid. ✅
In dit project delen de verantwoordelijkheid. ❌ (missing subject)

Even when the verb form shows who is doing the action, you still need ik, jij, hij, wij, jullie, zij, etc.

Why is verantwoordelijkheid singular here and not plural like responsibilities?

Dutch often uses a singular abstract noun where English might use a plural:

English: we share the responsibilities
Dutch: wij delen de verantwoordelijkheid

Here de verantwoordelijkheid refers to the general concept of responsibility within the project. The idea is: the total responsibility for the project is shared.

Plural verantwoordelijkheden is used when you explicitly list or think of separate, distinct responsibilities:

In dit project hebben we verschillende verantwoordelijkheden.
In this project we have different responsibilities.

Why is it de verantwoordelijkheid and not het verantwoordelijkheid?

The noun verantwoordelijkheid is a de-word:

de verantwoordelijkheid

Most nouns ending in ‑heid are de-words:

de mogelijkheid (the possibility)
de veiligheid (the safety)
de vrijheid (the freedom)

So:

de verantwoordelijkheid ✅
het verantwoordelijkheid ❌

Why is there a definite article (de verantwoordelijkheid) and not just verantwoordelijkheid without an article?

Using de here has the sense of “the responsibility involved in this project” – a specific, known responsibility.

In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid.
→ The responsibility for this project, the one we’re talking about.

If you say it without an article:

In dit project delen wij verantwoordelijkheid.

this sounds more like a general statement about a type of behavior (“we show/share responsibility as a quality”). That’s possible, but in most project‑work contexts the definite article de is more natural because it points to the concrete responsibility for the project’s outcome.

Could I say In dit project delen wij onze verantwoordelijkheid instead of de verantwoordelijkheid?

You can, but the meaning shifts:

…delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid.
→ We share the responsibility for the project (one overall responsibility that we jointly carry).
…delen wij onze verantwoordelijkheid.
→ Literally: we share our responsibility, which sounds like we each have our own responsibility and somehow distribute or share those. This is less idiomatic in this context.

For “we share (the) responsibility for this project”, de verantwoordelijkheid is the natural choice.

Does delen here always need an object like de verantwoordelijkheid?

In this meaning (“to share something”), delen is transitive and normally takes a direct object:

Wij delen de verantwoordelijkheid.
Wij delen de kosten. (We share the costs.)
Wij delen een kamer. (We share a room.)

You can extend it:

In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid met een ander team.
(…share the responsibility with another team.)

Without an object, delen would be understood in another sense, e.g. “to divide”:

De leraar deelt uit. (The teacher hands out [things].)
We delen door twee. (We divide by two.)

Are there other common ways in Dutch to say “We share the responsibility in this project”?

Yes, some natural alternatives:

In dit project zijn wij samen verantwoordelijk.
In this project we are jointly responsible.
In dit project dragen wij samen de verantwoordelijkheid.
In this project we jointly bear the responsibility.
In dit project hebben wij gedeelde verantwoordelijkheid.
In this project we have shared responsibility.

The original In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid is very clear and idiomatic, especially in business or project contexts.

Should there be a comma after In dit project?

In modern Dutch, with a short fronted phrase like In dit project, a comma is optional, and it’s usually omitted:

In dit project delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid. ✅ (most common)
In dit project, delen wij de verantwoordelijkheid. ✔️/❌ (not wrong, but looks old‑fashioned or over‑punctuated)

Commas are more common after longer or more complex introductory phrases, but here it’s standard to leave it out.