We staken de rivier per boot over.

The basic verb is oversteken, which means to cross.

In a dictionary, you would look it up as oversteken, not as staken over. It is a separable verb, so in some sentence types it gets split into two parts.

Because oversteken is a separable verb.

In a normal main clause, Dutch puts:

• the conjugated verb near the beginning, and
• the separable part at the end.

So:

• infinitive: de rivier oversteken
• main clause past tense: We staken de rivier per boot over

This is one of the most important Dutch word-order patterns to learn.

Because this is the simple past of oversteken.

The verb comes from steken, which is a strong verb:

• present: we steken over
• past singular: ik stak over
• past plural: we staken over
• past participle: overgestoken

So We staken ... over means We crossed ...

Do not confuse this with the separate verb staken meaning to go on strike or to stop. In this sentence, staken is just the past plural form of oversteken.

Both we and wij mean we.

The difference is mainly emphasis:

• we = normal, unstressed, everyday form
• wij = more emphatic or contrastive

So:

• We staken de rivier per boot over = neutral
• Wij staken de rivier per boot over = more emphatic, like we did

The verb form stays the same.

Per boot means by boat.

It expresses the means of transport or method. Dutch often uses per with transport words:

• per trein = by train
• per vliegtuig = by plane
• per boot = by boat

This use of per can sound a bit more formal or written than everyday speech.

Because per + transport noun usually takes no article.

So Dutch says:

• per boot
• per trein
• per bus

This works like English by boat, by train, by bus, where you also normally do not use a or the.

If you use met instead, an article is often natural:

• met de boot = by boat / with the boat

Yes. Met de boot is very common and natural.

So these are both possible:

• We staken de rivier per boot over.
• We staken de rivier met de boot over.

Very roughly:

• per boot sounds a bit more formal or matter-of-fact
• met de boot sounds more conversational

Yes. De rivier is the thing being crossed, so it is the direct object.

With oversteken, the thing you cross is the object:

• de straat oversteken = to cross the street
• de grens oversteken = to cross the border
• de rivier oversteken = to cross the river

So the structure is:

• We = subject
• staken = finite verb
• de rivier = direct object
• per boot = adverbial phrase
• over = separable particle

Yes. A very common alternative is:

We zijn de rivier per boot overgestoken.

That is the perfect tense.

In modern spoken Dutch, the perfect tense is often more common than the simple past in everyday conversation. The simple past We staken ... over is still completely correct, but it can sound a bit more narrative or story-like.

No. Separable verbs are not always split.

They are split in a main clause like this:

• We staken de rivier per boot over.

But they stay together in forms like:

• infinitive: de rivier per boot oversteken
• past participle: overgestoken
• subordinate clause: omdat we de rivier per boot overstaken

So whether the verb is split depends on the sentence structure.

In this sentence, it is best understood as across.

English usually says cross the river, not cross over the river by boat in this exact structure. But Dutch uses oversteken, where over is part of the verb.

So even though the word is over, the overall verb oversteken is usually translated as to cross.