Welke richting moeten we nemen?

to take

Breakdown of Welke richting moeten we nemen?

• we: we
• welke: which
• moeten: should

Questions & Answers about Welke richting moeten we nemen?

Why is the word order Welke richting moeten we nemen? and not Welke richting we moeten nemen?

In a direct Dutch question, the finite verb usually comes before the subject after the question word or question phrase.

So the pattern is:

question phrase + finite verb + subject + rest

Here:

• Welke richting = question phrase
• moeten = finite verb
• we = subject
• nemen = other verb at the end

That is why you get Welke richting moeten we nemen?

By contrast, welke richting we moeten nemen is not a full direct question. It is the word order you would use inside a larger sentence, for example:

Ik weet niet welke richting we moeten nemen.
= I don’t know which direction we should take.

What does welke mean here?

Welke means which.

It is used when you are choosing from possible options:

• Welke trein neem je? = Which train are you taking?
• Welke straat is het? = Which street is it?

In Welke richting moeten we nemen?, it asks which direction, out of the possible directions, is the right one.

Why is there no article before richting?