Asking about a close deadline | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Komt de deadline snel dichterbij?

   Is the deadline coming up soon?

   Komt

   is coming

   deadline

   deadline

   snel

   soon

   dichterbij

   closer

   More detail

   Komt is the present-tense form of komen for a third-person singular subject: “comes/is coming.” In a Dutch yes/no question, the finite verb comes before the subject. The reusable pattern is Komt + subject ...? — “Is ... coming ...?” deadline is a noun meaning “deadline.” It is used here as the subject; the sentence asks about the deadline’s approaching, not about someone bringing it. snel means “soon” in this question. It can also mean “quickly” when it describes the speed of an action, so its precise English translation depends on the construction. dichterbij means “closer” or “nearer.” It is the comparative form related to dichtbij (“close/near”); het dichtstbij means “the closest/nearest.” In dichterbij komen, the two words form a common pattern meaning “to come closer” or “to approach.” Together, de deadline is the subject, komt ... dichterbij says that it is approaching, and snel asks whether this will happen soon. The whole question is therefore: “Is the deadline coming up soon?”

2. De deadline is dichtbij.

   The deadline is close.

   deadline

   deadline

   dichtbij

   close; nearby

   More detail

   deadline is a noun meaning “deadline” or “due date.” In Dutch, it is used with the definite article de: de deadline. The noun is a loanword and keeps the same spelling here. Example: De deadline is morgen. — “The deadline is tomorrow.” dichtbij means “close” in the sense of being near in space or time. In this sentence, it refers to the deadline’s time being near, matching “The deadline is close.” It can also describe physical proximity: De winkel is dichtbij. — “The shop is nearby.” Do not confuse it with dichterbij, the comparative form meaning “closer” or “nearer.” De is the definite article used here with deadline. is is the third-person singular present form of zijn, “to be”; the subject is singular, de deadline. The pattern De [noun] is [description] is a reusable way to state a fact about a singular definite noun. Together, De deadline is dichtbij. means “The deadline is close.” The article identifies the deadline, is links it to the description, and dichtbij states that it is near in time.

3. Laten we dus met het belangrijkste deel beginnen.

   So let's start with the main part.

   Laten we

   let's

   dus

   so

   belangrijkste

   most important

   deel

   part

   beginnen

   to start

   More detail

   Laten we is the reusable Dutch pattern for “let’s”: it invites the speaker and at least one other person to do the action expressed by the following infinitive. It is followed here by beginnen, not by a conjugated verb. Example: Laten we wachten. — “Let’s wait.” dus means “so” or “therefore.” Here it connects the suggestion with what has just been established, giving the suggestion a “so, then” effect. Its position before the rest of the suggestion makes it a linking word, not part of the noun phrase. belangrijkste is the superlative of the adjective belangrijk (“important”): belangrijk → belangrijker (“more important”) → belangrijkste (“most important”). In het belangrijkste deel, it describes deel and identifies it as the most important one in the relevant comparison. The adjective has the attributive ending -e here; this form is not the noun’s base form. deel means “part” or “section.” It is a singular neuter noun, normally used with het: het deel. In this sentence, het belangrijkste deel is the noun phrase meaning “the main part.” beginnen means “to start” or “to begin.” It is the infinitive used after Laten we. Dutch commonly uses beginnen met (“start with”) when naming what is started with, as in We beginnen met de eerste vraag. — “We start with the first question.” Here, met het belangrijkste deel specifies what the starting point is. Together, dus plus Laten we gives “so let’s,” met het belangrijkste deel identifies the thing to start with, and beginnen supplies the proposed action. The whole utterance therefore means: “So let’s start with the main part.”

4. Wil je dat nu doen?

   Do you want to take that on now?

   Wil je

   do you want

   dat

   that

   nu

   now

   doen

   do; take on

   More detail

   Wil je is the question form of willen (“to want”). In a yes/no question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Wil je ...? = “Do you want ...?” The subject form here is je, “you.” In a statement, the same pattern is commonly Je wilt ... or Je wil ...; wilt is the fuller form, while wil is also used with je, especially in questions and informal usage. Example: Wil je beginnen? — “Do you want to start?” dat means “that” here and functions as the object of doen: the thing being done is “that.” As a demonstrative pronoun, its form is used for a singular neuter referent; the specific referent is understood from the situation, while the supplied translation identifies it simply as “that.” nu means “now.” It places the proposed action at the present time. It does not itself express whether the action is completed or merely intended. doen is the infinitive “to do.” After wil in this question, it remains in the infinitive and follows the object dat: wil ... doen = “want to do ...”. In this context, the fixed translation renders the action naturally as “take that on,” but doen itself is the general verb “do.” Example: Ik wil dat doen. — “I want to do that.” Together, Wil je asks about the listener’s desire, dat doen means “do that,” and nu specifies the time. The whole utterance is therefore: “Do you want to take that on now?”

5. Ik kan beginnen terwijl jij het bestand controleert.

   I can start while you check the file.

   Ik kan

   I can

   beginnen

   start

   terwijl

   while

   jij

   you

   bestand

   file

   controleert

   check

   More detail

   Ik kan combines ik (“I”) with kan, the present-tense form of kunnen used with this subject. Here it expresses ability or possibility: “can.” A reusable pattern is Ik kan + infinitive, as in Ik kan helpen. — “I can help.” beginnen means “to start” or “to begin.” It is an infinitive because it follows the modal verb kan. Useful present-tense forms include ik begin and jij begint; the -t in begint belongs to the verb form. terwijl introduces an action that happens at the same time as another action: “while.” It introduces a subordinate clause. In this clause, the finite verb comes at the end: terwijl jij het bestand controleert. jij is the subject pronoun meaning “you” for one person. Here it is the person who performs the checking. je is a less emphatic alternative in many contexts, while jij can give the subject more focus. This pronoun does not indicate whether the person is male or female. bestand means “file,” here especially a computer file. With het, het bestand means “the file.” Bestand is a neuter noun, which is why it takes the article het; its plural is bestanden (“files”). controleert is the present-tense form of controleren with jij: “you check” or “you are checking.” In ordinary word order, the -t ending appears in jij controleert het bestand. — “You check the file.” In the subordinate clause, the verb moves to the end but keeps the same form. Together, Ik kan beginnen means “I can start,” and terwijl jij het bestand controleert means “while you check the file.” The complete utterance means: “I can start while you check the file.”

6. Waar moet ik eerst naar kijken?

   What should I look for first?

   Waar

   what

   moet ik

   should I

   eerst

   first

   naar kijken

   look at

   More detail

   Waar asks for a place, but with kijken naar it asks about the thing receiving the speaker’s attention. Here the fixed translation establishes the meaning “what” in “what should I look at?” moet ik combines the modal verb moeten with the subject ik (“I”). Moet is the present-tense form used with ik here; the infinitive is moeten. In a yes/no question, Dutch commonly places the finite verb before the subject, as in Moet ik wachten? — “Should I wait?” With a question word, the same inversion appears: Waar moet ik beginnen? — “Where should I begin?” Here moet expresses what the speaker should do. eerst means “first”: it places the action before other relevant actions in the sequence. Example: Lees eerst de titel. — “Read the title first.” naar kijken is the reusable combination “look at.” The verb is kijken (“to look”), and this meaning uses the preposition naar: naar iets kijken means “to look at something.” In the question, waar asks about the thing that follows this naar relationship, while kijken remains in the infinitive after the modal moet. Example: Ik kijk naar de afbeelding. — “I am looking at the picture.” Together, Waar asks what receives the speaker’s attention, moet ik asks what the speaker should do, eerst sets the order, and naar kijken supplies the action “look at.” The whole utterance means: “What should I look at first?”

7. Zorg dat de notities bij het verzoek passen.

   Make sure the notes match the request.

   Zorg dat

   make sure that

   notities

   notes

   bij

   with; in relation to

   verzoek

   request

   passen

   match; fit

   More detail

   Zorg dat uses the imperative zorg of zorgen (“to make sure / take care”), followed by dat to introduce what must be ensured. This is a reusable pattern: Zorg dat ... = “Make sure that ...”. Example: Zorg dat je op tijd bent. — “Make sure you are on time.” notities means “notes” here. Its singular is notitie; notities is the plural form. Dutch nouns commonly form this plural with -s or -en, and this word uses -s. bij expresses a connection or relation here: the notes are considered in relation to the request. In bij het verzoek, het belongs to verzoek; verzoek is a neuter noun, so its definite article is het. The combination bij het verzoek means “with the request” or “in relation to the request” in this sentence. verzoek means “request”. Its plural is verzoeken. The article and noun together form het verzoek, “the request”; the sentence does not state how many requests there are beyond this definite singular noun phrase. passen means “to match” or “to fit” in this context. Its base form is passen, and the present-tense form remains passen with the plural subject de notities. Compare: De notitie past bij het verzoek. — “The note matches the request.” Here past is the singular form, while passen is the plural form. Together, Zorg dat de notities bij het verzoek passen means “Make sure the notes match the request.” The imperative tells the addressee what to ensure; dat introduces the ensured situation, and the plural subject de notities takes the plural verb passen.

8. Dan schrijf ik een korte update.

   Then I'll write a short update.

   Dan

   then

   schrijf

   write

   korte

   short

   update

   update

   More detail

   Dan means “then” here: it places the action after something already established in the situation. It can also introduce a consequence in other sentences, but here it marks sequence. Example: Dan beginnen we. — “Then we begin.” schrijf is the first-person singular present form of schrijven, “to write.” With the subject ik, the sentence uses ik schrijf for “I write” or, in this context, “I’ll write.” Dutch present tense can express a future action when the time or context makes that clear. Example: Ik schrijf morgen een bericht. — “I’ll write a message tomorrow.” korte is the form of kort, “short,” used before the noun update. Update is a common-gender Dutch de noun, so the adjective takes the -e form in een korte update; this ending belongs to kort, not to update. The base form is kort, while korter means “shorter” and kortst can mean “shortest” when used predicatively; before a noun, the superlative is commonly kortste. Example: een kort bericht — “a short message”; een korte brief — “a short letter.” update is a noun meaning “update,” a piece of new information or a report about the current situation. In een korte update, een marks an indefinite noun phrase; it does not by itself state a numerical count. The plural is commonly updates. Example: Ik geef een update. — “I’m giving an update.” The pattern is Dan + verb + subject + een + adjective + noun: Dan schrijf ik een korte update. Dan sets the sequence, schrijf ik means “I’ll write,” and een korte update identifies what will be written. Together, the utterance means “Then I’ll write a short update.”

9. Als het klaar is, kunnen we het delen.

   When it's ready, we can share it.

   Als

   when

   het

   it

   klaar

   ready

   is

   is

   kunnen we

   we can

   delen

   share

   More detail

   Als introduces a condition or time clause. Here it means “when” and starts Als het klaar is. In other contexts, als can also mean “if”; the fixed translation establishes the “when” meaning here. The first het is the subject pronoun “it” in het is klaar; the second het is the object pronoun “it” in het delen. Dutch het can also be a definite article before a noun, but neither occurrence is an article here. The fixed sentence does not name the thing referred to by these pronouns. klaar is an adjective meaning “ready” or “finished”. After is, it describes the state of the subject: het is klaar means “it is ready”. Example: De tekst is klaar. — “The text is ready.” is is the present-tense form of zijn (“to be”) used here with the singular subject het. The combination het is klaar expresses the state of being ready. Example: Het is nog niet klaar. — “It is not ready yet.” kunnen we combines the modal verb kunnen (“can, be able to”) with the subject we (“we”). Because the time clause comes first, the finite verb precedes the subject in the main clause: kunnen we. After a modal verb, Dutch places the other verb in the infinitive. delen is the infinitive “to share”. It follows kunnen: we kunnen delen means “we can share”. Example: We kunnen de foto delen. — “We can share the photo.” Together, Als het klaar is means “when it is ready”. kunnen we het delen means “we can share it”: we is the actor, the second het is the thing shared, and delen names the action. The complete utterance means “When it’s ready, we can share it.”