Feedback on a proposal draft | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ik heb een eerste versie van het voorstel af.

   I finished a draft of the proposal.

   heb … af

   have finished

   eerste

   first

   versie

   version

   voorstel

   proposal

   More detail

   heb ... af is a reusable Dutch completion pattern: iets af hebben means that something is finished or completed. In this sentence, heb is the first-person singular present form of hebben (“to have”), matching ik. af adds the idea of completion; it is not a separate English-style past-tense ending. The two parts are separated here by the object and its modifiers. Example: Ik heb mijn werk af. — “I have finished my work.” eerste means “first” here. It is the ordinal form related to één (“one”), but it does not simply state the number one; it identifies something as the first in an order or series. Example: Dit is mijn eerste poging. — “This is my first attempt.” versie means “version.” It is a noun for a particular form or stage of a text, file, plan, or other item. Example: Ik stuur de nieuwe versie. — “I am sending the new version.” voorstel means “proposal.” With van, the phrase van het voorstel specifies which version: it is a version belonging to or concerning the proposal. het is the definite article used with this noun in the fixed phrase; the article itself does not add a numeric meaning. Example: We bespreken het voorstel. — “We are discussing the proposal.” Together, Ik heb een eerste versie van het voorstel af. says that the speaker has completed a first version of the proposal: “I finished a draft of the proposal.” The wording focuses on the completed state of that first version, using present heb with af rather than a separate simple-past form.

2. Ik kan het nakijken voordat je het deelt.

   I can review it before you share it.

   Ik kan

   I can

   nakijken

   review; check

   voordat

   before

   je

   you

   het

   it

   deelt

   share

   More detail

   Ik kan expresses first-person singular ability or possibility: “I can.” kan is the present-tense form of kunnen used with ik; with another subject, the form changes, for example Je kunt het nakijken means “You can review it.” In Dutch, a modal verb such as kan is followed by an infinitive. nakijken means checking or reviewing something. It is a separable verb: in a finite main clause, its parts separate, as in Ik kijk het na (“I check it”), but after kan the infinitive remains together as nakijken. Here it refers to reviewing the item already under discussion. voordat introduces the time condition “before.” It starts a subordinate clause, so the finite verb comes at the end of that clause. Compare the reusable pattern voordat + subject + object + verb: voordat je het leest means “before you read it.” je is the second-person singular subject pronoun “you” here. It is the ordinary informal or neutral singular form in this context; its exact level of familiarity depends on the situation. In this clause, je performs the sharing action. The first het is a singular neuter object pronoun meaning “it,” the thing being reviewed. The fixed translation identifies it as the same general item being discussed, but does not require naming that item more specifically. Dutch het can also be a definite article, but here it stands independently before the verb phrase and functions as a pronoun. deelt means “share” here. Its base form is delen; deelt is the present-tense form for je in this clause (je deelt). The verb is at the end because it is inside the subordinate clause introduced by voordat. For example, Je deelt het document means “You share the document.” Together, Ik kan + nakijken gives “I can review it,” and voordat je het deelt adds the time relation “before you share it.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I can review it before you share it.”

3. Kun je het gedeelte met de inleiding nakijken?

   Could you check the introduction section?

   Kun je

   can you

   gedeelte

   section

   inleiding

   introduction

   nakijken

   check

   More detail

   Kun je is an inverted question pattern built from kunnen (“can, be able to”) and the subject je (“you”). The present-tense form is kun here; inversion places it before je. The pattern Kun je ...? is a common way to ask whether someone can do something, and it often functions as a polite request. Example: Kun je me helpen? — “Can you help me?” gedeelte is a neuter noun meaning “section” or “part.” Its definite form is het gedeelte, so het identifies a particular section rather than adding a numeric meaning. Example: Dit gedeelte is belangrijk. — “This section is important.” inleiding is a feminine common-gender noun meaning “introduction,” especially an introductory part of a text or presentation. With the definite article, it is de inleiding. In met de inleiding, met links the section to the introduction: the section is the one associated with or containing the introduction. Example: De inleiding is kort. — “The introduction is short.” nakijken is an infinitive meaning “to check” or “to review” in this context, especially a text or section. It is a separable compound verb, but the infinitive remains together after kun: kun ... nakijken. Its base form is nakijken; in a main clause without a modal, the prefix can separate, as in Ik kijk het na. — “I check it.” Together, het gedeelte met de inleiding means “the section with the introduction,” and nakijken supplies the requested action. The full question therefore means “Could you check the introduction section?”

4. Het hoofdidee is duidelijk.

   The main idea is clear.

   hoofdidee

   main idea

   duidelijk

   clear

   More detail

   hoofdidee means “main idea” here. It is a Dutch compound noun: hoofd means “main” in compounds of this kind, and idee means “idea.” Dutch writes the compound as one word. The sentence uses het before it because idee is a het-word; the article marks the noun phrase as definite, “the main idea.” duidelijk means “clear” here. This is the base form of the adjective, used after is to describe the subject. Dutch predicative adjectives normally do not take the -e ending in this position: Het idee is duidelijk means “The idea is clear.” Before a definite noun, the form is commonly duidelijke, as in de duidelijke uitleg (“the clear explanation”). The pattern Het + noun phrase + is + adjective states a quality of a definite thing. Here, Het hoofdidee is the subject, and is duidelijk says that this idea has the quality of being clear. Together, Het hoofdidee is duidelijk. means “The main idea is clear.”

5. Maar het gedeelte lijkt te lang.

   But the section feels too long.

   Maar

   but

   gedeelte

   section; part

   lijkt

   seems; appears

   te

   too; excessively

   lang

   long

   More detail

   Maar means “but” and links this sentence to a contrast with the preceding idea. It is a coordinating conjunction and does not change the form of the words that follow. gedeelte means “section” here. Its base form is gedeelte; the plural is gedeelten. The noun is a het-word, so the phrase uses het gedeelte. This article reflects the noun’s grammatical class, not a numeric count. lijkt is the present-tense form of lijken with the singular subject het gedeelte: het gedeelte lijkt. The verb means “seems” or “appears”; in the fixed translation, “feels” conveys this evaluative impression. For example, De tekst lijkt duidelijk. means “The text seems clear.” te lang is the reusable pattern te + adjective, meaning “too + adjective” or “excessively + adjective.” lang means “long”; its comparative is langer (“longer”), while te lang says that the length is more than is suitable or wanted in this context. For example, De vergadering is te lang. means “The meeting is too long.” Together, Maar het gedeelte sets up a contrast and identifies the section, lijkt presents an impression rather than a firm measurement, and te lang evaluates its length as excessive. The whole utterance therefore means: “But the section feels too long.”

6. Zal ik wat details naar een ander gedeelte verplaatsen?

   Should I move some details to another section?

   Zal ik

   shall I

   details

   details

   ander

   different

   gedeelte

   section

   verplaatsen

   move

   More detail

   Zal ik is a compact question pattern meaning “shall I …?” Here zal is the first-person singular present form of zullen, with ik as its subject. In this use, it presents an action for the other person to approve or reject; it is not simply a statement about the future. The infinitive normally comes later in the clause: Zal ik dat doen? — “Shall I do that?” details means “details” here. Its singular base is detail; the plural is details. Dutch commonly marks this plural with -s for words of this type. Example: Ik voeg een detail toe. — “I add a detail.” ander means “another” in een ander gedeelte. It is the adjective modifying gedeelte, not a form of the noun. Because gedeelte is a singular neuter noun and follows the indefinite article een, the adjective has the form ander without -e. Compare een andere sectie — “another section,” where the adjective has -e because sectie is a common-gender noun. The meaning here is an additional section different from the one currently under discussion, not necessarily a completely unrelated one. gedeelte means “section” or “part.” Its definite form is het gedeelte, and its plural is gedeelten. In this sentence, een ander gedeelte is the destination phrase: naar means “to” when introducing movement toward a destination. Example: We verplaatsen de tabel naar een ander gedeelte. — “We move the table to another section.” verplaatsen is the infinitive “to move” or “to relocate.” Its first-person singular present form is ik verplaats. The prefix ver- is not separable, so it does not move to the end of a main clause. After zal, the infinitive remains together at the end: Zal ik de details verplaatsen? — “Shall I move the details?” Together, Zal ik introduces the proposed action, wat details means “some details,” naar een ander gedeelte specifies movement to another section, and verplaatsen supplies the action. The complete utterance therefore means: “Should I move some details to another section?”

7. Zet de extra details in het gedeelte over de achtergrond.

   Put the extra details in the background section.

   Zet

   put

   extra

   extra

   details

   details

   gedeelte

   section

   achtergrond

   background

   More detail

   Zet is the imperative of zetten, “to put” or “to place.” The imperative addresses one or more people directly; the subject is understood rather than stated. Example: Zet de map hier. — “Put the folder here.” extra is a descriptive adjective meaning “additional” or “extra.” In this sentence it modifies details; it does not itself express a number. Example: extra informatie — “additional information.” details is the plural of detail, meaning “details” or “specific pieces of information.” The plural form refers to more than one detail. Example: Ik lees de details. — “I am reading the details.” gedeelte means “section” or “part.” It is a noun with the article het: het gedeelte. This noun is the destination of the placement: the extra details are to be put in that section. Example: Dit gedeelte is kort. — “This section is short.” achtergrond means “background.” With over, the phrase over de achtergrond specifies the topic of the section: “about the background.” The article is de: de achtergrond. Example: een tekst over de achtergrond — “a text about the background.” Together, extra details identifies the additional information, and in het gedeelte over de achtergrond identifies where it should go. The imperative Zet makes the whole utterance a direct instruction: “Put the extra details in the background section.”

8. Ik zal de eerste versie aanpassen en terugsturen.

   I will revise the draft and send it back.

   Ik zal

   I will

   eerste

   first

   versie

   version

   aanpassen

   revise; adjust

   terugsturen

   send back

   More detail

   Ik zal expresses “I will.” zal is the first-person singular present form of zullen, used here to refer to a future action. The subject is Ik (“I”); with another subject, the form can change, for example Wij zullen ... (“We will ...”). eerste means “first.” It is an ordinal form that identifies position in an order, whereas één is the counting word for “one”: één versie means “one version,” while de eerste versie means “the first version.” versie means “version.” In this sentence, de eerste versie means “the first version”; the fixed translation renders this intended item as “the draft.” Versie is a common-gender Dutch noun, so it takes the article de in the singular. The article does not itself express the number one. aanpassen means “to revise” or “to adjust.” Its base form is aanpassen; it is a separable verb, so in a finite main clause its parts can separate, as in Ik pas de tekst aan (“I revise the text”). After zal, the infinitive stays together at the end: Ik zal de tekst aanpassen (“I will revise the text”). terugsturen means “to send back.” It is also a separable verb: terug contributes the idea of sending something back, while sturen means “to send.” In a finite main clause, the parts can separate, as in Ik stuur de tekst terug (“I send the text back”); after zal, the infinitive remains together: Ik zal de tekst terugsturen (“I will send the text back”). Together, Ik zal marks the future action, de eerste versie identifies what will be revised, aanpassen gives the first planned action, and terugsturen gives the second. The complete utterance means: “I will revise the draft and send it back.”

9. Stuur de nieuwe versie als die klaar is.

   Send the new version when it is ready.

   Stuur

   send

   nieuwe

   new

   versie

   version

   als

   when

   die

   it

   klaar

   ready

   is

   is

   More detail

   Stuur is the imperative of sturen (“to send”). It gives a direct instruction; the subject is understood rather than stated, normally “you” in this context. Compare Stuur de foto. — “Send the photo.” The present-tense form for a stated subject is different: Je stuurt de foto. — “You send the photo.” nieuwe is the form of the adjective nieuw (“new”) used before versie. Because versie is a singular de-word, the attributive adjective takes -e: de nieuwe versie. The adjective describes the version; it does not carry the noun’s number by itself here. Compare een nieuwe versie (“a new version”) and nieuwe versies (“new versions”). versie means “version.” Its plural is versies: de versies — “the versions.” In this sentence it is the thing being sent. als introduces the time condition translated here as “when.” Dutch als can also introduce a condition meaning “if,” but the fixed translation selects the temporal reading here. Example: Bel me als je klaar bent. — “Call me when you are ready.” die is a relative pronoun here, translated as “it” and referring to de versie. For a singular de-word, the relative pronoun is die; for a singular het-word, it is dat: het boek dat klaar is — “the book that is ready.” In this sentence, die is the subject of the clause after als. klaar means “ready.” It is a predicate adjective after is, describing the state of the version rather than appearing before the noun. Example: De tekst is klaar. — “The text is ready.” is is the third-person singular present form of zijn (“to be”). The form agrees with the singular subject die: die ... is. Compare ik ben (“I am”), jij bent (“you are”), and zij zijn (“they are”). Together, Stuur de nieuwe versie gives the instruction “Send the new version.” als die klaar is adds the time condition “when it is ready”: the version is the thing that is ready, and it is also the thing referred to by die. The complete utterance therefore means “Send the new version when it is ready.”