Changing Plans Because of Weather | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Het weer kan onze plannen veranderen.

   The weather may change our plans.

   weer

   weather

   kan

   may; can

   onze

   our

   plannen

   plans

   veranderen

   change

   More detail

   weer means “weather” here. It is a noun, and Dutch writes it with a lowercase letter unless it begins a sentence. Example: Het weer is goed. — “The weather is good.” kan is the present-tense form of kunnen for ik, jij/je, and hij/zij/het; in this sentence it expresses possibility, “may.” Kunnen can also express ability, as in Ik kan zwemmen. — “I can swim.” After a modal such as kan, the other verb stays in the infinitive. onze is the possessive form meaning “our.” It is used here because plannen is plural. With a singular neuter noun, Dutch uses ons, as in ons plan — “our plan”; with a plural noun, onze plannen means “our plans.” plannen is the plural of the noun plan. The singular is een plan, and the plural is plannen. In this sentence it is the direct object: the plans are what may be changed. Example: We maken nieuwe plannen. — “We are making new plans.” veranderen is the infinitive “to change.” Here it is transitive: something changes something else, namely the weather changing the plans. The same verb can also be intransitive: De plannen veranderen. — “The plans are changing.” The sentence assembles as Het weer (“the weather”) + kan (“may/can”) + onze plannen (“our plans”) + veranderen (“change”). Thus Het weer kan onze plannen veranderen. means “The weather may change our plans.” The modal kan places veranderen at the end in its infinitive form.

2. De picknick kan lastig worden als het regent.

   The picnic could be difficult if it rains.

   picknick

   picnic

   kan

   can; could

   lastig

   difficult

   worden

   become; get

   als

   if

   regent

   rains

   More detail

   picknick means “picnic” here. It is a noun, and this form is singular in the fixed utterance. The plural is picknicks; de is the definite article and does not by itself prove singular, since it is also used with plural nouns. Example: De picknick begint om twaalf uur. — “The picnic starts at twelve.” kan is a present-tense form of kunnen. With the third-person singular subject de picknick here, it expresses possibility, so “could” is the natural English translation. kan is also used with a first-person singular subject; it is not exclusively a third-person singular form. With a plural subject, use kunnen: De plannen kunnen veranderen. — “The plans can change.” lastig means difficult, troublesome, or inconvenient in this context. It is an adjective. It can be used after worden to describe a change of situation: De planning wordt lastig. — “The planning becomes difficult.” worden is the infinitive of “become” or “get”. After the modal kan, Dutch uses the infinitive: kan lastig worden — “can become difficult”. Do not confuse it with zijn (“be”): kan lastig zijn means “can be difficult”, while kan lastig worden highlights becoming difficult. als introduces the condition “if” here. A useful reusable pattern is als + clause: Als het regent, blijven we binnen. — “If it rains, we stay indoors.” In Dutch, the finite verb normally comes at the end of this subordinate clause. regent is the present-tense singular form of regenen (“to rain”). In this sentence it occurs in the weather expression het regent — “it rains”. The form is not an infinitive: regenen is the base form, and regent is its present form with singular het. Together, de picknick is the subject, and kan lastig worden says that it may become difficult. als het regent gives the condition under which that possibility applies. The complete meaning is: “The picnic could be difficult if it rains.”

3. Zullen we afzeggen of in plaats daarvan iets binnen plannen?

   Should we cancel or plan something indoors instead?

   Zullen we

   shall we; should we

   afzeggen

   cancel

   of

   or

   in plaats daarvan

   instead

   iets

   something

   binnen

   indoors

   plannen

   plan

   More detail

   Zullen we begins a question proposing a shared action. zullen is the present-tense form of zullen used with we; followed by an infinitive, this pattern commonly asks, “Shall we …?” or “Should we …?” Example: Zullen we wachten? — “Shall we wait?” afzeggen is the infinitive meaning “to cancel,” especially an appointment, plan, or arrangement. It is a separable compound built from af and zeggen; in this infinitive form they appear together. After zullen, the infinitive stays at the end of its clause: Zullen we de afspraak afzeggen? — “Shall we cancel the appointment?” of connects alternatives and means “or.” Here it introduces the second option after the first proposed action: canceling versus making another plan. in plaats daarvan is a reusable adverbial phrase meaning “instead” or “instead of that.” It marks a replacement for the previously mentioned option without naming a new participant or specifying a different referent. Example: We kunnen thuis blijven in plaats daarvan. — “We can stay at home instead.” iets is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something”: it refers to an unspecified thing or activity. It does not identify exactly what will be planned. Example: We doen iets leuks. — “We are doing something fun.” binnen is an adverb meaning “indoors” or “inside,” describing the location of the planned activity. It is different from naar binnen, which means “to indoors/to the inside” and expresses movement toward an interior. Example: We blijven binnen. — “We are staying indoors.” plannen is the infinitive meaning “to plan” or “to arrange.” Like afzeggen, it follows the modal verb zullen here: Zullen we iets plannen? — “Shall we plan something?” Together, Zullen we afzeggen proposes canceling, while of in plaats daarvan iets binnen plannen offers the alternative of arranging an unspecified indoor activity instead. The complete meaning is: “Should we cancel or plan something indoors instead?”

4. Laten we flexibel blijven en binnen afspreken.

   Let's stay flexible and meet inside.

   Laten we

   let’s

   flexibel

   flexible

   blijven

   stay; remain

   binnen

   inside; indoors

   afspreken

   meet; arrange to meet

   More detail

   Laten we is the Dutch construction for making a suggestion together: “let’s …”. It is followed by an infinitive, such as Laten we wachten (“Let’s wait”). Here it introduces both suggested actions. flexibel is an adjective meaning “flexible”. In this sentence it describes the suggested attitude or arrangement: the speakers should remain open to changing the plan. The form is unchanged here; Dutch adjectives can have other forms in different noun phrases, but after blijven this predicative form is flexibel. blijven means “to stay” or “to remain”. It is an infinitive after Laten we: Laten we flexibel blijven means “Let’s stay flexible”. The pattern blijven + adjective describes continuing to be in a state, for example Blijf rustig (“Stay calm”). binnen is an adverb meaning “inside” or “indoors”. It indicates the location of the proposed meeting. In binnen afspreken, it modifies the meeting action rather than naming a particular indoor place. afspreken is an infinitive meaning “to meet” here. It can also mean “to arrange or agree on a time to meet”, depending on context. The separable verb has the base form afspreken; in a finite main clause, the parts can separate, as in We spreken morgen af (“We are meeting tomorrow” / “We arrange to meet tomorrow”). Together, Laten we flexibel blijven gives the suggestion “Let’s stay flexible”, and binnen afspreken gives the second suggested action “meet inside”. The conjunction en links the two actions, so the complete utterance means: “Let’s stay flexible and meet inside.”

5. Dat klinkt beter dan buiten nat worden.

   That sounds better than getting wet outside.

   Dat

   that

   klinkt

   sounds

   beter

   better

   dan

   than

   buiten

   outside

   nat

   wet

   worden

   become; get

   More detail

   Dat means “that” here and points to the situation or proposal being discussed, rather than identifying a specific noun. Dutch uses dat as a neuter singular demonstrative pronoun; its exact referent is supplied by the surrounding context. Example: Dat is goed. — “That is good.” klinkt is the present-tense form of klinken, “to sound.” Its final -t marks the third-person singular present form: het klinkt — “it sounds.” The form describes how something seems from what is heard or considered, not necessarily a literal physical sound. Example: Dat klinkt interessant. — “That sounds interesting.” beter is the comparative form of goed: goed — “good,” beter — “better,” best — “best.” It compares the situation referred to by dat with the alternative introduced by dan. Example: Dit klinkt beter. — “This sounds better.” dan introduces the second side of a comparison. The pattern beter dan ... means “better than ...”. It is different from als, which is commonly used in equality comparisons such as even goed als — “as good as.” buiten means “outside” and functions here as an adverb describing where the getting wet happens. Example: We wachten buiten. — “We are waiting outside.” nat means “wet.” In nat worden, it describes the resulting state. Dutch adjectives can also appear before a noun, but this form is placed after worden because it is a predicate describing a change of state. Example: De jas wordt nat. — “The coat gets wet.” worden is the infinitive of “to become” or “to get.” In nat worden, it forms the change-of-state expression “to get wet.” After dan, this infinitive belongs to the compared activity: buiten nat worden — “getting wet outside.” Example: Ik wil niet nat worden. — “I do not want to get wet.” Together, Dat klinkt beter says “That sounds better.” dan then introduces the alternative, buiten nat worden, literally “getting wet outside.” The complete utterance therefore means: “That sounds better than getting wet outside.”

6. We kunnen nog steeds samen in de buurt lunchen.

   We can still have lunch together nearby.

   We kunnen

   we can

   nog steeds

   still

   samen

   together

   in de buurt

   nearby

   lunchen

   have lunch

   More detail

   We kunnen means “we can” here. We is the first-person plural subject. Kunnen is the present-tense form of kunnen used with we; it expresses ability or possibility. In a Dutch main clause with a modal verb, the other infinitive commonly comes later: We kunnen morgen vertrekken. — “We can leave tomorrow.” Nog steeds means “still”: the possibility or situation continues. It is a useful contrast with niet meer, “no longer.” Example: Ze werkt nog steeds hier. — “She still works here.” Samen means “together,” describing joint participation by the people represented by we. Example: We eten samen. — “We eat together.” In de buurt is a fixed location phrase meaning “nearby” or “in the neighborhood.” Buurt is the noun for a neighborhood or nearby area, and de is its definite article. Example: Er is een winkel in de buurt. — “There is a shop nearby.” Lunchen is the infinitive “to have lunch.” After the modal kunnen, it stays in the infinitive and appears at the end of this main clause. The verb can also be used with a different subject: Zij lunchen samen. — “They have lunch together.” Together, We kunnen ... lunchen gives the possibility “we can have lunch,” while nog steeds adds “still,” samen specifies that the lunch is shared, and in de buurt gives the location. The complete meaning is: “We can still have lunch together nearby.”

7. Ik stuur de anderen een bericht over de verandering.

   I will message the others about the change.

   Ik

   I

   stuur

   send; message

   de anderen

   the others

   bericht

   message

   over

   about

   verandering

   change

   More detail

   Ik means “I” and is the first-person singular subject pronoun. It identifies the speaker as the person sending the message. The corresponding object forms are mij and the shorter unstressed me, as in Ze helpt me (“She helps me”); these differ from subject ik. stuur is the first-person singular present form of sturen (“to send”). The same present form can describe a current action or an intended future action when the context makes that clear; here the fixed translation presents it as a future message. The form changes with the subject: ik stuur, while hij/zij stuurt has -t. The verb can take a recipient and a thing sent, as in Ik stuur haar een foto (“I send her a photo”). de anderen means “the others.” anderen is the plural substantivized form of ander (“other”), and de is the definite article used with this plural noun phrase. Here it identifies the recipients as “the others,” without specifying their individual identities. Compare een ander (“another person/thing”) with de anderen (“the others”). bericht means “message.” It is a countable noun; in this sentence, the preceding article is een, giving een bericht (“a message”). Its plural is berichten, as in Ik stuur twee berichten (“I send two messages”). over is the preposition meaning “about” here. It introduces the subject or topic of the message: een bericht over het plan means “a message about the plan.” In other contexts, over can have spatial or movement-related meanings, so its meaning is determined by the construction around it. verandering means “change.” It is a noun related in meaning to the verb veranderen (“to change”), but the noun itself names the change as a thing or event. With the definite article in this sentence, de verandering means “the change,” referring to a particular change understood from the situation. For example, De verandering is groot means “The change is big.” Together, the structure is: first-person subject + present-tense form of “send” + recipient + an item sent + over + the topic. Thus the speaker is the sender, de anderen are the recipients, een bericht is what is sent, and de verandering is its topic. The complete intended meaning is that the speaker will message the others about the change.

8. Dat helpt iedereen plannen te maken, vooral omdat het weer verandert.

   That helps everyone plan, especially with the weather changing.

   Dat

   That

   helpt

   helps

   iedereen

   everyone

   plannen

   plans

   te maken

   to make

   vooral

   especially

   omdat

   because

   weer

   weather

   verandert

   changes

   More detail

   Dat means “that” here as a demonstrative pronoun. It points to something understood from the surrounding context, but the fixed sentence does not identify a more specific referent. Dutch demonstratives include dit (“this,” for a het-word or an unspecified nearby thing) and dat (“that,” for a het-word or something farther away). In this sentence, Dat is the subject of helpt. helpt is the third-person singular present form of helpen, “to help”: ik help, hij/zij/het helpt. The final -t marks this present-tense form. A useful pattern is iemand helpen iets te doen, “to help someone do something.” iedereen means “everyone” or “every person.” It is a singular indefinite pronoun grammatically, although it refers to people collectively. For example, Iedereen komt means “Everyone is coming”; the verb is singular, komt, not plural. plannen is the plural noun of plan, “plan.” In plannen te maken, it means “plans,” not the verb plannen (“to plan”). Dutch can therefore have the same written form as a noun and as an infinitive; the surrounding construction identifies the noun reading here. te maken consists of te plus the infinitive maken, “to make.” The pattern plannen maken means “to make plans,” and after another verb it appears here as plannen te maken, “to make plans.” The verb maken is irregular in the past tense: maakte means “made.” vooral means “especially” or “above all.” It highlights the following reason rather than changing the basic assertion. omdat introduces a reason clause and means “because.” A useful pattern is ..., omdat ..., “..., because ...”. In Dutch, the finite verb in an omdat clause normally comes at the end of that clause, as verandert does here. weer means “weather” in het weer. The noun is commonly used with the neuter article het: het weer. This word can also mean “again” in other contexts, but the fixed translation establishes the weather meaning here. verandert is the third-person singular present form of veranderen, “to change”: ik verander, hij/zij/het verandert. In this clause, het weer is the subject, so the singular form is appropriate. The form verandert is distinct from the infinitive veranderen. Together, Dat helpt iedereen plannen te maken means “That helps everyone make plans.” Vooral omdat het weer verandert adds the reason “especially because the weather is changing.” The complete utterance therefore means: “That helps everyone plan, especially with the weather changing.”