Check the weather before leaving | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Kun je de weerapp controleren voordat we vertrekken?

   Can you check the weather app before we leave?

   Kun je

   can you

   de weerapp

   the weather app

   controleren

   check

   voordat

   before

   vertrekken

   leave; depart

   More detail

   Kun je is an inverted question pattern meaning “can you …?” Here kun is the present-tense form of kunnen used with the subject je. In a main-clause question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Kun je ...? Compare the reusable pattern Kun je komen? — “Can you come?” de weerapp means “the weather app.” weerapp is a compound noun: weer means “weather” and app means “app.” The article de belongs to this noun phrase; it does not itself state a numerical quantity. controleren means “to check.” It is an infinitive. After the finite modal verb kun, the lexical verb remains in the infinitive and comes later in the clause: Kun je de app controleren? — “Can you check the app?” voordat introduces a subordinate clause meaning “before.” It connects the checking with the later event. In Dutch, the finite verb of this subordinate clause is placed at the end: voordat we vertrekken. vertrekken means “to leave” or “to depart.” In this clause, vertrekken is the present-tense form used with the subject we; it is formally identical to the infinitive. The present form describes the leaving expected to happen after the checking. Dutch commonly uses the present in such time clauses rather than adding a separate future form. Together, Kun je de weerapp controleren? asks whether the addressee can check the weather app. voordat we vertrekken specifies that the checking should happen before the group referred to by we leaves. The complete meaning is: “Can you check the weather app before we leave?”

2. Er is volgens de app een kans op regen.

   It says there is some chance of rain.

   Er is

   there is

   volgens

   according to

   app

   app

   kans

   chance

   regen

   rain

   More detail

   Er is introduces that something exists or is present. In this sentence, er is the grammatical “there” used in an existential construction; it does not identify a particular place. is is the present-tense singular form of zijn (“to be”). Compare Er zijn twee kansen — “There are two chances”: zijn is used when the introduced noun phrase is plural. Volgens means “according to” and introduces the source of information. The reusable pattern is volgens + source: Volgens de krant regent het. — “According to the newspaper, it is raining.” Here, the source is the app. App is a noun meaning “app” or “application.” Dutch commonly uses the article de with this noun, as in de app in the sentence. The word itself is unchanged here; the article marks the noun phrase rather than changing app. Kans is a noun meaning “chance” or “possibility.” The pattern een kans op + noun expresses a chance of something: Er is een kans op sneeuw. — “There is a chance of snow.” The indefinite article een introduces the noun phrase but does not by itself state a numerical count; the sentence says that such a possibility exists. Regen is the noun “rain.” In op regen, it names what the chance concerns. Dutch often uses op + noun in this pattern: een kans op regen means “a chance of rain.” Together, Er is presents an existing possibility, volgens de app identifies the app as the information source, and een kans op regen names that possibility. The complete meaning is: “According to the app, there is some chance of rain.”

3. De lucht ziet er al bewolkt uit.

   The sky looks cloudy already.

   lucht

   sky

   ziet … er … uit

   looks

   al

   already

   bewolkt

   cloudy

   More detail

   lucht means “sky” here. Dutch de lucht can also mean “air” in other contexts, so the fixed translation establishes the intended sense in this sentence. De lucht is the subject: “the sky.” ziet ... er ... uit is the Dutch pattern er ... uitzien, meaning “to look” or “to appear.” The verb is zien (“to see”); ziet is its present-tense form for a singular third-person subject such as de lucht. In this pattern, er and uit belong to the construction, while other material can occur between them. Example: Hij ziet er moe uit. — “He looks tired.” al means “already.” It marks that the cloudy appearance is true by the relevant time, rather than only later. Its meaning is separate from the appearance construction: De lucht ziet er al ... uit means “The sky already looks ... .” bewolkt is the descriptive adjective “cloudy.” Here it is the quality that the sky appears to have. It is used after the appearance construction, as in De lucht ziet er bewolkt uit. — “The sky looks cloudy.” Together, De lucht supplies the subject, ziet er ... uit says how that subject appears, bewolkt names the appearance, and al adds the time meaning “already.” The complete utterance is: “The sky looks cloudy already.”

4. De temperatuur daalt vanavond ook.

   The temperature will also drop this evening.

   temperatuur

   temperature

   daalt

   drops; falls

   vanavond

   this evening

   ook

   also; too

   More detail

   temperatuur means “temperature” here. Its base form is temperatuur, a noun; the definite article de marks it as a common-gender noun in Dutch. In this sentence, it is the subject: the temperature is the thing that changes. daalt means “drops” or “falls” here. It is the present-tense third-person singular form of dalen (“to drop; to fall”): ik daal, hij/zij/het daalt. The ending -t marks this form with the singular subject de temperatuur. Dutch present tense can also refer to a future event when a time expression makes the timing clear, as vanavond does. Thus daalt is naturally translated as “will drop” in this sentence, without changing the observed form. vanavond means “this evening” or “tonight”. It is a time adverb, written as one word, and places the dropping in the evening of the relevant day. Example: Vanavond regent het. — “It will rain this evening.” ook means “also” or “too”. It adds this event to another relevant fact or expectation; it does not itself express the future time. Its position after vanavond gives the sequence vanavond ook, “this evening as well”. Together, de temperatuur is the subject, daalt says that it drops, vanavond specifies when, and ook adds that this is also expected. The complete meaning is: “The temperature will also drop this evening.”

5. Zal ik een lichte jas meenemen?

   Should I carry a light jacket?

   Zal ik

   Shall I …?

   lichte

   light

   jas

   jacket

   meenemen

   take along

   More detail

   Zal ik is a reusable way to ask whether the speaker should do something: “Shall I …?” or, in this context, “Should I …?” zal is the present-tense form of zullen used with ik here. Dutch questions commonly place this verb before the subject: Zal ik komen? — “Shall I come?” This construction expresses an offer or request for guidance; it does not by itself assert that the action will happen. lichte means “light” here in the sense of not heavy. Its base form is licht. Before the singular common-gender noun jas, the adjective has the -e form: lichte. This is an adjective inflection; the noun is not the base of the adjective. Compare the useful forms licht and lichte: Een lichte tas is handig. — “A light bag is useful.” jas means “jacket.” It is a noun, and its plural is jassen: Twee jassen hangen daar. — “Two jackets are hanging there.” The indefinite article een in een lichte jas introduces a jacket without stating a numerical count as the point of the sentence. meenemen means “to take along” or “to bring with you.” It is a separable verb: in a finite present-tense clause, it can appear as neem ... mee, as in Ik neem een jas mee. — “I am taking a jacket along.” After the modal-like verb zal, however, the infinitive remains together as meenemen: Zal ik een jas meenemen? — “Shall I take a jacket along?” Putting the parts together, Zal ik asks for a decision or recommendation, een lichte jas identifies what is to be taken along, and meenemen supplies the action. The complete utterance therefore means: “Should I carry a light jacket?” More literally for the Dutch verb, it asks whether the speaker should take a light jacket along.

6. Een lichte jas en een kleine paraplu zouden handig zijn.

   A light jacket and a small umbrella would help.

   lichte

   light

   jas

   jacket

   kleine

   small

   paraplu

   umbrella

   zouden

   would

   handig

   helpful

   zijn

   be

   More detail

   lichte means “light” here. Its base form is licht. Before the common-gender noun jas, the adjective takes the -e form: een lichte jas. Example: een lichte tas means “a light bag.” jas means “jacket.” It is a common-gender noun, commonly used with de: de jas. That gender and the noun phrase’s form help explain the -e ending on lichte. kleine means “small.” Its base form is klein, and its comparative is kleiner (“smaller”). Here it modifies paraplu in een kleine paraplu, so it has the -e form. Example: een kleine kamer means “a small room.” paraplu means “umbrella.” In een kleine paraplu, it is the noun being described by kleine. zouden means “would” here. It is the plural past form of zullen, used in this sentence for a conditional or hypothetical statement. The coordinated subject consists of two noun phrases, so the plural form zouden is appropriate. Example: De stoelen zouden comfortabel zijn. — “The chairs would be comfortable.” handig means “helpful” or “useful” in this context. After zijn, it is a predicate adjective, so it appears as handig, not as the attributive form handige. Example: Deze kaart is handig. — “This map is useful.” zijn means “be.” Here it is the infinitive after the modal zouden; together, zouden ... zijn gives the pattern “would be.” The utterance combines the coordinated noun phrases een lichte jas (“a light jacket”) and een kleine paraplu (“a small umbrella”) with zouden handig zijn (“would be helpful”). The complete meaning is: “A light jacket and a small umbrella would help.”

7. Dan kan ik ze allebei in mijn tas doen.

   Then I can put both in my bag.

   Dan

   then

   kan ik

   I can

   ze

   them

   allebei

   both

   tas

   bag

   doen

   put

   More detail

   Dan means “then” here: it links this sentence to the preceding situation. It can also introduce a result or consequence in a reusable pattern such as Dan kan ik ... (“Then I can ...”). kan ik combines kan, the present-tense form of kunnen (“can, be able to”), with ik (“I”). In a main clause beginning with an element such as Dan, Dutch commonly places the finite verb before the subject: Dan kan ik .... With the subject first, the order is Ik kan .... The following infinitive stays at the end of this clause. ze is the object pronoun “them” in this sentence. The fixed translation identifies it as the two previously mentioned items, the jacket and the umbrella. Dutch ze can have other grammatical uses in other contexts, but here it refers to those plural objects. allebei means “both” when referring to two items or people. It emphasizes that the two items are included together. A useful pattern is ze allebei (“both of them”); allebei normally follows the pronoun in this short object phrase. tas is the noun “bag.” In the sentence, mijn tas means “my bag”: mijn marks possession, while tas names the container. The preposition in means “in” and is used here for the destination or location inside the bag. doen is the infinitive of doen, a broad verb meaning “to do” or, with a suitable object and context, “to put/place.” Here in mijn tas doen means “put into my bag.” Dutch uses the infinitive doen after the modal kan: Ik kan het boek in de tas doen means “I can put the book in the bag.” Together, Dan kan ik ze allebei in mijn tas doen has the structure “Then can I them both in my bag put,” with Dutch word order placing the modal kan before ik after initial Dan, and the infinitive doen at the end. Its complete meaning is: “Then I can put both of them in my bag.”

8. Dat zou genoeg moeten zijn voor de regen en de koelere avond.

   That should be enough for the rain and the cooler evening.

   Dat

   that

   zou genoeg moeten zijn

   should be enough

   regen

   rain

   koelere

   cooler

   avond

   evening

   More detail

   Dat is a standalone demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. Dutch contrasts dat with dit (“this”); the form dat is used for a singular neuter demonstrative, but the sentence does not identify exactly what “that” refers to. zou genoeg moeten zijn is a reusable Dutch pattern for “should be enough.” The core adjective is genoeg, “enough.” zijn is the infinitive “to be,” and moeten is the infinitive “must / have to.” The form zou is a form of zullen; with moeten zijn, it gives the intended tentative expectation “should be,” rather than a firm statement of necessity. For example: Dat zou genoeg moeten zijn. — “That should be enough.” regen means “rain.” It is a noun and is normally used with the article de: de regen — “the rain.” In this sentence, voor de regen means “for the rain”; voor introduces what something is intended to cover or be suitable for. koelere means “cooler.” Its base adjective is koel (“cool”), and its comparative is koeler (“cooler”); before this noun it appears as koelere, with the attributive ending -e: de koelere avond — “the cooler evening.” The comparison is with another relevant evening or time, understood from context, not with a stated person or object. avond means “evening.” It is a noun used here with the definite article de: de avond — “the evening.” Together, Dat zou genoeg moeten zijn says that the indicated thing is expected to be sufficient. voor de regen specifies suitability for the rain, and en de koelere avond adds the cooler evening as a second purpose or condition. The complete meaning is: “That should be enough for the rain and the cooler evening.”