A short walk to reset your thinking | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ik kan niet beslissen welke versie van het ontwerp beter werkt.

   I can't decide which version of the design works better.

   Ik kan

   I can

   niet

   not

   beslissen

   decide

   welke

   which

   versie

   version

   ontwerp

   design

   beter

   better

   werkt

   works

   More detail

   Ik kan uses kunnen in the first-person singular present: ik kan = “I can.” With an infinitive, it expresses ability or possibility; here, kan niet beslissen means “can’t decide.” Compare jij kunt/kan (“you can”) and wij kunnen (“we can”); the form changes with the subject. niet is the usual Dutch negation word. Here it negates the ability expressed by kan ... beslissen, so the sentence says that the speaker cannot decide. Example: Ik kan vandaag niet komen. — “I can’t come today.” beslissen is the infinitive “to decide.” After a modal such as kan, Dutch keeps the following verb in the infinitive: Ik kan kiezen — “I can choose.” Beslissen should not be confused with besluiten, another common verb meaning “to decide” or “to resolve”; beslissen is the form used here. welke means “which” when selecting from possible items. It comes directly with the noun in welke versie. Dutch also uses wat for a more general “what,” as in Wat kies je? — “What are you choosing?” Here welke asks which version has the better performance; the sentence does not state how many versions there are. versie is the noun “version.” It is a common-gender de noun: de versie, plural de versies. Example: Deze versie is duidelijker. — “This version is clearer.” ontwerp means “design.” In the full phrase van het ontwerp, van links the design to the version: “of the design.” Ontwerp is a neuter het noun: het ontwerp, plural ontwerpen. Example: Het ontwerp is eenvoudig. — “The design is simple.” beter is the comparative form of goed (“good”): goed → beter → best (“best”). Here it is used adverbially with werkt, meaning “works better,” comparing the versions’ performance rather than describing the size or type of the design. Example: Deze oplossing werkt beter. — “This solution works better.” werkt is the third-person singular present form of werken, “to work.” Its subject here is the singular noun phrase welke versie; therefore the verb has the -t form. Compare ik werk (“I work”) with de versie werkt (“the version works”). In this context, “works” means “functions or performs effectively.” Together, Ik kan niet beslissen gives “I can’t decide.” The embedded question welke versie van het ontwerp beter werkt means “which version of the design works better.” In this embedded question, the subject phrase welke versie van het ontwerp comes before the verb werkt, which is placed at the end of the clause. The complete meaning is: “I can’t decide which version of the design works better.”

2. Laten we een paar minuten naar buiten gaan en het samen bespreken.

   Let's step out for a few minutes and talk it through.

   Laten we

   let's

   een paar minuten

   a few minutes

   naar buiten

   outside

   gaan

   go

   samen

   together

   bespreken

   discuss

   More detail

   Laten we introduces a suggestion addressed to the speaker and at least one other person: “let’s …”. It is a fixed suggestion pattern followed by an infinitive. Example: Laten we beginnen. — “Let’s begin.” In this construction, laten does not have its ordinary standalone meaning “to let” or “to leave.” een paar minuten means “a few minutes.” Here, een paar indicates a small, approximate number rather than an exact count. Example: Wacht een paar minuten. — “Wait a few minutes.” naar buiten means “outside” as a direction or destination. naar marks movement toward a place, and buiten means “outside” in this location sense. The relevant contrast is binnen (“inside”). Example: We gaan naar buiten. — “We are going outside.” gaan is the infinitive “to go.” In Laten we ... gaan, it expresses the proposed movement. Dutch can also use gaan before another infinitive for a planned or imminent action, as in We gaan praten. — “We are going to talk.” Here, gaan combines with naar buiten to mean “go outside.” samen means “together,” indicating that the activity is shared by the people included in we. Example: We werken samen. — “We work together.” bespreken means “to discuss” or “to talk through.” Its infinitive is bespreken, and it is not a separable verb: in a finite clause, the whole form stays together, as in We bespreken het morgen. — “We will discuss it tomorrow.” In the fixed sentence, bespreken is an infinitive after the suggestion pattern. het is the object meaning “it,” while samen means “together”; together, het samen bespreken describes discussing it together. The sentence proposes Laten we ... gaan: “Let’s go.” naar buiten specifies the destination, and een paar minuten gives the approximate duration. The coordinated second action is het samen bespreken, “talk it through together.” Thus the whole utterance means: “Let’s step out for a few minutes and talk it through.”

3. Frisse lucht kan helpen, maar ik wil niet te veel tijd verliezen.

   Fresh air might help, but I don't want to lose too much time.

   Frisse

   fresh

   lucht

   air

   kan

   can; might

   helpen

   help

   ik wil

   I want

   niet

   not

   te veel

   too much

   tijd

   time

   verliezen

   lose

   More detail

   Frisse means “fresh” here and describes lucht. It is the form used with this singular noun. The adjective has an inflected form before a noun: fris is the basic form, while frisse is used in this noun phrase. Example: frisse koffie — “fresh coffee.” lucht means “air.” It is a noun; its definite form is de lucht. Example: De lucht is koud. — “The air is cold.” kan comes from kunnen and means “can” here, with the translation making a possibility reading (“might help”) appropriate. Kan is the present-tense form used with the singular subject frisse lucht; after it, helpen remains an infinitive. Compare Frisse lucht kan helpen. — “Fresh air can help.” helpen means “to help.” It is the infinitive after the modal verb kan. Its present forms include ik help, hij helpt, and wij helpen. Example: Deze tip helpt. — “This tip helps.” ik wil means “I want.” Wil is the first-person singular present form of willen; the subject is explicitly ik. After wil, the other verb appears as an infinitive. Example: Ik wil rusten. — “I want to rest.” niet negates the following intention: the speaker does not want to do what follows. In this sentence it works with ik wil, while the exact scope becomes clear from the whole clause. te veel means “too much” with the uncountable noun tijd. The pattern te veel + noun expresses an excessive amount. With countable plural nouns, Dutch uses te veel as well, as in te veel vragen — “too many questions”; the noun and context determine the quantity type. tijd means “time.” It is an uncountable noun in this use, so te veel tijd means “too much time,” not a stated number of separate periods. Example: We hebben weinig tijd. — “We have little time.” verliezen means “to lose.” It is the infinitive after wil; the subject understood for this verb is still ik. Present forms include ik verlies, hij verliest, and wij verliezen. Example: Ik wil geen tijd verliezen. — “I do not want to lose time.” Together, Frisse lucht kan helpen says “Fresh air might help.” Maar contrasts that possibility with ik wil niet te veel tijd verliezen, “I don’t want to lose too much time.” The full utterance is therefore: “Fresh air might help, but I don’t want to lose too much time.”

4. We kunnen gewoon een rondje om het blok lopen en ons op de belangrijkste beslissing richten.

   We can just circle the block and focus on the main decision.

   We kunnen

   we can

   gewoon

   just

   rondje

   round; short circuit

   blok

   block

   lopen

   walk

   ons … richten

   focus on

   belangrijkste

   main; most important

   beslissing

   decision

   More detail

   We kunnen combines we with kunnen (“can, be able to”). In this sentence, kunnen is the modal verb and lopen remains an infinitive: We kunnen ... lopen = “We can walk ...”. Kunnen changes with the subject: ik kan, but we kunnen. gewoon means “just” here. It presents the proposed action as simple or uncomplicated. Its meaning is different from the adjective gewoon in a phrase such as een gewone dag (“an ordinary day”): the fixed sentence uses it as an adverb. rondje means a round or short walk/circuit. It is useful for describing going around a place and returning, rather than merely moving in one direction. Example: We maken een rondje. — “We’re taking a short walk.” blok means “block,” as in a city block. In om het blok, om expresses movement around something and het agrees with the neuter noun blok. Together, een rondje om het blok means “a round around the block.” lopen means “to walk” in this context. After the modal kunnen, it stays in the infinitive. Depending on context, lopen can also describe going on foot more generally, but the fixed translation supports “walk” here. ons ... richten is the reflexive construction zich richten op (“to focus on, direct one’s attention to”). ons is the reflexive form used with we; the construction is discontinuous here because een rondje om het blok lopen comes between ons and richten. With other subjects, the reflexive form changes: ik richt me op ..., zij richt zich op .... The preposition op introduces what receives the focus. belangrijkste means “most important” or, in this noun phrase, “main.” It is the superlative form of belangrijk (“important”): belangrijk → belangrijker (“more important”) → belangrijkste (“most important”). The -e form appears before the definite noun phrase de belangrijkste beslissing; the inflection belongs to the adjective belangrijkste, not to beslissing. beslissing means “decision.” It is a noun related to the act or result of deciding. In this sentence, de belangrijkste beslissing identifies the main decision being focused on; it does not by itself specify what that decision is. Putting the parts together, We kunnen gewoon een rondje om het blok lopen says “We can just walk around the block.” en ons op de belangrijkste beslissing richten adds the coordinated action “and focus on the main decision.” The complete utterance is therefore: “We can just circle the block and focus on the main decision.”

5. Dat zou me een pauze geven zonder het probleem helemaal los te laten.

   That would give me a break without dropping the problem completely.

   Dat

   That

   zou

   would

   me

   me

   pauze

   break or pause

   geven

   give

   zonder

   without

   probleem

   problem

   helemaal

   completely

   los … te laten

   let go

   More detail

   Dat means “that” here. It is a demonstrative pronoun referring to an already understood situation or proposal; the sentence itself does not identify a more specific referent. Dutch also uses dat as a conjunction in other contexts, but that is not its function here. zou is the past form of zullen, but in this sentence it expresses a conditional or hypothetical result: “would.” The pattern zou + infinitive is useful for a possible consequence: Dat zou helpen means “That would help.” The infinitive in this sentence is geven. me means “me” and marks the person receiving or experiencing the result of geven. In this sentence, the speaker would receive a break. The form is an unstressed object form; the stressed form mij can be used for emphasis or contrast. pauze is the noun “break” or “pause.” In the sentence it appears in the noun phrase een pauze: “a break,” without asserting a numerical count. The noun itself does not change form here. geven is the infinitive “to give.” With zou, it forms the hypothetical verb phrase zou ... geven, “would give.” The recipient comes before the thing given in this sentence: me een pauze geven, “give me a break.” Example: Dat zou me tijd geven. — “That would give me time.” zonder means “without.” It introduces something that does not happen alongside the main action. A common reusable pattern is zonder te + infinitive, as in zonder te stoppen — “without stopping.” probleem is the noun “problem.” In the phrase het probleem, it appears with the definite article het; probleem is a neuter noun, so this article choice is a grammatical property of the noun, not a meaning of “the” that can be predicted from the English word alone. helemaal means “completely” or “entirely.” It modifies the following action, making the meaning “not let go of the problem completely.” It can also modify an adjective or another description, for example helemaal klaar — “completely ready.” los te laten expresses “to let go” in this context. The related infinitive is the separable verb loslaten; with te, Dutch places te between los and laten: los te laten. Here the object is het probleem, so the phrase means “to let go of the problem,” in the sense of dropping or abandoning it. The pattern zonder ... los te laten means “without letting ... go.” Taken together, Dat zou me een pauze geven means “That would give me a break.” zonder het probleem helemaal los te laten adds the condition “without dropping the problem completely.” The complete utterance therefore means: “That would give me a break without dropping the problem completely.”

6. Soms voelt de beslissing makkelijker als je wat rondloopt.

   Sometimes moving around makes the decision feel easier.

   Soms

   sometimes

   voelt

   feels

   beslissing

   decision

   makkelijker

   easier

   als je

   if you

   wat

   a bit

   rondloopt

   walks around

   More detail

   Soms means “sometimes.” It places the situation as something that happens on some occasions, not every time. Example: Soms lees ik 's avonds. — “Sometimes I read in the evening.” voelt is the present-tense form of voelen (“to feel”) for a singular subject. Here, de beslissing is the thing that feels a certain way, so voelt means “feels” rather than “touches” or “experiences” something physically. Example: Het voelt goed. — “It feels good.” beslissing means “decision.” Its base form is the noun beslissing; the plural is beslissingen. The form appears with the definite article de: de beslissing. makkelijker is the comparative form of makkelijk (“easy”): makkelijk → makkelijker (“easier”) → het makkelijkst (“the easiest”). It describes the decision as easier, in comparison with how it feels without the stated activity. In Dutch, this comparative adjective has the same form whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter. als je introduces the condition or circumstance connected with the rest of the sentence. je is the informal singular “you” pronoun here. In this sentence, the intended sense is close to “when/as you,” rather than a separate claim about a specific future condition. Example: Als je tijd hebt, kom dan binnen. — “If you have time, come in.” wat means “a bit” here. It softens or limits the extent of the following activity; it is not asserting a particular numerical amount. Example: Wacht wat. — “Wait a bit.” rondloopt comes from the verb rondlopen, “to walk around.” It is the present-tense form used with je in this subordinate clause. In a main clause, the same verb commonly appears as je loopt rond; after als, the finite form is placed at the end: als je rondloopt. Example: Als ik rondloop, denk ik vaak na. — “When I walk around, I often think.” Together, als je wat rondloopt means “when you walk around a bit.” The pattern iets voelt + comparative adjective expresses that something seems or feels more [adjective] under a stated circumstance. Thus, de beslissing voelt makkelijker als je wat rondloopt means “the decision feels easier when you walk around a bit.” With Soms at the beginning, the whole utterance means: “Sometimes moving around makes the decision feel easier.”

7. Ik neem mijn telefoon mee voor het geval we het ontwerpmodel moeten bekijken.

   I'll bring my phone in case we need to check the mockup.

   neem … mee

   take/bring along

   telefoon

   phone

   voor het geval

   in case

   ontwerpmodel

   mockup

   moeten

   need to

   bekijken

   check/look at

   More detail

   neem ... mee is the two-part form of meenemen, “to take/bring along.” In this sentence, neem is the present-tense form for ik; mee is the separable particle that completes the verb. Dutch present tense can describe a planned near-future action here, matching “I’ll bring.” Example: Ik neem mijn jas mee. — “I’m bringing my coat.” telefoon means “phone.” Its base form is telefoon; the plural is telefoons. The possessive mijn means “my” and identifies the phone as belonging to the speaker. Mijn does not itself show whether the noun is singular or plural: mijn telefoon is “my phone,” while mijn telefoons is “my phones.” voor het geval introduces a precaution: “in case.” It commonly sets up a possible situation for which the action in the main clause is useful. Here, voor het geval we ... means “in case we ...,” without asserting that the situation will happen. Example: Neem een paraplu mee voor het geval het regent. — “Bring an umbrella in case it rains.” ontwerpmodel is a compound noun meaning “mockup” or “design model.” The compound combines ontwerp (“design”) and model (“model”), but the complete word is the noun used here. Dutch compounds are written as one word. Its plural is ontwerpmodellen. moeten expresses necessity or need: “must” or, in this context, “need to.” With the subject we, the present form is we moeten. A modal verb such as moeten sends the other verb to the end of the clause in its infinitive form. Compare We moeten wachten. — “We need to wait.” bekijken means “to look at” or “to examine,” and its infinitive remains at the end after moeten. It is more purposeful than simply noticing something; it presents the mockup as something to inspect. Example: We bekijken het plan. — “We are looking at the plan.” Together, Ik neem mijn telefoon mee says that the speaker will bring their phone. voor het geval we het ontwerpmodel moeten bekijken adds the precautionary reason: this is in case the group needs to examine the mockup. The complete meaning is: “I’ll bring my phone in case we need to check the mockup.”

8. Houd het tempo rustig, zodat het niet weer een taak wordt.

   Keep the pace relaxed so it doesn't turn into another task.

   Houd

   keep

   tempo

   pace

   rustig

   relaxed; calm

   zodat

   so that

   weer

   again

   taak

   task

   wordt

   becomes; turns into

   More detail

   Houd is the imperative of houden (“to keep/hold”). In this sentence it gives a direct instruction: “Keep …”. The imperative form houd is used with a singular informal addressee and is also commonly used for a plural addressee; Dutch can use houdt in a formal u command. Example: Houd de deur open. — “Keep the door open.” tempo means “pace” or “speed of an activity.” It is a noun, and the article in het tempo shows that this noun belongs to the Dutch het-word class. Example: Het tempo is hoog. — “The pace is fast.” rustig means “calm” or “relaxed.” Here it describes the desired quality of the pace: the pace should remain unhurried. The same adjective can describe people, places, or activities depending on context. Example: Werk rustig. — “Work calmly.” zodat introduces a subordinate clause expressing the intended result: “so that …”. In a clause introduced by zodat, the finite verb normally comes at the end. The pattern is ..., zodat ... wordt. weer means “again” here. It indicates that becoming a task would happen another time or would repeat an earlier pattern; it does not by itself say how many previous instances there were. Example: Hij begint weer. — “He starts again.” taak means “task.” It is a noun, and een taak means “a task” without asserting a specific numerical count. Example: Dit is een moeilijke taak. — “This is a difficult task.” wordt is the third-person singular present form of worden, “to become” or “to turn into.” In het ... wordt, it agrees with the singular subject het. The form wordt is not the infinitive: worden is the base form, while wordt is the present-tense form used with hij, zij, or het. Example: Het wordt een probleem. — “It becomes a problem” or “It is turning into a problem.” Together, Houd het tempo rustig means “Keep the pace relaxed.” The clause zodat het niet weer een taak wordt adds the purpose or desired result: “so that it does not become a task again.” niet negates the becoming, while het is the singular “it” for the activity or situation understood here. The complete utterance is therefore: “Keep the pace relaxed so it doesn’t turn into another task.”

9. Na een korte wandeling kunnen we terugkomen en één richting kiezen.

   After a short walk, we can come back and choose one direction.

   Na

   after

   korte

   short

   wandeling

   walk

   kunnen we

   we can

   terugkomen

   come back

   één

   one

   richting

   direction

   kiezen

   choose

   More detail

   Na means “after” and introduces the event or period that comes first in time. It can be used with a noun phrase: na de wandeling means “after the walk.” korte describes wandeling as short. The base adjective is kort; before this singular noun, it has the -e form in een korte wandeling. Dutch adjectives commonly take this form before a singular common-gender noun, including here with the indefinite article een. wandeling is the noun carrying the meaning “walk.” wandeling is a noun meaning “walk” or “stroll.” Its related verb is wandelen, “to walk,” but wandeling itself names the activity. Example: We maken een wandeling. — “We are taking a walk.” kunnen we means “we can.” kunnen is the modal verb “can/be able to,” and we is the subject “we.” In a main clause, the finite verb comes before the subject when the sentence begins with an introductory time phrase: Na een korte wandeling kunnen we ... (“After a short walk, we can ...”). With a different subject, the form changes, for example ik kan (“I can”) and zij kunnen (“they can”). terugkomen means “to come back” or “to return.” It is a separable Dutch verb: in a clause without a modal, the parts can separate, as in We komen terug. — “We come back.” After the modal kunnen, the complete infinitive stays together at the end: we kunnen terugkomen (“we can come back”). één means “one” here, with the accent distinguishing the numeral from unstressed een, which commonly functions as the indefinite article “a/an.” The phrase één richting therefore presents one direction as the selected quantity or option. richting is a noun meaning “direction.” In this sentence it is the object associated with kiezen: it is what can be chosen. Example: Welke richting kiezen we? — “Which direction do we choose?” kiezen means “to choose.” It is an infinitive here because it follows the modal verb kunnen: kunnen ... kiezen means “can choose.” In a simple present clause, the first-person singular form is ik kies (“I choose”), while the infinitive remains kiezen after a modal. Together, Na een korte wandeling sets the time: “after a short walk.” kunnen we terugkomen says that returning is possible for “us,” and en één richting kiezen adds a second action coordinated with terugkomen: choosing one direction. The complete meaning is: “After a short walk, we can come back and choose one direction.”

10. Een korte reset kan ons misschien nog een uur onnodig nadenken besparen.

    A short reset might save us from another hour of overthinking.

    Een

    a/an

    korte

    short

    reset

    reset

    kan

    can/might

    ons

    us

    misschien

    perhaps

    nog

    another

    een uur

    an hour

    onnodig

    unnecessarily

    nadenken

    overthink

    besparen

    save/spare

    More detail

    Een korte reset introduces the possible helpful action. Een is an indefinite article; here it introduces one reset as a type of action, but the article itself does not assert a numerical count. Reset is used as a Dutch noun for a reset. The adjective korte is the inflected form of kort (“short”): before this noun in an indefinite noun phrase, it takes -e. Compare kort when used independently, as in De wandeling is kort (“The walk is short”), and korte before a noun. Kan is the singular present form of kunnen, “can” or “be able to.” With misschien later in the sentence, it expresses possibility rather than firm ability: “might.” After a modal such as kan, the other verb remains an infinitive, here besparen. The subject of kan is Een korte reset, so the form is singular. Ons is the first-person plural object form, corresponding to subject wij (“we”). It means “us” here; it is not the possessive form “our.” For example, De pauze helpt ons means “The break helps us.” The exact people included in ons are not specified by the sentence. Misschien means “perhaps” or “maybe.” It makes the proposition tentative. In combination with kan, kan ... misschien gives the intended sense “might ...”; it does not change the word order by itself. Nog has several context-dependent uses. In nog een uur, as in this sentence, it means “another” or “an additional.” Een uur means “an hour”; een is the indefinite article and does not by itself need to be translated as a numerical “one.” The compact pattern nog een + noun is reusable for an additional item or amount: nog een kop koffie means “another cup of coffee.” Onnodig means “unnecessarily” in this sentence. It describes the thinking as avoidable or not needed. Its adjective base is onnodig; the same form can also modify a noun, for example onnodige vertraging (“unnecessary delay”). Nadenken means “to think” or “to reflect.” In the supplied translation, the surrounding meaning makes “overthinking” the intended rendering, but the Dutch verb itself does not always mean excessive thinking. It is a separable verb: in a finite main clause, nadenken commonly appears as denken ... na, while after a modal the infinitive stays together, as here: We kunnen daarover nadenken (“We can think about that”). Besparen is the infinitive after kan. In this construction, iemand iets besparen means “to spare someone something” or “save someone something”: De route bespaart ons tijd means “The route saves us time.” Unlike the separable verb nadenken, besparen remains one unit in this infinitive construction. Putting the parts together, Een korte reset is the subject, kan ... besparen expresses a possible saving, ons identifies the people who benefit, nog een uur specifies an additional hour, and onnodig nadenken identifies what that time would otherwise be spent on. The whole utterance therefore means: “A short reset might save us from another hour of overthinking.”