Making shared figures easier to follow | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Je scherm is zichtbaar, maar de tekst in het spreadsheet is nogal klein.

   Your screen is visible, but the spreadsheet text looks rather small.

   scherm

   screen

   zichtbaar

   visible

   tekst

   text

   spreadsheet

   spreadsheet

   nogal

   rather; quite

   klein

   small

   More detail

   scherm means “screen” here. In je scherm, je is the possessive form meaning “your,” so the phrase identifies the screen belonging to the addressee. The plural is schermen. zichtbaar describes something that can be seen. Here it is a predicative adjective after is: the screen is visible. It does not itself express that someone is actively looking at it. Example: De naam is zichtbaar. — “The name is visible.” tekst means “text” and is a common-gender noun, as shown by de tekst. Its plural is teksten. In this sentence, the noun is specified by the following location phrase: the text is in the spreadsheet. spreadsheet is a noun used for a spreadsheet. In het spreadsheet, the article is het; the preposition in expresses location inside it. This phrase narrows down which text is being described, rather than naming the screen itself. nogal is a degree adverb meaning “rather” or “quite.” It modifies the following description klein, making the assessment stronger than simply “small” without expressing an extreme degree. Example: Het boek is nogal dik. — “The book is rather thick.” klein means “small.” It is the base form of the adjective; its comparative is kleiner (“smaller”). The superlative is het kleinst when used predicatively and can be het kleinste before a definite het-noun; before a definite de-noun, it is de kleinste. Here klein is predicative after is, so it describes the text; it is not an inflected form agreeing with tekst. Example: De letters zijn klein. — “The letters are small.” Together, je scherm supplies the subject of the first clause, and is zichtbaar says that this screen can be seen. maar connects this with a contrast. The subject of the second clause is de tekst in het spreadsheet, and is nogal klein describes that text as rather small. Thus the utterance communicates that the addressee’s screen is visible, while the spreadsheet text appears rather small.

2. Ik kan wel inzoomen.

   I can zoom in, though.

   Ik kan

   I can

   wel

   though

   inzoomen

   zoom in

   More detail

   Ik kan means “I can”: kan is the present-tense form of kunnen used with ik. It expresses ability or feasibility here. With another subject, the form changes: ik kan (“I can”), but wij kunnen (“we can”). Example: Ik kan helpen. — “I can help.” wel adds a contrastive affirmative nuance. In this sentence, it presents zooming in as something the speaker is able to do despite the preceding concern about the small spreadsheet text, so “though” is a natural translation. Depending on context, wel can also mean “indeed” or “actually”; those senses should not be automatically translated as “though.” Example: Ik kom wel. — “I will come after all.” inzoomen is the infinitive meaning “to zoom in.” Its base form is inzoomen; after the modal kan, Dutch uses the infinitive: Ik kan inzoomen — “I can zoom in.” The related opposite is uitzoomen, “to zoom out.” Together, Ik kan wel inzoomen. says that the speaker can zoom in, with wel marking this as a contrast or reassurance: “I can zoom in, though.”

3. Daardoor kunnen een paar kolommen buiten beeld vallen.

   It may push a few columns out of view.

   Daardoor

   as a result

   kunnen

   may

   een paar

   a few

   kolommen

   columns

   buiten beeld vallen

   fall out of view

   More detail

   Daardoor means “as a result” or “because of that.” It introduces an effect caused by something already understood. Here it links the consequence to the preceding situation involving zooming in. The related connector daarom means “therefore”; daardoor more directly presents a cause as producing an effect. kunnen is the present-tense form used with a plural subject, and it expresses possibility here: the columns may fall out of view. It is also the infinitive of the modal verb meaning “can” or “may.” In the pattern kunnen ... vallen, the modal is finite and vallen remains an infinitive at the end. Compare ik kan and hij kan with wij kunnen and zij kunnen. een paar is a quantity expression meaning “a few” or “a couple of.” It indicates a small number without specifying an exact count. Example: een paar dagen means “a few days.” kolommen is the plural of kolom, “column.” Its plural uses -en: kolom → kolommen. Here it refers to columns in the relevant display or table. buiten beeld vallen is a reusable expression meaning “fall out of view” or “no longer be visible.” buiten beeld means “outside the visible area,” while vallen is the infinitive “to fall.” In this sentence, the expression concerns visibility rather than a physical fall. Example: De bovenste rij valt buiten beeld. — “The top row falls out of view.” Together, Daardoor introduces the consequence, kunnen marks it as possible, een paar kolommen identifies the small number of affected columns, and buiten beeld vallen describes their becoming invisible. The whole utterance means: “As a result, a few columns may fall out of view.”

4. Dat werkt, zolang de belangrijkste cijfers zichtbaar blijven.

   That works as long as the key figures stay visible.

   Dat

   That

   werkt

   works

   zolang

   as long as

   belangrijkste

   most important; key

   cijfers

   figures

   zichtbaar

   visible

   blijven

   stay; remain

   More detail

   Dat refers to an already identifiable situation, proposal, or solution and is translated here as “that.” As a demonstrative pronoun, its exact referent is not specified by this sentence itself. The same form can also be a demonstrative determiner before a noun, as in dat plan (“that plan”); here it stands alone. werkt is the present-tense third-person singular form of werken, “to work.” In Dat werkt, it means that something functions successfully or is acceptable, not necessarily that a person is physically working. Compare ik werk (“I work”) and ze werken (“they work”). zolang introduces a condition whose duration or validity is limited by what follows: “as long as.” It starts a subordinate clause. A reusable pattern is X, zolang Y = “X, as long as Y.” belangrijkste means “most important” or, in this context, “key.” It is the superlative form related to belangrijk (“important”): belangrijk → belangrijker (“more important”) → belangrijkste (“most important”). Here it modifies cijfers and identifies them as the relevant or key figures. cijfers is the plural of cijfer. In this context, it means figures or numerical data. The singular is een cijfer (“a figure”); the plural form is cijfers. Example: De cijfers zijn duidelijk. — “The figures are clear.” zichtbaar is an adjective meaning “visible.” In zichtbaar blijven, it describes the continuing state of the subject: the figures continue to be visible. Its opposite is onzichtbaar (“invisible”). Example: De tekst blijft zichtbaar. — “The text remains visible.” blijven means “to stay” or “to remain.” Here it is the present-tense plural form agreeing with cijfers; the infinitive and plural present form are both blijven, while singular present is blijft. With an adjective, blijven expresses continuation of a state: blijven + adjective = “remain/stay + adjective.” Together, Dat werkt says “That works.” The subordinate clause zolang de belangrijkste cijfers zichtbaar blijven adds the condition “as long as the key figures stay visible.” Because zolang introduces the subordinate clause, blijven appears at the end. The complete meaning is: “That works as long as the key figures stay visible.”

5. In dat geval zet ik eerst het gedeelte met de afwijkingen in beeld.

   In that case, I'll put the variance section first.

   In dat geval

   in that case

   zet

   put

   eerst

   first

   het gedeelte

   the section

   de afwijkingen

   the deviations

   in beeld

   on display

   More detail

   In dat geval means “in that case.” geval is a neuter noun, so the definite form is het geval; with the demonstrative dat, the phrase is dat geval. The preposition in gives the phrase its situational meaning here. Example: In dat geval wachten we. — “In that case, we’ll wait.” zet is the present-tense form of zetten used with ik: ik zet — “I put” or “I place.” In this sentence, ik appears after the finite verb because the sentence begins with In dat geval; this is normal Dutch verb–subject inversion after a fronted phrase. Example: Morgen zet ik de tabel klaar. — “Tomorrow I’ll set up the table.” eerst means “first” or “before the other relevant items.” It specifies the order of the action, not necessarily a numerical count. Example: Lees eerst de titel. — “Read the title first.” het gedeelte means “the section” or “the part.” Gedeelte is a neuter noun, which is why its definite article is het. The plural is gedeelten. Example: Dit gedeelte is belangrijk. — “This section is important.” de afwijkingen means “the deviations” or, in this context, “the variances.” Its singular base form is de afwijking; the plural adds -en: de afwijkingen. The definite article remains de for both singular and plural. Example: We bespreken de afwijkingen. — “We are discussing the variances.” in beeld is part of the reusable construction iets in beeld zetten, literally “put something into view,” meaning “display something” or “bring something visibly onto the screen.” In beeld alone does not include the action of putting; that action comes from zet. Example: Zet de cijfers in beeld. — “Display the figures.” The middle noun phrase is het gedeelte met de afwijkingen: “the section with the variances.” Here met links the section to the content it contains or presents. Combining the pieces gives In dat geval zet ik eerst het gedeelte met de afwijkingen in beeld.: “In that case, I’ll display the section with the variances first.”

6. De cijfers ondersteunen het punt, maar de uitleg heeft meer context nodig.

   The figures support the point, but the explanation needs more context.

   cijfers

   figures

   ondersteunen

   support

   punt

   point

   uitleg

   explanation

   heeft … nodig

   needs

   meer

   more

   context

   context

   More detail

   cijfers means “figures” here, specifically numerical figures or data. It is the plural of cijfer (“figure” or “digit”); the plural form is used because the subject refers to multiple figures. For example: De cijfers zijn duidelijk. — “The figures are clear.” ondersteunen means “support” in this sentence: the figures support the point by providing evidence for it. It is the present-tense plural form of ondersteunen; the ending fits the plural subject de cijfers. For example: De feiten ondersteunen deze conclusie. — “The facts support this conclusion.” punt means “point,” here a point being made or argued. Its plural is punten. In this sentence, the singular noun refers to one particular point. uitleg means “explanation.” It is a de-word in Dutch, as shown by de uitleg. For example: De uitleg is helder. — “The explanation is clear.” heeft ... nodig is the Dutch construction for “needs” or “needs something.” Its underlying pattern is iets nodig hebben, literally “to have something needed.” heeft is the third-person singular present form of hebben, used with the singular subject de uitleg; nodig completes the need construction. For example: De machine heeft onderhoud nodig. — “The machine needs maintenance.” meer means “more.” It is the comparative form related to veel (“much” or “many”) and is used here for a greater amount of context, not necessarily a specific count. For example: We hebben meer tijd nodig. — “We need more time.” context means “context,” the surrounding information needed to understand or assess something. Here it is the thing that the explanation needs more of. For example: De context maakt het verschil duidelijk. — “The context makes the difference clear.” The conjunction maar means “but” and contrasts the two clauses. First, de cijfers ondersteunen het punt says that the figures support the point. Then de uitleg heeft meer context nodig says that the explanation still needs more context. Together, the utterance means: “The figures support the point, but the explanation needs more context.”

7. Ik zal de aannames achter elke prognose noemen.

   I'll mention the assumptions behind each projection.

   Ik zal

   I will

   aannames

   assumptions

   achter

   behind

   elke

   each

   prognose

   projection

   noemen

   mention

   More detail

   Ik zal combines ik (“I”) with zal, the first-person singular present form of zullen (“will/shall”). In this sentence, zal marks a future intention or action. Dutch places the other verb in the infinitive after this modal-like auxiliary, so noemen remains an infinitive at the end. Example: Ik zal morgen bellen. — “I will call tomorrow.” aannames means “assumptions” here. Its singular base form is aanname; aannames is its plural. The ending -s is the regular plural ending for this noun. Example: Deze aanname is belangrijk. — “This assumption is important.” achter literally means “behind,” but it also introduces an abstract basis or explanation, as in “behind an assumption” or “behind a projection.” In the pattern de aannames achter ..., it links the assumptions to what they underlie. elke means “each” and is used here with the singular noun prognose. It presents the projections one by one: the speaker will mention the assumptions associated with every projection in the relevant set. Example: Elke prognose heeft een basis. — “Each projection has a basis.” prognose means “projection” in this sentence: a statement about what is expected to happen. It is a singular noun and takes the article de: de prognose. Its plural is prognoses. Example: De prognose verandert. — “The projection changes.” noemen means “mention” here. It is the infinitive of the verb; the form noem is used for “I mention” in the present tense, while zal noemen expresses “will mention.” Noemen can also mean “name” or “call” in other contexts, but “mention” is the intended meaning here. Example: Ik noem één reden. — “I mention one reason.” Together, Ik zal ... noemen means “I will mention ...”. The object is de aannames, and achter elke prognose specifies which assumptions: those behind each projection. The complete meaning is: “I’ll mention the assumptions behind each projection.”

8. Dat helpt luisteraars die de eerdere bespreking hebben gemist.

   That will help listeners who missed the earlier discussion.

   Dat

   that

   helpt

   will help

   luisteraars

   listeners

   die

   who

   eerdere

   earlier; previous

   bespreking

   discussion

   hebben gemist

   missed

   More detail

   Dat is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. It is the subject and refers to a situation or content understood from the context. Dutch uses dit/dat with singular neuter nouns and with clauses or situations, while deze/die are used with plural nouns and singular common-gender nouns; the choice depends on the relevant grammatical form and context. helpt is the present-tense form of helpen (“to help”) for a third-person singular subject. Dutch present tense can describe a future effect, so it is translated here as “will help.” The useful forms are helpen (base form), helpt (third-person singular present), and helpen (plural present). Example: Dat helpt veel. — “That helps a lot.” luisteraars means “listeners.” It is the plural of luisteraar, formed here with the plural ending -s. The noun identifies the people receiving the help, not the subject of helpt. die means “who” here and introduces a relative clause describing luisteraars. It is used with plural antecedents and can also be used with a singular common-gender antecedent. Example: De mensen die wachten, komen later. — “The people who are waiting will come later.” eerdere means “earlier” or “previous” here. It is the attributive form of eerder (“earlier”), with the ending -e before the noun bespreking. It places the discussion before another relevant point in time without specifying exactly how much earlier. Eerder can also be used without a noun, as in Ik kwam eerder. — “I came earlier.” bespreking means “discussion.” It is a singular noun; its plural is besprekingen. The phrase de eerdere bespreking means “the earlier discussion,” with de marking the noun phrase as definite. hebben gemist is a perfect-tense construction translated here as “missed.” Hebben is the present plural form of the auxiliary hebben, and gemist is the past participle of missen (“to miss”). Because luisteraars is plural, the relative clause uses hebben. The perfect construction presents the missing as completed in relation to the situation. Example: Zij hebben de trein gemist. — “They have missed the train.” Together, Dat helpt means “That will help,” and luisteraars die de eerdere bespreking hebben gemist means “listeners who missed the earlier discussion.” The relative clause specifies which listeners are meant, giving the complete meaning: “That will help listeners who missed the earlier discussion.”

9. Een korte notitie vóór de prognoses zou voldoende moeten zijn.

   A short note before the projections should cover it.

   korte

   short

   notitie

   note

   vóór

   before

   prognoses

   projections

   voldoende

   enough

   zou … moeten zijn

   should be

   More detail

   korte means “short” here. Its base form is kort; korte is the adjective form used before notitie. Notitie is a common-gender de-word, so the adjective takes -e after the indefinite article: een korte notitie. Example: een korte pauze — “a short break.” notitie means “note.” Its plural is notities. Example: Ik schrijf een notitie. — “I am writing a note.” vóór means “before” in an ordering or temporal sense. In vóór de prognoses, it places the note before the projections. The accent can distinguish this use from other uses of voor in writing. prognoses means “projections” here. It is the plural of prognose; this noun forms its plural with -s. Example: De prognoses veranderen. — “The projections are changing.” voldoende means “sufficient” or “enough.” It describes something as meeting a required amount or purpose. Example: Dit is voldoende. — “This is sufficient.” zou ... moeten zijn is a discontinuous construction meaning “should be.” Zou is the singular past form of zullen, used here as a modal for an expected or appropriate result; moeten is the infinitive of moeten, “must” or “need to”; and zijn is the infinitive of zijn, “be.” Together with voldoende, zou voldoende moeten zijn means “should be sufficient.” With a plural subject, zouden is used instead: De notities zouden voldoende moeten zijn. — “The notes should be sufficient.” Together, Een korte notitie means “a short note,” and vóór de prognoses says that it comes before the projections. The construction zou voldoende moeten zijn says that this note is expected to be sufficient. The complete utterance corresponds to the supplied translation: “A short note before the projections should cover it.”