Clarifying Role Scope and Priorities | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. De functie klinkt breder dan de beschrijving deed vermoeden.

   The role sounds broader than the description suggested.

   functie

   role

   klinkt

   sounds

   breder

   broader

   beschrijving

   description

   deed vermoeden

   suggested

   More detail

   functie is a common-gender Dutch noun meaning “function” or “role.” Its definite form is de functie; the plural is functies. In this sentence, “role” is the intended meaning. Example: Zij heeft een belangrijke functie. — “She has an important role.” klinkt is the present-tense third-person singular form of klinken, “to sound.” The subject is singular, de functie, so Dutch uses klinkt; the infinitive is klinken. This verb can describe an impression based on wording or quality, not only an audible sound. Example: Dat klinkt goed. — “That sounds good.” breder is the comparative form of the adjective breed, “broad” or “wide”: breed → breder → het breedst (“broad” → “broader” → “the broadest”). Here it describes the role as having a broader scope. The ending -er marks the comparison on the adjective itself. With dan, the pattern breder dan ... means “broader than ...”. beschrijving is a common-gender noun meaning “description.” Its definite form is de beschrijving, and its plural is beschrijvingen. The related verb beschrijven means “to describe,” but beschrijving is the noun used here. Example: De beschrijving is kort. — “The description is short.” deed vermoeden is a past construction meaning “suggested” in this sentence. Deed is the singular past form of doen, “to do,” and vermoeden is an infinitive meaning “to suspect” or “to infer.” In the construction iets doet vermoeden, something gives reason to suspect or infer something; in the past, iets deed vermoeden means that it suggested it. The fixed translation selects this “suggested” meaning rather than a literal “did suspect” reading. Example: De gegevens deden een probleem vermoeden. — “The data suggested a problem.” The sentence follows the comparison pattern subject + klinkt + comparative adjective + dan + comparison basis. De functie klinkt breder says that the role gives the impression of being broader, and dan de beschrijving deed vermoeden identifies the description’s earlier suggestion as the point of comparison. Together, the utterance means: “The role sounds broader than the description suggested.”

2. De functie is uitgebreid omdat de teamstructuur wordt herzien.

   It has grown because the team structure is being revised.

   functie

   role; function

   is uitgebreid

   has grown; has expanded

   omdat

   because

   teamstructuur

   team structure

   wordt herzien

   is being revised

   More detail

   functie means “role” here; it can also mean “function” in other contexts. It is a common-gender Dutch noun, so it takes de: de functie. Example: De functie vraagt ervaring. — “The role requires experience.” is uitgebreid expresses the result or current state of becoming larger or broader. uitgebreid is the past participle of uitbreiden (“to expand”); in this sentence the fixed translation presents that change as “has grown.” Do not confuse uitgebreid with the comparative breder (“broader”). Example: Het aanbod is uitgebreid. — “The range has expanded.” omdat introduces the reason for the main clause and means “because.” In a clause introduced by omdat, the finite verb normally comes at the end: omdat ... wordt herzien. teamstructuur is a compound noun: team + structuur, meaning “team structure.” The whole compound, not just team, is the noun being referred to, and it takes de: de teamstructuur. Example: De teamstructuur verandert. — “The team structure is changing.” wordt herzien is a present passive construction. wordt is the third-person singular present form of worden, and herzien is the participle of herzien (“to revise”). Together they mean that the team structure is undergoing revision; the person doing the revision is not stated. Example: De planning wordt herzien. — “The planning is being revised.” Together, De functie is uitgebreid says that the role has grown or expanded. omdat de teamstructuur wordt herzien gives the reason: the team structure is being revised. The complete meaning is: “It has grown because the team structure is being revised.”

3. Ik kan een brede functie aan als de prioriteiten duidelijk zijn.

   I can handle a broad role if the priorities are clear.

   Ik … kan … aan

   I can handle

   brede

   broad

   functie

   role

   als

   if

   prioriteiten

   priorities

   duidelijk

   clear

   zijn

   are; be

   More detail

   Ik kan ... aan is the Dutch separable construction iets aankunnen, meaning “to be able to handle or cope with something.” In the observed sentence, kan is the present-tense modal form of kunnen for ik; the particle aan appears at the end of the main clause, after the object. The object is een brede functie, so the complete pattern is Ik kan [iets] aan (“I can handle [something]”). brede means “broad” here. Its base form is breed; useful comparison forms are breder (“broader”) and het breedst (“the broadest”). Before the singular common-gender noun functie, the attributive adjective has the -e form: een brede functie. functie means “role” in this sentence. Its basic form is functie, with plural functies. Depending on context, the same noun can also mean “function,” but the fixed translation supports “role” here. als introduces the condition “if.” It begins the conditional clause als de prioriteiten duidelijk zijn. In this subordinate clause, the finite verb comes at the end, unlike the main clause. prioriteiten means “priorities.” It is the plural of prioriteit. The plural subject is why the clause uses plural zijn, not singular is. duidelijk means “clear.” It is used here as a predicate adjective after zijn: the priorities are clear. For example, De instructies zijn duidelijk. means “The instructions are clear.” zijn is the form of zijn (“to be”) used with a plural subject in the present tense. Here it agrees with de prioriteiten: de prioriteiten zijn duidelijk (“the priorities are clear”). Putting the parts together, Ik kan een brede functie aan says “I can handle a broad role,” and als de prioriteiten duidelijk zijn adds the condition “if the priorities are clear.” The whole utterance therefore means: “I can handle a broad role if the priorities are clear.”

4. De eerste prioriteit zou het verbeteren van de interne coördinatie zijn.

   The first priority would be improving internal coordination.

   eerste

   first

   prioriteit

   priority

   zou

   would

   verbeteren

   improve

   interne

   internal

   coördinatie

   coordination

   zijn

   be

   More detail

   eerste means “first” here and is the ordinal form related to één (“one”). Before a noun, Dutch commonly uses the attributive form eerste: de eerste stap = “the first step.” It identifies order, not merely a high degree of importance. prioriteit means “priority.” It is a de-word (de prioriteit), and its plural is prioriteiten: De prioriteiten zijn duidelijk. = “The priorities are clear.” zou is a form of zullen used here to express a hypothetical or conditional “would.” The matching infinitive is zijn, so zou ... zijn corresponds to “would be.” In another context, zou can also report what someone was expected or said to do, but the fixed translation supports the conditional reading here. verbeteren is the infinitive “to improve.” In het verbeteren van ..., the infinitive is used as a noun-like activity: het verbeteren = “improving” or “the improvement.” The pattern het verbeteren van X means “improving X.” Example: Het verbeteren van de planning kost tijd. = “Improving the planning takes time.” interne means “internal” here. Its base form is intern; interne is the attributive form before the de-word coördinatie: interne communicatie = “internal communication.” This adjective describes the kind of coordination, not the act of improving it. coördinatie means “coordination.” It is a de-word (de coördinatie). The phrase interne coördinatie therefore means “internal coordination,” referring to coordination within the relevant organization or system without specifying that organization further. zijn is the infinitive “to be.” It functions as the copula after zou: zou ... zijn = “would be.” Here, the noun-like activity het verbeteren van de interne coördinatie is what is identified as de eerste prioriteit. Together, de eerste prioriteit is “the first priority,” het verbeteren van de interne coördinatie is “improving internal coordination,” and zou ... zijn links them with the conditional meaning “would be.” The complete utterance is: “The first priority would be improving internal coordination.”

5. Dat sluit aan bij mijn ervaring met projecten waarbij verschillende afdelingen samenwerken.

   That fits my experience with cross-functional projects.

   Dat

   That

   sluit aan bij

   fits with

   mijn

   my

   ervaring

   experience

   met

   with

   projecten

   projects

   waarbij

   in which

   verschillende

   different

   afdelingen

   departments

   samenwerken

   work together

   More detail

   Dat means “that” here and points to the preceding idea or situation, rather than naming a new object. As a demonstrative pronoun, it is the neuter singular form; its specific referent is supplied by the context. sluit aan bij is the reusable expression aansluiten bij, meaning that something fits, corresponds with, or is consistent with something else. sluit is the present-tense third-person singular form of aansluiten; the separable prefix aan appears with the verb here. Example: Deze uitleg sluit aan bij de praktijk. — “This explanation fits the practice.” mijn is the possessive form meaning “my”. It does not change for singular versus plural nouns: mijn ervaring and mijn projecten both use mijn. ervaring means “experience”. Its plural is ervaringen. In this sentence it refers to the speaker’s experience, not to one particular event. Example: Ik heb veel ervaring. — “I have a lot of experience.” met is the preposition “with”. Here it introduces the projects connected with the speaker’s experience. projecten is the plural of project. The ending -en marks the plural: één project, twee projecten — “one project”, “two projects”. waarbij introduces a relative clause connected to the projects and can be understood here as “in which” or “where”. It presents the way those projects function: the departments collaborate within them. Example: Dat is een situatie waarbij iedereen meedoet. — “That is a situation in which everyone takes part.” verschillende means “different” or “various”. Its base form is verschillend; the -e form is used here before the plural noun afdelingen. Example: verschillende ideeën — “different ideas”. afdelingen is the plural of afdeling, meaning “department” or “division”. The plural ending is -en: een afdeling, meerdere afdelingen — “one department”, “several departments”. samenwerken means “to work together” or “to collaborate”. It is the base form of the verb. In afdelingen samenwerken, it is also the present-tense plural form; in Dutch, that form is identical to the infinitive. Example: De teams werken goed samen. — “The teams work well together.” Together, Dat sluit aan bij mijn ervaring says “That fits my experience”. met projecten specifies the kind of experience, and waarbij verschillende afdelingen samenwerken describes those projects as ones in which different departments collaborate. The complete meaning is: “That fits my experience with cross-functional projects.”

6. Hoe zou u omgaan met teams met tegenstrijdige verwachtingen?

   How would you handle teams with conflicting expectations?

   Hoe

   how

   zou u

   would you

   omgaan

   handle; deal with

   teams

   teams

   tegenstrijdige

   conflicting

   verwachtingen

   expectations

   More detail

   Hoe asks about the manner or method: “how”. It is used to ask how someone would do something, as in Hoe werkt dit? — “How does this work?” zou u combines zou, the past form of zullen, with the formal second-person pronoun u. Here zou expresses a hypothetical or conditional “would”, while u means formal “you”. The pronoun u is not marked for gender or number in this question. Example: Zou u dat uitleggen? — “Would you explain that?” omgaan means “to handle” or “to deal with”. The reusable construction is omgaan met + a person, thing, or situation. In this sentence, omgaan remains an infinitive after zou; the word met introduces what is being handled. Example: Zij gaat goed om met kritiek. — “She handles criticism well.” teams is the plural of team, meaning “teams”. The ending -s marks the plural here. Example: De teams werken samen. — “The teams work together.” tegenstrijdige means “conflicting” or “contradictory” here. Its base form is tegenstrijdig. Before the plural noun verwachtingen, the adjective has the ending -e: tegenstrijdige verwachtingen. Example: Ze kregen tegenstrijdige signalen. — “They received conflicting signals.” verwachtingen means “expectations”. It is the plural of verwachting; the plural ending is -en. Example: De verwachtingen zijn duidelijk. — “The expectations are clear.” Together, Hoe zou u omgaan met ...? forms the reusable question pattern “How would you deal with ...?” The object of met is teams met tegenstrijdige verwachtingen: teams whose expectations conflict with one another. Thus the complete utterance asks for a hypothetical way of handling such teams: “How would you handle teams with conflicting expectations?”

7. Ik zou beginnen met het in kaart brengen van de beslissingen, de verantwoordelijken en de onopgeloste aannames.

   I'd start by mapping the decisions, owners, and unresolved assumptions.

   Ik zou

   I would

   beginnen

   start

   met

   with; by

   in kaart brengen

   map out

   beslissingen

   decisions

   verantwoordelijken

   owners; responsible people

   onopgeloste

   unresolved

   aannames

   assumptions

   More detail

   Ik zou expresses a first-person hypothetical or proposed action: “I would.” Ik is the first-person singular pronoun, and zou is the singular first-person form of the conditional auxiliary zullen. The auxiliary carries the conditional meaning; the following verb stays in the infinitive. Compare Ik zou wachten — “I would wait.” beginnen means “to start” and is an infinitive here because it follows zou. Its useful pattern is zou + infinitive: Ik zou lezen means “I would read.” met introduces what the starting action consists of in this sentence. With het in kaart brengen van ..., it forms the reusable pattern “by mapping ...” or “with mapping ...”; the van phrase identifies what is being mapped. in kaart brengen is a fixed verb construction meaning “to map out” or “to chart” something systematically. The literal word kaart means “map,” but the full construction is not limited to geographical maps. For example, We brengen het proces in kaart means “We map out the process.” beslissingen means “decisions” here. It is the plural of beslissing; the singular is een beslissing, and the plural ending is -en. The form refers to the decisions included in the mapping activity. verantwoordelijken means “the people responsible” or, in this context, “owners.” It is used as a noun for responsible people; the singular form is verantwoordelijke, while verantwoordelijken is plural. The meaning is people who are responsible for the relevant matters, not the adjective “responsible” modifying a noun in this sentence. onopgeloste means “unresolved.” The adjective’s basic form is onopgelost; onopgeloste is the attributive form used before the plural noun aannames. The prefix on- gives the negative contrast with opgelost (“resolved”). aannames means “assumptions.” It is the plural of aanname; een aanname is singular and aannames is plural. Here, onopgeloste aannames is the noun phrase “unresolved assumptions.” Together, Ik zou beginnen met means “I would start by,” and het in kaart brengen van introduces the activity being started. The three coordinated objects are de beslissingen, de verantwoordelijken, and de onopgeloste aannames: the decisions, the owners, and the unresolved assumptions. Thus the whole utterance means: “I’d start by mapping the decisions, owners, and unresolved assumptions.”

8. Daaruit blijkt dat u de tijd zou nemen om het probleem te begrijpen voordat u handelt.

   That tells me you'd take time to understand the problem before acting.

   Daaruit

   from that; as a result

   blijkt

   shows; becomes clear

   tijd

   time

   zou nemen

   would take

   probleem

   problem

   om … te

   in order to

   begrijpen

   understand

   voordat

   before

   handelt

   acts

   More detail

   Daaruit means “from that” or “from it”: daar points to previously identifiable information, and uit expresses the source. Together, daaruit says that a conclusion follows from that information. blijkt is the present-tense form of blijken used here with the singular dat-clause as its subject. In daaruit blijkt dat ..., it means that something becomes clear or can be inferred from that information. The pattern daaruit blijkt dat + clause introduces a conclusion: “it appears from that that …”. tijd is the noun “time”. The fixed phrase de tijd nemen means “to take the time”, rather than simply taking an object. Example: Neem de tijd. — “Take your time.” zou nemen combines zou, a conditional form of zullen, with the infinitive nemen (“to take”). Here it gives the meaning “would take”. Zou is the form used with a singular subject and with formal u; it is not itself a general marker of singularity for every possible subject, since plural forms can use zouden. The infinitive nemen does not change for the subject. Example: Zij zou wachten. — “She would wait.” probleem is the noun “problem”. With the article, het probleem means “the problem”. Dutch nouns with het belong to the neuter article class; this article choice is grammatical and does not state how many problems there are. om ... te marks a purpose construction here: om ... te begrijpen means “in order to understand”. The two parts are separated because the infinitive begrijpen comes later. This pattern commonly expresses the goal of an action. Example: Ik lees om te leren. — “I read in order to learn.” begrijpen is the infinitive “to understand”. It is the base form used after te; in this construction, the form itself does not show the subject or tense. voordat is a conjunction meaning “before”. It introduces an event that occurs earlier in the time relationship: voordat u handelt means “before you act”. handelt is the present-tense form of handelen (“to act”) used with formal u. In standard Dutch, formal u takes the singular verb form here, so u handelt means “you act”; the form does not by itself identify whether the addressee is one person or a group. The explicit u is the actor of this subordinate clause, while the English translation expresses the same event with the compact “before acting”. Taken together, Daaruit blijkt dat introduces a conclusion drawn from previously mentioned information. u de tijd zou nemen says that formal “you” would take the time, om het probleem te begrijpen gives the purpose of taking that time, and voordat u handelt places the acting afterward. The whole utterance therefore means: “That tells me you’d take time to understand the problem before acting.”