Understanding performance evaluation and workplace expectations | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ik wil graag begrijpen hoe prestaties hier worden geëvalueerd.

   I would like to understand how performance is evaluated here.

   Ik wil

   I would like

   graag

   gladly; as a polite softener

   begrijpen

   to understand

   hoe

   how

   prestaties

   performance

   hier

   here

   worden geëvalueerd

   are evaluated

   More detail

   Ik wil is the first-person singular present form of willen followed by an infinitive. Here it expresses a polite personal wish: “I want/would like.” The infinitive after it names the desired action. For example: Ik wil leren. — “I want to learn.” graag is an adverb meaning “gladly” or “with pleasure.” With Ik wil, it softens the request and makes Ik wil graag ... a natural way to say “I would like to ...”. It does not itself mark a past or future tense. begrijpen is the infinitive “to understand.” Its useful forms include begrijpen after another verb and begrijpt for “understands” with a third-person singular subject. Example: Ik wil de uitleg begrijpen. — “I would like to understand the explanation.” hoe introduces a clause about the manner or process: “how.” In this sentence, it introduces what the speaker wants to understand. It is different from waarom, “why,” which asks for a reason. prestaties means “performance” or “performances” here, in the sense of results or work being assessed. It is the plural form of the noun prestatie; the singular is prestatie. The following context makes performance assessment the relevant interpretation. hier means “here,” locating the evaluation process in the relevant place or setting. Example: Hoe werkt het hier? — “How does it work here?” worden geëvalueerd is a passive construction meaning “are evaluated.” worden is the present plural form of worden, used here as the passive auxiliary; geëvalueerd is the past participle of evalueren, “to evaluate.” The plural subject prestaties is why the auxiliary is worden; with a singular subject, Dutch uses wordt, as in De prestatie wordt geëvalueerd. — “The performance is evaluated.” Together, hoe prestaties hier worden geëvalueerd means “how performance is evaluated here.” The complete utterance, Ik wil graag begrijpen hoe prestaties hier worden geëvalueerd., means “I would like to understand how performance is evaluated here.” It is a polite way to express a wish for information about the evaluation process.

2. Bij beoordelingen kijken we naar resultaten, samenwerking en de kwaliteit van iemands oordeel.

   Reviews consider outcomes, collaboration, and the quality of judgment.

   Bij beoordelingen

   in reviews

   kijken

   look

   resultaten

   outcomes

   samenwerking

   collaboration

   kwaliteit

   quality

   iemands

   someone’s

   oordeel

   judgment

   More detail

   Bij beoordelingen sets the context: bij can mean “in” or “when dealing with,” and beoordelingen is the plural of beoordeling, an assessment or review. The plural form is useful when referring to reviews generally rather than one specific review. kijken is the infinitive of kijken, “to look.” Here it occurs with naar in the pattern kijken naar + iets: literally “look at something,” and naturally “consider something.” The word naar introduces the things being considered; kijken alone does not express that relation. Example: We kijken naar de cijfers. — “We consider the figures.” resultaten is the plural of resultaat, “result/outcome.” The plural signals multiple outcomes or results. Example: De resultaten zijn duidelijk. — “The results are clear.” samenwerking is a noun meaning “collaboration” or “cooperation.” It refers to working together as an area or process, rather than to a particular person. kwaliteit means “quality.” It is a singular noun referring to how good something is. In de kwaliteit van ..., de marks the definite noun phrase “the quality of ...”; van introduces what that quality concerns. iemands means “someone’s” or “a person’s.” It is a possessive form built from iemand (“someone”) and indicates an unspecified person as possessor. It does not identify which person that is. Example: Iemands mening kan veranderen. — “Someone’s opinion can change.” oordeel means “judgment” or “assessment.” In iemands oordeel, it is the possessed noun: “someone’s judgment.” The sentence presents this as a person’s evaluative view without identifying the person. Together, Bij beoordelingen kijken we naar ... means “In reviews, we consider ...” The subject we is followed by kijken naar, and the things being considered are listed in order: resultaten, samenwerking, and de kwaliteit van iemands oordeel. Thus the complete utterance says that reviews consider outcomes, collaboration, and the quality of someone’s judgment. The wording is neutral and suitable for discussing evaluation criteria.

3. Die balans is belangrijk, omdat alleen de output een misleidend beeld kan geven.

   That balance matters, because output alone can be misleading.

   Die

   that

   balans

   balance

   is belangrijk

   is important

   omdat

   because

   alleen

   alone; only

   de output

   the output

   een

   an; a

   misleidend

   misleading

   beeld

   image; picture

   kan

   can

   geven

   give

   More detail

   Die points to the specific balance identified in the fixed translation: “that.” In Dutch, demonstratives agree with the noun’s article class and number. With singular de-words such as balans, die is used; dat is used with a singular het-word. Example: Die keuze is verstandig. — “That choice is sensible.” balans means “balance.” It is a singular de-word: de balans. The word can describe a balance between competing considerations, as it does here. Example: We zoeken een goede balans. — “We are looking for a good balance.” is belangrijk states that the balance matters or is important. is is the third-person singular present form of zijn (“to be”), and belangrijk is the adjective “important.” Example: Dit detail is belangrijk. — “This detail is important.” omdat introduces the reason for the preceding statement. In a Dutch subordinate clause introduced by omdat, the finite verb normally comes later in the clause, as in omdat ... kan geven here. It corresponds to “because,” not to a general-purpose word for every kind of explanation. alleen means “alone” or “only.” Here it limits de output: output by itself may give a misleading impression. Its scope is therefore important; it is not saying that every part of the situation is misleading. Example: Alleen cijfers geven niet het hele verhaal. — “Numbers alone do not give the whole story.” de output means “the output.” output is a borrowed noun used with de in this sentence. The definite article presents it as the relevant output under discussion. Example: De output ziet er goed uit. — “The output looks good.” een is an indefinite article meaning “a” or “an” here. It introduces beeld without asserting a numerical count. Example: We hebben een plan. — “We have a plan.” misleidend means “misleading.” It describes beeld, so it is an adjective rather than the main verb. It is related to misleiden, “to mislead,” and can be used as an adjective before a noun. Example: Dat is een misleidende vergelijking. — “That is a misleading comparison.” beeld means “picture” or, in this context, “image/impression.” It is a singular het-word: het beeld, although the indefinite phrase here is een beeld. The figurative sense “impression” fits the fixed translation. Example: De cijfers geven een duidelijk beeld. — “The figures give a clear picture.” kan expresses ability or possibility: “can.” In this sentence it is the present form of the modal verb kunnen used with the third-person singular subject de output; kan is also used with first-person singular ik. With a modal verb, the other verb remains an infinitive, so kan is followed by geven. Example: Dit kan helpen. — “This can help.” geven is the infinitive “to give.” In this clause, it follows kan and means that the output can produce or present a particular impression. Example: De cijfers kunnen een verkeerd beeld geven. — “The figures can give a wrong impression.” Together, Die balans is belangrijk means “That balance is important.” The reason clause begins with omdat: alleen de output makes output alone the relevant source, een misleidend beeld names a misleading picture or impression, and kan geven expresses the possibility of producing it. The complete meaning is: “That balance matters, because output alone can be misleading.”

4. We proberen te voorkomen dat we snelheid belonen wanneer beslissingen later problemen veroorzaken.

   We try to avoid rewarding speed when decisions create later problems.

   We

   we

   proberen

   try

   voorkomen

   avoid; prevent

   snelheid

   speed

   belonen

   reward

   wanneer

   when

   beslissingen

   decisions

   later

   later

   problemen

   problems

   veroorzaken

   cause

   More detail

   We is the Dutch subject pronoun “we,” used for a first-person plural subject. It does not identify how many people are included. Example: We leren Nederlands. — “We are learning Dutch.” proberen means “try.” It is the infinitive/base form, and here it is the finite present-tense form with we: we proberen. A useful pattern is proberen te + infinitive, meaning “try to do something.” Example: We proberen te helpen. — “We try to help.” voorkomen means “avoid” or “prevent.” In this sentence it appears as te voorkomen after proberen te; te marks the following infinitive. The pattern iets voorkomen means “prevent/avoid something,” while voorkomen dat ... introduces an event that someone wants to prevent. Example: Zij probeert fouten te voorkomen. — “She tries to prevent mistakes.” snelheid is the noun “speed.” Its useful base form is singular de snelheid; the plural is snelheden. Here it is the object of belonen: the sentence refers to rewarding speed, not to speed itself causing anything. Example: Snelheid is niet altijd belangrijk. — “Speed is not always important.” belonen means “reward.” It is an infinitive here, completing the clause introduced by dat: dat we snelheid belonen, literally “that we reward speed.” The object comes before the verb in this clause, while the infinitive is at the end, as is usual in a Dutch subordinate clause. Example: De organisatie beloont goed werk. — “The organization rewards good work.” wanneer means “when” here and introduces a time clause. Dutch places the finite verb at the end of this subordinate clause: wanneer beslissingen ... veroorzaken. It can also introduce a question in other contexts, but that is not its function here. beslissingen means “decisions.” It is the plural of beslissing; the singular is een beslissing and the plural is beslissingen. In this sentence it is the subject of veroorzaken, not the object of the earlier verb. Example: Goede beslissingen helpen. — “Good decisions help.” later is the adverb “later.” It places the problems at a later time relative to the situation being discussed. Example: We bespreken dat later. — “We will discuss that later.” problemen means “problems.” It is the plural of probleem; the singular is een probleem. Here it is the object of veroorzaken: the decisions cause later problems. Example: We lossen problemen op. — “We solve problems.” veroorzaken means “cause.” Here it is the finite present-tense verb at the end of the wanneer clause, with plural subject beslissingen. With a singular subject, the corresponding present-tense form is veroorzaakt, as in Een beslissing veroorzaakt problemen. — “A decision causes problems.” Together, We proberen te voorkomen means “we try to avoid/prevent,” and dat we snelheid belonen specifies what is to be prevented: “that we reward speed.” The time clause wanneer beslissingen later problemen veroorzaken says when that reward would be undesirable: “when decisions cause problems later.” The complete meaning is: “We try to avoid rewarding speed when decisions create later problems.”

5. Hoe worden verwachtingen gecommuniceerd wanneer iemand net begint?

   How are expectations communicated when someone first starts?

   Hoe worden

   how are ...?

   verwachtingen

   expectations

   gecommuniceerd

   communicated

   wanneer

   when

   iemand

   someone

   net begint

   is just starting

   More detail

   Hoe worden starts a question about the way something happens. worden is the present-tense form used with a plural subject in this passive pattern; the subject is verwachtingen, not the person who communicates them. Compare the reusable pattern Hoe wordt X ...? with a singular X and Hoe worden X ...? with a plural X. verwachtingen means expectations here. Its singular base form is verwachting; the plural adds -en: verwachting → verwachtingen. Example: We bespreken de verwachtingen. — “We discuss the expectations.” gecommuniceerd is the past participle of communiceren, “to communicate.” Together with worden, it forms the present passive: worden gecommuniceerd means “are communicated.” The passive focuses on what is communicated, while the communicator can be left unstated. Example: De regels worden duidelijk gecommuniceerd. — “The rules are communicated clearly.” wanneer introduces a time clause meaning “when.” In a subordinate clause introduced by wanneer, the finite verb comes at the end: wanneer iemand net begint. It can introduce a general time condition, not only one specific moment. Example: Wanneer het regent, werken we binnen. — “When it rains, we work indoors.” iemand is an indefinite pronoun meaning “someone” or “a person.” It does not identify which person. In this sentence it is the subject of begint, and Dutch uses the third-person singular form with it. Example: Iemand wacht buiten. — “Someone is waiting outside.” net begint means “is just starting.” begint is the third-person singular present form of beginnen; the base form is beginnen. net adds the idea that the starting point is very recent or just occurring. Example: Zij begint net aan haar werk. — “She is just starting her work.” The question combines the passive question pattern Hoe worden ... gecommuniceerd? with the time clause wanneer iemand net begint. Literally in structure, it asks “How are expectations communicated when someone is just starting?” The fixed utterance therefore asks about the way expectations are communicated at the point when a person first starts, without specifying who communicates them.

6. Managers stellen mijlpalen vast en passen die daarna aan als de context duidelijker wordt.

   Managers set milestones, then adjust them as context becomes clearer.

   Managers

   managers

   stellen … vast

   set; establish

   mijlpalen

   milestones

   passen … aan

   adjust

   die

   them

   daarna

   then; afterwards

   als

   as; when

   de

   the

   context

   context

   duidelijker

   clearer

   wordt

   becomes

   More detail

   Managers is the plural noun for “managers.” Dutch plural subjects take the plural verb form here: stellen, not singular stelt. stellen ... vast is the separable verb vaststellen, meaning “to establish” or “to set.” In a main clause, its parts separate: the finite verb stellen appears near the beginning and vast appears later. Example: We stellen een plan vast. — “We establish a plan.” mijlpalen means “milestones.” It is the plural of mijlpaal; the sentence therefore refers to milestones in the plural. Example: Het team bereikt twee mijlpalen. — “The team reaches two milestones.” passen ... aan is the separable verb aanpassen, “to adjust” or “to modify.” Its finite plural form is passen, while aan appears separately in this main clause. Example: We passen het schema aan. — “We adjust the schedule.” die means “them” here and refers back to the milestones. In this use, die is a plural direct-object pronoun; it is not the demonstrative meaning “that” in this sentence. daarna means “afterwards” or “then.” It marks the later action in the sequence: the milestones are set first, and they are adjusted afterwards. als introduces the condition or time frame for the following clause. Here it is naturally translated as “as” because the adjustment takes place while the context becomes clearer. Example: Ik bel als ik klaar ben. — “I will call when I am ready.” de is the definite article “the.” It belongs with context in de context; Dutch uses de with this noun. context means “context.” In de context, it is the subject of the subordinate clause and is the thing that becomes clearer. duidelijker means “clearer.” It is the comparative form of duidelijk (“clear”): duidelijk → duidelijker → het duidelijkst (“the clearest”). The comparative expresses a change toward greater clarity, not necessarily that the context is already completely clear. wordt is the third-person singular present form of worden, “to become” here. The subject is singular de context, so Dutch uses wordt; with a plural subject, the present form would be worden. In the subordinate clause, wordt appears at the end: als de context duidelijker wordt. Together, Managers stellen mijlpalen vast means “Managers set milestones.” En passen die daarna aan adds “and then adjust them,” with die referring to the milestones. The final clause, als de context duidelijker wordt, gives the time or condition for that adjustment: “as context becomes clearer.” The complete meaning is: “Managers set milestones, then adjust them as context becomes clearer.”

7. Dat klinkt praktisch, zolang de feedback maar vroeg komt.

   That sounds practical, as long as feedback arrives early.

   Dat

   that

   klinkt

   sounds

   praktisch

   practical

   zolang … maar

   as long as

   feedback

   feedback

   vroeg

   early

   komt

   comes; arrives

   More detail

   Dat means “that” here and refers to the practical idea just mentioned, rather than identifying a separate concrete object. In Dutch, dat can refer to a singular neuter noun or to a whole situation or proposition. It is different from dit, “this,” which presents something as nearer or more immediate. klinkt is the present-tense third-person singular form of klinken, “to sound.” The form agrees with dat: dat klinkt = “that sounds.” For example, Dat klinkt goed. means “That sounds good.” praktisch means “practical” here. It is a predicative adjective after klinken, so it appears without the attributive -e ending: Dat klinkt praktisch. Before a noun, the form can differ according to Dutch adjective agreement, as in een praktische oplossing (“a practical solution”). zolang ... maar is a reusable condition pattern meaning “as long as ...” or “provided that ...”. The two parts are separated here: zolang introduces the condition, while maar adds the limiting sense of “just/as long as.” In the subordinate clause, the finite verb comes at the end: zolang de feedback maar vroeg komt. feedback is the noun “feedback,” used here for feedback in general. Dutch commonly uses this borrowed noun without an article when referring to an uncounted amount or general practice. In this sentence it is the subject of komt. vroeg means “early” in the time sense here. As an adverb, it tells when the feedback arrives. It contrasts with laat, “late”: De feedback komt vroeg. = “The feedback arrives early.” komt is the present-tense third-person singular form of komen, “to come” or, with an event or message as subject, “to arrive.” Thus feedback komt means “feedback arrives.” The plural form is komen, as in De berichten komen vroeg. (“The messages arrive early.”) Taken together, Dat klinkt praktisch says “That sounds practical.” The condition zolang de feedback maar vroeg komt limits that positive assessment: it is practical provided that the feedback arrives early. The complete meaning is therefore “That sounds practical, as long as feedback arrives early.”

8. Vroege feedback wordt verwacht en is niet voorbehouden aan formele beoordelingen.

   Early feedback is expected, not reserved for formal reviews.

   Vroege

   early

   feedback

   feedback

   wordt verwacht

   is expected

   is niet voorbehouden aan

   is not reserved for

   formele

   formal

   beoordelingen

   reviews

   More detail

   Vroege means “early” here and describes feedback. It is the attributive form of vroeg; Dutch uses the -e form in this position. Compare vroeg in a standalone use with vroege feedback before a noun. Example: vroeg beginnen — “to start early.” feedback is a Dutch noun meaning “feedback.” It is used here as the topic of the sentence; the translation does not assert a numerical amount. Example: We geven feedback. — “We give feedback.” wordt verwacht expresses “is expected.” wordt is the present-tense third-person singular form of worden, used here as the passive auxiliary; verwacht is the past participle of verwachten (“to expect”). The passive makes vroege feedback the thing that is expected, without stating who expects it. Compare the active pattern Iemand verwacht feedback — “Someone expects feedback.” is niet voorbehouden aan means “is not reserved for.” is is the present-tense form of zijn; niet negates the statement; and voorbehouden aan is the pattern used to say that something is restricted to a particular person, group, purpose, or context. Here, the construction says that early feedback is not restricted to formal reviews. Example: Deze ruimte is niet voorbehouden aan leden. — “This space is not reserved for members.” formele means “formal” and describes beoordelingen. It is the attributive -e form of formeel. The adjective carries the -e ending; that ending is not on the noun. Example: een formele brief — “a formal letter.” beoordelingen means “reviews” or “assessments.” It is the plural of beoordeling; the plural ending is -en. Example: De beoordelingen zijn duidelijk. — “The reviews are clear.” Together, Vroege feedback wordt verwacht says “Early feedback is expected.” en links this with is niet voorbehouden aan formele beoordelingen, which says that it is not reserved for formal reviews. The complete utterance therefore means: “Early feedback is expected, not reserved for formal reviews.”