Rebooking after a possible missed connection | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Door deze vertraging mis ik misschien mijn aansluiting.

   I might miss my connection because of this delay.

   Door

   because of; due to

   deze

   this

   vertraging

   delay

   mis

   miss

   ik

   I

   misschien

   maybe; might

   mijn

   my

   aansluiting

   connection

   More detail

   Door introduces a cause: door + noun means “because of” or “due to.” Example: Door de regen blijf ik thuis. — “Because of the rain, I stay home.” deze means “this” and points to a singular noun close to the speaker or discourse. Here it agrees with the singular de-word vertraging; the form is not chosen from singularity alone, but from the noun’s grammatical class as well. Compare deze vertraging — “this delay” with dit probleem — “this problem,” where dit accompanies a singular het-word. vertraging means “delay.” Its base word is the noun vertraging, and the related verb is vertragen — “to delay” or “to slow down.” In this sentence, vertraging is the cause of the possible missed connection. mis is the first-person singular present form of missen, “to miss.” The subject ik is the form that determines this ending: ik mis — “I miss / I am missing.” For example, Ik mis de trein. — “I miss the train.” This is different from ik mis meaning “I miss [someone or something]” emotionally; the object and context here make the travel meaning clear. ik is the first-person singular subject pronoun, “I.” It identifies the person who may miss the connection. In the fixed sentence, it comes after mis because the causal phrase is placed at the beginning. Dutch commonly places the finite verb before the subject when another clause element occupies the first position: Door de regen blijf ik thuis. — “Because of the rain, I stay home.” misschien means “maybe” or “perhaps.” Here it makes the whole event uncertain: the speaker may miss the connection, but does not state that it will definitely happen. Dutch can also express a similar possibility with kan: Ik kan mijn aansluiting missen. — “I may miss my connection.” mijn means “my.” It is a possessive determiner used before a noun. It does not itself mark a numeric count, and its form stays mijn with singular and plural nouns: mijn trein — “my train,” mijn treinen — “my trains.” aansluiting means “connection,” here specifically a travel connection or onward service that the speaker needs to catch. The related verb aansluiten can mean “to connect” or “to join,” but the noun in this sentence refers to the connection itself. In another travel example, Zij haalt haar aansluiting. means “She catches her connection.” Together, Door deze vertraging gives the cause, “because of this delay.” The main clause is mis ik misschien mijn aansluiting: “I might miss my connection.” Because the causal phrase comes first, the finite verb mis precedes the subject ik. The complete meaning is: “I might miss my connection because of this delay.”

2. De servicebalie kan andere routes bekijken zodra de vertraging bevestigd is.

   The service desk can check other routes once the delay is confirmed.

   De servicebalie

   the service desk

   kan

   can

   andere

   other

   routes

   routes

   bekijken

   check

   zodra

   once

   de vertraging

   the delay

   bevestigd

   confirmed

   More detail

   De servicebalie means “the service desk.” De is the definite article used with this noun; servicebalie is a compound noun meaning a desk or counter that provides service. The fixed sentence identifies this service desk as the actor that can check routes. kan is the present-tense form of kunnen for singular subjects such as “the service desk.” It expresses ability or possibility here: “can.” With a modal verb such as kunnen, the other verb remains an infinitive and comes later in the clause. Example: Ik kan helpen. — “I can help.” andere means “other” in andere routes, referring to routes different from the ones already under consideration. It is the form used before this plural noun. The singular form is also andere in a phrase such as een andere route — “another route.” routes is the plural of route, “route.” Dutch commonly forms this plural with -s for this borrowed noun: route → routes. Example: We zoeken twee routes. — “We are looking for two routes.” bekijken means “to check” or “to examine” in this sentence. It is an infinitive, selected after kan; its base form is also bekijken. The verb refers to examining the available routes, not merely seeing them accidentally. Example: Zij kan de opties bekijken. — “She can check the options.” zodra introduces a time clause meaning “once” or “as soon as.” It connects the condition in the following clause with the action in the main clause. In a Dutch subordinate clause introduced by zodra, the finite verb appears at the end. de vertraging means “the delay.” Vertraging is a singular noun with the definite article de. It refers here to the delay already identified in the supplied context and translation. Example: De vertraging duurt lang. — “The delay is lasting a long time.” bevestigd means “confirmed.” It is the past participle of bevestigen, “to confirm.” Here it is part of the passive construction bevestigd is: the delay is the thing that becomes confirmed, while the confirmer is not stated. In the subordinate clause, the participle comes before the finite form is: de vertraging bevestigd is. Together, De servicebalie kan andere routes bekijken means “The service desk can check other routes.” zodra de vertraging bevestigd is adds the time condition “once the delay is confirmed.” The complete utterance is therefore: “The service desk can check other routes once the delay is confirmed.”

3. Ik maak liever nu een plan dan dat ik later moet haasten.

   I would rather make a plan now than rush later.

   Ik

   I

   maak

   make

   liever

   rather

   nu

   now

   plan

   plan

   dan dat

   than ...

   later

   later

   moet

   must; have to

   haasten

   rush

   More detail

   Ik is the first-person singular pronoun: “I.” It identifies the speaker as the subject of the main clause. Dutch uses ik for one speaker; the form does not change according to the speaker’s gender. maak is the present-tense form of maken (“to make”) with ik: ik maak. In this sentence it describes the speaker’s preferred action. For example: Ik maak een lijst. — “I make a list.” liever means “rather” or “preferably” here. It is the comparative form in the useful chain graag (“gladly”) → liever (“rather”) → liefst (“preferably / most preferably”). The pattern liever A dan B expresses a preference for A over B. Here the second part is expanded into a clause with dan dat. nu means “now,” referring to the time of making the plan. It contrasts with later, which appears in the alternative clause. plan is the noun “plan.” In een plan, the indefinite article introduces a plan without asserting a specific number beyond the ordinary singular form of this count noun. A reusable example is We maken een plan. — “We make a plan.” dan dat introduces the alternative clause after liever: liever [one action] dan dat [another clause] — “rather [one action] than [another clause].” The words dan dat themselves do not express the preference; liever and the comparison together do that. The clause after them has its own subject, ik, and its own verb phrase. later means “later,” at a time after the present moment. The pair nu ... later makes the time contrast explicit: making the plan happens now, while the possible rushing would happen later. moet is the first- or third-person singular present form of the modal verb moeten (“must / have to”). With ik, ik moet means “I must” or “I have to.” A modal verb is followed by an infinitive: Ik moet vertrekken. — “I have to leave.” haasten is an infinitive meaning “rush” or “hurry.” After moet, it remains in the infinitive and comes at the end of its clause. In Dutch, “hurry oneself” is also commonly expressed with the reflexive form zich haasten, for example Ik moet me haasten. — “I have to hurry.” In the supplied sentence, the observed form haasten is interpreted with the fixed meaning “rush.” Together, Ik maak liever presents the speaker’s preference, and nu een plan names the preferred action and its timing. dan dat ik later moet haasten contrasts it with the alternative of having to rush later. The whole utterance therefore means: “I would rather make a plan now than rush later.”

4. Laten we de opties dan vergelijken, maar houd er rekening mee dat ze kunnen veranderen.

   Then let us compare the options, but keep in mind they may change.

   Laten we

   let us

   opties

   options

   vergelijken

   compare

   houd er rekening mee

   keep in mind

   kunnen

   may

   veranderen

   change

   More detail

   Laten we is the Dutch construction for a suggestion involving the speaker and at least one other person: “let us” or, naturally, “let’s.” It is followed here by the infinitive vergelijken. This is a construction, not a claim that laten here means physically allowing something. opties means “options” here. Its singular is optie; opties is the plural form. For example: We bespreken twee opties. — “We are discussing two options.” The article de marks the noun phrase as definite, so de opties means “the options” identified in the situation. vergelijken is the infinitive “to compare.” The suggestion therefore has the reusable pattern Laten we + infinitive: Laten we beginnen. — “Let’s begin.” dan means “then” here and places the proposed comparison in sequence with the surrounding situation. It does not change the meaning of vergelijken; Laten we de opties dan vergelijken means “Then let’s compare the options.” maar introduces a contrasting instruction: “but.” houd er rekening mee is a fixed, reusable construction meaning “keep it in mind,” “take it into account,” or “bear in mind.” The verb is houden, “to keep/hold”; houd is its singular imperative form. The elements er ... mee belong to the construction, so it is best learned as a whole rather than translated word by word. Example: Houd er rekening mee dat het plan kan veranderen. — “Bear in mind that the plan may change.” kunnen is the infinitive of kunnen, “can/to be able to,” and in this clause it expresses possibility, translated as “may.” With a plural subject, the present-tense form is also kunnen: Ze kunnen komen. — “They may be able to come” or, depending on context, “They can come.” The following verb remains an infinitive. veranderen is the infinitive “to change.” In ze kunnen veranderen, the options are the understood subject, and kunnen is the modal verb while veranderen carries the change event. Example: De plannen kunnen veranderen. — “The plans may change.” Putting the parts together: Laten we de opties dan vergelijken proposes comparing the options. maar houd er rekening mee dat adds the instruction to bear in mind that something is possible, and ze kunnen veranderen says that the options may change. The complete meaning is: “Then let us compare the options, but keep in mind they may change.”

5. Kun je hier nagaan of flexibel omboeken mogelijk is?

   Can you check whether flexible rebooking is available here?

   Kun je

   can you

   hier

   here

   nagaan

   check

   of

   whether

   flexibel

   flexible

   omboeken

   rebook; rebooking

   mogelijk

   possible; available

   More detail

   Kun je is an informal “can you?” question pattern. kunnen is the base form; kun is its present-tense form in this inverted question pattern. je addresses one or more familiar people, so this form does not by itself establish the number of people addressed. Dutch questions commonly place the finite verb before the subject: Kun je ...? A similar request is Kun je dat controleren? — “Can you check that?” hier means “here,” referring to the relevant place or service in this request. Its meaning is determined by the situation, while its form does not change for person or number. nagaan means “to check” or “to find out.” It is the infinitive of the separable verb nagaan: in a finite main-clause form, the parts separate, as in Ik ga dat na — “I will check that.” After kun, the infinitive remains whole: Kun je dat nagaan? — “Can you check that?” of introduces an indirect yes-or-no question, meaning “whether” here. In the clause it introduces, the finite verb moves to the end: of het mogelijk is — “whether it is possible.” This is different from of meaning “or” when it connects alternatives. flexibel describes the rebooking arrangement as flexible in this sentence. Useful comparison forms are flexibel, flexibeler, het meest flexibel — “flexible, more flexible, most flexible.” For example, Deze optie is flexibeler means “This option is more flexible.” omboeken is the infinitive of the separable verb omboeken, meaning to rebook or change a booking. Its finite parts separate: Ik boek om — “I rebook.” Here the infinitive is used in a noun-like way in flexibel omboeken, referring to flexible rebooking rather than to a particular person doing the rebooking. mogelijk means “possible” and, in this service context, “available.” It describes whether the flexible rebooking can be arranged. The word is at the end is not a form of mogelijk; it is the present-tense form of zijn (“to be”), completing the pattern mogelijk is — “is possible/available” in this subordinate clause. Together, Kun je ... nagaan? asks someone to check something. The object of that check is introduced by of: of flexibel omboeken mogelijk is, literally “whether flexible rebooking is possible.” hier locates the availability in the relevant place or service. The complete meaning is: “Can you check whether flexible rebooking is available here?”

6. Ik kan het vragen, maar de vervoerder moet het goedkeuren.

   I can ask, but the operator has to approve it.

   Ik kan

   I can

   vragen

   ask

   maar

   but

   vervoerder

   operator

   moet

   has to

   het

   it

   goedkeuren

   approve

   More detail

   Ik kan means “I can” here. ik is the first-person singular subject, and kan is the present-tense form of kunnen (“can, be able to”) used with ik. After a modal verb such as kan, Dutch places the following lexical verb in the infinitive: Ik kan vragen = “I can ask.” vragen means “to ask” here. It is the infinitive of vragen; after kan it functions as an infinitive. The same form can also occur with a plural present-tense subject. Example: Ik kan het navragen. — “I can check that by asking.” maar means “but” and connects two contrasting clauses. vervoerder means “operator” here, specifically the carrier or transport operator for the relevant service. It is a noun, commonly used with the article in de vervoerder. The related noun vervoer means “transport”; vervoerder denotes the party that transports or operates the service. moet means “has to” here. It is the present-tense form of moeten with a singular subject such as de vervoerder. Like kan, it is followed by an infinitive: De vervoerder moet wachten. — “The operator has to wait.” het means “it” here. In Ik kan het vragen, it is the object of vragen; in het goedkeuren, it is the object of goedkeuren. Dutch het can also be the definite article “the” for neuter singular nouns, but in these uses it is a pronoun. goedkeuren means “to approve.” It is an infinitive after the modal moet. This is a separable verb, but after a modal its infinitive stays together: moet goedkeuren. Example: Zij moet het voorstel goedkeuren. — “She has to approve the proposal.” Together, Ik kan het vragen means “I can ask,” with het supplying the object “it” in the Dutch sentence. Maar de vervoerder moet het goedkeuren means “but the operator has to approve it.” The complete utterance says that the speaker can ask, while the operator must approve the relevant thing.

7. Kijk alsjeblieft naar routes met genoeg tijd tussen de overstappen.

   Please look for routes with enough time between transfers.

   Kijk … naar

   look at; consider

   alsjeblieft

   please

   routes

   routes

   genoeg

   enough

   tijd

   time

   tussen

   between

   overstappen

   transfers

   More detail

   Kijk ... naar is the Dutch pattern kijken naar (“to look at / consider”). Kijk is the imperative of kijken, used here to make a request to the addressee or addressees. Useful forms include ik kijk (“I look”), jij kijkt (“you look”), and ik keek (“I looked”). Dutch uses naar when the thing being examined or considered is named: Kijk naar de kaart. — “Look at the map.” In this utterance, the fixed translation presents the practical request as looking for suitable routes; the pattern itself is not a general one-word equivalent of English “look for.” alsjeblieft makes the request polite: “please.” It can also be used when handing something to someone, but here it functions as a polite request marker. routes means “routes.” It is the plural of the noun route; the singular is een route, and the plural is routes. The noun is the complement of naar in this sentence: the listener is asked to examine or consider routes. genoeg means “enough” and does not change form for the noun it qualifies. In genoeg tijd, it says that the amount of time is sufficient, without specifying a number. Example: genoeg ruimte — “enough space.” tijd means “time.” Here it refers to time as an amount, so genoeg tijd means “enough time,” not a specified number of times or time units. The phrase tijd tussen ... identifies an interval separating the things named afterward. tussen means “between.” It can also describe a relation involving more than two items, sometimes translated as “among.” Here it introduces de overstappen, which delimit the interval; it does not itself state how many transfers there are. overstappen means “transfers” here. In this sentence it is a plural noun: singular de overstap, plural de overstappen. This noun has the same spelling as the infinitive verb overstappen, which can mean “to change trains” or “to transfer.” The plural reading comes from its noun use and the context; de alone does not establish plurality, since de overstap is also possible in the singular. The meaningful structure is Kijk naar routes (“look at or consider routes”), modified by met genoeg tijd (“with enough time”), with tussen de overstappen specifying where that time occurs: “between the transfers.” Together with alsjeblieft, the complete utterance means: “Please look for routes with enough time between transfers.”

8. Ik zet die routes bovenaan.

   I will put those first.

   Ik

   I

   zet

   put

   die

   those

   routes

   routes

   bovenaan

   first

   More detail

   Ik is the Dutch first-person singular subject pronoun, “I.” It identifies the speaker as the person carrying out the action. The corresponding plural pronoun is we or wij, meaning “we”; the choice between those depends on emphasis and style. zet is the form of zetten used with ik. In this sentence, zetten means placing or putting something in a chosen position. zet is present tense, first-person singular. Dutch present tense can also describe a planned or intended near-future action, so the fixed translation naturally uses “will put.” Example: Ik zet de tas hier. — “I put the bag here.” die means “those” here. It is a demonstrative determiner referring to plural routes; Dutch uses die with plural nouns, while singular demonstratives distinguish deze (“this”) and die (“that”). The form die itself does not mark the speaker’s person or the noun’s gender; its relevant contrast here is plural versus singular demonstrative use. routes means “routes.” It is the plural of route, so the sentence concerns more than one route. The noun can refer to travel paths or journey options, which fits the preceding discussion of routes between transfers. bovenaan is an adverb meaning “at the top” or, in a list or ranking, “first.” Here it says that the routes will be placed at the top of the relevant ordering, not that they will be physically put on top of an object. Example: Deze optie staat bovenaan. — “This option is at the top.” Together, Ik zet die routes bovenaan has the structure “I put those routes at-the-top.” In the travel-planning context, the speaker says that they will prioritize those routes by putting them first in the selection or list. The present-tense form zet expresses the planned action, and bovenaan supplies the resulting priority position.

9. Dan hoeven we niet naar de volgende trein te rennen.

   So we are not running for the next train.

   Dan

   So; then

   hoeven we

   do we need to

   niet

   not

   naar

   to; toward

   volgende

   next

   trein

   train

   rennen

   run

   More detail

   Dan means “so” here and can also mean “then” in other contexts. At the beginning of this sentence, it links the sentence to what came before. hoeven we uses the Dutch verb hoeven, “need to,” with the subject we, “we.” In a main clause beginning with an element such as Dan, Dutch places the finite verb before the subject: Dan hoeven we ... (“So we need ...”). With negation, hoeven commonly appears in the pattern niet hoeven te + infinitive: We hoeven niet te rennen = “We do not need to run.” In the present tense, hoeven is the form used with we; the plural subject does not add a separate ending here. niet is the ordinary Dutch negation word, “not.” In this sentence it negates the need expressed by hoeven: running is unnecessary, rather than the sentence simply asserting that the speakers are not running. naar marks movement or direction toward something; here it introduces the following destination phrase. In naar de volgende trein, it contributes “to” or “toward.” volgende means “next” in de volgende trein, “the next train.” Its base adjective form is volgend; the -e form is used before this definite noun phrase. De vorige trein means “the previous train,” contrasting with de volgende trein, “the next train.” trein means “train.” It is a singular noun and normally takes the article de: de trein. The phrase de volgende trein means “the next train”; de marks a definite noun phrase, not a numeric count. rennen means “to run.” In this sentence it appears in the infinitive construction te rennen; after hoeven, the negative pattern is niet hoeven te + infinitive. Example: We hoeven niet te rennen. — “We do not need to run.” Putting the parts together, Dan hoeven we niet naar de volgende trein te rennen means “So we do not need to run for the next train.” The structure is Dan + inverted hoeven we + niet + destination naar de volgende trein + te + infinitive rennen.