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### Minimal Conditions: "Hoeven maar te"

To express that only a tiny action is needed to trigger a result, Dutch uses a specific structure: **hoeven maar** followed by a **te** infinitive.

While **hoeven** (to need) is usually paired with a negative like *niet*, it works perfectly with **maar** (only/just) to mean "only have to."

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### The Guaranteed Result: "Of"

To connect this minimal effort to its guaranteed result, use **of**. In this structure, **of** translates to "and" (as in, "You only have to call, *and*...").

Because **of** is a coordinating conjunction, the result clause that follows uses standard main-clause word order.

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### Adding Objects and Details

If your minimal action involves an object or a prepositional phrase, it goes between **hoeven maar** and the **te** infinitive.

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Minimal conditions (hoeven maar te ... of ...)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

determiner/pronoun

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Singular pronouns and 'to be' (ik ben, hij is)

The formal 'you' (u bent)

Definite articles (de, het)

Plural pronouns and 'to be' (wij zijn)

The verb 'to have' (hebben)

Basic word order

Numbers 1 to 10 (een, twee, drie)

Verb stems and the 'I' form (ik werk)

Long vowels in verb stems (maken, ik maak)

Short vowels in verb stems (zitten, ik zit)

Present tense singular (-t)

Present tense plural (-en)

Yes/no questions

Question words (wie, wat, waar)

Noun negation (geen)

Plural nouns (-en)

Plural nouns (-s)

Diminutives (-je)

Adjective modifiers (heel, erg, te)

Verb negation (niet)

Singular possessives (mijn, jouw, zijn, haar)

Plural and formal possessives (ons/onze, jullie, hun, uw)

This and these (deze, dit)

That and those (die, dat)

Asking which (welke, welk)

Numbers 11 to 20 (elf, twaalf, dertien...)

Tens and compound numbers (dertig, veertig...)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (eerste, tweede...)

Telling time: hours and half hours (uur, half)

Telling time: quarters (kwart over, kwart voor)

Question words (hoeveel, waarom)

Irregular verbs (doen, gaan, staan, zien, komen)

Adjective endings (+e)

Adjectives with 'het' words

Prepositions of place (uit, bij)

Subject-verb inversion

Time before place

Modal verbs (willen, kunnen)

Modal verbs (moeten, mogen)

The verb bracket

Separable prefix verbs

The imperative mood (kom, luister)

Singular object pronouns (mij, jou, hem, haar)

Plural and formal object pronouns (ons, jullie, hen, u)

Reflexive verbs and pronouns (zich, me, je)

Position of negation (niet)

The present perfect tense with regular verbs (hebben gewerkt)

The present perfect tense with motion verbs (zijn gegaan)

Irregular past participles (gezien, gedaan)

The present continuous (zijn aan het)

There is / there are (er is, er zijn)

Unstressed there (er)

And, but, or (en, maar, of)

Because (want)

Months of the year

Prepositions of time (om, van ... tot)

Greetings and politeness

Conversational glue

Prepositions with days (op)

Prepositions with seasons (in)

Genitive of time ('s morgens, 's nachts)

Adverbs of frequency (altijd, vaak)

The future tense (gaan)

The future tense (zullen)

Separable verbs with auxiliary verbs

Apostrophe plurals ('-s)

Irregular plurals (-eren)

Complex diminutives (-pje, -etje, -kje)

Possessive 's (Jan's, vaders)

Indefinite pronouns (iets, niemand, alles)

Indefinite subject pronoun (je)

Reciprocal pronoun (elkaar)

Comparative adjectives (-er dan)

Comparatives with spelling change (-der)

Superlative adjectives (-st)

Irregular comparisons (beter, meer, minder)

Expressing preference (graag, liever, het liefst)

Equality comparisons (even ... als)

Fixed prepositions

That clauses (dat)

Because clauses (omdat)

If and when clauses (als)

Inversion after clauses

Separable verbs in clauses

Negation in clauses (niet)

Past tense of to be (was / waren)

Past tense of to have (had / hadden)

Question	Answer
the concierge	de conciërge
to stand ready	klaarstaan
You only have to call, and the concierge stands ready.	U hoeft maar te bellen of de conciërge staat klaar.
the VIP	de vip
the butler	de butler
to beckon	wenken
The VIP for whom the butler stands ready, only has to beckon and he comes.	De vip voor wie de butler klaarstaat, hoeft maar te wenken of hij komt.
to blink	knipperen
to fulfill	vervullen
You only have to blink your eyes, and we fulfill your wish.	U hoeft maar met uw ogen te knipperen of wij vervullen uw wens.
flawless	feilloos
the limousine	de limousine
The service is flawless; you only have to ask, and the limousine stands ready.	De service is feilloos; u hoeft het maar te vragen of de limousine staat klaar.
Our butler fulfills every wish flawlessly.	Onze butler vervult elke wens feilloos.
Is the limousine big enough for the VIP?	Is de limousine groot genoeg voor de vip?
the suite	de suite
The concierge has booked fifteen suites for us.	De conciërge heeft vijftien suites voor ons geboekt.
The VIP only has to nod, and the concierge arranges it.	De vip hoeft maar te knikken of de conciërge regelt het.
You must beckon the butler, so that he fulfills your wish.	U moet de butler wenken, opdat hij uw wens vervult.
The VIP only has to call out, and fifteen limousines stand ready.	De vip hoeft maar te roepen of er staan vijftien limousines klaar.
You only have to blink and the butler is standing in the suite.	Je hoeft maar te knipperen of de butler staat in de suite.
The VIP only has to beckon, and the butler stands ready.	De vip hoeft maar te wenken of de butler staat klaar.
You only need to call, and the limousine comes.	U hoeft maar te bellen of de limousine komt.
You only have to ask, and the concierge arranges it.	Je hoeft maar te vragen of de conciërge regelt het.
You only need to blink, and the suite is ready.	U hoeft maar te knipperen of de suite is klaar.