When and How
To ask about schedules or methods, put the question words wanneer (when) or hoe (how) at the beginning of your sentence.
| When does the train leave? | Wanneer vertrekt de trein? |
| How do you go to work? | Hoe ga je naar het werk? |
Why and Because
Use waarom (why) to ask for a reason, and want (because) to give one.
| Why are you angry? | Waarom ben je boos? |
When you use want, it simply glues two normal sentences together. The word order in the second part of the sentence stays exactly the same as it would on its own.
| I am angry, because I am too late. | Ik ben boos, want ik ben te laat. |
| Why are you laughing? | Waarom lach je? |
| I am laughing, because I am happy. | Ik lach, want ik ben blij. |
How Much and How Many
English distinguishes between "how much" (for uncountable things like sugar) and "how many" (for countable things like books or people). Dutch keeps it simple and uses hoeveel for both.
| How much does this book cost? | Hoeveel kost dit boek? |
| How much sugar do you want in your tea? | Hoeveel suiker wilt u in uw thee? |
| How many people work here? | Hoeveel mensen werken hier? |
Measuring Time
You will frequently use hoeveel to ask about durations and calendars.
Notice in the examples below that while dag (day) and week (week) take their normal plural forms (dagen, weken), the word jaar (year) generally stays singular after a number or after hoeveel.
| How many days does a week have? | Hoeveel dagen heeft een week? |
| How many weeks does a year have? | Hoeveel weken heeft een jaar? |
| How many years does the project take? | Hoeveel jaar duurt het project? |