"You Only Have To..."
To express a restrictive obligation—meaning you only have to do a minimal action—use the verb hoeven. Combine it with a restrictive phrase like alleen maar (only / just) or the slightly more formal slechts (merely / only).
Always include te right before the infinitive verb at the end of the clause.
Pattern: hoeven + alleen maar / slechts + te + infinitive
| You only need to update the robot. | Je hoeft de robot alleen maar te updaten. |
| He only has to touch the touchscreen. | Hij hoeft alleen maar het touchscreen aan te raken. |
| As soon as the account works, you only have to wait. | Zodra het account werkt, hoef je slechts te wachten. |
Using Separable Verbs
When using a separable verb (like inloggen or opladen), te splits the verb, sitting right between the prefix and the base verb. This creates a three-word cluster at the end of the sentence (e.g., in te loggen).
| You only need to log in here. | Je hoeft hier alleen maar in te loggen. |
| You only need to turn on the machine. | Je hoeft de automaat slechts aan te zetten. |
| You only have to charge the battery. | Je hoeft de batterij alleen maar op te laden. |
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