Imminent Danger: dreigen te
To express that something is in imminent danger of happening, Dutch uses the verb dreigen (to threaten) as an auxiliary verb. When combined with te and an infinitive, it translates closer to "is at risk of" or "threatens to."
| to threaten (to do something) / to be at risk of | dreigen |
Let's look at this in the context of a rumbling volcano (de vulkaan). Note that for separable verbs like uitbarsten (to erupt), the word te is placed between the prefix and the root verb (uit te barsten).
| The volcano threatens to erupt. | De vulkaan dreigt uit te barsten. |
| Because the volcano is rumbling, the village is at risk of disappearing. | Omdat de vulkaan rommelt, dreigt het dorp te verdwijnen. |
Describing the Eruption
As the situation develops, you can use dreigen te to describe the imminent movement of de as (the ash) from de krater (the crater), or de lava (the lava) over de helling (the slope).
| Ash threatens to come out of the crater. | Er dreigt as uit de krater te komen. |
| The lava threatens to flow over the slope. | De lava dreigt over de helling te stromen. |
Predicting Trajectories: beloven te
Similar to dreigen te, the verb beloven (to promise) can also be used as an auxiliary to predict how a situation is likely to unfold. While it literally translates to "promises to," in this context it means that something "is likely to" happen or that current signs point to a certain outcome.
It can be used for both positive and alarming predictions, such as anticipating an intense (heftig) event or a disaster (de ramp).
| It promises to be an intense day today. | Het belooft vandaag een heftige dag te worden. |
| Even though the volcano rumbles, it is likely to remain safe. | Ook al rommelt de vulkaan, het belooft veilig te blijven. |
| Because the lava is flowing over the slope, it is likely to become a disaster. | Omdat de lava over de helling stroomt, belooft het een ramp te worden. |
