Breakdown of Meneer, u begint morgen laat.
u
you (formal)
meneer
sir / Mr.
beginnen
to begin
morgen
tomorrow
Questions & Answers about Meneer, u begint morgen laat.
Why does begint end in a -t?
In Dutch, the formal "you" (u) follows the same rule as "he", "she", and "it" for verb endings. You take the stem of the verb (begin, from the full verb beginnen) and add a -t. That is why it becomes u begint.
Wait, doesn't morgen mean "morning"?
It means both! Morgen is the Dutch word for both "morning" and "tomorrow". You have to rely on context to tell them apart. Here, saying "you start late tomorrow" makes perfect sense, while "you start late morning" would usually require extra words in Dutch, like in de morgen.
Why is the word order morgen laat instead of laat morgen like in English?
Dutch places a lot of importance on time. A general rule of thumb is that time words (like morgen) come as early as possible in the sentence, right after the verb. English likes to put "tomorrow" at the very end, but Dutch prefers to state the time before other details like laat (late).
Can meneer be used as "Mister" as well as "Sir"?
Yes! When speaking directly to a man without using his name, meneer means "Sir". If you put it in front of a last name, like meneer Jansen, it means "Mr. Jansen".