Questions & Answers about De baas komt straks terug.
Why is terug at the very end of the sentence?
This is because terugkomen (to come back) is a separable verb. In a normal present tense sentence, the verb splits. The main part (komt) takes the second position, and the prefix (terug) is pushed all the way to the end.
If komt ... terug means 'is coming back', what is the full dictionary form of the verb?
The full verb is terugkomen. It is made of the prefix terug (back) and the verb komen (to come).
The translation says 'is coming', but isn't komt just the simple present tense?
Yes! In Dutch, it is very common to use the simple present tense to talk about the future, especially when you include a time word like straks (later). Dutch doesn't use a separate 'is coming' form the way English does here.
What exactly does straks mean? Can I just use later?
straks specifically means 'later today' or 'in a little while'. If you use the Dutch word later, it usually means much later on, like later in life or at some unspecified point in the far future. Since the boss is coming back soon, straks is the better choice.
Learn De baas komt straks terug and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free