Breakdown of De lunch begint om één uur in de middag.
één
one
in
in
beginnen
to begin
het uur
the hour / o'clock
om
at (time)
de lunch
the lunch
de middag
the afternoon
Questions & Answers about De lunch begint om één uur in de middag.
Why do we use om here instead of another preposition like op or in?
In Dutch, you use om to indicate an exact time on the clock, just like "at" in English. So, om één uur means "at one o'clock". This is the standard preposition you must use for specific clock times.
Why does één have accent marks on it?
The accent marks show that it means the number "one" rather than the article "a" or "an" (een). Because they are spelled the exact same way, the accents tell you to pronounce it with a longer vowel sound and understand it as a number.
Doesn't uur mean "hour"? Why does it mean "o'clock" here?
Yes, uur literally means "hour" when talking about duration (like working for one hour). However, when you state a specific time on the clock, Dutch uses uur exactly where English uses "o'clock".
Could I use 's middags instead of in de middag in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely! Both mean "in the afternoon" and are perfectly fine to use. 's middags is just a very common, slightly shorter way to express the exact same time of day.
Learn De lunch begint om één uur in de middag 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