Breakdown of De wekker gaat om zes uur.
zes
six
gaan
to go / to go off (of an alarm)
het uur
hour / o'clock
om
at (time)
de wekker
the alarm clock
Questions & Answers about De wekker gaat om zes uur.
Why does the sentence use gaat (goes) instead of a word for "rings"?
In Dutch, it's standard to use the verb gaan (to go) for devices that make an alert sound. Just like in English an alarm "goes off," in Dutch an alarm clock, phone, or doorbell simply "goes" (gaat) when it rings.
Since this lesson is about routines, how would I add "in the morning" to this sentence using the new grammar?
You can add 's morgens or 's ochtends. The sentence becomes: De wekker gaat 's morgens om zes uur. This shows that the alarm ringing at 6:00 is a regular morning routine.
Why do we use om for "at"? Could I use op or te?
For specific times on the clock, Dutch always uses the preposition om (like om zes uur). You use op for days of the week (like op maandag), so it wouldn't be correct here.
Why is uur singular here? Shouldn't it be plural since it's "six" of them?
When naming a point in time on the clock, uur always stays singular in Dutch. You say zes uur, never zes uren. The plural uren is only used when talking about a duration or a length of time, like "the movie lasted two hours" (twee uren).
Learn De wekker gaat om zes uur 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