Breakdown of We hebben nog tijd, dus hebben we geen haast.
hebben
to have
de tijd
the time
geen
no / not any
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
nog
still, yet / more, another (with a quantity)
dus
so, therefore
de haast
the hurry
Questions & Answers about We hebben nog tijd, dus hebben we geen haast.
How does nog function in this sentence?
Here, nog means "still". It acts as a time particle indicating that the situation (having time) is ongoing and hasn't ended yet. It contrasts with al (already), which would imply you are further ahead in time than expected.
Why is the word order dus hebben we instead of dus we hebben?
The word dus (so/therefore) is unique. It can act as a regular conjunction keeping the normal Subject-Verb order (dus we hebben). However, it can also act as an adverb that takes up the first position in the second clause, which triggers inversion (Verb-Subject: dus hebben we). Both are perfectly correct, but the inverted version you see here is very common in everyday Dutch.
Why do we use geen haast instead of niet haast to say "no hurry"?
Is haast hebben the standard way to say "to be in a hurry"?
Yes! While in English you say you are in a hurry, in Dutch you have hurry: haast hebben. You might also see the reflexive verb zich haasten (to hurry oneself), but phrases like we hebben haast or ik heb haast are the most natural way to express being in a rush.
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