Breakdown of De staking eindigt pas om tien uur.
tien
ten
het uur
the hour / o'clock
om
at (time)
eindigen
to end
pas
only / not until (of time)
de staking
the strike
Questions & Answers about De staking eindigt pas om tien uur.
Why is pas translated as 'doesn't end until' when there is no negative word like niet in the Dutch sentence?
In Dutch, pas means that something happens later than expected, which naturally translates to 'not until' or 'only' when talking about time. You don't need a negative word because pas already carries the built-in meaning of 'not before'.
Could I use niet tot instead of pas to say 'not until'?
No, that is a common trap for English speakers! Dutch never translates 'not until' literally as niet tot when talking about time. Whenever you want to say that something doesn't happen until a certain time, you must use pas.
Why is pas placed right after the verb eindigt?
In a main clause, small time contrast words like pas, al, and nog usually go right after the main verb. Here, pas sits right before the time phrase om tien uur to show that the lateness specifically applies to that time.
Just as a refresher, why do we use om here?
The preposition om is always used in Dutch to indicate a specific time on the clock, matching how English uses 'at'. So 'at ten o'clock' simply translates to om tien uur.
Learn De staking eindigt pas om tien 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