Log inSign up

Het huiswerk van de tiener zal wel slordig zijn.

Het huiswerk van de tiener zal wel slordig zijn.
The teenager's homework is probably sloppy.
From Lesson 180:Probability and assumption (zullen)·Dutch

Questions & Answers about Het huiswerk van de tiener zal wel slordig zijn.

Why does this sentence use zal if it translates to 'is probably' instead of the future tense 'will be'?
While zullen (here conjugated as zal) is often used for the future tense, it is also frequently used to express an assumption or a strong probability. In this context, it means 'is likely to be' or 'probably is' rather than something that will strictly happen in the future.
What is the purpose of the word wel in this sentence?
The particle wel is often paired with zullen to emphasize that the speaker is making an assumption. Together, zal wel translates perfectly to 'is probably', 'must be', or 'I assume that'. Without wel, the sentence might sound more like a standard future prediction.
Why is the verb zijn placed at the very end of the sentence?
Because this sentence uses a modal verb (zal). In Dutch main clauses, the conjugated modal verb takes the second position, and the main action verb (the infinitive zijn) gets pushed to the very end of the sentence.
Why does the sentence use van de tiener instead of something like 'de tieners huiswerk'?
Although adding an 's' to form a possessive does exist in Dutch (often for names like 'Anna's huiswerk'), using van (meaning 'of') is much more common and sounds more natural for regular nouns. Saying 'the homework of the teenager' is the standard way to express 'the teenager's homework'.

Learn Het huiswerk van de tiener zal wel slordig zijn 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
Start learning Dutch →