Breakdown of Staat de applicatie op het punt om vast te lopen?
op
on
staan
to stand
het punt
the point / the score
te
to (infinitive marker)
Questions & Answers about Staat de applicatie op het punt om vast te lopen?
How does the phrase op het punt staan translate to 'about to' in this sentence?
The expression op het punt staan literally translates to 'to stand on the point'. In Dutch, this is the standard way to express that an action is imminent, equivalent to the English 'to be about to' do something. Because this is a yes/no question, the conjugated verb staat moves to the front of the sentence.
Is the word om required in this sentence?
In the structure op het punt staan (om) ... te, the word om is technically optional but very commonly used in spoken and written Dutch. It helps smoothly introduce the infinitive clause vast te lopen. You could also correctly say Staat de applicatie op het punt vast te lopen?, but adding om often sounds more natural.
Why is the word te placed in the middle of vast te lopen?
The verb for 'to freeze' or 'to crash' here is vastlopen, which is a separable verb made of the prefix vast (fixed/stuck) and lopen (to run/walk). When a separable verb is used with a te-infinitive, the te is sandwiched between the prefix and the main verb, written as three separate words: vast te lopen.
What is the literal meaning of vastlopen?
Literally, vastlopen means 'to run stuck' or 'to walk fixed'. While it is perfectly used for technology like apps or computers freezing, you will also hear it used for engines jamming, or even a conversation, project, or negotiation hitting a dead end.