Breakdown of Ik sta op het punt om een back-up te maken, zodat de gegevens veilig zijn.
ik
I
zijn
to be
een
a/an
maken
to make
op
on
staan
to stand
veilig
safe
het punt
the point / the score
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
zodat
so that
de gegevens
the data
de back-up
the backup
Questions & Answers about Ik sta op het punt om een back-up te maken, zodat de gegevens veilig zijn.
How does Ik sta op het punt translate to "I am about to"?
The literal translation is "I stand on the point". In Dutch, the fixed expression op het punt staan is the standard way to say you are on the verge of doing something, or "about to" do it.
Why do we need om and te before maken?
The expression op het punt staan is usually followed by an om ... te + infinitive clause to show what you are about to do. The word om starts this part of the sentence, and te goes right before the infinitive verb (maken). While om is technically optional here, including it is very common and sounds natural.
Why is the verb zijn placed at the very end of the sentence?
The word zodat (so that) introduces a subordinate clause. In a Dutch subordinate clause, the conjugated verb is pushed all the way to the end. That is why we say zodat de gegevens veilig zijn instead of keeping the verb next to the subject like we do in English.
The English translation says "the data is", but the Dutch uses the plural verb zijn. Why?
The Dutch word for data is gegevens. Unlike in English, where "data" is often treated as a singular mass noun, gegevens is strictly plural (the singular is gegeven, meaning a single fact or detail). Because it is plural, it must take the plural verb zijn.
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