Breakdown of We oogsten pas sinds de zomer honing.
de zomer
the summer
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
pas
only / not until (of time)
sinds
since
de honing
the honey
oogsten
to harvest
Questions & Answers about We oogsten pas sinds de zomer honing.
Why is the present tense oogsten used when the English translation says 'have been harvesting'?
In Dutch, if an action started in the past and is still happening right now, you use the present tense. Because the sentence uses sinds (since) to show the action is still ongoing, Dutch uses the present tense oogsten. English uses the present perfect continuous ('have been doing') for this.
Why is pas used here for 'only' instead of alleen?
Pas is used to mean 'only' when referring to time, suggesting it hasn't been going on for very long (like 'only just'). Alleen means 'only' in the sense of 'solely' or 'alone'. Since this is about a recent point in time (sinds de zomer), pas is the right choice.
Why does honing (honey) go at the very end of the sentence?
In Dutch, time expressions usually come before the direct object if the object is indefinite or general. Pas sinds de zomer is the time phrase, so it pushes the general, unspecific noun honing to the end of the sentence.
Could I use al instead of sinds in this sentence?
Not with this exact phrasing. Sinds means 'since' and points to a specific starting time (de zomer). To use al (for), you would need to state a duration, like al drie maanden (for three months). Also, pas (only just) contradicts the meaning of al (already), so they aren't normally used together for time.
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