Breakdown of Aanstaande vrijdag speelt hij de hoofdrol.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
spelen
to play
vrijdag
Friday
aanstaande
upcoming / next (this coming)
de hoofdrol
the lead role
Questions & Answers about Aanstaande vrijdag speelt hij de hoofdrol.
Why does the sentence use the present tense speelt instead of a future tense like zal spelen?
In Dutch, it is very common to use the simple present tense to talk about the future, as long as you include a time word or phrase that shows when it will happen. Here, the time phrase Aanstaande vrijdag (Next Friday) makes it clear this is a future event, so the present tense speelt is perfectly natural.
Why are the verb and subject swapped here (speelt hij instead of hij speelt)?
This is due to the verb-second (V2) rule in Dutch. The sentence starts with the time phrase Aanstaande vrijdag, which takes up the first position. The main verb speelt must come second, so the subject hij gets pushed to the third position, right after the verb.
Could I say volgende vrijdag instead of aanstaande vrijdag?
Yes, but there is a slight nuance. Aanstaande specifically means upcoming (this coming Friday). Volgende means next, and just like in English, people sometimes debate whether next Friday means this week's Friday or the Friday of next week. Using aanstaande removes that confusion.
How is the word hoofdrol formed?
It is a compound noun made of hoofd (head or main) and rol (role). Dutch frequently uses hoofd- as the first part of a word to mean main or chief, just like in hoofdstad (capital city) or hoofdgerecht (main course).
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