Word
Hoe laat vertrekt de bus?
Meaning
What time does the bus leave?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Hoe laat vertrekt de bus?
Why does the Dutch sentence use "Hoe laat" to ask "What time"?
In Dutch, hoe laat literally means "how late". This is the standard way to ask "what time" something happens or what time it currently is on the clock.
Can I use "Wanneer" instead of "Hoe laat" here?
Yes, you could ask Wanneer vertrekt de bus? (When does the bus leave?). However, hoe laat specifically asks for an exact clock time, whereas wanneer could be answered with a general time of day or a date.
Why is the verb "vertrekt" placed before "de bus"?
In Dutch questions that start with a question word or phrase (like hoe laat), the verb comes immediately after the question phrase, and the subject (de bus) comes right after the verb. This swapping of the subject and verb is called inversion and is a very common pattern to remember.
What is the dictionary form of the verb "vertrekt"?
The full verb (infinitive) is vertrekken (to leave or to depart). Because de bus acts as a singular "it", we use the verb stem vertrek and add a -t, making it vertrekt.