Questions & Answers about Zij geeft les van negen tot twaalf.
Why does the Dutch sentence use geeft les instead of a single verb for 'teaches'?
In Dutch, the standard way to say 'to teach' is the phrase lesgeven (literally: to give lesson). It behaves like a separable verb, so in a normal main clause it splits: the verb geeft takes the second position, and les moves later in the sentence.
Why do we use tot here instead of naar for the English word 'to'?
When talking about a duration of time, English uses 'to' or 'until', which translates to tot in Dutch. The word naar is only used for physical movement toward a place (like going to the store). For time, always use the fixed pattern van ... tot ... (from ... until ...).
Is it okay to leave out the word uur (o'clock) here?
Yes! Just like in English, if it is obvious that you are talking about time, you can drop uur. Saying van negen uur tot twaalf uur is also perfectly correct, but van negen tot twaalf sounds more natural and relaxed in everyday speech.
Could I use ze instead of zij in this sentence?
Yes, ze and zij both mean 'she' and are interchangeable here. Using zij gives the word slightly more emphasis, focusing on the fact that she (and not someone else) is the one teaching from nine to twelve. If you use ze, it sounds a bit more neutral.
Learn Zij geeft les van negen tot twaalf and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free