Breakdown of De constructie komt langzaam tot stand.
de constructie
the construction
tot stand komen
to come about / to be achieved
Questions & Answers about De constructie komt langzaam tot stand.
What exactly does the phrase tot stand komen mean here, and in what contexts is it used?
Tot stand komen is a very common fixed expression meaning "to come about," "to be established," or "to be realized." As a B2 learner, you will frequently see it used in professional or formal contexts when things are being built, negotiated, or formed—such as buildings, political agreements, or new organizations.
Why is tot stand placed at the very end of the sentence?
Even though tot stand is technically a prepositional phrase, it forms a tight conceptual unit with the verb komen. Because of this, it behaves exactly like a separable prefix (like the aan in aankomen). In a main clause in the present tense, the conjugated verb (komt) takes the second position, and the complement (tot stand) gets pushed to the end.
Could I use this same phrase to say "They are bringing the construction about"?
Not with komen. Tot stand komen is intransitive, meaning it describes the subject changing state without a direct object. To say someone is actively making it happen, you must use its transitive counterpart: tot stand brengen (to bring about / to establish). For example: Zij brengen de constructie tot stand.
How would I apply this lesson's focus to say "The construction is partly coming about slowly, partly quickly"?
You would write: De constructie komt deels langzaam, deels snel tot stand. The correlative adverbs deels ... deels are placed immediately before the adverbs they contrast (langzaam and snel). Notice that the verbal complement tot stand patiently waits at the very end of the clause.
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