De dagtekening bepaalt de bezwaartermijn.

Both dagtekening and bezwaartermijn are de-words in Dutch, so they take de.

For compound nouns like these, the grammatical gender is usually determined by the last part of the word:

• dagtekening → ends in tekening, which is a de-word
• bezwaartermijn → ends in termijn, which is also a de-word

So:

• de dagtekening
• de bezwaartermijn

This is very common in Dutch compounds.

Dagtekening is a somewhat formal or legal word. It means the date written on an official document, often the date the document is issued or signed.

It is not the most everyday word for date. In normal conversation, Dutch speakers often use datum.

So:

• de datum = the date
• de dagtekening = the official written date on a document

In legal or administrative language, dagtekening is very common.

Bezwaartermijn is a compound noun made up of:

• bezwaar = objection, appeal, formal complaint
• termijn = term, period, deadline window

Together, bezwaartermijn means the period within which you can object/appeal.

This kind of long compound noun is very normal in Dutch. English often uses several words where Dutch prefers one compound word.

Bepaalt is the third person singular present tense of bepalen.

The subject is de dagtekening, which is singular, so the verb must also be singular:

• de dagtekening bepaalt

Compare:

• Ik bepaal = I determine
• jij bepaalt = you determine
• de dagtekening bepaalt = the date determines

The -t ending is typical for third person singular in the present tense.

In this sentence, de dagtekening comes before the verb and is doing the action of determining, so it is the subject.

Structure:

• De dagtekening = subject
• bepaalt = verb
• de bezwaartermijn = object

So the sentence pattern is:

Subject + Verb + Object

That is the same basic pattern as in English.

Because Dutch, like English, can use a direct object after verbs like bepalen.

• bepalen = to determine, to define, to decide

So Dutch can simply say:

• X bepaalt Y = X determines Y

No extra preposition is needed.

In English, legal language also often works this way:

• The date determines the objection period.

So the Dutch structure is actually quite close to English here.

Yes, bepalen is a very common verb. Its meaning depends on context. It can mean:

• to determine
• to decide
• to define
• to establish

Examples:

• Dat bepaalt de prijs. = That determines the price.
• De rechter bepaalt de straf. = The judge decides the punishment.
• De regels bepalen wat mag. = The rules define what is allowed.

In your sentence, determine or set is probably the best fit.

Not really. It sounds formal, administrative, or legal.

Words like:

• dagtekening
• bezwaartermijn

are typical of official letters, government documents, tax notices, and legal texts.

In everyday speech, someone might explain it more simply, for example with more common words. But in official Dutch, this compact style is very normal.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

buh-ZWAAR-ter-mine

More carefully:

• bezwaar sounds roughly like buh-ZWAHR
• termijn sounds roughly like ter-MEIN

The ij in termijn is a Dutch vowel sound often approximated in English as eye or mine, though it is not exactly the same.

Stress falls mainly on:

• bezWAARtermijn

Not always. In many contexts, date is good enough, especially if the meaning is already clear. But dagtekening is more specific and formal than ordinary date.

Depending on context, it could mean:

• the date on the document
• the official date of issue
• the dated marking on a letter or decision

So if you translate it simply as date, that is often acceptable, but you should remember that the Dutch word has a formal administrative flavor.

Because Dutch strongly prefers compound nouns written as a single word.

So English might write:

• objection period
• date of issue
• appeal deadline

But Dutch often combines such elements into one noun:

• bezwaartermijn
• dagtekening

This is one of the most important habits to get used to when learning Dutch. If English uses multiple nouns together, Dutch very often creates one compound word instead.

Yes. In a main clause, Dutch often puts the verb in the second position.

So this sentence is:

• De dagtekening bepaalt de bezwaartermijn.

But if you start with another element, the verb still stays second:

• Volgens de wet bepaalt de dagtekening de bezwaartermijn.
• In dit geval bepaalt de dagtekening de bezwaartermijn.

And in a subordinate clause, the verb usually moves toward the end:

• ... omdat de dagtekening de bezwaartermijn bepaalt.

So the word order in your sentence is simple and basic, but Dutch word order can change depending on clause type.

Yes, mainly these points:

1. Compound nouns
   Dutch writes long noun combinations as one word: bezwaartermijn.

2. Formal vocabulary
   Dagtekening is not everyday vocabulary.

3. Verb ending
   Bepaalt has the -t ending because the subject is third person singular.

4. Articles
   You have to learn whether nouns take de or het.

5. Legal style
   The sentence is short and clear, but it belongs to official language rather than casual conversation.

So grammatically the sentence is not very hard, but the vocabulary is specialized.