Hij gaat morgen leren koken.

He is going to learn to cook tomorrow.

Breakdown of Hij gaat morgen leren koken.

• hij: he
• gaan: to go
• leren: to learn
• morgen: tomorrow
• koken: to cook

Questions & Answers about Hij gaat morgen leren koken.

Why is the word ‘leren’ used here instead of simply saying ‘Hij gaat morgen koken’?

In Dutch, leren emphasizes that he’s going to learn the skill of cooking, not just do the cooking. It implies that he may be practicing or studying how to cook. Simply saying Hij gaat morgen koken would mean he’s going to cook tomorrow but doesn’t focus on the learning aspect.

What is the function of ‘gaat’ in this sentence?

Gaat is the third-person singular form of gaan (“to go”) in Dutch. In this context, it’s used to form a near-future tense, similar to using “is going to” in English. So Hij gaat leren koken is like saying “He is going to learn to cook.”

Is it necessary to place ‘morgen’ right after ‘gaat’? Could I say ‘Hij gaat leren koken morgen’?

Dutch word order can be flexible, but the most common pattern is to place the time word (like morgen) after the conjugated verb when it’s used as a future construction. You could say Hij gaat morgen leren koken or Morgen gaat hij leren koken, but Hij gaat leren koken morgen sounds less natural, though still understandable.

Why do we say ‘Hij gaat morgen leren koken’ and not ‘Hij gaat morgen koken leren’?

When two verbs are used together in Dutch (like leren and koken), the more “important” verb — in this case, leren — usually goes directly after the conjugated verb. The second verb — koken — appears at the end. So it naturally becomes leren koken rather than koken leren.

Are there any different ways to translate ‘leren koken’ into English?

Yes, it could be interpreted as “learn to cook,” “learn how to cook,” or “study cooking.” The core idea is that the person is acquiring the skill of cooking rather than just performing the action.