Ik wil na het werk ontspannen.

I

Breakdown of Ik wil na het werk ontspannen.

• willen: to want
• het werk: the work
• na: after
• ontspannen: to relax

Questions & Answers about Ik wil na het werk ontspannen.

Why is ontspannen used in its infinitive form here?

In Dutch, when you use a modal verb or a verb like willen (to want), you typically follow it with the infinitive form of the main verb. Since the main verb here is ontspannen (to relax), it remains in its infinitive form after wil.

Why do we say na het werk instead of na werk?

In Dutch, nouns often need an article, especially when referring to a specific instance of something (in this case, your specific job/work). Hence, het is required to indicate: after (the) work. Saying na werk without het would be less idiomatic.

Is the word order Ik wil na het werk ontspannen the only correct one?

This word order is the most natural: subject (Ik), verb (wil), time phrase (na het werk), and then the infinitive (ontspannen). You could potentially shift na het werk to the beginning, but then you would say Na het werk wil ik ontspannen, which is also correct but emphasizes after work more strongly.

Is wil used for expressing a want or desire in any context?

Yes, wil is the first-person singular present tense form of willen, which is used to express want or desire. It’s equivalent to want in English. For example, in Ik wil een kop koffie, it means I want a cup of coffee.