Zodra wij klaar zijn met onze maaltijd, zullen wij het boek lezen.

to be

Breakdown of Zodra wij klaar zijn met onze maaltijd, zullen wij het boek lezen.

• het boek: the book
• wij: we
• lezen: to read
• met: with
• onze: our
• de maaltijd: the meal
• zullen: will
• zodra: as soon as
• klaar: ready

Questions & Answers about Zodra wij klaar zijn met onze maaltijd, zullen wij het boek lezen.

Why is "zodra" used instead of "wanneer"?

Zodra emphasizes “as soon as,” implying immediate action once the condition is met. Wanneer can mean “when,” but it doesn’t necessarily convey the same sense of immediacy.

Why does the sentence start with "Zodra wij klaar zijn met onze maaltijd"?

Starting with Zodra creates a dependent clause showing the condition that must be met before the main action. In Dutch, it’s common to introduce a condition or time setting this way.

Why is "zijn" used after "klaar"?

In Dutch, being “finished” with something is often expressed as klaar zijn met. Literally, it translates to “ready/finished with”. That’s why you see the verb zijn combined with klaar.

Is it possible to leave out "wij" in the second part of the sentence?

No, in Dutch, generally you keep the subject in both clauses. Even though the subject is the same, repeating it in the main clause (“zullen wij het boek lezen”) is the standard construction.

Why is “het boek lezen” at the end of the sentence?

After a dependent clause introduced by zodra, the finite verb (zullen) often comes right after the comma, and the other parts of the main clause (like het boek lezen) follow. This is a standard word order pattern in Dutch.