…
Breakdown of Het is soms moeilijk om alles te plannen, daarom wassen we ons snel en kleden we ons minstens een uur voor het feest aan.
zijn
to be
wij
we
en
and
het
it
om
for
snel
quickly
soms
sometimes
alles
everything
ons
ourselves
het feest
the party
wassen
to wash
aankleden
to get dressed
moeilijk
difficult
plannen
to plan
daarom
that’s why
minstens
at least
een uur
an hour
voor
before
Questions & Answers about Het is soms moeilijk om alles te plannen, daarom wassen we ons snel en kleden we ons minstens een uur voor het feest aan.
Why is the reflexive pronoun ons used in both wassen we ons and kleden we ons aan?
In Dutch, certain actions that involve oneself are typically expressed with a reflexive pronoun. Ons is the reflexive form for we/wij (we). So you say wij wassen ons (we wash ourselves) and wij kleden ons aan (we get ourselves dressed). The reflexive pronoun matches the subject in both number and person.
Why is aan placed at the end in kleden we ons minstens een uur voor het feest aan?
Dutch frequently separates the main verb from its separable prefix, especially when the verb is in the present tense and the sentence is not in the imperative form. Aankleden is a separable verb (aan + kleden). When using a normal word order (subject–verb–rest–separable prefix), the prefix aan moves to the end of the clause.
What is the difference between wassen and kleden here? Don’t they both just mean to wash and to dress?
Indeed, wassen means to wash, and (zich) aankleden means to get dressed or to dress oneself. Since these actions directly affect the people performing them, we use reflexive pronouns (in this case, ons) to point out that the subject and the object are the same.
Is the construction Het is soms moeilijk om alles te plannen common in Dutch, and why is te used before plannen?
Yes, it’s a common construction indicating that something (alles te plannen) is difficult. In Dutch, an infinitive often requires te when it follows an adjective or a phrase like moeilijk (It is difficult to …). So we say Het is moeilijk om … te plannen rather than Het is moeilijk om … plannen.
What does minstens mean, and how is it used in this sentence?
Minstens translates to at least in English. It indicates the minimal amount of time they need before the party to get dressed. In other words, they start getting dressed at least one hour before the party begins.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?”
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning DutchMaster Dutch — from Het is soms moeilijk om alles te plannen, daarom wassen we ons snel en kleden we ons minstens een uur voor het feest aan to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions