Ik herinner me dat ik laatst vroeg op moest staan voor werk.

I remember that I had to get up early for work last time.

Breakdown of Ik herinner me dat ik laatst vroeg op moest staan voor werk.

• ik: I
• voor: for
• dat: that
• het werk: the work
• moeten: must
• vroeg: early
• opstaan: to get up
• herinneren: to remember
• me: myself
• laatst: last

Questions & Answers about Ik herinner me dat ik laatst vroeg op moest staan voor werk.

Why do we need the reflexive pronoun "me" in "Ik herinner me"?

In Dutch, herinneren typically appears with a reflexive pronoun (me, je, zich, etc.) to mean to remember something. You can think of "ik herinner me" as "I remind myself" in a literal sense, though in English it just translates to "I remember."

Why is there a "dat" before "ik laatst vroeg op moest staan"?

In Dutch, verbs like herinneren are often followed by a subordinate clause introduced by dat. The clause "dat ik laatst vroeg op moest staan" is dependent on "ik herinner me," which explains why we have a subordinate clause signaled by dat.

What does "laatst" mean here?

Laatst generally means "recently" or "the other day." In this sentence, it indicates that the event of having to get up early occurred not too long ago.

Why is "vroeg" placed before "op moest staan"?

Vroeg (meaning "early") modifies opstaan (to get up). In Dutch, you can place a time-related adverb like "vroeg" before the verb phrase. The key is that "op" is part of the separable verb "opstaan," so you see "vroeg op moest staan" rather than "op vroeg moest staan."

Is the word order "ik moest vroeg opstaan" also correct?

Yes, you can say "ik moest vroeg opstaan" in a main clause without the "dat". However, in the subordinate clause after "dat," the structure changes slightly: "dat ik laatst vroeg op moest staan." The meaning is the same, but Dutch grammar requires the verb(s) to move toward the end in a subordinate clause.