Ik kan niet meteen beslissen of ik het nieuwe voorstel goed vind, want ik moet eerst alles lezen.

I cannot decide right away whether I like the new proposal, because I need to read everything first.

Breakdown of Ik kan niet meteen beslissen of ik het nieuwe voorstel goed vind, want ik moet eerst alles lezen.

• ik: I
• niet: not
• lezen: to read
• nieuw: new
• want: because
• eerst: first
• goed: good
• kunnen: can
• moeten: must
• alles: everything
• meteen: right away
• of: whether
• het voorstel: the proposal
• beslissen: to decide

Questions & Answers about Ik kan niet meteen beslissen of ik het nieuwe voorstel goed vind, want ik moet eerst alles lezen.

What does the phrase kan niet meteen beslissen mean, and how is it structured?

It breaks down as follows: kan means “can,” niet is a negation meaning “not,” meteen translates to “immediately,” and beslissen means “to decide.” Together, the phrase means “I cannot decide immediately,” expressing that the speaker isn’t ready to make a decision at once.

Why is the conjunction of used in of ik het nieuwe voorstel goed vind, and what does it imply?

In Dutch, of introduces an indirect yes/no question, much like “whether” in English. Here it sets up an embedded question—“whether I find the new proposal good”—which reflects uncertainty about the proposal. It’s not offering alternatives in the sense of “or” but is rather questioning the speaker’s evaluation.

How does the coordinating conjunction want function in the sentence, especially in want ik moet eerst alles lezen?

Want means “because” in Dutch and is used here to provide a reason for the hesitation expressed in the first part of the sentence. Unlike subordinate conjunctions, want doesn’t change the word order of the clause that follows. In ik moet eerst alles lezen, the subject ik and the verb moet remain in their usual positions, clearly linking the reason (needing to read everything first) to the inability to decide immediately.

Why is the definite article het used in het nieuwe voorstel instead of de?

Dutch nouns have genders, and voorstel is a neuter noun. Neuter nouns take the definite article het rather than de (which is used for common-gender nouns). This detail not only signifies the correct gender but also helps learners become familiar with Dutch noun classifications.

What role does the adverb eerst play in the clause ik moet eerst alles lezen?

Eerst translates as “first” or “before anything else.” Its placement in the clause emphasizes that reading everything is a preliminary action needed before reaching a decision about the proposal. It helps clarify the order of events: reading comes first, and only afterwards will the speaker decide if the new proposal is good.