Learn Hardcore Dutch: Ik voel me soms ook zenuwachtig tijdens het opstijgen. - I also sometimes feel nervous during take‑off.

In Dutch voelen can be used reflexively to describe how someone feels internally. The word me is a reflexive pronoun referring back to the subject ik, so ik voel me literally means I feel myself. This construction emphasizes the experience of feeling nervous rather than simply stating a static condition.

Why is voelen used instead of zijn here?

While zijn (to be) can mark a state (ik ben zenuwachtig = I am nervous), using voelen (to feel) plus a reflexive pronoun highlights that you are experiencing that emotion right at that moment. It often sounds more natural when talking about momentary feelings.

Why does the sentence include both soms and ook? Are they redundant?

They serve different functions. Soms means sometimes (frequency), indicating it doesn’t happen all the time. Ook means also or too, suggesting that feeling nervous during takeoff adds to other moments when you might feel nervous. Together they convey: “I sometimes feel nervous during takeoff, too.”

Can I move soms to the beginning of the sentence? How does that affect word order?

Yes. In Dutch you can start with soms, but you must obey the verb‑second (V2) rule. You would say:
Soms voel ik me ook zenuwachtig tijdens het opstijgen.
Here the verb voel follows soms, and the subject ik comes after the verb.

Why do we say tijdens het opstijgen instead of just tijdens opstijgen?

After tijdens (during), Dutch requires a noun phrase with an article. Het opstijgen is the infinitive used as a noun (the act of taking off). Omitting het would be ungrammatical.

Is opstijgen here a verb or a noun?

It’s the infinitive opstijgen (to take off), but when you add het it becomes a noun phrase. Dutch commonly uses infinitives as nouns when paired with het.

Could I use de opstijging instead of het opstijgen?

Yes. De opstijging is a derived noun that also means the takeoff, but het opstijgen (the infinitive‑noun) is more natural in everyday speech to talk about the action in general.

What’s the difference between tijdens and bij here?

Tijdens stresses what happens over the duration (during the takeoff), while bij (at/when) often highlights the specific moment something occurs. Both are possible (tijdens het opstijgen / bij het opstijgen), but tijdens focuses on the whole process.

Are there other ways to say zenuwachtig in Dutch?

Yes.

Nerveus – very common and close in meaning.
Angstig – means anxious, a bit stronger and more fear‑based.
Bevend – literally trembling, used figuratively to express extreme nervousness.