Breakdown of De beambte checkt het visum zorgvuldig voordat hij mij door de douane laat.
hij
he
mij
me
voordat
before
door
through
laten
to let
de douane
the customs
het visum
the visa
de beambte
the officer
checken
to check
zorgvuldig
carefully
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about De beambte checkt het visum zorgvuldig voordat hij mij door de douane laat.
What does beambte mean in this sentence?
Beambte is a formal noun for an official working for the government; here it refers to a customs officer.
Why is the verb checkt used instead of controleert?
checkt is borrowed from English and is common in spoken or informal Dutch. controleert is the traditional Dutch equivalent. Both are correct, but checkt sounds less formal.
Why is it het visum and not de visum?
Nouns ending in -um are typically neuter in Dutch. Neuter nouns take the article het, so it’s het visum.
What is the function of zorgvuldig?
Zorgvuldig is an adverb modifying checkt. It means carefully or thoroughly.
What does voordat do in this sentence?
Voordat is a subordinating conjunction meaning before. It introduces the clause that indicates the action happens prior to letting someone through customs.
Why does laat appear at the end of the subordinate clause?
In Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb moves to the end. Here, laat is the finite verb of that clause, so it appears last.
How does the laten + infinitive construction work here?
The verb laten followed by an infinitive expresses causing or allowing an action. Hij laat mij door de douane literally means he lets or allows me to pass through customs.
What does door de douane mean and why is door used?
Door means through and indicates movement via a place. Door de douane means through customs.
Why is mij used instead of me, and are both possible?
Mij is the full object pronoun used for clarity or emphasis and is standard here. Me is an informal shortened form; it would be understood but sounds less formal.
Could you explain the overall word order of this Dutch sentence?
Dutch uses V2 word order in main clauses and pushes the finite verb to the end in subordinate clauses. Here you have:
• Main clause: Subject (De beambte) – finite verb (checkt) – object (het visum) – adverb (zorgvuldig)
• Subordinate clause (introduced by voordat): subordinating conjunction (voordat) – subject (hij) – object (mij) – prepositional phrase (door de douane) – finite verb (laat)