Breakdown of Hij zal je straks een kop thee aanbieden, wees beleefd.
zijn
to be
hij
he
zullen
will
je
you
een
a, an
de thee
the tea
straks
later
aanbieden
to offer
de kop
the cup
beleefd
polite
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Questions & Answers about Hij zal je straks een kop thee aanbieden, wees beleefd.
What grammatical function does zal have in this sentence?
Zal is the present‐tense auxiliary verb used to form the future tense in Dutch. It corresponds to English will. Here it tells us that the action (een kop thee aanbieden) will take place in the (near) future.
Why is je used instead of jou for “you”?
Dutch has two forms of the second‐person object pronoun: the unstressed je and the stressed jou. In normal word order, before the verb, Dutch uses the unstressed form (je). You’d only use jou for emphasis or after a preposition (e.g. met jou).
What nuance does straks add, compared to other time words like later or binnenkort?
Straks means “in a little while” or “shortly,” typically later the same day.
- Straks = soon/shortly (today)
- Binnenkort = soon (general)
- Later = later (unspecified time)
How does the separable verb aanbieden work here, and why is it not split?
Aanbieden is a separable verb (prefix aan + root bieden). In a future‐tense construction with zal, the entire verb stays together at the end:
… zal je straks een kop thee aanbieden.
If it were present tense, you’d split it:
Hij biedt je straks een kop thee aan.
Why is there a comma before wees beleefd, and what construction is this?
The sentence consists of two independent clauses joined by a comma:
- Hij zal je straks een kop thee aanbieden (future tense)
- Wees beleefd (imperative)
Dutch often allows such coordination with just a comma, especially in informal or spoken style.
What does wees beleefd mean, and why use wees?
Wees is the imperative form of zijn (to be). So wees beleefd literally means “be polite.” It’s a direct instruction, like telling someone to mind their manners.
Is wees beleefd considered formal or informal?
It’s neutral to polite. Using an imperative can sound direct, but wees beleefd is a gentle admonition rather than a brusque order. It works in both informal and semi‐formal contexts.
Could you start the sentence with Straks instead, as in Straks zal hij je een kop thee aanbieden? Does that change the meaning?
Yes, you can move straks to the front to emphasize the timing:
Straks zal hij je een kop thee aanbieden, wees beleefd.
The meaning remains the same; it just puts “soon” in focus.