Breakdown of Plotseling begint het te hagelen, daarom wachten we even in de hal.
wij
we
in
in
het
it
wachten
to wait
beginnen
to start
plotseling
suddenly
daarom
therefore
de hal
the hall
hagelen
to hail
even
for a moment
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Questions & Answers about Plotseling begint het te hagelen, daarom wachten we even in de hal.
Why is te needed before hagelen in beginnen te hagelen?
In Dutch, the verb beginnen (to begin) must be followed by te + infinitive when it introduces another action. So you say beginnen te hagelen (“to start to hail”). You cannot omit te here (unlike English “start hailing”).
Why is there het in Plotseling begint het te hagelen?
Dutch weather verbs like hagelen, regenen (to rain) and sneeuwen (to snow) are impersonal and always take a dummy subject het, just as English uses “it” in “it’s raining.”
What role does Plotseling play at the beginning of the sentence?
Plotseling is an adverb meaning “suddenly.” Placing it first emphasizes how abruptly the hail starts. It also triggers the Dutch V2 word-order rule (see next question).
Why does the word order invert after Plotseling and daarom?
Dutch main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule. When you put any element (like Plotseling or daarom) in first position, the finite verb must come second, and the subject third:
- Plotseling
- begint (verb)
- het (subject) …
Similarly, daarom (therefore) goes first in the second clause, then the verb wachten, then the subject we.
What does daarom mean, and can I use dus instead?
Both daarom and dus translate as “therefore” or “so.”
• Daarom is slightly more formal and typically heads a clause.
• Dus is more colloquial and can appear in various positions within a sentence (even at the end).
What does even add to wachten we even?
Even means “for a moment” or “briefly.” It indicates that the wait in the hall is short.
Why is there a comma between hagelen and daarom?
In Dutch, it’s common to separate two main clauses with a comma, especially when the second begins with an adverb like daarom. It improves readability, though it isn’t strictly mandatory.
Why use in de hal instead of another preposition?
In expresses that you are inside a space. De hal is the hall or foyer. Saying in de hal correctly conveys “inside the hall.” Using op de hal (on the hall) would be incorrect, and other prepositions (like onder or naast) change the meaning entirely.