Learn Hardcore Dutch: Tom vraagt onverwachts om hulp tijdens de les. - Tom unexpectedly asks for help during the lesson.

In Dutch the finite (conjugated) verb must agree with its subject in person and number. “vraagt” is the third-person singular present tense of vragen (to ask), matching the subject Tom. If the subject were ik (I), you’d say “ik vraag”; for hij/zij/het (he/she/it) it’s “hij vraagt”.

What does onverwachts mean, and why does it end in -s instead of staying onverwacht?

onverwachts is an adverb meaning “unexpectedly.” In Dutch many adjectives become adverbs by adding -s (e.g. eerst → eersts? not used, but steeds → steeds remains, here we use onverwacht → onverwachts). Without -s it would look like an adjective, but adverbs don’t inflect for gender or number.

Why is onverwachts placed between the verb and the object (“om hulp”)?

Dutch word order normally follows V2 (verb-second) in main clauses. You have:

Subject or an adverbial in first position
Finite verb in second position
Rest of the sentence
When you put an adverb like onverwachts after the verb, it directly modifies “vraagt” and precedes the object “om hulp.” You could also start with onverwachts, pushing the verb to second place:
“Onverwachts vraagt Tom om hulp tijdens de les.”

Why is om used in om hulp vragen? What does that structure mean?

vragen om + noun is the fixed Dutch expression for “to ask for” something. So:
• “om hulp vragen” = to ask for help
The “om” here is not the infinitive marker (that’s a different “om te”), but part of the verb-preposition combination vragen om.

What does tijdens de les mean, and why is tijdens used?

tijdens is a preposition meaning “during.”
• “tijdens de les” = “during the lesson/class.”
It introduces a time-frame. Unlike English, Dutch uses tijdens rather than during and requires the definite article de before les.

Could you place tijdens de les elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. Time-adverbials in Dutch are quite flexible. You can move tijdens de les to the front, for example:
“Tijdens de les vraagt Tom onverwachts om hulp.”
Or put it right after the verb:
“Tom vraagt tijdens de les onverwachts om hulp.”
Each variant is grammatically correct; the emphasis shifts slightly depending on position.

Is there another way to say during the lesson besides tijdens de les?

Yes, you can use gedurende:
• “Tom vraagt onverwachts om hulp gedurende de les.”
Or even in de les, though that’s less formal:
• “Tom vraagt onverwachts om hulp in de les.”