Planning voorkomt dat we te veel taken vergeten.
Planning prevents us from forgetting too many tasks.
……
Breakdown of Planning voorkomt dat we te veel taken vergeten.
wij
we
dat
that
vergeten
to forget
te
too
de taak
the task
veel
many
voorkomen
to prevent
de planning
the planning
Questions & Answers about Planning voorkomt dat we te veel taken vergeten.
Why is the verb vergeten placed at the very end of the sentence?
Because the clause dat we te veel taken vergeten is a subordinate clause introduced by dat. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb (here vergeten) moves to the end. So you get: Planning voorkomt dat we te veel taken vergeten.
What part of speech is Planning, and why is there no article (de/het/een) in front of it?
Planning here is a noun (borrowed from English) used in a general, abstract sense. Dutch often omits the article when making broad statements: like English “Planning prevents…”. If you want to talk about one specific plan, you could say Een planning voorkomt… or De planning….
How do I distinguish te veel as “too many” versus “too much”?
Use te veel regardless, but match it with the noun:
- Countable plural → te veel taken = “too many tasks.”
- Uncountable singular → te veel water = “too much water.”
The form te veel stays the same; it’s your noun’s number that tells you “many” or “much.”
Can voorkomen have different meanings? How do I know which one to choose?
Yes. Voorkomen can mean:
1) “to prevent” (as in this sentence), often followed by dat + subordinate clause.
2) “to occur” or “to happen,” typically without dat (e.g. Dat probleem komt vaak voor = “That problem often occurs”).
Context and whether you see dat plus a verb at the end will tell you which meaning is intended.
Why don’t we say voorkomt ons dat we te veel taken vergeten (“prevents us”)?
In Dutch you normally introduce the whole idea you want to prevent as a subordinate clause with dat. You don’t insert an object pronoun (ons) after voorkomt. The meaning “prevent us from forgetting…” is already covered by voorkomt dat we… vergeten.
Could I rephrase it using a noun instead of a subordinate clause, like het vergeten van taken?
Yes, you can nominalize:
Een goede planning voorkomt het vergeten van te veel taken.
Here het vergeten van te veel taken is a noun phrase (“the forgetting of too many tasks”). Both forms are correct; the subordinate-clause version is more direct.
What’s the difference between plan and planning in Dutch?
- Plan (het plan) is the concrete scheme or blueprint (“a plan”).
- Planning (de planning) refers to the process or the schedule itself (“the planning/scheduling”).
So het plan might list steps; de planning arranges them in time.
Can I omit dat and say Planning voorkomt we te veel taken vergeten?
No. After voorkomt you need the conjunction dat to introduce the subordinate clause. Omitting dat would break the grammar. Always use voorkomt dat + subject + … verb-at-end.
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