Learn Hardcore Dutch: In het bericht staat dat hij voor de deadline extra ruimte moet kopen. - The message says that he must buy extra space before the deadline.

In Dutch, staan is often used to mean “to state” or “to say” when referring to written text. So In het bericht staat dat… literally means “In the message it states that…”. You would not use is here, because is simply means “is” rather than “says” or “states.”

Why does the sentence use dat and why is the verb at the end of the clause?

Dat introduces a subordinate clause (like “that” in English). In Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb (and any infinitives) move to the very end. That’s why you get dat hij voor de deadline extra ruimte moet kopen, with moet kopen together at the end.

Why is there no te before kopen?

Because moeten is a modal verb (equivalent to “must” or “have to”). In Dutch, modal verbs are followed directly by the infinitive without te. For example:

Ik moet gaan. (I have to go.)
Not Ik moet te gaan.

Why is there no article before extra ruimte?

Ruimte here is uncountable (“space” in a general or abstract sense, like storage space). When you talk about an indefinite amount of an uncountable noun, you often drop the article. If you used de extra ruimte, you’d be referring to a specific extra space already known to both speaker and listener.

What does voor de deadline mean, and could I use a different preposition?

Voor in time expressions means “before.” So voor de deadline = “before the deadline.” You could also say vóór de deadline (with an accent for emphasis) or use tegen de deadline (“by the deadline”), though tegen changes the nuance slightly: it suggests “not later than” rather than simply “before.”

Can I rearrange the order of voor de deadline and extra ruimte within the subordinate clause?

Yes. Dutch subordinate clauses allow some flexibility with adjuncts (like time expressions) and objects. Both are correct:

dat hij voor de deadline extra ruimte moet kopen
dat hij extra ruimte voor de deadline moet kopen
The main requirement is that the verb cluster (moet kopen) stays at the very end.

How would this idea look in a main clause instead of a “dat”-clause?

In a main clause, Dutch follows the Verb-Second (V2) rule: the finite verb occupies the second position. For example:

Hij moet voor de deadline extra ruimte kopen.
Voor de deadline moet hij extra ruimte kopen.

Is extra ruimte kopen always literal, or can it be figurative?

It can be both. Literally it means buying physical space (e.g. warehouse space). More often in modern contexts it’s figurative—buying digital storage (server space, cloud space) or even “buying time” metaphorically. Context (mention of a deadline) suggests digital or project-related space here.