Breakdown of Ik controleer mijn reservering in mijn agenda.
ik
I
in
in
mijn
my
controleren
to check
de agenda
the planner
de reservering
the reservation
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Questions & Answers about Ik controleer mijn reservering in mijn agenda.
What does controleren mean here? It literally looks like to control, but what is it in this sentence?
In this sentence controleren means to check or to verify. Although it looks similar to to control, in Dutch it’s commonly used for checking or verifying something. It’s a bit more formal than the English loanword checken.
Could I use checken instead of controleren?
Yes. Informally you can say Ik check mijn reservering in mijn agenda. That’s a direct borrowing from English, widely understood in casual contexts. For more formal or written Dutch, controleren is preferred.
Why is in used with mijn agenda? In English we say on my calendar.
In Dutch you use in because you imagine your appointments or entries physically written inside the pages of your agenda. So it’s in mijn agenda. Saying op mijn agenda would sound odd.
What’s the difference between agenda and kalender?
A kalender is usually a printed calendar showing days and dates (often on a wall). An agenda (or planner) is like a diary or appointment book where you write your personal plans and reservations. Here, since you have a personal schedule, agenda is the right word.
Why do we repeat mijn? Can I drop the second one and say Ik controleer mijn reservering in de agenda?
Repeating mijn clearly shows both belong to you: my reservation and my calendar. If context makes it obvious you mean your own agenda, you can say in de agenda, but the second mijn isn’t wrong and adds clarity.
Does the word order ever change? What if I start with in mijn agenda?
You can front the prepositional phrase: In mijn agenda controleer ik mijn reservering. Dutch is verb-second, so after the fronted element you still put the finite verb second (here controleer), then the subject ik.
How do I say multiple reservations? Or “I check my reservations in my calendar.”
You’d use the plural reserveringen: Ik controleer mijn reserveringen in mijn agenda. Notice mijn stays the same because Dutch possessives don’t change for plurality.
How do I pronounce reservering? It looks long.
It’s pronounced approximately [rə-ZER-və-rɪŋ]. The stress falls on the second syllable ZER, the e sounds like the e in bed, and the final -ring is like in king but with a Dutch r.