Breakdown of Laat je schooltas in de gang staan, dan hebben we meer ruimte.
hebben
to have
wij
we
in
in
meer
more
dan
then
je
your
de ruimte
the space
de schooltas
the schoolbag
laten staan
to leave
de gang
the hallway
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Questions & Answers about Laat je schooltas in de gang staan, dan hebben we meer ruimte.
Why is laat used here, and what does it mean?
Laat is the imperative form of the verb laten, which means “to let” or “to allow.” In this sentence it’s a causative imperative: you’re telling someone to “let” (i.e. leave) their schoolbag in the hallway.
Why is staan in its infinitive form placed after laat, instead of a conjugated verb?
This follows the Dutch causative construction: after laten in the imperative you always use a bare infinitive (no conjugation). So laat … staan literally means “let … stand” or “leave … standing.”
Can I use leggen or zetten instead of laten staan?
- Leggen (to lay) or zetten (to set) both describe a one‐time action of placing the bag down.
- Laten staan implies you should leave it there—don’t move it again.
They’re different in nuance: leggen/zetten = “put it down”; laten staan = “leave it there.”
Why is there a comma before dan, and what role does dan play?
- The comma separates two main clauses.
- Dan here means “then” and introduces the consequence clause: “if you leave your bag in the hallway, then we have more space.”
- This is like using “als … dan” (if … then), except the als (“if”) is omitted in the first clause.
Why does hebben come before we in dan hebben we meer ruimte?
In a Dutch main clause the finite verb must occupy the second position. Here dan is the first element, so hebben (the conjugated verb) follows, and then we (the subject).
Why use je schooltas instead of jouw schooltas?
- Je is the unstressed, everyday form of “your” in informal Dutch.
- Jouw is the stressed form, used for emphasis or in more formal contexts.
In casual speech you’ll almost always hear je.
Why is it in de gang and not op de gang?
A gang (hallway) is considered an interior space in Dutch, so you use in rather than op (“on”). Thus in de gang = “in the hallway.”
Would you change anything for a more formal version of this sentence?
Yes. For formal address replace je with uw:
Laat uw schooltas in de gang staan, dan hebben we meer ruimte.
Or turn it into a polite request:
Zou u uw schooltas in de gang willen laten staan? Dan hebben we meer ruimte.