Breakdown of In de nieuwsbrief stond dat de openingstijden in de zomer veranderen.
in
in
dat
that
staan
to stand
de zomer
the summer
veranderen
to change
de nieuwsbrief
the newsletter
de openingstijd
the opening time
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Questions & Answers about In de nieuwsbrief stond dat de openingstijden in de zomer veranderen.
Why is stond used instead of heeft gestaan?
In Dutch you can use the simple past (onvoltooid verleden tijd) or the perfect tense to describe something that appeared in a newsletter. In more formal or written contexts, the simple past (stond) is often preferred. Using heeft gestaan (perfect tense) wouldn’t be wrong, but it gives a slightly more conversational or oral feel.
What role does dat play in this sentence?
dat is a subordinating conjunction that introduces the reported content – the clause de openingstijden in de zomer veranderen. It links the main clause (“In de nieuwsbrief stond”) to what was actually written.
Why does veranderen appear at the end of the clause?
Because in a subordinate clause introduced by dat, Dutch syntax requires the finite verb to go to the end. Here veranderen is the only verb, so it occupies the final position.
Why is the verb stond in second position after in de nieuwsbrief?
Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be the second constituent. Since the prepositional phrase in de nieuwsbrief comes first, the verb stond follows it in slot two, then the subject.
Why is the present tense veranderen used to talk about a future change?
Dutch often uses the present tense to indicate future actions, especially when it’s a scheduled or planned change. Saying de openingstijden veranderen already implies “will change.” You could add zullen veranderen for emphasis, but it’s not necessary.
Why do we say in de zomer instead of op de zomer?
Seasons in Dutch take the preposition in: in de lente, in de zomer, in de herfst, in de winter. op is used for days (op maandag) or dates (op 1 mei), not for seasons.
Is openingstijden singular or plural, and why is it used here?
openingstijden is plural (the singular is openingstijd). Since businesses often have multiple opening and closing times (e.g. weekdays vs. weekends), the plural form is standard when talking about their general hours.