……
Breakdown of Ik heb te weinig tijd om het verhaal af te maken.
ik
I
hebben
to have
om
for
het verhaal
the story
afmaken
to finish
de tijd
the time
te weinig
too little
Questions & Answers about Ik heb te weinig tijd om het verhaal af te maken.
Why is te placed before weinig tijd, and what does te weinig mean?
In Dutch te is an adverb that intensifies an adjective or adverb, equivalent to English too. When you combine it with weinig (little), you get te weinig, meaning too little or not enough in the sense of “more is needed.” It always precedes the adjective or adverb it modifies.
How does te weinig differ from niet genoeg, and can I say Ik heb niet genoeg tijd om… instead?
Both expressions convey a shortage:
- te weinig tijd literally too little time.
- niet genoeg tijd literally not enough time.
They are often interchangeable in spoken and written Dutch. Using Ik heb niet genoeg tijd om het verhaal af te maken is perfectly correct and sounds natural.
Why is om used here, and why does the verb afmaken appear as af te maken at the end?
Dutch uses om … te to introduce a purpose clause (equivalent to English “in order to”). In such subordinate clauses, the verb cluster moves to the very end. Since afmaken is the infinitive, it splits into its prefix af and the main verb maken, giving om het verhaal af te maken.
What is a separable verb in Dutch, and why is afmaken split into af te maken?
A separable verb has a prefix (here af) that detaches in main clauses (e.g. Ik maak het verhaal af). In infinitive constructions with te, the rule is: prefix + te + main verb. That’s why afmaken becomes af te maken in this sentence.
Why is the object het verhaal placed before af te maken instead of after the verb?
In an om … te clause the entire verb (prefix + te + main verb) must come at the very end. Any object or other elements of the subordinate clause must precede that verb cluster. So you say om het verhaal af te maken, not om af te maken het verhaal.
Why do we use hebben (ik heb) with tijd and not zijn?
In Dutch you “have” time (hebben), just as in English. Time is considered something you possess rather than something you “are.” Hence Ik heb tijd is correct; Ik ben tijd would be nonsensical.
Why is it het verhaal and not de verhaal?
Dutch nouns are gendered and take either de (common gender) or het (neuter). Verhaal is a neuter noun, so it requires the article het. Saying de verhaal would be grammatically incorrect.
Why is tijd in the singular here? Is tijd countable or uncountable in Dutch?
Tijd is generally uncountable when you talk about the concept or duration, so you use the singular. You can qualify it with adjectives or quantifiers (veel, weinig, geen), but you don’t make it plural for “amounts.” The plural tijden exists, but only when you mean distinct periods or eras (e.g. in vroegere tijden).
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?”
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning DutchMaster Dutch — from Ik heb te weinig tijd om het verhaal af te maken to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions