Learn Hardcore Dutch: De meteorologen voorspellen dat het water spoedig zal stromen tot aan het plein. - The meteorologists predict the water will soon flow all the way to the square.

In Dutch subordinate clauses introduced by a subordinating conjunction (here dat), the finite verb and any infinitives move to the end. The group zal stromen therefore appears after the subject het water and the adverb spoedig.

Could we use the present tense instead of zal stromen?

Yes. Dutch often uses the present tense to express future events, especially fixed plans or predictions. You could say Het water stroomt spoedig tot aan het plein. Using zal emphasizes that it’s a forecast by meteorologists.

What’s the difference between spoedig and binnenkort?

Both mean soon, but spoedig is a bit more formal or literary. In everyday speech you would more likely use binnenkort.

Why is it tot aan het plein rather than just tot het plein?

Tot aan is used for spatial extents and stresses that something reaches all the way up to a point. Tot het plein is also grammatically correct, but tot aan is more precise when describing water rising up to a specific boundary.

Is voorspellen a separable verb? Why doesn’t it split?

Voorspellen has an inseparable prefix voor-, so it never splits. You keep it together in all forms: voorspellen, voorspelt, voorspelde.

Why is there a definite article het before plein?

In Dutch, common nouns typically need an article. Plein is a neuter noun, so its definite article is het. Without it, the sentence would feel odd or incomplete.

Where does the adverb spoedig belong in Dutch word order?

In main clauses an adverb of time usually follows the finite verb (or takes second position after a fronted element). In subordinate clauses (after dat) it comes after the subject and before the verb group. So here it sits between het water and zal stromen.