Learn Hardcore Dutch: Het vliegtuig stijgt straks op. - The plane is going to take off soon.

Dutch has many separable verbs. In the infinitive you write opstijgen (to take off) as one word. But in a main‐clause finite form the prefix op detaches and moves to the end. Hence: stijgt (3rd-person singular of stijgen) … op.

How does the word order work with the adverb straks?

In Dutch main clauses the finite verb sits in second position. Here the positions are: 1) Het vliegtuig, 2) stijgt, so the adverb straks comes in 3). The detached prefix op ends up after that.

Why is the present tense used here instead of a future tense?

Dutch often uses the present tense for events in the near future—much like English “The plane leaves soon.” If you want to emphasize futurity, you can add an auxiliary, but it isn’t required for a simple, imminent action.

Can I also say Het vliegtuig zal straks opstijgen or Het vliegtuig gaat straks opstijgen?

Yes. Zal (will) is a more formal future marker. Gaat opstijgen (is going to take off) is more conversational. But if you just say the present stijgt straks op, that’s perfectly natural for a scheduled or imminent departure.

Why is the article het used before vliegtuig instead of de?

Vliegtuig is a neuter noun in Dutch and therefore takes the neuter article het. One helpful hint: many compound nouns ending in -tuig use het (e.g. speelgoed, gereedschap, vliegtuig).

Why isn’t there a preposition like “in” or “op” before het vliegtuig?

You only need a preposition when indicating movement into or onto something (e.g. in het vliegtuig stappen = to step into the plane). Here the plane itself is the subject doing the action (stijgt op), so no extra preposition is required.

How do I pronounce the ij in stijgt?

The Dutch ij is pronounced roughly like the English long “i” in “ride.” In IPA you’ll see /ɛi/, but aiming for an “ay” sound will get you very close.