Ik zal het kort uitleggen.

I

Breakdown of Ik zal het kort uitleggen.

• het: it
• zullen: will
• uitleggen: to explain

Questions & Answers about Ik zal het kort uitleggen.

What nuance does the modal verb zal add here?

Zal conveys intention or a promise/assurance about the future. It’s neutral-to-formal and can sound slightly more deliberate than just using present tense. In English it corresponds to “will/shall.”

Could I also say Ik leg het kort uit?

Yes. Dutch often uses the simple present for near-future actions. Ik leg het kort uit can mean “I’ll explain it briefly (right now).” With zal, you emphasize the future/intention a bit more.

Can I use ga instead of zal?

Yes: Ik ga het kort uitleggen is common and colloquial, focusing on an immediate plan (“I’m going to explain it briefly”). Zal is a bit more formal/assured; ga is more conversational.

Why is uitleggen at the end of the sentence?

Dutch main clauses are verb-second: the finite verb (zal) is in second position, and non-finite verbs (the infinitive uitleggen) go to the end. Hence: Ik [zal] … [uitleggen].

Is uitleggen a separable verb? How does that affect word order?