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Ik zal het kort uitleggen.

Ik zal het kort uitleggen.
I will explain it briefly.
FromLesson 47inHardcore Dutch
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Breakdown of Ik zal het kort uitleggen.

ik
I
het
it
zullen
will
uitleggen
to explain
kort
briefly
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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?

Yes. With separable verbs, the stressed prefix (uit-) separates in simple present/past:

  • Present: Ik leg het kort uit.
  • Past: Ik legde het kort uit. With an auxiliary (like zal/heb), it stays together at the end:
  • Future: Ik zal het kort uitleggen.
  • Perfect: Ik heb het kort uitgelegd.
Where should kort go? Could I say Ik zal het uitleggen kort?
Place kort before the verb it modifies: Ik zal het kort uitleggen or Ik leg het kort uit. Ik zal het uitleggen kort is unnatural (unless after a comma for emphasis, which is stylistic). You can also say Ik zal kort uitleggen (without het) when speaking more generally.
Do I need the object het? Can I leave it out?
  • Use het if you’re referring to a specific, known “it”: Ik zal het kort uitleggen.
  • You can omit it for a general statement: Ik zal kort uitleggen.
  • If you’re pointing to something specific, dit/dat also works: Ik zal dit/dat kort uitleggen.
What’s the difference between uitleggen, toelichten, and verklaren?
  • Uitleggen: everyday “to explain.”
  • Toelichten: “to elucidate/clarify,” a bit more formal or presentation-like.
  • Verklaren: “to explain/declare”; formal, technical, or legal contexts.
How do I pronounce this sentence?

Roughly:

  • Ik [ik]
  • zal [zal] (z as in “zoo,” short a as in “father” but shorter)
  • het [hət] (often reduced; in speech you’ll hear ’t [t])
  • kort [kɔrt]
  • uitleggen [ˈœy̯tˌlɛɣən] (the ui is a rounded diphthong; g/gg is a guttural fricative; final -n often dropped) Main stress is on úit in uitleggen.
Is Ik zal ’t kort uitleggen okay?
Yes, informally you can contract het to ’t: Ik zal ’t kort uitleggen. You’ll also see ’k zal ’t… in very informal writing. Keep full forms in formal contexts.
Can I add softening words like even?
Yes: Ik zal het even kort uitleggen sounds friendly/briefly-without-fuss. Other natural modifiers: heel kort, heel even, kort en bondig.
How do I negate this properly?
  • Ik zal het niet uitleggen = I will not explain it.
  • Ik zal het niet kort uitleggen = I won’t explain it briefly (implies it’ll be long). Place niet before kort if you’re negating the brevity.
How would this look in a subordinate clause?
All verbs go to the end: … omdat/dat ik het kort zal uitleggen. The cluster zal uitleggen stays together there. (Regional variants may shuffle verb order, but zal uitleggen is standard.)
Is there a difference in register between this and alternatives?
  • Neutral: Ik zal het kort uitleggen.
  • More formal/presentational: Ik zal het kort toelichten.
  • Very casual/immediate: Ik ga het kort uitleggen. / Ik leg het kort uit.
Any set phrases with kort that fit here?
  • Kort en bondig (brief and to the point): Ik zal het kort en bondig uitleggen.
  • In het kort (in short): Ik zal in het kort uitleggen… (Note: different structure; in het kort is a prepositional phrase.)