Learn Hardcore Dutch: Het is zinvol om elke dag kort te lezen. - It is useful to read briefly every day.

Yes. Het is an expletive (dummy) subject used in the pattern Het is + adjective + (om) te + infinitive. The real content is the infinitive clause om elke dag kort te lezen. You can also say Elke dag kort lezen is zinvol, which avoids the dummy subject.

Does om … te mean “in order to” here?

Not here. After adjectives like zinvol, leuk, moeilijk, goed, Dutch often uses om … te simply to introduce an infinitive clause. Om … te can mark purpose in other contexts (e.g., Ik lees om beter te worden = “I read in order to get better”), but in this sentence it’s just the complement of zinvol.

Can I leave out om and say Het is zinvol te lezen?

You can, and it’s grammatical, but it sounds more formal or written. In everyday Dutch, Het is zinvol om te lezen (and here: … om elke dag kort te lezen) is the default.

Is it okay that om and te are separated by other words?

Yes. Om introduces the infinitival clause and te must sit right before the infinitive. Anything that belongs to the clause (like adverbs) can go between them: om elke dag kort te lezen. What you can’t do is move te away from the verb (so not om elke dag te kort lezen or … te lezen kort).

What’s the word order for elke dag and kort inside the om te clause?

A good rule of thumb is Time–Manner–Place. So elke dag (time) naturally comes before kort (manner): om elke dag kort te lezen. Alternatives like om kort elke dag te lezen sound awkward; avoid them.

Why is it elke dag and not elke dagen?

With elk(e) and ieder(e), the noun stays singular: elke dag, iedere dag. Plural after elke/iedere is incorrect. A one-word alternative is dagelijks: Het is zinvol om dagelijks kort te lezen.

Does kort mean “briefly” here, or “short texts”?

Here kort is an adverb meaning “briefly/for a short time.” It does not mean “short texts.” If you want “short texts,” say korte teksten lezen.

Is kort idiomatic here? Would even or een beetje sound more natural?

Many natives would say Het is zinvol om elke dag even te lezen. Even strongly conveys “for a short while” and is very idiomatic. Kort is fine and clear but a bit more literal; een beetje stresses quantity (“a little bit”), not time.

What’s the nuance of zinvol versus nuttig or goed?

zinvol: meaningful, purpose‑fulfilling, worth doing.
nuttig: useful, beneficial in a practical sense.
goed (om): broadly “good/right to (do).” All three fit; they just emphasize slightly different aspects.

Could I say Het is zinvol dat je elke dag kort leest?

That shifts the meaning. It evaluates the fact that you (already) read daily as meaningful: “It is meaningful that you read every day.” For a general recommendation (“It’s meaningful to read daily”), use Het is zinvol om ….

Can I front the activity and say Elke dag kort lezen is zinvol?

Yes. That’s a natural alternative, puts a bit more focus on the activity itself, and avoids the dummy het.

Why is it te lezen and not a Dutch equivalent of the English gerund “reading”?

Dutch typically uses te + infinitive to express what English often does with a gerund: … te lezen ≈ “reading.” You can also nominalize with het + infinitive, e.g., Het dagelijks lezen is zinvol, which is a bit more formal.

Do I need a comma before om?

No. Dutch normally doesn’t use a comma before an om … te infinitival clause.

What part of speech is zinvol, and how does it inflect?

Zinvol is an adjective. Predicative: Het is zinvol. Attributive: een zinvol idee (neuter, singular, indefinite), de zinvolle tip. Comparative/superlative: zinvoller, (het) zinvolst(e).

When do I use om te versus just te with an infinitive?

After many adjectives, om te is the norm: Het is zinvol/goed/leuk om te lezen. Dropping om is possible but more formal.
After many verbs, you don’t use om: Ik probeer te lezen, Ik vergeet te lezen, Ik hoef niet te lezen. Some verbs take a bare infinitive: Ik ga lezen, Ik wil lezen, Ik kan lezen.
For purpose (“in order to”), use om te: Ik lees om beter te worden.

Any quick pronunciation tips for key words?

zinvol: stress on the first syllable; zin like English “zin” in “zinc” without the “c,” vol like “vol” in “volley” without the “ley.”
lezen: ee is a long vowel (like the “ay” in “say,” but steadier), final -en is a schwa: roughly “LAY-zən.”
kort: short “o” (like British “cot”), not like “court.”
elke: final -e is a schwa: “EL-kə.”