De lerares bepaalt de begintijd van de les.

The teacher determines the start time of the lesson.

Breakdown of De lerares bepaalt de begintijd van de les.

• van: of
• de les: the lesson
• de lerares: the (female) teacher
• bepalen: to determine
• de begintijd: the start time

Questions & Answers about De lerares bepaalt de begintijd van de les.

How is the verb bepalen conjugated here, and why is it bepaalt?

Because the subject is third‑person singular (de lerares), Dutch adds -t in the present tense: ik bepaal, jij/hij/zij bepaalt, wij/jullie/zij bepalen. Note the difference between the finite form bepaalt and the past participle/adjective bepaald (with d).

What’s the difference between lerares, leraar, and docent?

• lerares = female teacher
• leraar = male teacher
• docent = teacher/lecturer, often used (also neutrally) in secondary/higher education; the specifically female form docente exists but many use docent for everyone. A neutral alternative across contexts is leerkracht. In primary schools you also hear juf (female) and meester (male).

Why is the article de used with lerares, begintijd, and les?

All three are common‑gender nouns (de‑words): de lerares, de begintijd, de les. In Dutch, most words for people are de‑words. The indefinite article would be een: een lerares, een begintijd, een les.

Is begintijd a single word? Can I write begin tijd or use starttijd/aanvangstijd?

Compounds are written as one word in Dutch, so begintijd is correct; begin tijd is incorrect. Synonyms: starttijd (very common) and aanvangstijd (more formal). All fit here.

Why is it van de les and not voor de les?

van means of, expressing association/possession: de begintijd van de les = the lesson’s start time. voor de les means for/before the lesson and changes the meaning.

What is the function of van de les in the sentence?

It’s a van‑phrase that complements the noun begintijd, specifying which start time. Dutch could also make a compound like lesbegintijd, but de begintijd van de les sounds more natural in everyday speech.

How do I say this in the past tense and perfect tense?

• Simple past: De lerares bepaalde de begintijd van de les.
• Present perfect: De lerares heeft de begintijd van de les bepaald. The participle bepaald ends with d (not t) per the ’t kofschip/’t fokschaap rule.

How do I form yes/no and wh‑questions from this sentence?

• Yes/no: Bepaalt de lerares de begintijd van de les?
• Wh‑examples:
  • Subject: Wie bepaalt de begintijd van de les?
  • Object: Wat bepaalt de lerares?
  • Time of the lesson: Wanneer begint de les? or Hoe laat begint de les? (for clock time)

Where does niet go if I want to negate it?

• General negation: De lerares bepaalt de begintijd van de les niet.
• Contrastive focus on the object: De lerares bepaalt niet de begintijd van de les, maar de duur. Place niet before the specific element you’re negating; otherwise, put it near the end of the clause.

Can I change the word order, like De lerares bepaalt van de les de begintijd?

It’s grammatical but awkward. Natural Dutch keeps the complement right after its head noun: De lerares bepaalt de begintijd van de les. You can front the PP for emphasis (Van de les bepaalt de lerares de begintijd), but that’s marked.

What’s the nuance of bepaalt compared with beslist or stelt … vast?

• bepaalt: sets/defines something (often making it official or fixed).
• beslist (over): decides between options; emphasizes choosing.
• stelt … vast (from vaststellen): formally determines/ascertains; bureaucratic/formal tone. In this context, all work but carry those nuances.

What’s the difference between les, klas, and college?

• les = a lesson/class session.
• klas = the group of students (the class as a cohort).
• college = a lecture, usually at university. So begintijd van de les is correct; begintijd van de klas would be odd.

How do I make the sentence gender‑neutral?

Use a neutral job title: De docent bepaalt de begintijd van de les. Other neutral options: De leerkracht bepaalt … In primary school contexts, juf/meester are common but not neutral.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• lerares: stress on the last syllable (le-ra-RES).
• bepaalt: stress on the second syllable; pronounce the final t.
• begintijd: ij is the Dutch diphthong (like in mijn), closer to English “eye.”
• les: short e as in English “bet.” Linking is natural: van de flows together; v in van is voiced in most accents.