Breakdown of Het is mogelijk dat zij te laat komt, maar ze belt, toch?
zijn
to be
zij
she
maar
but
dat
that
het
it
laat
late
te
too
komen
to come
bellen
to call
ze
she
mogelijk
possible
toch
right?
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Questions & Answers about Het is mogelijk dat zij te laat komt, maar ze belt, toch?
Why is the verb at the end in dat zij te laat komt?
Because dat introduces a subordinate clause (a content clause). In Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb goes to the end. Compare:
- Main clause: Zij komt te laat.
- Subordinate: (Het is mogelijk) dat zij te laat komt.
Can I say dat zij te laat zal komen instead of dat zij te laat komt?
Yes. Both are correct. Dutch often uses the present to talk about the future, so komt already implies future here. Zal komen adds a stronger prediction or a slightly more formal tone. Using gaat komen after mogelijk (possible) often sounds too certain: Het is mogelijk dat zij te laat gaat komen can feel mismatched in tone.
What’s the difference between zij and ze?
Both mean she (and can also mean they in other contexts). Zij is the stressed/contrastive form; ze is the unstressed form. Use zij for emphasis (She, not someone else). In everyday speech ze is more common. Mixing them in one sentence, as here, is fine.
Why te laat and not just laat?
- te laat is the idiomatic way to say someone is late for an appointment or deadline (tardy).
- laat usually refers to a late time of day or doing something late, without implying you missed a set time.
Examples:
- Hij komt te laat. = He arrives late (tardy).
- Hij komt laat. = He comes late (late in the evening), not necessarily missing a time.
Why te laat komt and not te laat is?
- te laat komen focuses on the act of arriving late.
- te laat zijn focuses on the resulting state of being too late.
Both fit depending on nuance:
- Het is mogelijk dat zij te laat komt = She might arrive late.
- Het is mogelijk dat zij te laat is = She might be too late (e.g., to catch the start).
Is the comma before maar required? And what about the comma before toch??
- Before maar: A comma is common when linking two full clauses, but it isn’t strictly required in Dutch. It’s good style here.
- Before the tag toch?: Yes, you typically set off a tag question with a comma: ..., toch?
Why not maar belt ze, toch? Do we ever invert after maar?
No inversion is needed because maar is a coordinating conjunction. You keep normal main‑clause order: ze belt. Maar belt ze, toch? would be a yes/no question (“But is she calling?”), which is different.
What does the tag toch? mean here?
It’s a confirmation-seeking tag, roughly like English right? / isn’t she? It signals the speaker expects agreement (“she will call, right?”). Use rising intonation on toch?
What’s the difference between maar ze belt toch and maar ze belt, toch??
- maar ze belt toch. (no question mark) = a statement: “but she will call anyway/after all,” with toch as an adverb inside the clause.
- maar ze belt, toch? (comma + question mark) = a tag question asking for confirmation: “but she will call, right?”
Could I use other tags like nietwaar?, of niet?, or hè??
Yes, with nuance:
- nietwaar? more formal/literary.
- of niet? very common, neutral: ..., of niet?
- hè? / hé? very colloquial, friendly confirmation. Regional preferences vary.
Why is there no object after belt? Shouldn’t it be belt mij?
Dutch bellen can be used without an explicit object when it’s obvious who will be called. If you want to specify:
- iemand bellen = call someone directly: Ze belt mij.
- bellen naar + plaats/persoon = call to: Ze belt naar de dokter.
- (op)bellen ≈ bellen; op is optional in everyday speech.
- met iemand bellen = be on the phone with someone (be in a call).
Are there simpler ways to express the first part?
Yes:
- Misschien komt ze te laat, maar ze belt, toch?
- Ze kan te laat komen, maar ze belt, toch? (Here kan = might; context disambiguates from ability.)
- Het kan zijn dat ze te laat komt, maar … is more idiomatic than Het kan dat …
Why is it dat and not omdat, of, or als?
- dat introduces a content clause (that-clause): Het is mogelijk dat …
- omdat = because (reason), not correct here.
- of = whether/if (indirect questions): Ik vraag me af of …
- als = if/when (conditional/temporal), not the same function.
Where does te laat go in main vs subordinate clauses?
- Main clause (V2): Ze komt te laat. Subject–Verb–(adverb).
- Subordinate with dat (V-final): … dat ze te laat komt. The adverb stays before the verb that moves to the end.
Can I say maar ze gaat bellen, toch? What’s the nuance versus ze belt?
Yes. Ze gaat bellen highlights a plan or near‑certain future. Ze belt is simpler and can also refer to the near future; it’s the default in many contexts. With mogelijk in the first clause, ze belt keeps the overall tone less forceful than ze gaat bellen.