Log inSign up

Anna wil zich vanavond via de app afmelden.

Anna wil zich vanavond via de app afmelden.
Anna wants to deregister via the app tonight.
FromLesson 50inHardcore Dutch
……

Questions & Answers about Anna wil zich vanavond via de app afmelden.

Why is it wil and not wilt with Anna?
With the verb willen (to want), third-person singular is wil: hij/zij/Anna wil. The -t form wilt is used with formal u: u wilt. So Anna wil is correct, not Anna wilt.
What is zich doing here? Why is it needed?

zich is the reflexive pronoun. zich afmelden means “to sign off/deregister oneself.” Without the reflexive, afmelden usually means to deregister someone else.

  • Reflexive (self): Anna wil zich afmelden.
  • Non‑reflexive (someone else): Anna wil haar dochter afmelden.
Where should zich go? Could I say: Anna wil vanavond via de app zich afmelden?

Put the unstressed reflexive pronoun early in the “middle field,” before adverbials and the verb cluster:

  • Natural: Anna wil zich vanavond via de app afmelden.
  • Without a modal (see the split verb): Anna meldt zich vanavond via de app af.
  • Dispreferred: Anna wil vanavond via de app zich afmelden.
Why isn’t afmelden split as meldt … af here?
Because wil is a modal verb. With a modal, the main verb stays in the infinitive at the end and doesn’t split: … wil … afmelden. Without the modal, the separable verb splits: Anna meldt … af.
Is the order vanavond via de app fixed? Can I swap them?

Dutch tends to follow Time–Manner–Place. vanavond (time) before via de app (manner/means) is the neutral choice:

  • Neutral: Anna wil zich vanavond via de app afmelden.
  • You can swap for focus: Anna wil zich via de app vanavond afmelden, but it sounds marked or contrastive.
What’s the difference between afmelden, uitloggen, afzeggen, and uitschrijven?
  • zich afmelden: to excuse/deregister yourself from an activity or to log off a session. Example: Ik meld me af voor de les.
  • uitloggen: to log out of an account/app. Example: Ik log uit.
  • afzeggen: to cancel an appointment/meeting. Example: Ik zeg de afspraak af.
  • zich uitschrijven: to unenroll/withdraw from a membership/registry (more formal/administrative). Example: Ik schrijf me uit bij de gemeente. In IT contexts, systems often use (zich) afmelden for “log off,” while uitloggen is very common in speech.
Can I say zichzelf instead of zich?

Use zichzelf only for emphasis, like “herself” in English.

  • Neutral: Anna wil zich afmelden.
  • Emphatic: Anna wil zichzelf afmelden (e.g., not someone else).
How do I turn this into a question?
  • Yes/no question (V2): Wil Anna zich vanavond via de app afmelden?
  • Wh-question (place the wh-word first):
    • Time: Wanneer wil Anna zich via de app afmelden?
    • Means/instrument: Waarmee wil Anna zich vanavond afmelden? or Via welke app wil Anna zich vanavond afmelden?
How does this look in a subordinate clause?

Verbs go to the end, and the infinitive stays together:

  • … omdat Anna zich vanavond via de app wil afmelden. (You may also see … omdat Anna zich … afmelden wil, especially in Flemish; … wil afmelden is more common in the Netherlands.)
Do I need te before afmelden after wil?

No. Modals (kunnen, moeten, mogen, willen, zullen) take a bare infinitive:

  • Anna wil zich … afmelden.
    With other verbs you may need te:
  • Anna probeert zich vanavond via de app af te melden.
Why is it de app and not het app? Can I drop the article?
app is a common-gender noun (a de‑word), so de app. You normally keep the article: via de app. You can drop it with a proper name (via WhatsApp) or in headline style, but in normal sentences via de app is best.
Which prepositions go with afmelden: voor, bij, via?
  • zich afmelden voor + activity/event: Ik meld me af voor de training.
  • zich afmelden bij + person/place: Meld je af bij de receptie.
  • zich afmelden via + channel: Ik meld me via de app af. You can combine them: Ik meld me vanavond via de app af voor de les.
If the subject changes, do the reflexive pronouns change?

Yes:

  • Ik meld me af.
  • Jij/je meldt je af.
  • Hij/zij/Anna meldt zich af.
  • Wij/we melden ons af.
  • Jullie melden je af.
  • Zij/ze melden zich af. With a modal: Wij willen ons vanavond via de app afmelden. / Zij willen zich …
Could I use gaat or zal instead of wil? What’s the nuance?
  • wil = wants/intends: Anna wil zich … afmelden.
  • gaat = is going to (plan/arrangement): Anna gaat zich … afmelden.
  • zal = will/shall (prediction/offer/decision): Anna zal zich … afmelden. Choose based on meaning; they aren’t interchangeable without changing the nuance.
Any quick pronunciation tips?
  • zich: final ch is a voiceless guttural , like German ich but harsher: [zɪx].
  • vanavond: stress on the middle syllable: [vaˈnaː.vɔnt].
  • via: two syllables [ˈvi.a].
  • afmelden: [ˈɑfˌmɛl.də(n)].

More from this lesson

de wasIk doe vanavond de was.de drogerAnna stopt de kleren in de droger en zet hem aan.De was gaat daarna in de droger, want het regent buiten.strijkenZij strijkt morgen haar blouse, en ik strijk mijn broek.uiterlijk
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?”
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Dutch

Master Dutch — from Anna wil zich vanavond via de app afmelden to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Dutch freeBrowse the full course