Learn Hardcore Dutch: De sollicitatie gaat goed; de werkgever houdt haar op de hoogte per e-mail. - The application is going well; the employer keeps her updated by email.

iemand op de hoogte houden (van iets) = keep someone informed (about something) Example: De werkgever houdt haar op de hoogte van de procedure. Here, op de hoogte is a fixed phrase; you can’t change or drop the article.

Why is it gaat goed and not is goed?

In Dutch, gaan + goed describes how a process or situation is proceeding (“is going well”). Zijn + goed evaluates the quality of a finished thing (“is good”). So De sollicitatie gaat goed = the application process is progressing well; De sollicitatie is goed would sound like you’re judging the application text itself.

Why does it say houdt with -dt?

The verb is houden (stem: houd). For third person singular present (hij/zij/het), add -t: houdt. The d and t are both written but not both heard; it sounds like houd.

ik houd / hou (both accepted)
je houdt
question with postposed je: Houd je haar op de hoogte? (no extra -t)
imperative: Houd me op de hoogte!

Who is haar here, and could it be something else?

Haar is the object pronoun “her,” referring to a previously mentioned woman (likely the applicant).

If the person is male: hem.
Plural “them”: standard is hen (direct object or after a preposition) and hun (indirect object without a preposition). In casual speech many use hun for both, but in careful writing keep the distinction.
Unstressed colloquial object: ze can replace haar in speech (De werkgever houdt ze op de hoogte), but it’s ambiguous (could also mean “them”), so haar is clearer.

Can I move per e-mail to other positions?

Yes:

De werkgever houdt haar op de hoogte per e‑mail. (as given)
De werkgever houdt haar per e‑mail op de hoogte.
Per e‑mail houdt de werkgever haar op de hoogte. (fronted adverbial) Writers often keep the fixed chunk op de hoogte (houden) together; options 1 and 3 do that neatly.

Is per e-mail the same as via e-mail or per mail?

They’re all understood:

per e‑mail: somewhat formal/administrative.
via e‑mail: very common and neutral.
per mail: common in practice; in some contexts “mail” can be ambiguous (email vs post), so use per e‑mail or per post if you need to be explicit. Avoid: over e‑mail, met e‑mail, door e‑mail for this meaning.

Is De sollicitatie gaat goed idiomatic, or should I say verloopt goed?

Both are idiomatic. Gaat goed is everyday style. Verloopt goed is a bit more formal and explicitly treats it as a process. You can also say Het sollicitatieproces verloopt/gaat goed.

Does sollicitatie mean the interview, the application letter, or the whole process?

It can mean the overall application process or the act of applying. If you specifically mean the interview, use het sollicitatiegesprek.

Mijn sollicitatie gaat goed. (overall process)
Het sollicitatiegesprek ging goed. (the interview went well)

Why is it op de hoogte, not op hoogte?

Because op de hoogte is a fixed idiom meaning “informed, up to date.” The definite article de is obligatory; op hoogte is ungrammatical in this sense.

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

Simple past: De sollicitatie ging goed; de werkgever hield haar op de hoogte per e‑mail.
Present perfect: De sollicitatie is goed gegaan; de werkgever heeft haar per e‑mail op de hoogte gehouden. Note the participle of houden is gehouden, and the whole unit stays together at the end: op de hoogte gehouden.

Could I use a passive version?

Yes:

Present: Ze wordt per e‑mail op de hoogte gehouden.
Simple past: Ze werd per e‑mail op de hoogte gehouden.
Perfect (completed event): Ze is per e‑mail op de hoogte gehouden. Passive focuses on her rather than the employer.

Is the semicolon used in Dutch the same way as in English?

Broadly yes: it links two closely related independent clauses. You could also use a period (De sollicitatie gaat goed. De werkgever houdt haar…) or add en (…, en de werkgever houdt haar…).

Any pronunciation tips for tricky words here?

sollicitatie: sol-li-ci-TA-tie; the last part sounds like “TA‑tsie.”
werkgever: stress on werk; both g’s are guttural (Dutch g).
houdt: ends like “howt”; the written d/t distinction isn’t audible.
e‑mail: usually “EE‑mail” or “EE‑meel.”

Which article do these nouns take?

de sollicitatie
de werkgever
de e‑mail (often no article in the set phrase per e‑mail)

Could I replace the idiom with informeren or similar?

Yes, with nuance differences:

One-off: De werkgever informeert haar per e‑mail.
Ongoing updates: De werkgever houdt haar (regelmatig) op de hoogte.
Formal notification: De werkgever stelt haar per e‑mail op de hoogte.

Does Dutch need a progressive form here, like “is keeping her”?

No. Dutch uses the simple present for ongoing actions: houdt haar op de hoogte covers both “keeps” and “is keeping.” A progressive like is haar op de hoogte aan het houden is grammatical but clunky and rare.

Any pitfalls with houden because of houden van?

Yes—don’t mix them up:

iemand op de hoogte houden = keep someone informed.
van iemand houden = love someone. Compare: De werkgever houdt haar op de hoogte vs De werkgever houdt van haar (very different!).