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Breakdown of Wij houden Anna op de hoogte via de app.
Anna
Anna
wij
we
de app
the app
via
via
op de hoogte houden
to keep updated
Questions & Answers about Wij houden Anna op de hoogte via de app.
What does the verb houden mean here, and how is it different from houden van?
Here houden means “to keep.” The pattern is iemand op de hoogte houden = “to keep someone informed.”
Houden van means “to love” (e.g., Wij houden van Anna = “We love Anna”), which is unrelated to this idiom.
What exactly is op de hoogte? Is it literal or idiomatic?
It’s an idiomatic noun phrase meaning “informed/aware.” Literally it’s “on the height,” but in this expression it means “up to date.” You’ll see related expressions like op de hoogte zijn (to be informed) and op de hoogte blijven (to stay informed).
Is op de hoogte houden a separable verb?
No. Houden is the verb; op de hoogte is a fixed complement. In the perfect tense you say: We hebben Anna op de hoogte gehouden (past participle: gehouden). The phrase op de hoogte stays together; nothing “splits off.”
Why is it op de hoogte, not just op hoogte?
Because the idiom requires the article. Hoogte is a de-word, and the set phrase is always op de hoogte. Dropping de sounds wrong in standard Dutch.
Can I move via de app to another position in the sentence?
Yes. Word order is flexible for adverbial phrases. All of these are natural:
- Wij houden Anna op de hoogte via de app.
- Wij houden Anna via de app op de hoogte.
- Via de app houden wij Anna op de hoogte. Choose based on emphasis and flow.
How would I replace Anna with a pronoun?
Use haar (her): We houden haar op de hoogte (via de app).
If you also specify the topic with van, you can say: We houden haar op de hoogte van de planning or replace the van-phrase with a pronoun: We houden haar daarvan op de hoogte.
How do I put this in the past?
- Simple past: We hielden Anna op de hoogte via de app.
- Present perfect: We hebben Anna op de hoogte gehouden via de app.
How do I form a yes–no question?
Invert subject and verb: Houden we Anna op de hoogte via de app?
With emphasis you can use wij: Houden wij Anna op de hoogte via de app?
How do I negate this?
- Not keeping her informed at all: We houden Anna niet op de hoogte.
- Keeping her informed, but not via the app: We houden Anna wel op de hoogte, maar niet via de app.
Placing niet changes what is being negated.
What’s the difference between op de hoogte houden, op de hoogte brengen, op de hoogte zijn, and op de hoogte blijven?
- iemand op de hoogte houden: keep someone informed continuously.
- iemand op de hoogte brengen: inform/bring someone up to date once.
- op de hoogte zijn: be informed.
- op de hoogte blijven: stay informed (continue to be).
Is via the only option? What about per, met, or other prepositions?
Via is the most neutral for channels like apps, email, or a website.
- Met de app can work but sounds a bit more like “using the app.”
- Per is formal and common with mail or post (per e-mail).
- Door middel van is longer/formal (“by means of”).
So via de app is the best everyday choice.
Why Wij and not We?
Both are correct. Wij adds emphasis to the subject (“we, as opposed to others”). In everyday speech and writing, we is more common unless you want that emphasis.
Is app a de-word or a het-word?
It’s a de-word: de app, een app. (It comes from de applicatie.) In everyday Dutch, via de app often implies WhatsApp, depending on context.
How do I specify what we’re keeping her updated about?
Add a van-phrase: We houden Anna op de hoogte van de planning / het project / het nieuws.
What’s the imperative form?
- Informal singular: Hou(d) Anna op de hoogte via de app. (Both Hou and Houd are accepted; Houd is the more formal spelling.)
- Polite with u: Houd(t) u Anna op de hoogte via de app. (With u, both Houd u and Houdt u are acceptable.)
How does this look in a subordinate clause?
The conjugated verb goes to the end: Ik zeg dat we Anna via de app op de hoogte houden.
Any pronunciation tips?
Approximate Dutch sounds:
- wij ≈ “vey” with a soft v/w start.
- houden: “HOW-den” (ow as in “cow”).
- op de: often reduced in speech, like “op d’.”
- hoogte: “HOHG-tuh” (long o, guttural g).
- app: like English “app.”
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