Learn Hardcore Dutch: Ik was van plan vroeg op te staan, maar ik bleef te lang in bed liggen. - I planned to get up early, but I stayed in bed too long.

Ik was van plan vroeg op te staan ≈ “I intended / I was planning to get up early.”
The verb plannen is usually used with a direct object:
- Ik plande mijn vakantie. – I planned my holiday.
- We hebben een vergadering gepland. – We scheduled a meeting.

You can say something like Ik had gepland om vroeg op te staan, but:

it sounds a bit more formal or business-like, and
in everyday speech, Ik was van plan … is much more natural for talking about personal intentions.

What exactly is the structure van plan zijn and how do I use it?

Van plan zijn is a fixed expression meaning “to intend / to be planning”:

Pattern: [subject] + zijn (in the right tense) + van plan + (om) + te + infinitive
Examples:
- Ik ben van plan vroeg op te staan. – I intend to get up early.
- We waren van plan naar Nederland te verhuizen. – We were planning to move to the Netherlands.
- Ben je van plan om te komen? – Are you planning to come?

In your sentence:

Ik was van plan vroeg op te staan
- was = past tense of zijn
- van plan = “intending / planning”
- vroeg op te staan = “to get up early”

Why is there no om in Ik was van plan vroeg op te staan? Could I say om there?

After van plan zijn, you may use om, but it is optional.

Both are correct:
- Ik was van plan vroeg op te staan.
- Ik was van plan om vroeg op te staan.

Differences:

Without om: a bit shorter and very common in everyday speech.
With om: slightly more explicit and a bit more formal or careful, but still very normal.

Learners are often taught the pattern om … te …, but in real Dutch om is often dropped when the meaning is clear, especially after expressions like:

van plan zijn
proberen (try)
beloven (promise)

Why is it vroeg op te staan and not vroeg te opstaan or vroeg te staan op?

Because opstaan is a separable verb:

Base form: opstaan – to get up
In a simple main clause: Ik sta vroeg op. (the particle op goes to the end)
In an infinitive with te, the pieces come back together in this order:
op te staan (particle op
- te
  - verb staan)

So:

vroeg op te staan = correct
vroeg te opstaan = incorrect
vroeg te staan op = incorrect

General pattern for separable verbs with te:

Ik probeer morgen op te staan. – I try to get up tomorrow.
Hij belooft haar terug te bellen. – He promises to call her back.
Ze hoopt mee te doen. – She hopes to participate / join in.

What is the role of te in op te staan? Is it the same te as in te lang (“too long”)?

There are actually two different words te in your sentence:

te before an infinitive (op te staan, te liggen)
- This is the infinitive marker, similar to English “to”:
  - opstaan → op te staan
  - liggen → te liggen
- It appears in structures like:
  - om te werken – to work
  - zonder te praten – without talking
  - probeert te slapen – tries to sleep
te in te lang
- This te means “too” (excessive), like English too:
  - te groot – too big
  - te duur – too expensive
  - te lang – too long

So:

op te staan = “to get up” (infinitive with te)
te lang = “too long” (degree word expressing excess)

What does bleef … liggen mean exactly? Why not just ik lag te lang in bed?

The verb blijven means “to stay / to remain / to keep (doing something)”. When it’s used with a posture verb (like liggen = lie, zitten = sit, staan = stand), it emphasizes continuation of that position or activity.

ik bleef te lang in bed liggen
- literally: “I remained lying in bed too long”
- nuance: you stayed in bed, you didn’t get up as you intended.

Compare:

Ik lag te lang in bed. – “I lay in bed too long.”
- Correct, but more neutral; it just states the fact.
Ik bleef te lang in bed liggen. – adds the idea of continuing to lie there instead of stopping / getting up.

Dutch often uses this pattern:

Hij bleef zitten. – He stayed seated. / He remained sitting.
Ze bleef lachen. – She kept laughing.
We bleven nog even staan praten. – We stayed standing and talking for a bit longer.

So the original sentence nicely contrasts:

intention: op te staan (get up)
reality: bleef … liggen (kept lying there)

Why is the word order ik bleef te lang in bed liggen and not ik bleef in bed te lang liggen?

Both ik bleef te lang in bed liggen and ik bleef in bed te lang liggen are grammatically possible, but the most natural order is:

ik bleef te lang in bed liggen

Some rules and tendencies:

In the middle field of a Dutch main clause (between the finite verb and the final infinitive), adverbs of degree/time like te lang usually come before location phrases like in bed:
- bleef [te lang] [in bed] liggen
The infinitive liggen normally comes at the end of the clause:
- bleef … liggen

So the most neutral order is:

ik bleef te lang in bed liggen.

If you say ik bleef in bed te lang liggen, you’re slightly shifting the focus to “in bed” (as opposed to somewhere else), which can sound a bit marked or stylistic. Everyday Dutch strongly prefers the original order.

Why is it in bed and not op bed?

In Dutch, the usual preposition for lying in your bed (as in sleeping or resting) is in:

in bed liggen – to be in bed, lying in bed
Ik lig nog in bed. – I am still in bed.

Op bed is possible but different in meaning:

op bed suggests on top of the bed, typically not under the covers:
- Ik zit op bed. – I’m sitting on the bed (usually on top of it).
- De kat ligt op bed. – The cat is lying on the bed.

So:

Ik bleef te lang in bed liggen. – you stayed lying in bed, as in sleeping / under the covers.
Ik bleef te lang op bed liggen. – unusual in this context; would suggest you were on top of the bed.

Could I say Ik had gepland om vroeg op te staan instead of Ik was van plan vroeg op te staan?

You can say Ik had gepland om vroeg op te staan, and it is grammatically correct, but:

It sounds more formal or business-like, like planning a task in a schedule.
Ik was van plan vroeg op te staan sounds more natural and colloquial when you’re just talking about your personal intention.

Typical uses of plannen:

We hebben de reis goed gepland. – We planned the trip well.
Ik heb gepland om morgen drie hoofdstukken te lezen. – Feels like a structured, somewhat formal plan.

For everyday speech about what you meant to do, van plan zijn is usually the best choice.

Why is there a comma before maar?

In Dutch, maar is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but”. It links two main clauses:

Ik was van plan vroeg op te staan, maar ik bleef te lang in bed liggen.

Commas:

It is standard and recommended to put a comma before maar when it connects two full clauses (each with its own subject and finite verb).
In shorter sentences or when it connects only phrases (not full clauses), the comma may be omitted:
- Niet dit maar dat. – Not this but that. (no comma)

Here, both parts are full sentences:

Ik was van plan vroeg op te staan.
Ik bleef te lang in bed liggen.

So the comma before maar is correct and natural.

What tense is Ik was van plan and how does it compare to English?

Ik was van plan is the simple past (imperfect) of zijn:

ik ben van plan – I intend / I am planning
ik was van plan – I intended / I was planning

In English, the most natural translation is often:

I was planning to get up early
or
I intended to get up early

Like in English, this past tense can describe:

an intention you had at some time in the past that did not come true (as here), or
just what you were planning at that time, without saying whether it happened or not (context decides).