Ik ben net klaar met het huiswerk.

I have just finished the homework.

Breakdown of Ik ben net klaar met het huiswerk.

• ik: I
• zijn: to be
• met: with
• klaar: ready
• het huiswerk: the homework
• net: just

Questions & Answers about Ik ben net klaar met het huiswerk.

Why is it “Ik ben net klaar” and not something like “Ik heb net klaar”?

In Dutch, “klaar” here is an adjective, not a verb form.
Literally, “Ik ben net klaar” means “I am just ready/finished”.

• “ben” is the verb “to be” (zijn), used with adjectives:
  • Ik ben moe. – I am tired.
  • Ik ben klaar. – I am ready / I’m done.
• “heb” (from hebben, to have) is used with past participles to form the perfect tense:
  • Ik heb mijn huiswerk gemaakt. – I have done my homework.

So Dutch is saying “I am just finished with the homework”, not “I have just finished”.
That’s why it’s “Ik ben net klaar…”, not “Ik heb net klaar…”.

What does “net” mean here, and is it the same as English “just”?

Yes. In this sentence, “net” means “just now / a moment ago”.

• Ik ben net klaar met het huiswerk.
  → I’ve just finished the homework.

Common meanings of “net”:

1. Time: “just now, a moment ago”
   • Hij is net weggegaan. – He just left.
2. Slightly / barely (in some contexts)
   • Het past net. – It just fits / It barely fits.

So here “net” matches English “just (now)” in time expressions.

Could I leave out “net”? What would “Ik ben klaar met het huiswerk” mean?

Yes, you can leave out “net”, but the nuance changes.

• Ik ben net klaar met het huiswerk.
  → I’ve just finished the homework (very recent).
• Ik ben klaar met het huiswerk.
  → I’m finished with the homework / I’m done with the homework.

Without “net”, it still means you’re finished, but it doesn’t emphasize that it happened just now. It could have been a few minutes or even a while ago, depending on context.

Why do you say “klaar met” instead of something like “klaar van”?

In Dutch, the usual pattern is:

• klaar zijn met + noun / activity
  = to be finished with something

Examples:

• Ik ben klaar met mijn werk. – I’m done with my work.
• Ben je klaar met eten? – Are you finished eating?
• We zijn bijna klaar met de les. – We’re almost finished with the lesson.

So:

• klaar met het huiswerk = finished with the homework

“klaar van” is not used in standard Dutch with this meaning. The correct preposition after “klaar” in this sense is “met”.

What exactly does “klaar” mean here? Is it “ready” or “finished”?

Literally, “klaar” means “ready”, but in many contexts it also means “finished / done”.

Two common uses:

1. Ready:

   • Ben je klaar? – Are you ready?
   • Het eten is klaar. – The food is ready.

2. Finished / done (often with “met”):

   • Ik ben klaar met het huiswerk. – I’m done with the homework.
   • Hij is klaar met studeren. – He is finished studying.

So here “klaar” is best translated as “done / finished”, but it’s the same word that also means “ready”.

Why is it “het huiswerk” and not “de huiswerk”?

In Dutch, every noun has a grammatical gender: de-words (common) or het-words (neuter).

• huiswerk is a het-word, so the definite article is het:
  • het huiswerk – the homework

A few extra points:

• Huiswerk is usually uncountable, like English “homework”.
  • You don’t normally say “huiswerken” in everyday Dutch.
• You can also say it without an article:
  • Ik maak huiswerk. – I’m doing homework.

But when you use the homework specifically, you say:

• het huiswerk (never de huiswerk).

Can “huiswerk” be plural, like “homeworks”?

In normal everyday Dutch, no. It’s treated like an uncountable noun, just like “homework” in English.

• Ik heb veel huiswerk. – I have a lot of homework.
• We kregen huiswerk. – We got homework.

There is a plural “huiswerken”, but:

• It’s rare and sounds technical or formal.
• You might see it in contexts like school policy or educational documents (“different kinds of homework assignments”), not in ordinary speech.

For normal conversation, treat “huiswerk” like an uncountable noun: no regular plural in everyday use.

Can I move “net” to another position, for example: “Ik ben klaar net met het huiswerk”?

No, “Ik ben klaar net met het huiswerk” is not natural Dutch.

Acceptable positions for “net” in this kind of sentence are:

• Ik ben net klaar met het huiswerk. ✅ (most natural)
• Ik ben net met het huiswerk klaar. ✅ (also possible, slightly different emphasis)

Where it normally doesn’t go:

• Ik ben klaar net met het huiswerk. ❌
• Ik ben met het huiswerk net klaar. ❌ (sounds awkward in most contexts)

For learners, the safest and most natural structure is:

• Ik ben net klaar met het huiswerk.

How would I say “I just finished my homework” with a verb instead of “klaar zijn”?

You can use a verb like “afmaken” (to finish) or “doen/maken” (to do):

Common options:

• Ik heb net mijn huiswerk afgemaakt.
  → I just finished my homework.
• Ik heb net mijn huiswerk gedaan.
  → I just did my homework.
• Ik heb net mijn huiswerk af.
  → Colloquial: I just finished my homework / My homework is done.

Your original sentence uses an adjective:

• Ik ben net klaar met het huiswerk.
  → Literally: I am just finished with the homework.

All of these are correct; the choice is mostly about style and nuance.

Can I use this structure in the past, like “I had just finished my homework”?

Yes. You change “ben” to the past tense “was”:

• Ik was net klaar met het huiswerk.
  → I had just finished my homework.

Same pattern:

• Ik ben net klaar… – I have just finished / I’m just done…
• Ik was net klaar… – I had just finished / I was just done…

What’s a natural short reply if someone asks “Ben je al klaar met het huiswerk?”?

The question:

• Ben je al klaar met het huiswerk?
  → Are you already done with the homework?

Natural short answers:

• Ja, ik ben (net) klaar. – Yes, I’m (just) done.
• Ja, ik ben klaar met het huiswerk. – Yes, I’m done with the homework.
• Nee, nog niet. – No, not yet.
• Bijna. – Almost.