Ik wil even nadenken voordat ik antwoord geef.

I want to think for a moment before I give an answer.

Breakdown of Ik wil even nadenken voordat ik antwoord geef.

• ik: I
• willen: to want
• voordat: before
• geven: to give
• het antwoord: the answer
• even: for a moment
• nadenken: to think about

Questions & Answers about Ik wil even nadenken voordat ik antwoord geef.

What does even mean in Ik wil even nadenken? Is it necessary?

Even is a very common little word in Dutch that:

1. Indicates a short time – roughly “for a moment”, “for a second”.
2. Softens the sentence and makes it sound more polite / less blunt.

So:

• Ik wil nadenken = “I want to think.”
  → Can sound a bit direct or serious.
• Ik wil even nadenken = “I just want to think for a moment.”
  → Sounds more relaxed, friendly, and natural.

It’s not grammatically necessary, but leaving it out changes the tone. Dutch people use even like this all the time in spoken language.

What is the difference between nadenken and denken?

Both relate to “thinking”, but they’re used differently:

• denken = to think (in general), to have thoughts or an opinion.
  
  • Ik denk dat hij komt. = I think he is coming.
• nadenken = to think something over, to reflect, to consider.
  
  • Ik wil even nadenken. = I want to think it over / reflect for a moment.

In your sentence, nadenken is used because you’re deliberately considering something before you answer, not just “having thoughts” in general.

Why is the verb wil in the second position in Ik wil even nadenken?

This follows the basic Dutch main-clause word order:

Subject – conjugated verb – (other stuff) – infinitive(s)

So:

• Ik (subject)
• wil (conjugated verb: 1st person singular of willen)
• even (adverb)
• nadenken (infinitive)

That’s why it’s Ik wil even nadenken, not Ik even nadenken wil.

Why is it voordat written as one word and not voor dat as two words?

Voordat is a conjunction meaning “before” (introducing a clause):

• Ik wil even nadenken voordat ik antwoord geef.
  = I want to think for a moment before I answer.

Voor dat (two words) would normally be voor + demonstrative pronoun dat, meaning “before that” (referring to some earlier-mentioned thing). For example:

• Voor dat besluit wil ik nog even nadenken.
  = Before that decision, I want to think a bit.

So:

• voordat = “before (I/he/we…) …” (starts a subordinate clause)
• voor dat = “before that (thing)”

Why is the word order voordat ik antwoord geef and not voordat ik geef antwoord?

Because voordat introduces a subordinate clause, and in Dutch subordinate clauses the conjugated verb goes to the end.

Word order rules:

• Main clause: Subject – conjugated verb – [other stuff]
  
  • Ik geef antwoord. = I give an answer.
• Subordinate clause (with voordat, omdat, dat, etc.):
  Subject – [other stuff] – conjugated verb (at the end)

So:

• Main clause: Ik geef antwoord.
• Subordinate clause: … voordat ik antwoord geef.

Ik geef antwoord and ik antwoord geef have the same meaning; the difference is just clause type and word order.

Why is there no article before antwoord? Why not het antwoord?

Antwoord geven (literally: “to give answer”) is a fixed expression in Dutch:

• antwoord geven = to answer

In such fixed verb–noun combinations, Dutch often leaves out the article:

• advies geven = to give advice
• hulp bieden = to offer help
• antwoord geven = to give an answer / to answer

You would use het antwoord if you mean a specific answer:

• Ik wil even nadenken voordat ik het antwoord geef.
  = I want to think for a moment before I give the answer (a particular one).

In your sentence, we’re just talking about answering in general, so antwoord has no article.

What is the difference between antwoord geven and antwoorden?

Both can mean “to answer”, but they’re used differently:

1. antwoord geven (verb + noun)

   • Ik wil even nadenken voordat ik antwoord geef.
   • Very common, slightly more neutral/formal.
   • Literally: “give (an) answer”.

2. antwoorden (simple verb “to answer”)

   • Ik wil even nadenken voordat ik antwoord.
   • Also correct and used, especially in spoken language.
   • Here antwoord is the conjugated verb (1st person singular of antwoorden).

So both:

• voordat ik antwoord geef
• voordat ik antwoord

are acceptable and natural. Your version with antwoord geef is just using the “give answer” construction.

Could you also say voor ik antwoord geef instead of voordat ik antwoord geef?

Yes, voor ik … is also used in Dutch and is understood as “before I …”.
However:

• voordat ik … is more standard and common in writing.
• voor ik … sounds a bit more informal/colloquial and is more frequent in spoken Dutch (and also common in Flemish).

So:

• Ik wil even nadenken voordat ik antwoord geef.
• Ik wil even nadenken voor ik antwoord geef.

Both are correct; the first is a bit more standard.

Why is it antwoord geef (present tense) and not something like zal antwoorden for the future?

In Dutch, the present tense is very often used to talk about the near future, especially in subordinate clauses.

So:

• voordat ik antwoord geef
  literally: “before I give an answer”
  but in context: “before I will give an answer / before I answer.”

You can say:

• voordat ik zal antwoorden

but it sounds heavier and is usually unnecessary. The simple present geef is the most natural choice here.

Is Ik wil even nadenken polite, or does wil sound too direct?

Ik wil even nadenken is normally perfectly polite, especially because of:

• even (softens the request)
• the context (you’re not ordering someone; you’re stating your need).

If you want to be extra polite or indirect, you might hear:

• Ik zou graag even willen nadenken.
  (I would like to think for a moment.)
• Mag ik even nadenken?
  (May I think for a moment?)

But in everyday conversation, Ik wil even nadenken voordat ik antwoord geef is natural and not rude.

Can even be placed somewhere else, like Ik wil nadenken, even or Ik wil nadenken even?

In this kind of sentence, even normally sits inside the verb phrase, right after the conjugated verb:

• Ik wil even nadenken. ✅
• Ik wil nadenken even. ❌ (unnatural)
• Ik wil nadenken, even. ❌ (sounds wrong or like you’re adding “even” as a separate word in English)

Typical placement pattern:

Subject – conjugated verb – even – rest of the verb phrase

More examples:

• Ik moet even bellen. = I need to make a quick call.
• Kun je even wachten? = Can you wait a moment?

So in your sentence, Ik wil even nadenken is the natural word order.