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Time, Dates, and Frequency

This topic involves using more specific ways to talk about time, including dates, frequency, and duration, beyond simple times like 'now' or 'tomorrow'.

1. Dates (Datums):

  • Format: Usually [day number] [month] [year] or [day of week] [day number] [month].
  • Saying the Date: Use the ordinal number for the day.
  • 1 mei -> de eerste mei (the first of May)
  • 15 januari -> de vijftiende januari
  • vandaag is het de tweede april (today it is the second of April)
  • Writing Dates: Common formats include DD-MM-YYYY (e.g., 02-04-2023) or D Month YYYY (e.g., 2 april 2023).
  • Months of the Year (Maanden): januari, februari, maart, april, mei, juni, juli, augustus, september, oktober, november, december.
  • Days of the Week (Dagen): maandag, dinsdag, woensdag, donderdag, vrijdag, zaterdag, zondag.
  • Prepositions: Use op for specific days or dates: op maandag (on Monday), op 10 juni (on June 10th).

2. Frequency (Frequentie):

  • Describes how often something happens.
  • Common Adverbs of Frequency:
  • altijd (always)
  • vaak / dikwijls (often)
  • regelmatig (regularly)
  • soms / af en toe (sometimes / now and then)
  • zelden (seldom, rarely)
  • nooit (never)
  • Expressions with elke / ieder (every):
  • elke dag / iedere dag (every day)
  • elke week / iedere week (every week)
  • elke maand / iedere maand (every month)
  • elk jaar / ieder jaar (every year)
  • Expressions with per time unit:
  • één keer per week (once per week)
  • twee keer per maand (twice per month)
  • drie keer per jaar (three times per year)
  • Placement: Adverbs of frequency often come after the finite verb in main clauses (Ik ga vaak naar de bioscoop.) or sometimes at the beginning for emphasis (Soms eet ik pizza.).

3. Duration (Duur):

  • Describes how long something lasts.
  • Using al (already/for): Indicates an action started in the past and continues into the present.
  • Ik woon hier al vijf jaar. (I have been living here for five years.)
  • Using sinds (since): Indicates a starting point.
  • Ik werk hier sinds 2020. (I have been working here since 2020.)
  • Using gedurende or tijdens (during):
  • Gedurende de vakantie... (During the holiday...)
  • Tijdens de les... (During the lesson...)
  • Using time units:
  • De film duurt twee uur. (The film lasts two hours.)
  • Ik heb een uur gewacht. (I waited for an hour.)

Mastering these allows for more precise communication about time-related events and schedules.