Time: when? | Dutch Grammar

For TIME, we ask "When?"

This means that the following elements do not qualify as TIME: _steeds_ (all the time), _even_ (briefly, for a moment), _een uur lang_ (for an hour). Although they are all related to TIME, they do not refer to a particular point in time. In other words, they do not answer the question "When?" but rather "How long?" or "How frequently?" All 'how-elements' fall under [MANNER](#/lesson/WordOrder.15), a component that we will deal with later.

TIME can occur in a variety of forms:

Adverb of time, e.g. _toen_ (then), _nu_ (now), _straks_ (later, in a moment), _morgen_ (tomorrow)
Noun, e.g. _vorig jaar_ or _verleden jaar_ (last year), _volgende week_ (next week), _komend weekend_ (coming weekend), _aanstaande vrijdag_ (coming Friday).
Expressions that begin with a preposition, e.g. _om_ (at), _vanaf_ (from), _rond_ (around).

Examples

[FF](#/lesson/WordOrder.04) | TIME | MANNER | [PLACE](#/lesson/WordOrder.15) | [OV](#/lesson/WordOrder.24)

Koos gaat | morgen | met Ineke | naar de film | -

Tomorrow, Koos will go (lit: goes) to the movies with Ineke.

[FF](#/lesson/WordOrder.04) | TIME | MANNER | [OV](#/lesson/WordOrder.24)

We hebben | vanmiddag | een half uur | gepauzeerd

This afternoon, we had a break for half an hour.

Note that we do not use the preposition _voor_ (for) in the Dutch translation of 'for half an hour'. We simply say 'half an hour'.

Then (at the time), they had asked for it specifically.

In the above example, TIME is preceded by EHD. _Vragen om_ means 'to ask for'. The combination _om het_ (for it) turns into _erom_. In this sentence, _er_ and _om_ are separated by two other components: TIME and MANNER.

[FF](#/lesson/WordOrder.04) | TIME | [OV](#/lesson/WordOrder.24)

Het toneelstuk is | om kwart over acht | begonnen

The play started at a quarter past eight.

A sentence can contain more than one TIME:

[FF](#/lesson/WordOrder.04) | TIME | TIME | [MISC](#/lesson/WordOrder.28) | [OV](#/lesson/WordOrder.24)

Jullie zijn | morgen | vanaf drie uur 's middags | welkom | -

Tomorrow, you are welcome from three o'clock in the afternoon.

Although it is not compulsory, it is best to go from general to specific. In the above example, the general time context is _morgen_ (tomorrow), the more specific one _vanaf drie uur 's middags_ (from three o'clock in the afternoon).