Dutch has many fixed chunks made of a preposition and a noun, such as _op tijd_ (on time), _in de war_ (confused) and _aan de hand_ (going on). The preposition inside them is fixed: you cannot work it out by logic, and it often differs from English. Learn each chunk as one unit, inside a sentence you would really say.
The pattern
In a fixed prepositional phrase, the preposition, the article and the noun belong together. Store the whole chunk as if it were one word.
- _op tijd_: on time, in time
- _op vakantie_ (with _gaan_ or _zijn_): on holiday, away; _met vakantie_ is a correct variant you will also hear
- _in de war_ (with _zijn_, _raken_ or _brengen_): confused, mixed up
- _in principe_: in principle, normally
- _op het moment_: at the moment, currently; _op dit moment_ is a common variant
- _aan de hand_ (usually with _er_): going on, the matter
- _in het algemeen_: in general; _over het algemeen_ means much the same
- _op zijn minst_: at least, no less than; often _op z'n minst_ in speech
The article belongs to the chunk as well, and you cannot predict it: _op tijd_ has none, _in de war_ has _de_, _op het moment_ has _het_. Most chunks work like adverbs (words that say when, how or how much), so if one starts the sentence, the verb comes next: _Op het moment zoekt Daan werk._
Examples
| De trein van 8.14 uur was vandaag gewoon op tijd. | The 8:14 train was actually on time today. |
|---|---|
| Fatima is tot eind augustus op vakantie, dus mail maar naar Bas. | Fatima is on holiday until the end of August, so just email Bas. |
| Sorry, ik ben een beetje in de war door al die nieuwe regels. | Sorry, I'm a bit confused by all those new rules. |
| In principe werk ik op vrijdag thuis, maar deze week kom ik naar kantoor. | In principle I work from home on Fridays, but this week I'm coming to the office. |
| Daan zoekt op het moment een nieuwe baan. | Daan is looking for a new job at the moment. |
| Je kijkt zo boos. Wat is er aan de hand? | You look so angry. What's going on? |
| In het algemeen krijg je binnen acht weken antwoord van de gemeente. | In general, you get an answer from the municipality within eight weeks. |
| Voor een appartement in Utrecht betaal je op zijn minst 1400 euro per maand. | For a flat in Utrecht you pay at least 1,400 euros a month. |
Why it works this way
Think of each chunk as a word with spaces in it. Nobody who asks _Wat is er aan de hand?_ pictures a hand: inside the chunk, the preposition has lost its literal meaning. So neither logic nor English tells you whether it is _op_ or _in_. The choice is simply part of the phrase.
Some chunks do match English, such as _op vakantie_ and _in principe_. That is the trap: once a few match, you start trusting English for the rest. Look-alikes can also differ in use. Dutch speakers use _in principe_ a lot in daily life, usually meaning "normally, unless something changes", so _In principe kan dat_ is a polite yes with a small escape hatch.
A small change can change the meaning completely:
- _Joris is op vakantie._ (He is away.) _In de vakantie werkt Joris bij een supermarkt._ (During the holidays he works at a supermarket.)
- _Wat is er aan de hand?_ (What's going on?) _De trainer legt het uit aan de hand van een voorbeeld._ (The trainer explains it using an example.)
- _Dat kost op zijn minst vijftig euro._ (No less than fifty euros.) _Het is koud, maar het is tenminste droog._ (At least it's dry: a small comfort, see [ten, ter and te in fixed phrases](#/lesson/te-ten-ter).)
Remember: store the sentence, not the preposition. A list that pairs _op_ with "at" will mislead you, while the sentence _Daan zoekt op het moment werk_ brings the right preposition along for free. The same habit works for [verbs with a fixed preposition](#/lesson/verbs-with-prepositions) and [adjectives with a fixed preposition](#/lesson/adjective-prepositions).
Watch out
- Not: _Ik was net in tijd voor de trein._ Say: _Ik was net op tijd voor de trein._ (Dutch normally uses _op tijd_ for both "on time" and "in time")
- Not: _Volgende week gaan we naar vakantie._ Say: _Volgende week gaan we op vakantie._ (a holiday is not a destination, so no _naar_)
- Not: _Ik heb het in het moment erg druk._ Say: _Ik heb het op het moment erg druk._ (German "im Moment" and Spanish "en este momento" pull you towards _in_)
- Not: _In algemeen zijn de huren in Amsterdam hoog._ Say: _In het algemeen zijn de huren in Amsterdam hoog._ (the _het_ is part of the chunk, even though English has no article)
Quick check
- Fill in the gap: _De bus was weer niet ... tijd, dus Mei kwam te laat op haar werk._
- Fill in the gap: _Je bent zo stil vandaag, Ahmed. Is er iets ... de hand?_
- Choose the right preposition: _Priya werkt (in / op) het moment vier dagen per week._
- Choose the right option: _Bas is deze week (op vakantie / in de vakantie), dus Yara beantwoordt zijn mails._
Answers
- _op_: the chunk is _op tijd_.
- _aan_: _Is er iets aan de hand?_ asks whether something is wrong.
- _op_: the chunk is _op het moment_, meaning currently.
- _op vakantie_: Bas is away. _In de vakantie_ means during the holidays.
Use it today
Send a colleague or friend a short message about your coming week using _op het moment_, _in principe_ and _op tijd_, for example _In principe ben ik vrijdag om vijf uur thuis._ Then copy those three sentences onto a sticky note by your desk, whole sentences only.