Every sentence comes from this course’s word lists or grammar topics. The verb form is highlighted, and the line below says which tense and person it is.
Waar zullen we lunchen?Where shall we have lunch?
zullen — Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd · wij/we; Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd · jullie
Er zal vast wat soep overblijven.There will surely be some soup left over.
zal — Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd · ik; Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd · hij/zij/het
Zullen we een pizza bestellen?Shall we order a pizza?
Zullen — Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd · wij/we; Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd · jullie
More example sentences
Zullen we vanavond pizza bestellen?Shall we order a pizza this evening?
Ik zal je morgen het boek teruggeven.I’ll give you the book back tomorrow, I promise.
Hij zou om acht uur komen, maar hij is er nog niet.He was supposed to come at eight, but he isn’t here yet.
Mistakes English speakers often make
WrongZal je me even helpen met de tas?
RightWil je me even helpen met de tas?
English “will you …?” is a request, and it is wil je …?, from willen. zal je is a question about the future (“will you be helping?”), not a request. Offers use zal ik …?: Zal ik je helpen?
A common trap
WrongKon je me helpen?
RightZou je me kunnen helpen?
English “could” is the trap. “Could you help me?” is polite, but Kon je me helpen? in Dutch sounds like a question about the past (“Were you able to help me?”). The polite form is zou … kunnen, and likewise zou … hebben for “would have”. The simple past kon on its own sounds like the past.
The forms are calculated from the rules of the language — twice, in two independent ways — and checked against every hand-written form in this course. The example sentences are the course’s own.