Dutch grammar: voorzetsels van tijd

What this grammar point covers

Prepositions of time in Dutch are small words that show when something happens, like 'in', 'op', and 'om'. They help you talk about dates, days, months, and times.

When to use it

Use prepositions of time to say when something happens: on a day, at a time, in a month or year, or during a period.

Key forms

• 'op' + day or date (op maandag, op 5 mei)
• 'in' + month, season, or year (in januari, in de zomer, in 2024)
• 'om' + clock time (om 8 uur)
• 'van ... tot ...' (van maandag tot vrijdag)

Examples

Tips

• Use 'op' with days and dates, not with months or years.
• Use 'om' only with clock times.
• Use 'in' for months, years, and seasons.

Exceptions and edge cases

• For parts of the day, use 'in de ochtend', 'in de middag', but 'op de avond' is not used; instead, use '’s avonds'.