Disambiguation: Dutch 'Toen' - Multiple Meanings and Related Words

Toen

2 3

'then,' 'at that time,' 'after that' (in the past) - "... and then I became a teacher"
'when,' 'at the time that' - "I stopped smoking when I became a teacher"

1. toen = then (at that time, after that - in the past)		then (future) = dan

	nu, nou = now		(de) toekomst = the future

2. toen = when (at the time that - in the past)

	'when' and 'if' (conditions) = als		when? = wanneer?

Dutch 'toen' always indicates or refers to a point of time in the past. Verbs in lines with 'toen' are in the past tense.
Much of the material on this page can also be found on the 'Time Thesaurus' page
Keep in mind that the word order of a Dutch sentence changes when it starts with a statement of time or place or with a condition. In those lines or sub-sentences the working verb is placed before the subject - more. Sometimes that 'statement of time or place or condition' is a sub-sentence itself (a 'subordinate clause') that cannot stand on its own, it cannot be an independent sentence - and then it follows the regular subject-verb rule in a basic sentence - more - but not when it gets complicated - more.

1. 'Toen' = 'then' - 'at that time' (in the past)

English 'then,' often has the meaning 'at that time' - simply stating a fact or what happens next while referring to a point in time or an event mentioned before. This is 'toen'

2 3 in Dutch. You'll often find the common, not very exciting narrative device ... en toen ...

2 3 '... and then ...' meaning 'after that,' giving a sequence of two or more events.

Toen was ik op reis 2 3	I was traveling then, at the time I was traveling
... en toen gingen we eten 2	... and then we [went to eat] had a meal
... en toen werd het donker 2 3 4	... and then it got dark
Ik was toen 52 kilo	I was 52 kilos then, at the time I was 52 kilos
... en toen dronken we koffie	... and then we had coffee
... en toen kwam Jan	... and then (at that moment) Jan [came] arrived
... en toen ben ik naar Amerika gegaan	... and then I went to the U.S.

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

Dutch 'toen' is always in the past - but English 'then' can be either in the past or the future. 'Then' referring to the future is Dutch 'dan'

2 - see more on the 'Dan' disambiguation page

Dan ben ik op reis 2 3	Then, at that time I [am] will be traveling
... en dan is er feest	... and then there'll be a party

nu / nou 2 3	now
zo nu en dan 2 3	[so] now and then, from time to time
tot nu toe ...	up until now, for the time being ...
Wat ik nu pas begrijp 2	What I only now understand
Waarom ben je nu hier?	why are you here now?
Als je 't nu niet doet, wanneer dan wel? 2	[If you don't do it now, when are you?] - If not now, when?
Nu ik niet meer rij ... 2	Now that I don't drive anymore ...
van nu af aan 2	from now on, starting now, in the future ...

Hoe laat is 't nou? 2	What time is it now? What's the time now?
Ben je nou blij?	Are you happy now?
Nou begrijp ik 't 2	Now I understand (it)
Nou herinner ik 't me weer 2	Now I remember [it] [again]
Nou is het te laat 2	Now it's too late
Nou is 't wel genoeg geweest	Now that's [been] enough!
Al die dingen doen dat nou 2 3 4	[All those things do that now] - All those gadgets now have that feature

2. 'Toen' = 'When' - 'at the time that'

English 'when' is translated as 'toen' when it connects two events and/or statements in a sentence, just placing things at a specific point in time. For other uses of 'when' see below.

M'n vader was tweeëndertig toen de oorlog begon	My Dad was 32 when the war started
Toen de oorlog begon was m'n vader tweeëndertig	When the war started my Dad was 32 - word order
Toen de zon onderging ... 2 3	When the sun went down ...
Toen de zon onderging begon de muziek	When the sun went down the music started
Ze gingen weg toen de zon onderging 2	They [went away] left when the sun went down
Toen de bliksem insloeg ging het licht uit 2	When lightning hit the light went out
Toen het licht uitging zag ik de sterren 2	When the light went out I saw the stars
Toen ik de sterren zag begreep ik ... 2 3	When I saw the stars I understood ...
Toen het licht groen werd reden we weg 2	When the light turned green we drove off
Toen het donker werd gingen we naar huis	When it got dark we went home
We gingen naar huis toen het donker werd 2	We went home when it got dark
Toen het donker werd ging het licht aan	When it got dark the light came on
Toen we naar huis gingen was het donker 2	When we went home it was dark
Toen we naar huis gingen werd het donker 2	When we went home it was getting dark
Toen ik het licht aandeed sloegen de stoppen door	When I turned on the light the fuses blew
Toen ik z'n fiets optilde begreep ik hoe hij zo hard kon rijden 2 3 4	When I lifted up his bike I understood how he could ride that fast

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

English 'when' can also state a condition for the other part of the sentence: something happened at a certain time because. English 'if' is also used for conditions in sentences like that, but in more hypothetical situations. Both this 'when' and 'if' are als

in Dutch - more
English 'when' can also be a question word, 'at what time?' - 'wanneer'

in Dutch - more

Als de dagen lengen, gaan de nachten strengen	When the days get longer, the nights get more severe (i.e. colder)
Als je vis eet moet je ook wat drinken 2 3 4	When you [eat] have fish, you should also drink something
Als ik jou was ... 2	If I were you ...
Als ik jou was zou ik niet gaan	If I were you I wouldn't go
Als 't hard regent blijf ik thuis 2	If it's raining hard I'll stay at home
Als morgen de hemel valt hebben we allemaal een blauwe muts 2 3	If the sky falls tomorrow we'll all have a blue cap (said when someone can't stop coming up with depressing scenarios)

Wanneer is 't klaar? 2 3	When [is] will it be ready?

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Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2

then toen	now nu nou 2 3	then dan
yesterday gisteren	today vandaag	tomorrow morgen 2
last year vorig jaar	this year dit jaar 2	next year volgend jaar 2
the past het verleden	the present het heden	the future de toekomst

de toekomst	the future
in de toekomst 2	in the future
de toekomst voorspellen 2	predicting the future ->>
een blik in de toekomst 2	a view of, a look into the future
de verre toekomst en de nabije toekomst	the far and the near future
een onzekere toekomst tegemoet	towards an uncertain future
de toekomende tijd 2	the future tense ->>