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Disambiguation: Many common Dutch words have more than one meaning.

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

Laat

click to hear
  1. 'late, not in/on time' /or/ 'at the end of a time frame' - "late at night"
  2. let, allow - "let it be"
1. laat = late, not in time
later = later - laatste = last

vroeg = early
op tijd = in time, on time
2. laat = 'let,' allow

1. 'laat' = 'late, not in/on time' /or/ 'at the end of a time frame.'

'Laat' click to hear can be an adjective or adverb meaning 'late, not in/on time' (Dutch doesn't differentiate between 'in time' and 'on time') or it can mean 'at the end of a time frame,' for instance 'late afternoon' - after 4 or 5 PM. When used as an adjective, it often gets an -E ending: late click to hear - laat/late click to hear 2 >>
'Too late,' past the right time, is 'te laat' click to hear - note that Dutch sometimes says 'te laat' where English just says 'late'
's avonds laat click to hear 2 late in the evening, late at night
laat op de avond click to hear 2 late in the evening, late at night
Hij is laat click to hear 2 He is late, not in time
't Wordt laat click to hear 2 It's getting late
't Is laat geworden click to hear 2 3 4 It's gottten late
Beter laat dan nooit click to hear Better late than never
Is het te laat? click to hear Is it too late?
Het is te laat click to hear It is too late
Ik dacht er te laat aan click to hear 2 3 [I thought of it too late] - By the time I thought of it it was too late, It was too late by the time I thought of it
Ik denk dat het te laat is click to hear I think it's too late
Het is eigenlijk al te laat click to hear It's actually already too late
't Is al te laat om onder te duiken click to hear 2 It's already too late to go into hiding
't Is nog niet te laat click to hear 2 3 It's not too late (yet)
Nou is het te laat click to hear 2 Now it's too late
Zij waren te laat click to hear They were too late
Niet te laat opstaan click to hear Don't get up (too) late, don't sleep in
Maak 't niet te laat click to hear 2 Don't make it late (get back home or finish the job in time)
Hij komt bijvoorbeeld nooit te laat click to
 hear 2 He is for instance never late
laatbloeier click to hear 2 3 late-flowering plant - also said of people who only reach their full potential later in life
een late bezoeker click to hear 2 a late visitor
van de vroege morgen tot de late avond click to hear 2 3 from the early morning till [the late night] late at night
Compare:
Als 't niet te laat is click to hear 2 If it's not too late
Als 't nog niet te laat is click to hear 2 3 If it's not too late yet
Als 't nog maar niet te laat is click to hear If only it's not too late (I hope it's not too late)

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

English 'the late' meaning 'deceased,' a person passed away, is wijlen click to hear
Dutch 'later' click to hear is English 'later'
- and Dutch laatste click to hear 2 is English 'last' and sometimes 'latest' - more
vroeger of later click to hear ['earlier or later'] - 'sooner or later'
een paar jaar later click to hear a few years later
later dat jaar click to hear 2 Later that year
later op die dag click to hear later that day
later op de dag click to hear later in the day, usually end-of-afternoon
in een later stadium click to hear 2 at a later stage
't Werd steeds later click to hear 2 3 It became later and later - said when for instance something is not finished in time but delayed several times
Iets waar ik pas later aan dacht click to hear 2 Something I only thought of later, an afterthought
Iets wat ik pas later begreep click to hear 2 Something I only understood later
Wat ik pas later begreep click to hear Which I only later understood
't Is van later zorg click to hear 2 3 4 It's something to worry about later - we'll worry about it later
Wat wil je later worden? click to hear What do you want to be when you grow up?
Laatste ronde! click to hear 2 Last call! - last round of ordering before closing time
de laatste mode click to hear 2 the latest fashion

The opposite of 'laat' ('late') is 'vroeg' click to hear ('early') - more

's morgens vroeg click to hear 2 3 early in the morning

Op tijd click to hear 2 3 'in time /or/ on time.' English 'on time' and 'in time' do not mean exactly the same, but Dutch uses op tijd for both meanings.

Precies op tijd click to hear 2 Exactly in/on time
Op tijd naar bed click to hear Get to bed in time (a resolution)
Ben je op tijd thuis? click to hear 2 Will you be home in time? (usually: not late, before your regular bedtime)
De trein is meestal op tijd click to hear 2 The train is usually on time (on schedule)
Ik hoop dat 't op tijd is click to hear I hope it's in time
We waren net op tijd click to hear 2 We were just in time - see also: 'net'
Zorg dat je op tijd bent click to hear 2 3 4 Take care to be in time
Alles op z'n tijd click to hear 2 3 [Everything in its (good) time] - There's a time for everything

2. 'laat' = 'let, allow'

'Laat' click to hear can also be a verb form - the simple present tense singular or the imperative of 'laten' click to hear meaning something like 'let, allow.'
'Laten' is a strong verb with a vowel change for the past tense: laten / liet / gelaten click to
  hear
laten
to 'let, allow'
- ik laat
I 'let, allow'
- wij laten
we 'let, allow'
- ik liet
I 'let, allowed'
- wij lieten
we 'let, allowed'
- (ik heb gelaten)
I have 'let, allowed'
click to hear
‑>>
ik heb laten click to hear ~I have ...
'Laten' may be a bit hard to translate. It means something like 'to let, to allow' and it's often found in verb phrases like 'laten vallen' click to hear 2 'to let fall' - that is: 'to drop' - ‑>>
met rust laten click to hear ['to leave in peace'] to leave alone, 'don't bother'
Laat 'm met rust click to hear 2 Leave him alone, don't bother him
Laat me! click to hear 2 Let me be, let me do my own thing
Lies is lastig en laat alles liggen click to hear Lies is troublesome and [lets everything lie] doesn't put things back, doesn't clean up
Laat ik dat eerst even doen click to hear 2 Let me do that first, before all other things
Laat het twintig minuten koken click to hear 2 3 (let it boil) boil it for 20 minutes
Laat je thee niet koud worden click to hear 2 3 Don't let your tea get cold
Hij laat er geen gras over groeien click to hear ['He doesn't allow grass growing over it'] - He's taking action immediately
Hij laat alles vallen click to hear 2 3 ['He drops everything'] - everything falls from his hands,
he doesn't have a good grip
Laat maar click to
  hear Let it be, don't bother, no need for action
Als je dat maar laat! click to hear 2 3 ['Just leave that out!'] Don't do that!
Laat maar zitten! click to hear 2 3 ['Let it stay'] - 'Keep the change' (when you give a tip) - or in another context: 'don't bother'
Laat me niet lachen! click to hear 2 [Dont make me laugh] - That's ridiculous!
Laat de boel de boel click to hear 'Let things be, leave things as they are' - stop worrying, take a break
Leven en laten leven click to hear 2 Live and let live
- more about the verb 'laten'

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