Bedeutung
Doing something without delay.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The Dutch 'Poldermodel' involves a lot of talking, but 'snel handelen' is the highly respected exception during water management crises. In Flanders, 'snel handelen' is used similarly, but you might also hear 'kort op de bal spelen' (playing close to the ball), a soccer metaphor for acting fast. In Surinamese Dutch, the pace of life is sometimes described as more relaxed, but 'snel handelen' remains the standard term in official and medical contexts. In Dutch startups, 'snel handelen' is often paired with 'agile werken'. It is seen as a competitive advantage over larger, slower companies.
Use with 'moeten'
This phrase is most commonly used with the modal verb 'moeten' (must/have to) to express urgency.
Spelling of the past participle
It's 'gehandeld' with a 'd'. Don't let the 't' sound at the end of 'snel' confuse you!
Bedeutung
Doing something without delay.
Use with 'moeten'
This phrase is most commonly used with the modal verb 'moeten' (must/have to) to express urgency.
Spelling of the past participle
It's 'gehandeld' with a 'd'. Don't let the 't' sound at the end of 'snel' confuse you!
Job Interviews
Use this phrase in Dutch job interviews to describe your problem-solving skills. It sounds very professional.
Teste dich selbst
Vul het juiste woord in.
Er is een noodgeval! We moeten nu snel ______.
'Handelen' is the only word that means 'to act' in this context. 'Wandelen' means to walk!
Welke zin is correct?
De politie...
In a main clause, the verb comes second. 'Gehandelt' is spelled wrong (should be 'gehandeld').
Match de situatie met de actie.
Situatie: Je ziet een geweldige korting die over 5 minuten stopt.
Because the discount ends in 5 minutes, you need to act fast.
Maak de dialoog af.
A: Help, de kraan lekt! B: Geen paniek, we moeten gewoon ______.
A leaking tap requires action, not sleeping or singing!
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Handelen vs. Acteren
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenEr is een noodgeval! We moeten nu snel ______.
'Handelen' is the only word that means 'to act' in this context. 'Wandelen' means to walk!
De politie...
In a main clause, the verb comes second. 'Gehandelt' is spelled wrong (should be 'gehandeld').
Situatie: Je ziet een geweldige korting die over 5 minuten stopt.
Because the discount ends in 5 minutes, you need to act fast.
A: Help, de kraan lekt! B: Geen paniek, we moeten gewoon ______.
A leaking tap requires action, not sleeping or singing!
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
8 FragenYes, 'vlug handelen' is possible, but 'snel handelen' is much more common in professional and written Dutch.
No, it's used for any action, including emergencies, sports, and daily life problems.
The opposite would be 'traag handelen' (acting slowly) or 'aarzelen' (hesitating).
Yes, but when paired with 'snel', it almost always means 'to take action'. If you mean 'to trade fast', you would usually say 'snel handelen in aandelen'.
Use 'snel handelen' as a verb phrase. Use 'het snelle handelen' when you use it as a noun (the quick acting).
It's better to say 'actie ondernemen'. 'Actie nemen' is an anglicism (a literal translation from English) that some Dutch people dislike.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or with your friends.
You say: 'Ik handelde snel' or 'Ik heb snel gehandeld'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Actie ondernemen
synonymTo take action
Ingrijpen
specialized formTo intervene
Besluitvaardig zijn
builds onTo be decisive
Aarzelen
contrastTo hesitate
