Key Takeaways
The line: A natural, everyday way to say it is “Sorry voor afgelopen week, maar precies die dag was ik aan het reizen.”
Why it works: “Afgelopen” fits time words like “week,” and “aan het + infinitive” expresses an action in progress in the past [1][2].
Sound map: The throat sound for g/ch matters; a short practice plan keeps it crisp [3][4].
Small tweaks: The sentence adapts easily to more formal or more casual settings.
Story & Details
What the speaker needed
An accurate Dutch sentence to apologize for last week while explaining that travel was happening at that exact time. The target meaning in English: “Sorry for last week, but exactly that day I was traveling.”
The Dutch that natives expect
“Sorry voor afgelopen week, maar precies die dag was ik aan het reizen.”
This reads smoothly, balances apology with explanation, and keeps the tone neutral and polite.
Why each piece is doing its job
“Afgelopen week” is the idiomatic way to say “last week” with time nouns; it is preferred in this context, whereas alternatives like “vorige week” can shift nuance depending on when you speak [2].
“Was ik aan het reizen” uses the progressive construction “aan het + infinitive” to show the action was ongoing at that moment, which is exactly the point you want to convey [1].
Pronunciation walkthrough (speaker-friendly approximations)
Sorry → “sór-ree”
voor → “foor” (long o)
afgelopen → “áf-khlō-pen” (g as a throaty fricative)
week → “wayk”
maar → “maar” (hold the a)
precies → “pre-SEES”
die dag → “dee dakh” (final g like a soft, guttural h)
was ik → “wahs ik”
aan het → “aan hut” (very light h, soft t)
reizen → “RIE-zen” (like “rye-zen”)
A quick practice routine
First, whisper the sentence once for rhythm. Next, focus on the g/ch fricative: practice short pairs like “dag—lach,” keeping the airflow steady and in the throat. Then say the sentence again at normal speed, keeping vowels long and clear. For extra help, a short, institutional video on the g/ch sound offers clean models and drills [4].
Stylistic variants you can swap in
More formal: “Mijn excuses voor afgelopen week…” keeps the same structure but raises the register.
More casual: “Sorry van afgelopen week…” works in friendly contexts without losing clarity.
Conclusions
Clear words, steady sounds, and one precise grammar move turn a tricky apology into effortless Dutch. With “afgelopen” anchoring the time and “aan het + infinitive” marking an action in progress, the sentence lands politely and precisely. A few minutes on the g/ch sound smooths delivery, and the line is ready for real life.
Selected References
[1] Algemene Nederlandse Spraakkunst (e-ANS) — “Aan het + infinitief”: https://e-ans.ivdnt.org/topics/pid/ans1805070403lingtopic
[2] Nederlandse Taalunie — Taaladvies: “Afgelopen / verleden / vorige week”: https://taaladvies.net/afgelopen-of-verleden-of-vorige-week/
[3] Genootschap Onze Taal — “G en ch (verschil)”: https://onzetaal.nl/taalloket/g-en-ch-verschil
[4] University of Groningen Language Centre — “Explanatory video about the sound g/ch”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDU-4iHcZAk
Appendix
Aan het + infinitive
A Dutch progressive construction that marks an ongoing action (“aan het reizen” = “traveling”). It pairs neatly with past tense forms to show what was happening at a precise moment.
Afgelopen
An adjective used with time nouns (“afgelopen week,” “afgelopen jaar”) to refer to the most recently completed or nearly completed period, with nuance depending on when the speaker says it.
Dutch g/ch
A voiceless, throaty fricative produced at the back of the mouth. Mastering this sound improves clarity in words like “dag,” “lachen,” and “reizen.”
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)
A universal sound-notation system. Using IPA can help map Dutch vowels and fricatives precisely when practicing pronunciation.
Progressive aspect in Dutch
Expressed with “aan het + infinitive,” it highlights an action in progress at a given time, complementing simple past forms to add temporal detail.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 