twee weken geleden, over een week, binnen een week

Dutch uses different forms for three distances from now: Ik ben vier maanden geleden verhuisd. (I moved four months ago.), Over vier maanden verhuis ik. (I am moving in four months.), and Ik moet binnen vier maanden verhuizen. (I must move within four months.). The duration may look the same, but each form places the event differently.

Put geleden after a duration for a past point, put over before a duration for a future point after the full span, and put binnen before a duration for any time before that span ends.

1. Decide whether the event is in the past, at a future point, or before a future deadline.
2. Build the time phrase: duration + geleden, over + duration, or binnen + duration.
3. Check the endpoint: with over, the whole period passes first; with binnen, the event can happen earlier.

• Use geleden when you measure back from now: We hebben elkaar een week geleden gesproken. (We spoke a week ago.).
• Use over for an appointment or event at the point reached after the stated time: Over een halfuur vertrekt de bus. (The bus leaves in half an hour.).
• Use binnen for a maximum waiting time or deadline: U krijgt binnen tien werkdagen antwoord. (You will receive an answer within ten working days.).

Terug can replace geleden with the same meaning and the same position: Dat gebeurde zes maanden terug. (That happened six months ago.). Geleden is the form to learn first, but both are correct.

• Do not put geleden before the duration. Write twee weken geleden, not geleden twee weken.
• Do not use binnen when you mean the exact point after a period has passed. De afspraak is over precies een uur. (The appointment is in exactly one hour.) names that point; binnen een uur allows any earlier time too.

Review core preposition meanings for place and direction, dates, days and months for calendar dates, and telling the time for clock time.