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What does “straks” mean in Dutch?

Straks points at the near future: something that will happen in a little while, usually later today. Hij komt straks means “he’ll be here in a bit.” It is the everyday Dutch word for “later,” and it is the one inside the goodbye tot straks, “see you later,” which you say when you know you will meet again soon.

Mixing it up with net is the classic slip, because net looks to the past: ik heb net gegeten (“I just ate”) but ik eet straks (“I’ll eat in a bit”). Compare straks with later, which is vaguer and can mean days or weeks, and with tot ziens, which does not promise a quick reunion. In the clip, Hij komt straks is one of thirteen short sentences for beginners.