Basic requests and instructions | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Kom alsjeblieft naar binnen.

   Please come inside.

   Kom

   come

   alsjeblieft

   please

   naar binnen

   inside

   More detail

   Kom is the imperative of komen, “to come.” The imperative gives a direct instruction; Dutch commonly uses the verb stem here, so komen becomes kom. Example: Kom hier! — “Come here!” alsjeblieft means “please” and softens the instruction. It can be used with requests and commands. Example: Wacht alsjeblieft. — “Please wait.” naar binnen expresses movement toward the inside: naar marks the direction, and binnen means “inside.” It is different from a form describing location without movement, such as binnen zijn — “to be inside.” Example: Ga naar binnen. — “Go inside.” Together, the imperative Kom, the polite request marker alsjeblieft, and the direction naar binnen produce: “Please come inside.”

2. Ga hier alsjeblieft zitten.

   Please sit here.

   Ga … zitten

   sit down

   hier

   here

   alsjeblieft

   please

   More detail

   Ga ... zitten is a Dutch construction meaning “sit down” or “take a seat.” The two quoted parts are separated in the sentence by hier and alsjeblieft, but they work together. Ga is the imperative of gaan (“to go”). In this construction, gaan introduces the action that follows rather than describing travel to another place. Zitten is the infinitive of “to sit.” Compare Ga staan (“stand up”) and Ga liggen (“lie down”); the second verb names the resulting position. Hier means “here,” referring to the place where the listener is being asked to sit. It is also reusable with other actions: Wacht hier means “Wait here.” Alsjeblieft is a polite “please” in this request. It is commonly used with an imperative, as in Kom alsjeblieft naar binnen (“Please come inside”). Its presence makes the command more courteous; it does not change the action itself. Together, Ga ... zitten gives the action “sit down,” hier specifies the place, and alsjeblieft makes the request polite. The complete utterance therefore means: “Please sit here.”

3. Wacht hier alsjeblieft.

   Please wait here.

   Wacht

   wait

   hier

   here

   alsjeblieft

   please

   More detail

   Wacht is the imperative of wachten, “to wait.” It addresses one person informally or neutrally: Wacht! means “Wait!” The plural or formal imperative can use wacht with an explicitly plural or formal subject, but the form itself does not show that distinction here. Example: Wacht even. — “Wait a moment.” hier means “here,” referring to the place relevant in the situation. It is a location adverb, so it does not change for person or number. Example: Blijf hier. — “Stay here.” alsjeblieft is a common way to say “please” in a request. It is written as one word in this sentence and often appears at the end, though it can also occur elsewhere in a request. Example: Kom hier, alsjeblieft. — “Come here, please.” Together, the imperative Wacht gives the instruction, hier specifies the location, and alsjeblieft makes the request polite: “Please wait here.”

4. Kijk hier alsjeblieft.

   Please look here.

   Kijk

   look

   hier

   here

   alsjeblieft

   please

   More detail

   Kijk is the imperative of kijken (“to look”). The imperative uses the verb stem here and directly addresses the listener: Kijk! means “Look!” In Dutch, the same form can address one person or several people; a formal command can use a different construction, such as Kijkt u. hier means “here” and indicates the place where the looking should be directed. It is a location adverb and does not change form for the person or number of the listener. alsjeblieft is a common way to say “please” in a request or command. It is written as one word in this utterance and softens the direct imperative without changing its basic instruction. A reusable pattern is imperative + alsjeblieft, for example: Wacht alsjeblieft. — “Please wait.” Together, Kijk hier alsjeblieft. means “Please look here.” The imperative gives the instruction, hier specifies the location, and alsjeblieft makes the instruction a polite request.

5. Luister goed alsjeblieft.

   Please listen carefully.

   Luister

   listen

   goed

   carefully

   alsjeblieft

   please

   More detail

   Luister is the imperative of luisteren (“to listen”). It directly addresses one or more people and asks for the action. In Dutch, this command form is commonly the verb stem: luisteren → luister. Example: Luister naar mij. — “Listen to me.” goed means “well” here and describes how the listening should be done, so its effect is close to “carefully.” The same form can also be the adjective “good,” but in this sentence it functions adverbially with the verb luister. Example: Luister goed. — “Listen carefully.” alsjeblieft is a polite word meaning “please.” It can appear at the end of a request, as here, and does not change the imperative form. Example: Wacht alsjeblieft. — “Please wait.” Together, Luister gives the command, goed specifies careful listening, and alsjeblieft makes the request polite: “Please listen carefully.” The same reusable pattern is imperative + manner word + alsjeblieft, as in Praat langzaam alsjeblieft. — “Please speak slowly.”

6. Praat langzaam alsjeblieft.

   Please speak slowly.

   Praat

   speak

   langzaam

   slowly

   alsjeblieft

   please

   More detail

   Praat is the imperative of praten (“to speak”): praten → praat. It directly addresses one listener or an unspecified group in a request. Example: Praat Nederlands. — “Speak Dutch.” langzaam means “slowly” here and tells how the speaking should happen. Dutch uses this same form as an adverb; as an adjective, langzaam can mean “slow,” as in een langzaam proces — “a slow process.” alsjeblieft is a common informal way to say “please.” It is written as one word and is used to make a request more polite. A more formal alternative is alstublieft. Together, the imperative Praat, the manner word langzaam, and the polite marker alsjeblieft produce: “Please speak slowly.”