Basic home actions and choices | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Basic home actions and choices to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Doe de deur alsjeblieft open.

DOO duh DUHR ahl-shuh-BLEEFT OH-puhn Please open the door.

Doe het raam alsjeblieft dicht.

DOO uht RAHM ahl-shuh-BLEEFT DIKHT Please close the window.

Doe het alsjeblieft aan.

DOO uht ahl-shuh-BLEEFT AHN Please turn it on.

Doe het alsjeblieft uit.

DOO uht ahl-shuh-BLEEFT OWT Please turn it off.

Geef me dit alsjeblieft.

KHAYF muh dit ahl-shuh-BLEEFT Please give me this.

Ik neem dit.

ik NAYM dit I will take this.

Word by Word

Doe “Doe” means “do” and is used here to make a request in “Doe de deur alsjeblieft open.” Together with the following word or phrase, it asks someone to open, close, switch on, or switch off something. Use the same request pattern when asking someone nearby to perform an action.

de “de” means “the” in “de deur” and comes directly before this noun. It refers to a specific door known in the situation. Use “de” before a noun when referring to a definite item such as “de deur”.

deur “deur” means “door” in “de deur.” It is the object that the speaker asks someone to open. Use “de deur” when talking about a specific door in a home or another building.

alsjeblieft “alsjeblieft” means “please” and makes the request more polite. In the dialogue it appears in requests such as “Doe de deur alsjeblieft open” and “Doe het alsjeblieft aan.” Use it when politely asking another person to do something.

open “open” describes the requested result in “Doe de deur alsjeblieft open”: the door should become open. It comes after the object in this request. Use it with a request about opening a door or another item when that usage is clear from the context.

het “het” means “the” in “het raam” and means “it” in “Doe het alsjeblieft aan,” “Doe het alsjeblieft uit,” and “Doe het alsjeblieft dicht.” Before “raam” it introduces the specific window; by itself it refers to the item being operated. Use it before a noun or as a short reference to an already known item.

raam “raam” means “window” in “het raam.” It is the object that the speaker asks someone to close. Use “het raam” when referring to a specific window.

dicht “dicht” means “closed” or indicates that something should be closed in “Doe het raam alsjeblieft dicht.” It describes the requested result for the window. Use the pattern shown when asking someone to close an item such as a window.

aan “aan” means “on” in “Doe het alsjeblieft aan.” It tells the listener to switch the already known item on. Use this construction when asking someone to turn on a device, light, or other item.

uit “uit” means “off” in “Doe het alsjeblieft uit.” It tells the listener to switch the already known item off. Use this construction when asking someone to turn off a device, light, or other item.

Geef “Geef” means “give” and is the request form used in “Geef me dit alsjeblieft.” It begins a request for another person to give something to the speaker. Use the pattern “Geef me” followed by the requested item when asking someone to hand it over.

me “me” means “me” in “Geef me dit alsjeblieft” and identifies the person who should receive the item. It follows “Geef” in this request. Use “Geef me” to say that you are asking someone to give something to you.

dit “dit” means “this” and refers to the item being requested in “Geef me dit alsjeblieft” and taken in “Ik neem dit.” It points to a specific item in the immediate situation. Use it when the listener can identify the item from the context or from what you are indicating.

Ik “Ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “Ik neem dit.” It comes before “neem” to show who is taking the item. Use “Ik” as the subject when stating what you are doing or choosing.

neem “neem” means “take” in “Ik neem dit” and expresses the speaker’s choice or decision to take this item. Together with “Ik” and “dit,” it states who is taking which item. Use “Ik neem dit” when accepting or selecting an item.

Grammar Points

Doe ... open

Doe het raam open, alsjeblieft.

DOO uht RAHM OH-puhn, ahl-shuh-BLEEFT

Open the window, please.

In Dutch, the verb meaning “open” splits in a command: doe comes first and open comes at the end.

Geef + object pronoun

Geef me dit.

KHAYF muh dit

Give me this.

The object pronoun me follows the imperative verb directly in this short request.

Dutch Vocabulary

alsjeblieft adv

ahl-shuh-BLEEFT please

Doe de deur alsjeblieft open.

deur noun

DUHR door

Doe de deur alsjeblieft open.

dicht adj

DIKHT closed; shut

Doe het raam alsjeblieft dicht.

dit pron

dit this

Geef me dit alsjeblieft.

doe verb

DOO do; put

Doe de deur alsjeblieft open.

geef verb

KHAYF give

Geef me dit alsjeblieft.

het det

uht the; it

Doe het raam alsjeblieft dicht.

ik pron

ik I

Ik neem dit.

me pron

muh me

Geef me dit alsjeblieft.

neem verb

NAYM take

Ik neem dit.

open adj

OH-puhn open

Doe de deur alsjeblieft open.

raam noun

RAHM window

Doe het raam alsjeblieft dicht.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Please open the door.

Show Answer

Doe de deur alsjeblieft open.

Please close the window.

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Doe het raam alsjeblieft dicht.

Please turn it on.

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Doe het alsjeblieft aan.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

please

Show Answer

alsjeblieft

open

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open

give

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geef

closed; shut

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dicht