Finding the Restroom During a Break | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Finding the Restroom During a Break to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Hoe lang duurt de pauze?

hoo lahng dyoort duh POW-zuh? How long is the break?

De pauze duurt tien minuten.

duh POW-zuh dyoort teen mee-NYOO-tuh(n). The break is ten minutes long.

Waar is het toilet?

vahr is ut twah-LET? Where is the restroom?

Ga de kamer uit en ga naar rechts.

gah duh KAH-mur owt uhn gah nah(r) REKHTS. Go out of the room and turn right.

Ik denk dat ik het kan vinden.

ik dehngk daht ik ut kahn VIN-duh(n). I think I can find it.

Ik wacht hier voordat de les weer begint.

ik vahkht heer vohr-DAHT duh les vayr buh-KHINT. I will wait here before class starts again.

Word by Word

Hoe “Hoe” asks how something is measured or described; here it asks about the length of the break. It appears with “lang” in the question “Hoe lang duurt de pauze?”. Use it when asking about a degree or measurement, such as the length of a break.

lang “lang” means long here and combines with “Hoe” to ask how long the break lasts. In “Hoe lang duurt de pauze?”, it describes the duration rather than the physical size of an object. This pattern is useful when asking about the duration of an event.

duurt “duurt” means lasts in “Hoe lang duurt de pauze?”. It is the form used with “de pauze” to express its duration. Use this word with a period or event when asking or saying how long it lasts.

de “de” is the definite article meaning the in “de pauze”. It comes directly before the noun it specifies. Reuse “de” before a noun when that noun takes this article.

pauze “pauze” means break, specifically the break in the lesson. In “de pauze”, it is the thing whose duration is being discussed. Use it when talking about a break during a lesson or another activity.

minuten “minuten” means minutes in “tien minuten”. It gives the amount of time that the break lasts. Use it after a number when stating a duration in minutes.

Waar “Waar” asks where something is located; here it asks for the location of the restroom. It begins “Waar is het toilet?”. Use it at the beginning of a question about a place or location.

is “is” expresses location or existence in “Waar is het toilet?”. Here it links the question about location with “het toilet”. Use it with a person, object, or place when asking or stating where it is.

het “het” is the definite article meaning the in “het toilet”. It comes directly before “toilet” in the location question. Reuse “het” before a noun when that noun takes this article.

toilet “toilet” means restroom here. In “het toilet”, it names the place the speaker is trying to locate. Use it when asking for or referring to the restroom.

Ga “Ga” tells someone to go in the direction or way described next. In “Ga de kamer uit”, it gives an instruction to leave the room. Use it when giving a direct instruction to go somewhere or move in a specified way.

kamer “kamer” means room in “de kamer”. Together with “uit”, “de kamer uit” means out of the room. Use the noun with a place expression when describing leaving a room.

uit “uit” contributes the meaning out of in the expression “de kamer uit”. It works with “Ga” and “de kamer” to give the instruction to leave the room. Use it in this kind of direction expression when someone should move out of a place.

en “en” means and and connects the two instructions in “Ga de kamer uit en ga naar rechts.”. It joins leaving the room with turning or going right. Use it to connect two actions or pieces of information.

naar “naar” indicates the direction toward which someone should go in “ga naar rechts”. It comes before “rechts” to form the direction expression. Use it before a destination or direction when describing where someone should go.

rechts “rechts” means right in “ga naar rechts”. It identifies the direction the person should take after leaving the room. Use it with “naar” when giving this direction.

Ik “Ik” means I and identifies the speaker in “Ik denk dat ik het kan vinden.”. It is used again inside the same sentence for the person who can find the restroom. Use it as the subject when speaking about yourself.

denk “denk” means think in “Ik denk dat ik het kan vinden.”. It introduces the speaker’s opinion or belief about being able to find the restroom. Use it before “dat” when stating what you think.

dat “dat” introduces the content of the thought in “Ik denk dat ik het kan vinden.”. It connects “Ik denk” with the clause explaining what the speaker thinks. Use it to introduce a complete statement after an expression such as “I think”.

kan “kan” means can or be able to in “ik het kan vinden”. It expresses the ability to find the restroom and is followed by “vinden”. Use it before an action word when describing what someone is able to do.

vinden “vinden” means find in “het kan vinden”. It is the action the speaker believes they are able to complete. After “kan”, use this action word to say what someone can do; the object slot is “het” in the dialogue.

wacht “wacht” means wait in “Ik wacht hier”. It tells the listener that the speaker will remain in this place. Use it with a place word such as “hier” when saying where you will wait.

hier “hier” means here and identifies the speaker’s current waiting place in “Ik wacht hier”. It is placed after “wacht” to specify where the waiting happens. Use it when referring to the place where the speaker is now.

voordat “voordat” means before and introduces the event that has not happened yet in “voordat de les weer begint”. It connects waiting here with the class starting again. Use it before a clause to say that one action happens before another event.

les “les” means class or lesson in “de les”. It is the event that starts again after the break. Use it with “de” when referring to a particular class or lesson.

weer “weer” means again in “de les weer begint”. It shows that the class starts another time after the break. Use it to describe an action or event that happens again.

begint “begint” means starts or begins in “de les weer begint”. It describes the class starting again after the break. Use it with an event or activity when saying that it starts.

Grammar Points

Hoe lang + werkwoord + onderwerp?

Hoe lang duurt de pauze?

hoo lahng dyoort duh POW-zuh?

How long does the break last?

In a Dutch question with “hoe lang”, the verb comes before the subject.

voordat + bijzin: werkwoord achteraan

Wacht hier voordat de les begint.

vahkht heer vohr-DAHT duh les buh-KHINT.

Wait here before the lesson begins.

After “voordat”, Dutch places the conjugated verb at the end of the clause.

Dutch Vocabulary

denken verb

DENGK-uh(n) to think denk

duren verb

DYOO-ruh(n) to last duurt

gaan verb

gahn to go ga

hoe lang phrase

hoo lahng how long

kamer noun

KAH-mur room de kamer

minuut noun

mee-NYOOT minute minuten

naar rechts phrase

nah(r) REKHTS to the right

pauze noun

POW-zuh break de pauze

tien num

teen ten

toilet noun

twah-LET restroom; toilet het toilet

vinden verb

VIN-duh(n) to find

waar adv

vahr where

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

How long is the break?

Show Answer

Hoe lang duurt de pauze?

The break is ten minutes long.

Show Answer

De pauze duurt tien minuten.

Where is the restroom?

Show Answer

Waar is het toilet?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

where

Show Answer

waar

to last

Show Answer

duurt

minute

Show Answer

minuten

ten

Show Answer

tien