Giving a task update | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Giving a task update to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Hoe gaat het met de taak?

HOO KHAHT ut met duh TAHK? How is the task going?

Het meeste is gedaan.

ut MAY-stuh iss khuh-DAHN. Most of it is done.

Wat moeten we controleren?

vaht MOO-tun vuh kon-troh-LAY-run? What needs checking?

Ik moet de cijfers controleren.

ik MOOT duh SIGH-furs kon-troh-LAY-run. I need to check the numbers.

Liggen we op schema?

LIG-uh vuh op SKHAY-muh? Are we on schedule?

We kunnen dit vanmiddag afmaken.

vuh KUN-un dit van-MID-dakh AF-mah-kun. We can finish this afternoon.

Moeten we het team een update geven?

MOO-tun vuh ut TAYM un UP-dayt KHAY-vun? Should we update the team?

Laten we ze een update geven nadat we dit deel hebben afgemaakt.

LAA-tun vuh zuh un UP-dayt KHAY-vun nah-DAHT vuh dit DAYL HEB-un AF-khuh-MAHKT. Let's update them after we finish this part.

Word by Word

Hoe “Hoe” asks how something is going or in what way. In “Hoe gaat het met de taak?” it begins a question about task progress. Use “Hoe gaat het met ...?” when asking about the condition or progress of something.

gaat “Gaat” means goes or is going in “Hoe gaat het met de taak?”. It is the verb used with “het” to ask about the task’s progress. The pattern “Hoe gaat het met ...?” is useful when asking how a person, task, or situation is doing.

het In “Hoe gaat het met de taak?”, “het” is the “it” used in the expression for asking how something is going. At the start of “Het meeste is gedaan.”, “Het” helps form “most of it”. These two uses show how the exact form can support a question about progress and a noun phrase about a quantity.

met “Met” means with or regarding in “Hoe gaat het met de taak?”. It connects the expression about how things are going with “de taak”. Reuse the pattern “Hoe gaat het met ...?” when asking about a person, task, or situation.

de “De” is the definite article before “taak” in “de taak”, meaning “the task”. It introduces the specific task being discussed. Reuse “de” before a known noun such as “de taak” in a clear noun phrase.

taak “Taak” means task in “de taak”. It names the piece of work whose progress is being discussed. In a workplace update, use “de taak” when referring to the specific task already known to the speakers.

meeste “Meeste” means most in “Het meeste”, referring here to most of the task or work. Together with “Het”, it describes the largest part of something rather than naming the part itself. The phrase “Het meeste is gedaan.” reports that most of the work has been completed.

is “Is” means is and links “Het meeste” with “gedaan” in “Het meeste is gedaan.”. It helps state the current completion status of most of the work. This form is useful when giving a status such as “Het meeste is gedaan.”

gedaan “Gedaan” means done in “Het meeste is gedaan.”. With “is”, it reports that most of the work has reached completion. Use “is gedaan” when giving a concise update that something is finished.

Wat “Wat” means what and asks which thing or work is involved in “Wat moeten we controleren?”. Here it asks what still needs checking. Use “Wat moeten we ...?” to ask which action is required.

moeten “Moeten” means must or need to in “Wat moeten we controleren?”. It expresses a required action and is followed here by “controleren”. The reusable pattern is subject + “moeten” + an action, as in “Wat moeten we controleren?”.

we “We” means we and is the group carrying out the checking in “Wat moeten we controleren?”. It is the subject with “moeten” and “controleren”. In this dialogue, “we” refers to the two people coordinating the task.

controleren “Controleren” means to check in “Wat moeten we controleren?” and “de cijfers controleren”. It is the action required after “moeten”. Reuse the pattern “iets controleren”, keeping the item being checked before “controleren”.

Ik “Ik” means I and identifies the speaker as the person responsible for checking in “Ik moet de cijfers controleren.”. It is the subject of the statement. Use “Ik moet ...” to say that you need to carry out a particular action.

moet “Moet” means must or need to in “Ik moet de cijfers controleren.”. With “Ik”, it states the speaker’s obligation and is followed by the action “controleren”. The pattern “Ik moet ...” is useful for reporting a task you personally still need to do.

cijfers “Cijfers” means numbers or figures in “de cijfers”. They are the information that the speaker needs to check. In a task update, use “de cijfers controleren” when checking numerical information.

Liggen “Liggen” is used in “Liggen we op schema?” to ask whether the work is on schedule. Together with “op schema”, it describes the project’s position relative to the plan. Use “op schema liggen” when checking schedule progress.

op “Op” means on in the expression “op schema”. It connects the verb “Liggen” with the schedule used as the reference point. The phrase “op schema liggen” is used to say that work is proceeding according to plan.

schema “Schema” means schedule or plan in “op schema”. It is the reference used to judge whether the task is progressing on time. In a workplace update, “op schema” describes progress that matches the planned timing.

kunnen “Kunnen” means can or be able to in “We kunnen dit vanmiddag afmaken.”. With “we”, it expresses the ability or possibility of finishing the task this afternoon. It is followed by the action “afmaken”.

dit “Dit” means this and points to the task or item currently being discussed in “dit ... afmaken”. It is the object of “afmaken”. Use “dit” when referring to something nearby or already clear from the conversation.

vanmiddag “Vanmiddag” means this afternoon and gives the planned time in “We kunnen dit vanmiddag afmaken.”. It specifies when the finishing action can happen. Use it with a verb to state that an action is planned or possible this afternoon.

afmaken “Afmaken” means finish or complete in “dit vanmiddag afmaken”. It is the action that “we” can carry out, with “dit” as what will be finished. Reuse the pattern “iets afmaken” when talking about completing a task or part of a task.

team “Team” means team in “het team”. It identifies the group that may receive the task update. In “het team een update geven”, the team is the recipient of the update.

een “Een” means a or an and introduces “update” in “een update”. It marks one update without making it a previously specified one. Reuse the noun phrase “een update” when referring to an update that is being given.

update “Update” means update in “een update”. It is the information being given to the team. The dialogue uses it in the workplace pattern “een update geven” when communicating task progress.

geven “Geven” means give in “het team een update geven”. After “moeten” or “laten”, it names the action of communicating the update. The reusable pattern is “iemand een update geven”, with the recipient before the thing being given.

Laten “Laten” begins the suggestion “Laten we ze een update geven”, meaning let’s give them an update. With “we”, it proposes a joint action. Use “Laten we ...” when inviting someone to do something together.

ze “Ze” means them in “Laten we ze een update geven.”. Here it refers back to “het team”, the people who should receive the update. It is placed before “een update geven” as the recipient of the communication.

nadat “Nadat” means after and introduces the condition in “nadat we dit deel hebben afgemaakt”. It places the update after the completion of this part. Use “nadat” to connect a later action with an earlier completed action.

deel “Deel” means part in “dit deel”. It identifies the specific portion of the task that must be completed before the team is updated. In a task discussion, “dit deel” can refer to the part currently being worked on.

hebben “Hebben” means have in “nadat we dit deel hebben afgemaakt”. With “we” and “afgemaakt”, it helps describe the completion of the part before the later update. The pattern “we hebben ... afgemaakt” is used to report that we have finished something.

afgemaakt “Afgemaakt” means finished or completed in “dit deel hebben afgemaakt”. It describes the part as completed before the team receives an update. Reuse the pattern “iets hebben afgemaakt” when reporting that a task or part of a task has been completed.

Grammar Points

Nadat + bijzin: werkwoord achteraan

Nadat ze de taak hebben afgemaakt, geven ze een update aan het team.

nah-DAHT zuh duh TAHK HAY-bun AF-khuh-MAHKT, KHAY-vun zuh un UP-dayt ahn ut TAYM.

After they have finished the task, they give the team an update.

In a clause with nadat, the conjugated verb and participle move to the end of the subordinate clause.

Sche me there: separable verb afmaken

Ze maken de taak vanmiddag af.

zuh MAY-kun duh TAHK van-MID-dakh AF.

They will finish the task this afternoon.

The verb afmaken splits in a main clause: maken comes second and af moves to the end.

Dutch Vocabulary

afmaken verb

AF-mah-kun to finish

We kunnen dit vanmiddag afmaken.

cijfers noun

SIGH-furs numbers

Ik moet de cijfers controleren.

controleren verb

kon-troh-LAY-run to check

Wat moeten we controleren?

gaat verb

KHAHT is going

Hoe gaat het met de taak?

gedaan verb

khuh-DAHN done

Het meeste is gedaan.

het meeste pron

ut MAY-stuh most of it

Het meeste is gedaan.

hoe adv

HOO how

Hoe gaat het met de taak?

liggen verb

LIG-uh to be; lie

Liggen we op schema?

schema noun

SKHAY-mah schedule

Liggen we op schema?

taak noun

TAHK task

Hoe gaat het met de taak?

update noun

UP-dayt update

Moeten we het team een update geven?

vanmiddag adv

van-MID-dakh this afternoon

We kunnen dit vanmiddag afmaken.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

How is the task going?

Show Answer

Hoe gaat het met de taak?

Most of it is done.

Show Answer

Het meeste is gedaan.

What needs checking?

Show Answer

Wat moeten we controleren?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

task

Show Answer

taak

done

Show Answer

gedaan

to check

Show Answer

controleren

is going

Show Answer

gaat