Understanding a lesson question | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Understanding a lesson question to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ik begrijp dit deel van de les niet.

ik buh-GRAYP dit DAYL vahn duh LESS neet. I don't understand this part of the lesson.

Welke vraag vind je moeilijk?

VEL-kuh vrahkh vint yuh MOOY-luk? Which question is giving you trouble?

Het antwoord hier is voor mij niet duidelijk.

ut ANT-vohrt heer iss vohr MAY neet DOW-luhk. The answer here doesn't make sense to me.

Laten we eerst de zin lezen.

LAH-tun vuh AYRST duh ZIN LAY-zun. Let's read the sentence first.

Controleer dan het antwoord.

kon-troh-LAYR DAHN ut ANT-vohrt. Then check the answer.

Kun je de zin hardop lezen?

kuhn yuh duh ZIN HART-ohp LAY-zun? Can you read the sentence aloud?

Ik lees hem langzaam.

ik LAYSS um LAHNG-zahm. I'll read it slowly.

Ik schrijf de belangrijkste woorden in mijn schrift.

ik skhRAYF duh buh-LAHNG-ghryke-stuh VOHR-duhn in MAY SKH-RIFT. I'll write the key words in my notebook.

Laten we het antwoord nog een keer proberen.

LAH-tun vuh ut ANT-vohrt nokh uhn KAYR proh-BAY-run. Then let's try the answer again.

Word by Word

Ik ‘Ik’ means I and identifies the speaker in sentences such as ‘Ik begrijp dit deel van de les niet.’ It is used as the subject before the verb when talking about yourself.

begrijp ‘Begrijp’ means understand in ‘Ik begrijp dit deel van de les niet.’ Its citation form is begrijpen; begrijp is the form used here with Ik. It can be used with the thing that someone understands, such as ‘dit deel van de les’.

dit ‘Dit’ means this and points to the specific part being discussed in ‘dit deel’. It is placed before the noun to identify something nearby or currently under discussion.

deel ‘Deel’ means part in ‘dit deel van de les’. The phrase identifies one portion of the lesson. It can be combined with a van phrase to say what something is part of.

van ‘Van’ links ‘deel’ to ‘de les’ and expresses the relation part of the lesson. It is used before a noun phrase in ‘deel van de les’ to show what something belongs to or comes from.

de ‘De’ means the in ‘de les’ and introduces the specific lesson being discussed. It is used before ‘les’ in this expression and in the phrase ‘van de les’.

les ‘Les’ means lesson in ‘de les’. Here it refers to the lesson containing the confusing part. The phrase ‘de les’ can be used when referring to a specific lesson.

niet ‘Niet’ makes the statement negative in ‘Ik begrijp dit deel van de les niet.’ It shows that the speaker does not understand the part. In this sentence it appears at the end of the clause.

Welke ‘Welke’ means which and asks the listener to select one question from the possible questions. It appears before the noun in ‘Welke vraag’. This is useful when identifying a particular item.

vraag ‘Vraag’ means question in ‘Welke vraag vind je moeilijk?’ Here it refers to the lesson question causing difficulty. It can be used after ‘Welke’ when asking which question someone means.

vind In ‘Welke vraag vind je moeilijk?’, ‘vind’ contributes the idea of considering or finding the question difficult; ‘moeilijk’ completes that evaluation. Its citation form is vinden, and vind is the form used here with je. Keep the object in a pattern such as ‘Welke vraag vind je moeilijk?’.

je ‘Je’ means you and identifies the person being asked in ‘vind je moeilijk’. It refers to the listener who is having trouble with the question. It is used to address someone directly in this question.

moeilijk ‘Moeilijk’ means difficult in ‘Welke vraag vind je moeilijk?’ It describes how the listener considers the question. In this pattern it comes after the question and the person being asked.

Het ‘Het’ means the in ‘Het antwoord’. It introduces the specific answer being discussed. The same article appears before ‘antwoord’ in ‘het antwoord’.

antwoord ‘Antwoord’ means answer in ‘Het antwoord hier is voor mij niet duidelijk.’ It refers to the answer shown in the lesson. It can be used in the phrase ‘het antwoord’ and as the object of ‘Controleer’.

hier ‘Hier’ means here and points to the answer in the current lesson material. In ‘Het antwoord hier’ it identifies the answer being looked at. It is useful for indicating the item or place currently under discussion.

is ‘Is’ links ‘Het antwoord hier’ with its description in ‘is voor mij niet duidelijk’. Its citation form is zijn; is is the form used here to state the answer’s status. It can be followed by a description such as ‘niet duidelijk’.

voor ‘Voor’ means for in ‘voor mij’. It marks the person whose viewpoint or experience is being described. The pattern ‘voor + person’ can show whether something is clear or difficult for someone.

mij ‘Mij’ means me in ‘voor mij’. It identifies the speaker as the person for whom the answer is not clear. It is used after ‘voor’ in this expression.

Laten In ‘Laten we eerst de zin lezen’, ‘Laten’ helps make a suggestion for an action that the speakers will do together. Its citation form is laten, and Laten is the form used at the beginning of this suggestion. A reusable pattern is ‘Laten we’ followed by the proposed action.

we ‘We’ means we and includes the speaker and the listener in ‘Laten we eerst de zin lezen’. It shows that both people are invited to take part. It is used after ‘Laten’ in this suggestion.

eerst ‘Eerst’ means first and places reading before the next step. In the lesson, ‘eerst’ shows that the sentence should be read before checking the answer. It is useful for marking the first action in a sequence.

zin ‘Zin’ means sentence in ‘de zin lezen’. It refers to the sentence from the lesson that the speakers are examining. It can be used with ‘de’ when referring to a specific sentence.

lezen ‘Lezen’ means read in ‘Laten we eerst de zin lezen’. It names the action the speakers suggest doing together. It can be used with an object such as ‘de zin’ or with ‘hardop’ to specify aloud reading.

Controleer ‘Controleer’ means check in the direct instruction ‘Controleer dan het antwoord.’ Its citation form is controleren; Controleer is the form used to tell the listener to perform the check. The object follows it here: ‘Controleer ... het antwoord’.

dan ‘Dan’ means then in ‘Controleer dan het antwoord.’ It connects checking with the earlier step of reading the sentence. It is useful for marking the next action in an ordered sequence.

Kun ‘Kun’ means can or are able to in ‘Kun je de zin hardop lezen?’ Its citation form is kunnen, and Kun is the form used here in the question with je. The pattern ‘Kun je’ followed by an action asks whether someone can do that action.

hardop ‘Hardop’ means aloud and specifies that the sentence should be read out loud rather than silently. It appears in ‘de zin hardop lezen’. It can be used with ‘lezen’ when a listener needs to hear the reading.

lees ‘Lees’ means read in ‘Ik lees hem langzaam.’ Its citation form is lezen; lees is the form used here with Ik. It can be used with the thing being read, such as ‘hem’, and with an adverb describing the pace.

hem ‘Hem’ means it in ‘Ik lees hem langzaam’ and refers back to ‘de zin’. Here it does not refer to a male person. It replaces the already mentioned sentence after ‘lees’.

langzaam ‘Langzaam’ means slowly and describes the pace of reading in ‘Ik lees hem langzaam.’ It is used with an action to explain how that action is performed. In this classroom situation, it helps make the sentence easier to follow.

schrijf ‘Schrijf’ means write in ‘Ik schrijf de belangrijkste woorden in mijn schrift.’ Its citation form is schrijven; schrijf is the form used here with Ik. It can be used with the written content and a place, as in ‘... woorden in mijn schrift’.

belangrijkste ‘Belangrijkste’ identifies the words as the most important ones in ‘de belangrijkste woorden’. Its citation form is belangrijk; belangrijkste is the form used here to mark the highest importance. It is placed before the noun it describes.

woorden ‘Woorden’ means words in ‘de belangrijkste woorden’. Its citation form is woord; woorden is the plural form used here because several key items are being written down. It can follow a describing word such as ‘belangrijkste’.

in ‘In’ means in and locates the writing inside ‘mijn schrift’. The phrase ‘in mijn schrift’ says where the words are written. It can be used before a place or container.

mijn ‘Mijn’ means my and identifies the notebook associated with the speaker in ‘mijn schrift’. It is placed before the noun to show whose notebook is meant. The phrase ‘mijn schrift’ refers to the speaker’s notebook.

schrift ‘Schrift’ means notebook in ‘mijn schrift’. It is the place where the speaker writes the important words. It can be used after ‘mijn’ and after the preposition ‘in’.

nog In ‘nog een keer’, ‘nog’ helps express doing something one more time. The full repeated meaning comes from the whole expression, not from ‘nog’ alone. This phrase is useful when retrying an answer or repeating an action.

een In ‘nog een keer’, ‘een’ contributes the meaning one to the counted occasion. Together with ‘keer’, it refers to one more time. The phrase ‘een keer’ can be used when counting an occurrence.

keer ‘Keer’ means time or occasion in ‘nog een keer’. Here it counts another occurrence of trying the answer, rather than referring to clock time. The reusable expression ‘een keer’ names one occasion.

proberen ‘Proberen’ means try in ‘Laten we het antwoord nog een keer proberen.’ It names the action the speakers suggest repeating. It can be used with an object such as ‘het antwoord’ when saying what someone will try.

Grammar Points

eerst ..., dan ...

Eerst lezen, dan schrijven.

AYRST LAY-zun, DAHN SKH-RAY-vun.

First read, then write.

Use eerst and dan to show the order of two actions: first one action, then the next.

Imperatief: werkwoordstam

Controleer eerst.

kon-troh-LAYR AYRST.

Check first.

The imperative gives a direct instruction. In Dutch, it commonly uses the verb stem, such as controleer or schrijf.

Dutch Vocabulary

antwoord noun

ANT-vohrt answer

Het antwoord hier

begrijpen verb

buh-GRAY-pun to understand begrijp

Ik begrijp dit deel van de les niet.

deel noun

DAYL part

dit deel van de les

duidelijk adj

DOW-luhk clear

niet duidelijk

eerst adv

AYRST first

Laten we eerst de zin lezen.

hier adv

HEER here

Het antwoord hier

les noun

LESS lesson

van de les

moeilijk adj

MOOY-luk difficult

vind je moeilijk

vinden verb

VIN-duhn to find; to consider vind

vind je moeilijk

vraag noun

VRAHKH question

Welke vraag

welke det

VEL-kuh which

Welke vraag vind je moeilijk?

zin noun

ZIN sentence

de zin lezen

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Which question is giving you trouble?

Show Answer

Welke vraag vind je moeilijk?

Let's read the sentence first.

Show Answer

Laten we eerst de zin lezen.

Then check the answer.

Show Answer

Controleer dan het antwoord.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to find; to consider

Show Answer

vind

question

Show Answer

vraag

part

Show Answer

deel

here

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hier