Making a quiet cafe plan | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Making a quiet cafe plan to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Wil je in een café afspreken?

vihl yuh in uhn kah-FAY AHF-SPRAY-kuhn? Would you like to meet at a cafe?

Dat klinkt ontspannen.

daht klinkt ohnt-SPAH-nuhn. That sounds relaxing.

Welk café vind je leuk?

velk kah-FAY vint yuh luhk? Which cafe do you like?

Ik vind het rustige café bij het park leuk.

ik vint uht RUHS-tuh-khuh kah-FAY bay uht pahrk luhk. I like the quiet one near the park.

Laten we daar afspreken en genieten van de rust.

LAH-tuhn wuh dahr AHF-SPRAY-kuhn en khuh-NEE-tuhn vahn duh RUHST. Let's meet there and enjoy the quiet.

Ik kan een boek meenemen.

ik kahn uhn book MAY-nay-muhn. I can bring a book.

We kunnen daar een tijdje lezen.

wuh KUH-nuhn dahr uhn TAY-chuh LAY-zuhn. We can read there for a while.

Dat zou een fijne pauze zijn.

daht zow uhn FAY-nuh POW-zuh zayn. That would be a nice break.

Word by Word

Wil “Wil” asks whether the other person wants to do something, as in “Wil je in een café afspreken?”. It is the form of willen used at the start of this question.

je “Je” means “you” and addresses the other person in “Wil je in een café afspreken?”. After “Wil”, it identifies the person whose preference is being asked about.

in “In” places the meeting inside or at the café in “in een café”. It is used here to introduce the place where the two people will meet.

een In “een café”, “een” introduces one non-specific café. It is the indefinite article used before the place being suggested.

café “Café” means “café” in “in een café”. It names the place where the speakers suggest meeting.

afspreken “Afspreken” means to meet or arrange to meet in “Wil je in een café afspreken?”. It follows the question about wanting to meet and names the planned activity.

Dat “Dat” means “that” and refers to the proposed café meeting in “Dat klinkt ontspannen.” It points back to what the other person has just suggested.

klinkt “Klinkt” means “sounds” in “Dat klinkt ontspannen.” Together with “ontspannen”, it gives the impression that the plan is relaxing.

ontspannen “Ontspannen” describes the suggested plan as relaxing in “Dat klinkt ontspannen.” It completes the expression “klinkt ontspannen” to give a positive impression of the plan.

Welk “Welk” asks which café is meant in “Welk café vind je leuk?”. It selects one option from several possible cafés before “café”.

vind “Vind” expresses an evaluation in “vind je leuk”; with “leuk”, the construction means that you like something. The dialogue uses it to ask for the listener’s opinion about a café.

leuk “Leuk” contributes the meaning “nice” or “enjoyable” in “Welk café vind je leuk?”. With “vind”, it forms the expression for liking something.

Ik “Ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “Ik vind het rustige café bij het park leuk.” It is the person giving the opinion about the café.

het “Het” means “the” here and introduces the specific café in “het rustige café”. It helps identify the café that is being described as quiet.

rustige “Rustige” describes the café as quiet or calm in “het rustige café”. Its form appears directly before “café” in this noun phrase.

bij “Bij” means “near” or “by” in “bij het park”. It locates the café in relation to the park.

park “Park” means “park” in “bij het park”. It is the place used as the reference point for locating the café.

Laten “Laten” begins the suggestion “Laten we daar afspreken en genieten van de rust.” With “we”, it proposes a shared action.

we “We” means “we” and includes both speakers in “Laten we daar afspreken”. It shows that the suggested meeting and activity are for both people.

daar “Daar” means “there” and refers to the quiet café already mentioned. In “daar afspreken”, it gives the location for meeting without naming the café again.

en “En” means “and” and links the two suggested actions in “daar afspreken en genieten van de rust”. It connects the meeting with enjoying the quiet.

genieten “Genieten” means to enjoy or take pleasure in something in “genieten van de rust”. The construction uses “van” to introduce what is enjoyed.

van “Van” introduces the thing being enjoyed in “genieten van de rust”. Here it connects “genieten” with “de rust”, the quiet or peace.

de “De” means “the” in “de rust” and introduces the specific quiet or peace that the speakers want to enjoy. It is part of the phrase referring to the calm atmosphere.

rust “Rust” means quiet or peace in “genieten van de rust”. It names the calm atmosphere the speakers want to enjoy at the café.

kan “Kan” expresses ability or possibility in “Ik kan een boek meenemen.” It is a form of kunnen used here with “Ik” to say that the speaker is able or willing to bring a book along.

boek “Boek” means “book” in “een boek meenemen”. It names the item that the speaker offers to bring along.

meenemen “Meenemen” means to bring something along or take it with you in “een boek meenemen”. The book is the object being brought to the café.

kunnen “Kunnen” expresses ability or possibility in “We kunnen daar een tijdje lezen.” It says that reading there is an available activity for both speakers.

tijdje “Tijdje” means “a while” in “een tijdje lezen”. It describes the length of time that the speakers can read.

lezen “Lezen” means “to read” in “een tijdje lezen”. After “kunnen”, it names the activity that the speakers are able to do.

zou “Zou” presents the evaluation as a possible or imagined result in “Dat zou een fijne pauze zijn.” It gives the English meaning “would” in this sentence.

fijne “Fijne” describes the break as nice or pleasant in “een fijne pauze”. Its form appears before “pauze” in this noun phrase.

pauze “Pauze” means “break” in “een fijne pauze”. It names the restful period that reading at the café would provide.

zijn “Zijn” means “be” and completes “Dat zou een fijne pauze zijn.” It links the possible result, “Dat”, with the description “een fijne pauze”.

Grammar Points

welk + het-woord

Welk café?

velk kah-FAY?

Which café?

Use welk before a het-word when asking which one.

adjective + noun with -e

een fijne pauze

uhn FAY-nuh POW-zuh

a pleasant break

An adjective usually gets -e before a noun: fijn becomes fijne.

Dutch Vocabulary

afspreken verb

AHF-SPRAY-kuhn to meet

Wil je in een café afspreken?

café noun

kah-FAY café

Wil je in een café afspreken?

daar adv

dahr there

Laten we daar afspreken en genieten van de rust.

genieten verb

khuh-NEE-tuhn to enjoy

Laten we daar afspreken en genieten van de rust.

klinken verb

KLINK-uhn to sound klinkt

Dat klinkt ontspannen.

leuk adj

luhk nice; enjoyable

Welk café vind je leuk?

ontspannen adj

ohnt-SPAH-nuhn relaxed

Dat klinkt ontspannen.

park noun

pahrk park

Ik vind het rustige café bij het park leuk.

rust noun

RUHST quiet; peace

Laten we daar afspreken en genieten van de rust.

rustig adj

RUHS-tuhkh quiet rustige

Ik vind het rustige café bij het park leuk.

vinden verb

VIN-duhn to find; to consider vind

Welk café vind je leuk?

welk det

velk which

Welk café vind je leuk?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Would you like to meet at a cafe?

Show Answer

Wil je in een café afspreken?

That sounds relaxing.

Show Answer

Dat klinkt ontspannen.

Which cafe do you like?

Show Answer

Welk café vind je leuk?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to sound

Show Answer

klinkt

which

Show Answer

welk

to find; to consider

Show Answer

vind

nice; enjoyable

Show Answer

leuk