Planning lunch at a restaurant | Learn Dutch in English

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Use Planning lunch at a restaurant to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Wil je samen lunchen?

vihl yuh SAH-mun LUHN-khun? Would you like to have lunch together?

Dat klinkt leuk. Waar zullen we heen gaan?

daht KLINGKT LUHK. vahr ZUH-lun vuh hayn khahn? That sounds nice. Where should we go?

Misschien het kleine restaurant hier in de buurt.

mih-SKHEEN ut KLAY-nuh res-toh-RAHNT heer in duh BUURT. Maybe the small restaurant near here.

Laten we daarheen gaan als het niet druk is.

LAH-tun vuh DAHR-hayn khahn ahls ut neet DRUHK is. Let's go there if it isn't busy.

Zullen we bij de voordeur afspreken?

ZUH-lun vuh bay duh VOHR-dur AHF-spray-kun? Should we meet by the front door?

Ik wacht waar je me kunt zien.

ik VAHKHT vahr yuh muh kunt ZEEN. I'll wait where you can see me.

Dan kom ik je zoeken.

dahn kohm ik yuh ZOO-kun. Then I'll come find you.

Daarna kunnen we om een tafel vragen.

DAHR-nah KUN-nun vuh om un TAH-fuhl VRAH-khun. After that, we can ask for a table.

Word by Word

Wil “Wil” is used here to make a polite invitation: “Would you like to…?” It is the form of willen used in the reusable question pattern “Wil je …?” for inviting someone to do something.

je “je” refers to the person being invited: “you.” It appears after “Wil” in “Wil je …?” and can be reused when addressing one person in an informal way.

samen “samen” means “together,” showing that the speaker wants to have lunch with the other person. It can be placed before an activity, as in the new example “samen werken” for “work together.”

lunchen “lunchen” means “have lunch” in “samen lunchen.” This form follows “Wil je” and can be reused after that pattern for an invitation to have lunch.

Dat “Dat” means “that” and refers to the lunch suggestion just made. In “Dat klinkt leuk,” it introduces a reaction to something previously mentioned and can be used similarly when responding to an idea.

klinkt “klinkt” means “sounds” in “Dat klinkt leuk,” describing how the suggestion seems to the speaker. It is the form of klinken used with “Dat” in this expression; “Dat klinkt …” can be reused before an evaluation.

leuk “leuk” means “nice” or “fun” as the speaker’s positive evaluation of the suggestion. It can follow “klinkt” in “Dat klinkt leuk” when reacting positively to a plan or idea.

Waar “Waar” asks “where” in “Waar zullen we heen gaan?” It appears at the beginning of the question and can be reused to ask about a place or destination.

zullen “zullen” is used here to suggest or discuss what the two people should do: “Where shall we go?” With “we,” the pattern “Zullen we …?” can be reused for making a joint suggestion.

we “we” means “we,” referring to the two friends who are deciding together. It follows “zullen” in “Zullen we …?” and can be used when proposing a shared activity.

heen “heen” adds the idea of movement toward a place in “heen gaan.” Together with “Waar” and “gaan,” it asks which destination the two people should go to; the pattern “ergens heen gaan” can be reused for going somewhere.

gaan “gaan” means “go” in “heen gaan.” It comes after “heen” here and can be reused with a destination or direction when talking about going somewhere.

Misschien “Misschien” means “maybe” and introduces a possible restaurant choice. It can be placed at the beginning of a suggestion when the speaker is not making a definite choice.

het “het” means “the” before “kleine restaurant,” identifying a particular restaurant. It is part of the noun phrase “het kleine restaurant,” which can be reused when referring to that specific place.

kleine “kleine” means “small” and describes the restaurant in “het kleine restaurant.” It appears before the noun and can be reused in a similar adjective-plus-noun phrase when describing something as small.

restaurant “restaurant” means “restaurant,” the place being suggested for lunch. It is used after “het kleine” and can be reused as the object of a destination or location phrase.

hier “hier” means “here,” locating the restaurant near the speakers. In “hier in de buurt,” it helps point to the nearby area and can be reused when indicating the speaker’s current location.

in “in” contributes to the location expression “in de buurt,” meaning that something is in the nearby area. This expression can be reused with a place or person to say that something is nearby.

de “de” means “the” before “buurt” in the expression “in de buurt.” It forms the noun phrase “de buurt,” which is used here inside the phrase for referring to the nearby area.

buurt “buurt” means “neighborhood” or “nearby area” in “hier in de buurt.” The full expression “in de buurt” is a reusable way to say that something is nearby.

Laten “Laten” is used with “we” to make the suggestion “Let’s go there.” The pattern “Laten we …” can be reused to propose a shared action.

daarheen “daarheen” means “there” or “to there,” emphasizing movement toward the restaurant already mentioned. It can be reused before or with “gaan” when pointing to a destination away from the speakers.

als “als” means “if” and introduces the condition that the restaurant is not busy. It can be reused to connect a proposed action with a condition, as in “als het regent” for “if it rains.”

niet “niet” means “not” and negates the description “druk” in “niet druk.” It can be placed before an adjective when saying that something does not have a certain quality.

druk “druk” means “busy” here, describing the restaurant’s level of activity. In “als het niet druk is,” it is used after “niet” to say that the restaurant is not busy.

is “is” means “is” in the condition “het niet druk is,” describing the restaurant’s state. It is used with “het” and the adjective “druk” in this description.

bij “bij” means “by” or “at” and identifies the meeting point in “bij de voordeur.” It can be reused before a place or object when arranging to meet at or near it.

voordeur “voordeur” means “front door,” the specific meeting place. It follows “de” in “bij de voordeur” and can be reused when giving a meeting location at a building’s entrance.

afspreken “afspreken” means “meet” or “arrange to meet” in “bij de voordeur afspreken.” After “Zullen we,” it describes the shared plan; “Zullen we … afspreken?” can be reused when proposing a meeting arrangement.

Ik “Ik” means “I,” identifying the speaker who will wait. It begins “Ik wacht” and can be reused at the start of a sentence when describing the speaker’s own action.

wacht “wacht” means “wait” in “Ik wacht.” It is used after “Ik” to describe waiting at a location and can be reused with a place or time expression.

me “me” means “me” in “je me kunt zien,” referring to the speaker as the person who can be seen. It appears before “kunt zien” and can be reused as the person affected by an action.

kunt “kunt” means “can” or “are able to” in “je me kunt zien.” It is used with “je” and the verb “zien”; the pattern “je kunt …” can be reused to describe what someone is able to do.

zien “zien” means “see” in “je me kunt zien.” It follows “kunt” in this ability expression and can be reused after “kunnen” or “kunt” when talking about seeing someone or something.

Dan “Dan” means “then,” linking the waiting arrangement to the speaker’s next action. It can be reused at the beginning of a sentence to introduce what will happen next.

kom “kom” means “come” in “kom ik je zoeken,” describing the speaker moving to the other person. It is used with “ik” and can be reused when saying that the speaker will come to do something.

zoeken “zoeken” means “look for” or “find” in “je zoeken,” referring to looking for the other person. It follows “kom” in “kom ik je zoeken,” a reusable pattern for saying that someone will come and look for another person.

Daarna “Daarna” means “after that” and marks the next step after meeting. It can be used at the beginning of a sentence to order actions in a plan.

kunnen “kunnen” means “can” or “are able to” in “kunnen we om een tafel vragen,” expressing what the two people can do next. It comes before the main verb in this pattern and can be reused for possible or permitted actions.

om “om” is part of the expression “om een tafel vragen,” meaning “ask for a table.” It is used before the requested thing in this construction, which can be reused when asking for something specific.

een “een” means “a” before “tafel,” introducing one table without identifying a particular table. The pattern “om een … vragen” can be reused when asking for an unspecified item or service.

tafel “tafel” means “table,” the item the friends want to request at the restaurant. It follows “een” in “om een tafel vragen” and can be replaced by another requested object in the same pattern.

vragen “vragen” means “ask for” in “om een tafel vragen.” Together with “om een tafel,” it expresses a request for a table; the pattern “om … vragen” can be reused when requesting something.

Grammar Points

klinkt + bijvoeglijk naamwoord

Klinkt leuk.

KLINGKT LUHK.

Sounds nice.

After klinkt, Dutch uses an adjective such as leuk to describe how something seems or sounds.

hier in de buurt

hier in de buurt

HEER in duh BUURT

near here

Dutch uses the fixed phrase in de buurt, literally “in the neighborhood,” to express nearby location.

Dutch Vocabulary

bij prep

BAY by; near

bij de voordeur

daarheen adv

DAHR-hayn there

Laten we daarheen gaan

druk adj

DRUHK busy

als het niet druk is

hier in de buurt phrase

HEER in duh BUURT near here

het kleine restaurant hier in de buurt

kleine adj

KLAY-nuh small

het kleine restaurant

klinkt verb

KLINGKT sounds

Dat klinkt leuk.

leuk adj

LUHK nice

Dat klinkt leuk.

lunchen verb

LUHN-khun to have lunch

Wil je samen lunchen?

misschien adv

mih-SKHEEN maybe

Misschien het kleine restaurant hier in de buurt.

restaurant noun

res-toh-RAHNT restaurant

het kleine restaurant

samen adv

SAH-mun together

Wil je samen lunchen?

voordeur noun

VOHR-dur front door

bij de voordeur

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Would you like to have lunch together?

Show Answer

Wil je samen lunchen?

Should we meet by the front door?

Show Answer

Zullen we bij de voordeur afspreken?

Then I'll come find you.

Show Answer

Dan kom ik je zoeken.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

restaurant

Show Answer

restaurant

there

Show Answer

daarheen

to have lunch

Show Answer

lunchen

nice

Show Answer

leuk