Finding a Missing Notebook | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Finding a Missing Notebook to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Mijn notitieboek is weg.

mine NOH-TEE-tsee-book iss wekh. My notebook is missing.

Het ligt misschien op tafel.

uht likht mis-KHEEN awp TAH-fuhl. It might be on the table.

Ik heb daar al gekeken.

ik hep dahr ahl khuh-KAY-kuhn. I already checked there.

Kijk onder je blauwe tas.

kike AWN-der yuh BLOW-wuh tahs. Look under your blue bag.

Ik heb het onder de tas gevonden.

ik hep uht AWN-der duh tahs khuh-VON-duhn. I found it under the bag.

Doe het nu in je rugzak.

doo uht nyoo in yuh RUKH-zahk. Put it in your backpack now.

Ik bewaar het in het voorvak.

ik buh-VAHR uht in uht VOHR-vahk. I'll keep it in the front pocket.

Gebruik het hoofdvak, dan kun je het makkelijk vinden.

khuh-BROYK uht HOHFT-vahk, dahn kuhn yuh uht MAH-kuh-luhk VIN-duhn. Use the main pocket so it stays easy to find.

Word by Word

Mijn “Mijn” means “my” in “Mijn notitieboek is weg.” It shows that the notebook belongs to the speaker and is placed before “notitieboek”; use it before a noun when identifying something as yours.

notitieboek “Notitieboek” means “notebook” here. In “Mijn notitieboek” it names the missing item, and it can be used after a possessive such as “Mijn” to identify a particular notebook.

is “Is” links “Mijn notitieboek” with its current state in “Mijn notitieboek is weg.” It is used in the expression “is weg” when something is gone or missing.

weg “Weg” means “gone” or “missing” in “Mijn notitieboek is weg.” Together with “is,” it describes something that is no longer where it should be; “is weg” is useful when reporting that an item is missing.

Het “Het” means “it” at the start of “Het ligt misschien op tafel,” referring to the notebook. The same word appears as “het” in “Doe het nu in je rugzak” and “Ik bewaar het in het voorvak,” where it refers to the item, and in “het hoofdvak,” where it means “the”.

ligt “Ligt” says that the notebook is located on a surface in “Het ligt misschien op tafel.” It is used with a location such as “op tafel” when talking about where an object is lying or located.

misschien “Misschien” means “maybe” in “Het ligt misschien op tafel.” It marks the location as uncertain and can be used before the rest of a statement when suggesting a possibility.

op “Op” means “on” in “op tafel,” describing the notebook’s position on the table. It is also used in “Kijk onder je blauwe tas” and “onder de tas” with a different preposition for another location; here, “op tafel” is the useful location pattern.

tafel “Tafel” means “table” in “op tafel.” It names the surface where the notebook might be, and “op tafel” is used to describe an object located on a table.

Ik “Ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “Ik heb daar al gekeken,” “Ik heb het onder de tas gevonden,” and “Ik bewaar het in het voorvak.” It is used as the subject when the speaker reports their own action or intention.

heb “Heb” helps the speaker describe completed checking and finding in “Ik heb daar al gekeken” and “Ik heb het onder de tas gevonden.” In this dialogue it is used together with “gekeken” and “gevonden” to report what the speaker has done.

daar “Daar” means “there” in “Ik heb daar al gekeken,” referring to the table mentioned just before. It can point back to a place that has already been identified in the conversation.

al “Al” means “already” in “Ik heb daar al gekeken.” It shows that the checking happened before this moment and is placed before “gekeken” in this sentence.

gekeken “Gekeken” means “looked” or “checked” in “Ik heb daar al gekeken.” It follows “heb” here and is useful when reporting that a place has already been checked.

Kijk “Kijk” tells someone to look in “Kijk onder je blauwe tas.” It is used at the beginning of a direct instruction, followed here by the place to inspect.

onder “Onder” means “under” in “Kijk onder je blauwe tas” and “onder de tas.” It identifies the lower position where the notebook may be, so it is useful with an object or place that something is underneath.

je “Je” means “your” in “je blauwe tas” and “je rugzak,” identifying the bag as belonging to the person being addressed. In “kun je het makkelijk vinden,” “je” means “you,” so the exact form can also refer to the person addressed.

blauwe “Blauwe” means “blue” and describes the bag in “je blauwe tas.” It appears before “tas” as part of the description used to identify which bag to check.

tas “Tas” means “bag” in “je blauwe tas” and “de tas.” It names the bag used as the location clue, and it can follow an adjective such as “blauwe” or an article such as “de.”

de “De” means “the” in “de tas,” referring to the bag already identified in the conversation. It is placed before the noun in this expression: “onder de tas.”

gevonden “Gevonden” means “found” in “Ik heb het onder de tas gevonden.” It follows “heb” to report the completed action of finding the notebook under the bag.

Doe “Doe” gives the instruction to put the notebook somewhere in “Doe het nu in je rugzak.” The complete expression gives the action, object, destination, and time; “Doe” is the command that starts the instruction.

nu “Nu” means “now” in “Doe het nu in je rugzak.” It makes the instruction immediate and is placed before the destination phrase in this sentence.

in “In” links the notebook with an inside location in “Doe het nu in je rugzak” and “Ik bewaar het in het voorvak.” It is used for putting or keeping something inside a bag or pocket.

rugzak “Rugzak” means “backpack” in “in je rugzak.” It names the container where the notebook should be put, and it commonly follows “in” when describing something inside a backpack.

bewaar “Bewaar” means “keep” or “store” in “Ik bewaar het in het voorvak.” It expresses the speaker’s plan for where to keep the notebook and is used with the item and its storage location.

voorvak “Voorvak” means “front pocket” in “in het voorvak.” It identifies the specific pocket where the speaker plans to store the notebook, and it follows “het” in this expression.

Gebruik “Gebruik” tells someone to use something in “Gebruik het hoofdvak.” It is a direct instruction followed by the object being recommended, here “het hoofdvak.”

hoofdvak “Hoofdvak” means “main pocket” or “main compartment” in “Gebruik het hoofdvak.” It identifies the larger or primary pocket of the backpack as the recommended place for the notebook.

dan “Dan” means “then” or “so” in “dan kun je het makkelijk vinden.” It links using the main pocket with the result that the notebook will be easy to find.

kun “Kun” expresses ability or possibility in “dan kun je het makkelijk vinden”: “you can find it easily.” It is used with “je” and followed by the infinitive “vinden” in this construction.

makkelijk “Makkelijk” means “easily” in “het makkelijk vinden.” It describes how easy the finding will be and appears before “vinden” in this expression.

vinden “Vinden” means “find” in “dan kun je het makkelijk vinden.” It follows “kun” as the action the person can perform, and the object “het” appears before it in the dialogue expression.

Grammar Points

Bijwoord vooraan + werkwoord op de tweede plaats

Misschien ligt het daar.

MIS-kheen likht uht dahr.

Maybe it is there.

Als een bijwoord vooraan staat, komt het werkwoord in het Nederlands direct daarna.

Dutch Vocabulary

al adv

ahl already

Ik heb daar al gekeken.

daar adv

dahr there

Ik heb daar al gekeken.

het pron

uht it

Het ligt misschien op tafel.

ik pron

ik I

Ik heb daar al gekeken.

kijken verb

KIKE-uhn to look; to check gekeken

Ik heb daar al gekeken.

liggen verb

LIKH-uhn to lie; to be located ligt

Het ligt misschien op tafel.

mijn det

mine my

Mijn notitieboek is weg.

misschien adv

mis-KHEEN maybe; perhaps

Het ligt misschien op tafel.

notitieboek noun

NOH-TEE-tsee-book notebook

Mijn notitieboek is weg.

op prep

awp on

Het ligt misschien op tafel.

tafel noun

TAH-fuhl table

Het ligt misschien op tafel.

weg adj

wekh gone; missing

Mijn notitieboek is weg.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

My notebook is missing.

Show Answer

Mijn notitieboek is weg.

It might be on the table.

Show Answer

Het ligt misschien op tafel.

I already checked there.

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Ik heb daar al gekeken.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

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mijn

table

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tafel

maybe; perhaps

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misschien

to lie; to be located

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ligt