Getting Fresh Air During a Work Break | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At work, two adults take a short break by the window for fresh air before returning to work..

EN → NL / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Getting Fresh Air During a Work Break to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ik voel me moe aan mijn bureau.

ik VOOL muh MOO ahn mine byoo-ROH. I feel tired at my desk.
B

Laten we even het raam openzetten.

LAH-tun wuh AY-vun ut rahm OH-pun-ZET-un. Let's open the window for a moment.
A

Ik heb wat frisse lucht nodig.

ik HEP wut FRIS-uh LOOKH NOH-dikh. I need some fresh air.
B

De lucht buiten voelt koel aan.

duh LOOKH BOW-tun VOOLT KOOL ahn. The air outside feels cool.
A

Kunnen we bij het raam rusten?

KUN-un wuh BAY ut rahm RUS-tun? Can we rest by the window?
B

We kunnen hier een korte pauze nemen.

wuh KUN-un heer un KOR-tuh POW-zuh NAY-mun. We can take a short break here.
A

Ik voel me nu minder moe.

ik VOOL muh noo MIN-dur MOO. I feel less tired now.
B

Laten we binnenkort weer aan het werk gaan.

LAH-tun wuh bin-un-KORT VAIR ahn ut WERK khahn. Let's go back to work soon.

Word by Word

Ik Ik means “I” in “Ik voel me moe aan mijn bureau.” It identifies the speaker as the person who feels tired. It is used as the subject before the verb in a statement about yourself.
voel Voel means “feel” in “Ik voel me moe aan mijn bureau.” This exact form is used with Ik to describe the speaker’s physical or emotional state. It can be reused before a description of how you feel.
me Me means “myself” or “me” in “Ik voel me moe.” Together with voel, it makes the sentence describe the speaker’s own state. This reflexive pattern can be reused when saying how you feel.
moe Moe means “tired” in “Ik voel me moe aan mijn bureau.” It describes the speaker’s condition after working at the desk. It can be reused after a form of voel me to describe a tired state.
aan Aan marks location in “aan mijn bureau,” meaning that the speaker is at the desk. In “voelt koel aan,” it is part of the expression describing how something feels; the whole expression means “feels cool.” The exact meaning of aan therefore depends on the construction around it.
mijn Mijn means “my” in “mijn bureau.” It shows that the desk belongs to or is associated with the speaker. It is placed directly before the noun it describes.
bureau Bureau means “desk” in “aan mijn bureau.” The phrase places the speaker at the desk while working. It can be used after a possessive word such as mijn when referring to someone’s desk.
Laten Laten introduces the suggestion in “Laten we even het raam openzetten,” meaning “Let’s open the window for a moment.” With we and an action, it proposes something for the speaker and listener to do together. It is useful when suggesting a shared action.
we We means “we” in “Laten we even het raam openzetten” and “We kunnen hier een korte pauze nemen.” In the suggestion, it includes both speaker and listener. It is placed before the verb when stating what the group can do.
even Even means “for a moment” in “Laten we even het raam openzetten.” It shows that opening the window is intended to be brief and also makes the suggestion sound casual. It commonly appears with an action that will take only a short time.
het Het means “the” in “het raam.” It introduces the specific window that the speakers want to open. It appears directly before the noun in this phrase.
raam Raam means “window” in “het raam.” It is the object that the speakers want to open for fresh air. It can be used after het when referring to this specific window.
openzetten Openzetten means “to set open” or “to open” in “het raam openzetten.” After Laten we, it names the action being suggested. It can be reused with an object when suggesting that something should be opened.
heb Heb is the form of hebben used in “Ik heb wat frisse lucht nodig.” In this construction, the complete phrase expresses “I need some fresh air,” so the idea of needing comes from the construction as a whole. A different thing that is needed can be placed between heb and nodig.
wat Wat means “some” in “wat frisse lucht.” It refers to an unspecified amount of fresh air rather than a fixed quantity. It can be placed before a thing when requesting or describing some of it.
frisse Frisse means “fresh” in “frisse lucht.” This exact form appears before lucht and describes the quality of the air the speaker needs. It can be reused before a noun when describing something as fresh.
lucht Lucht means “air” in “frisse lucht.” Here it refers to the air the speaker wants during the work break. It can be combined with a describing word such as frisse.
nodig Nodig means “needed” in “heb wat frisse lucht nodig.” Together with heb and the thing between them, it expresses that the speaker needs something. This pattern can be reused by changing the thing that is needed.
De De means “the” in “De lucht buiten voelt koel aan.” It introduces the air being described. The capital letter appears because this word starts the sentence.
buiten Buiten means “outside” in “De lucht buiten.” It specifies which air is meant: the air outside. It can be placed after a noun to identify something by its location.
voelt Voelt means “feels” in “De lucht buiten voelt koel aan.” This exact form describes the air’s sensation in the sentence. With a description after it, it can be used to say how something feels.
koel Koel means “cool” in “voelt koel aan.” It describes the temperature or sensation of the outside air. It can be used after a form of voelt to describe how something feels.
Kunnen Kunnen means “can” or “be able to” in “Kunnen we bij het raam rusten?” At the start of this question, it asks whether the speakers are able or allowed to rest there. It is followed by we and the action being considered.
bij Bij means “by” or “near” in “bij het raam.” It marks the location where the speakers may rest. It can be reused before a place or object to express being near it.
rusten Rusten means “rest” in “bij het raam rusten.” After Kunnen we, it names the action the speakers are asking about. It can be used after kunnen to describe an action that is possible.
hier Hier means “here” in “We kunnen hier een korte pauze nemen.” It points to the current place, near the window. It can be used to identify the place where an action happens.
een Een means “a” in “een korte pauze.” It introduces one non-specific break that the speakers can take. It appears directly before the description and noun in this phrase.
korte Korte means “short” in “een korte pauze.” It describes the limited length of the break. This exact form appears before pauze in the noun phrase.
pauze Pauze means “break” in “een korte pauze nemen.” It refers to a short pause from work. Together with nemen, it expresses taking a break.
nemen Nemen means “take” in “een korte pauze nemen.” With pauze, it forms the usual idea of taking a break rather than physically taking an object. After kunnen, this infinitive names the action that is possible.
nu Nu means “now” in “Ik voel me nu minder moe.” It places the speaker’s improved feeling at the present moment. It can be used to contrast the current state with an earlier one.
minder Minder means “less” in “minder moe.” It shows that the speaker is tired to a lower degree than before. It can be placed before a describing word to express a reduced degree.
binnenkort Binnenkort means “soon” in “Laten we binnenkort weer aan het werk gaan.” It places the return to work in the near future. It can be used to refer to an action expected after a short period of time.
weer Weer means “again” or “back” in “weer aan het werk gaan.” It shows that the speakers are returning to work after the break. It can be reused when an activity resumes after a pause.
werk Werk means “work” in “aan het werk.” This phrase refers to working or being at work. In the dialogue, it is the destination of the return after the break.
gaan Gaan means “go” in “aan het werk gaan.” Here it helps express returning to work; the complete phrase gives the destination and purpose. It can also follow a suggestion to describe the action the speakers propose to take.

Grammar Points

laten we + infinitief

Laten we even rusten.

LAH-tun wuh AY-vun RUS-tun.

Let's rest for a moment.

Use “laten we” followed by the infinitive to make a suggestion, like “let's …” in English.

voelen ... aan

Mijn bureau voelt koel aan.

mine byoo-ROH VOOLT KOOL ahn.

My desk feels cool.

“Aanvoelen” is separable: in a main clause, “aan” moves to the end after the adjective.

Dutch Vocabulary

aan prep
ahn at; by
bureau noun
byoo-ROH desk
even adv
AY-vun for a moment
fris adj
FRIS fresh frisse
laten we phrase
LAH-tun wuh let's
lucht noun
LOOKH air
mijn det
mine my
moe adj
MOO tired
openzetten verb
OH-pun-ZET-un to open
raam noun
rahm window
voelen verb
VOO-lun to feel voel
wat det
wut some

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Let's open the window for a moment.

Show AnswerLaten we even het raam openzetten.

I need some fresh air.

Show AnswerIk heb wat frisse lucht nodig.

The air outside feels cool.

Show AnswerDe lucht buiten voelt koel aan.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

my

Show Answermijn

for a moment

Show Answereven

desk

Show Answerbureau

to feel

Show Answervoel