Borrowing a Pen and Notebook | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a Pen and Notebook to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Mag ik een pen gebruiken?

mahk ik uhn pen khuh-BROI-kuhn? Can I use a pen?

Pak de zwarte uit de beker.

pahk duh ZWAR-tuh ow-t duh BAY-kuhr. Take the black one from the cup.

Ik heb ook een notitieboekje nodig.

ik heb ohk uhn noh-TEE-tsee-book-yuh NOH-dikh. I need a notebook too.

Er ligt een oud notitieboekje in de la.

ur likht uhn owt noh-TEE-tsee-book-yuh in duh lah. There is an old one in the drawer.

Ik moet alleen een kort lijstje schrijven.

ik moot ah-LĀN uhn kawrt LĀYST-yuh SHRĀY-vuhn. I only need to write a short list.

Breng ze allebei terug als je klaar bent.

brengk zuh ah-luh-BĀY tuh-RUHK ahls yuh klahr behnt. Bring both back when you finish.

Ik leg ze op je bureau.

ik lekh zuh op yuh byoo-ROH. I will put them on your desk.

Dan zijn ze makkelijk te vinden.

dahn zayn zuh MAH-kuh-lik tuh VIN-duhn. That makes them easy to find.

Word by Word

Mag “Mag” asks for permission in “Mag ik een pen gebruiken?” It is used with a person and an action to ask whether the action is allowed. Use this when requesting permission from someone in a shared space.

ik “ik” means “I”; at the start of the sentence it appears as “Ik”. In “Mag ik een pen gebruiken?”, it identifies the person asking permission. It is used for the speaker as the subject of a sentence.

een “een” means “a” or “an” before a nonspecific item, as in “een pen”. It introduces the pen the speaker wants to use without identifying a particular pen. The same form introduces “een notitieboekje” later in the dialogue.

pen “pen” means “pen” and is the item the speaker wants to use. In “een pen”, it follows the article “een”. Use it when referring to a writing pen.

gebruiken “gebruiken” means “use” and names the action in “Mag ik een pen gebruiken?” It follows the request for permission and describes what the speaker wants to do with the pen. Use it after a permission request when naming the permitted action.

Pak “Pak” tells the listener to take or pick up something, here in “Pak de zwarte uit de beker.” It gives a direct instruction about which pen to take. Use it when asking someone to take an available object.

de “de” means “the” and introduces the specific item in “de zwarte”. Here it helps identify the black pen from the other pens. It is also used in “de beker” and “de la” for specific objects.

zwarte “zwarte” means “the black one” in “de zwarte uit de beker”. It describes the pen by its color while leaving the word for pen unstated. Use this form when the described object is clear from the context.

uit “uit” means “from” or “out of” and shows that the pen should be taken from the cup in “uit de beker”. It marks the place something comes out of. Use it with a source or container when describing where an object comes from.

beker “beker” means “cup” and is the container from which the pen should be taken. In “uit de beker”, it follows “uit” to name the source location. Use it when referring to a cup as a container.

heb In “Ik heb ook een notitieboekje nodig”, “heb” contributes to the expression for saying that the speaker needs something. The needed item appears between “heb” and “nodig”. Use this form with “ik” when stating a need.

ook “ook” means “also” or “too” and adds the notebook to the pen already mentioned. In “Ik heb ook een notitieboekje nodig”, it shows that this is an additional need. Use it when adding another person, item, or action to what has already been mentioned.

notitieboekje “notitieboekje” means “notebook” and is the second item the speaker needs. In “een notitieboekje”, it follows “een” as the needed object. Use it when referring to a notebook for writing notes or a list.

nodig In “Ik heb ook een notitieboekje nodig”, “nodig” completes the expression meaning that the speaker needs the notebook. The item being needed comes before this word. Use it when stating that an item is needed.

Er “Er” introduces the statement that an item is located somewhere in “Er ligt een oud notitieboekje in de la.” It helps present the notebook as something available in the drawer. Use it when introducing an object together with its location.

ligt “ligt” says that the notebook is lying or located in the drawer. In “Er ligt een oud notitieboekje in de la”, it describes the notebook’s position rather than an action of moving it. Use it with an object and a place when describing where something is located.

oud “oud” means “old” and describes the notebook in “een oud notitieboekje”. It tells the listener which notebook is available in the drawer. Use it before an object when describing that it is old.

in “in” means “in” and places the notebook inside the drawer in “in de la”. It introduces the location where the object is found. Use it when describing something located inside a place or container.

la “la” means “drawer” and names the location of the notebook in “in de la”. It follows “in” to specify where the notebook is. Use it when referring to a drawer as a storage place.

moet “moet” expresses that the speaker needs to or must write in “Ik moet alleen een kort lijstje schrijven.” It introduces the required action, which is “schrijven”. Use it when saying that someone has to carry out an action.

alleen “alleen” means “only” and limits what the speaker needs to do: write a short list. In “Ik moet alleen een kort lijstje schrijven”, it shows that no larger task is intended. Use it to restrict an action or requirement to one thing.

kort “kort” means “short” and describes the list in “een kort lijstje”. Here it indicates that the list will contain only a small amount of writing. Use it before an object when describing limited length.

lijstje “lijstje” means “list” in the context of “een kort lijstje schrijven”. It is the thing the speaker plans to write in the notebook. Use it when referring to a list of items or notes.

schrijven “schrijven” means “write” and names the action the speaker needs to do in “Ik moet alleen een kort lijstje schrijven.” It follows “moet” to state the required activity. Use it when describing the act of writing something.

Breng “Breng” tells the listener to bring the borrowed items back in “Breng ze allebei terug”. It gives an instruction about returning the pen and notebook after use. Use it when asking someone to bring an object to a place or person.

ze “ze” means “them” and refers here to the pen and notebook. In “Breng ze allebei terug”, it is the object of the instruction to bring them back. Use it when referring to previously mentioned items without repeating their names.

allebei “allebei” means “both” and makes clear that the instruction applies to the two items together. In “Breng ze allebei terug”, it refers to the pen and the notebook. Use it with two people or things when including both of them.

terug “terug” means “back” and shows that the pen and notebook should be returned in “Breng ze allebei terug”. It adds the return direction to “Breng”. Use it when an object or person is going back to a previous place.

als “als” means “when” in “als je klaar bent”. It introduces the time condition for bringing the items back. Use it to connect an action with the time when another situation is finished or true.

je “je” means “you” and refers to the person who borrowed the items in “als je klaar bent”. It is the person who will finish the writing. Use it when addressing one person in an informal context.

klaar “klaar” means “finished” or “ready”; here it means finished with the writing task in “je klaar bent”. It describes the point at which the items should be returned. Use it with “bent” when saying that someone is finished or ready.

bent “bent” means “are” in “je klaar bent”. Together with “klaar”, it says that the listener has finished. Use it with “je” to describe the listener’s state in this expression.

leg “leg” means “put” or “place” in “Ik leg ze op je bureau”. It describes the speaker placing the pen and notebook somewhere. Use it when saying that an object is placed on a surface or in a location.

op “op” means “on” and shows that the items will be placed on the desk in “op je bureau”. It introduces the surface where the objects will be left. Use it when describing an object’s position on a surface.

bureau “bureau” means “desk” and is the place where the speaker will leave the pen and notebook. In “op je bureau”, it follows “op” to name the surface. Use it when referring to a desk as a work surface.

Dan “Dan” means “then” and links placing the items on the desk with the result in “Dan zijn ze makkelijk te vinden.” It shows what follows from the speaker’s plan. Use it to introduce a consequence or next point in a conversation.

zijn “zijn” means “are” in “Dan zijn ze makkelijk te vinden”. With “ze”, it states the condition of the pen and notebook. Use it to connect the items with a description of their condition or accessibility.

makkelijk “makkelijk” means “easy” in “makkelijk te vinden”. It describes how little difficulty there will be in locating the items. Use it before “te vinden” to say that something is easy to locate.

te “te” marks the infinitive in “makkelijk te vinden”, which means “easy to find”. It connects the description “makkelijk” with the action “vinden”. Use this construction to describe how easy or difficult an action is.

vinden “vinden” means “find” in “makkelijk te vinden”. It names the action of locating the pen and notebook on the desk. Use it after “te” in this pattern when describing something that is easy to locate.

Grammar Points

de + bijvoeglijk naamwoord op -e + zelfstandig naamwoord

de zwarte beker

duh ZWAR-tuh BAY-kuhr

the black cup

After the definite article de, an adjective usually ends in -e.

breng ... terug

Breng de pen terug.

brengk duh pehn tuh-RUHK

Bring the pen back.

In this separable verb, terug comes after the object in a main-clause command.

Dutch Vocabulary

beker noun

BAY-kuhr cup

Pak de zwarte uit de beker.

gebruiken verb

khuh-BROI-kuhn to use

Mag ik een pen gebruiken?

heb verb

hehb have

Ik heb ook een notitieboekje nodig.

la noun

lah drawer

Er ligt een oud notitieboekje in de la.

ligt verb

likht lies; is lying

Er ligt een oud notitieboekje in de la.

nodig adj

NOH-dikh needed; necessary

Ik heb ook een notitieboekje nodig.

notitieboekje noun

noh-TEE-tsee-book-yuh notebook

Ik heb ook een notitieboekje nodig.

ook adv

ohk also; too

Ik heb ook een notitieboekje nodig.

oud adj

owt old

Er ligt een oud notitieboekje in de la.

pak verb

pahk take; grab

Pak de zwarte uit de beker.

pen noun

pehn pen

Mag ik een pen gebruiken?

zwarte adj

ZWAR-tuh black one

Pak de zwarte uit de beker.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I use a pen?

Show Answer

Mag ik een pen gebruiken?

Take the black one from the cup.

Show Answer

Pak de zwarte uit de beker.

I need a notebook too.

Show Answer

Ik heb ook een notitieboekje nodig.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

needed; necessary

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nodig

black one

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zwarte

cup

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beker

to use

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gebruiken