Finding a Missing Screw | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

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

Dialogue

Ik ben een kleine schroef kwijt.

ik ben un KLEH-eye-nuh SKHROOF KWEH-eye-t. I lost a small screw.

Kijk onder de stoel.

KEH-eye-k ON-der duh STOOL. Check under the chair.

Hij lag bij de stoelpoot.

hay lakh BEH-eye duh STOOL-poht. It was by the chair leg.

Pak hem voorzichtig op.

PAHK hem vohr-ZIKH-tukh awp. Pick it up carefully.

Hij is heel klein.

hay iss HAYL KLEH-eye-n. It is tiny.

Houd hem in je handpalm, zodat hij niet weer wegrolt.

HOWT hem in yuh HANT-pahm, soh-DAHT hay neet VAYR WEKH-rohlt. Hold it in your palm so it does not roll away again.

We hebben hem nodig om de plank te repareren.

wuh HEH-bun hem NOH-dikh um duh PLAHNGK tuh ray-pah-RAY-run. We need it to fix the shelf.

Dan kunnen we hem helemaal repareren.

dahn KUN-un wuh hem HAY-luh-MAHL ray-pah-RAY-run. Then we can finish fixing it.

Word by Word

Ik Ik means I and identifies the speaker in 'Ik ben een kleine schroef kwijt.' It is used at the start of a sentence when the speaker describes their own situation. Use it when you are talking about yourself.

ben Ben is the form used with Ik in 'Ik ben een kleine schroef kwijt.' Together with kwijt, it expresses that the speaker has lost something or no longer has it. Use this construction when telling someone that an item is missing.

een Een means a or one in 'een kleine schroef'; it introduces one non-specific screw. It comes before the description and noun in this phrase. Use it before a singular item when it is not being identified as a particular known item.

kleine Kleine means small in 'een kleine schroef.' This exact form appears before the noun schroef in the noun phrase. Use it before a noun when describing something as small.

schroef Schroef means screw and names the small object that was lost and found. In 'een kleine schroef,' it is the noun being described by kleine. Use it when talking about a screw during repair or assembly.

kwijt Kwijt contributes the meaning lost or missing in 'Ik ben een kleine schroef kwijt.' With ben, it describes the speaker's situation rather than a physical action. Use this expression when you cannot find an item you had.

Kijk Kijk means look or check as an instruction in 'Kijk onder de stoel.' It tells another person to inspect a place. Use it to direct someone’s attention to a location.

onder Onder means under and places the search location below the chair in 'onder de stoel.' It comes before the noun phrase naming the location. Use it to describe where something is below another object.

de De means the in 'de stoel' and identifies the chair as a specific object in the room. It comes before stoel in this noun phrase. Use it before a known noun when referring to a particular item.

stoel Stoel means chair in 'onder de stoel.' It names the object under which the screw should be checked. Use it when referring to a chair or to a location near one.

Hij Hij means it here and refers back to the screw in 'Hij lag bij de stoelpoot.' It is the subject of the sentence describing where the screw was. Use it to refer back to this object after it has been introduced.

lag Lag means was lying in 'Hij lag bij de stoelpoot.' The form describes the screw’s position near the chair leg. Use it when explaining where an object was lying.

bij Bij means by or near in 'bij de stoelpoot.' It shows the screw’s location in relation to the chair leg. Use it before a place or object to indicate nearby location.

stoelpoot Stoelpoot means chair leg and names the specific part of the chair near which the screw was lying. In 'bij de stoelpoot,' it is the location used with bij. Use it when identifying a chair leg as a place or part.

Pak Pak gives the instruction to pick up or take something in 'Pak hem voorzichtig op.' Together with hem and op, it expresses picking the screw up carefully. Use this command when telling someone to take hold of an object.

hem Hem means it as the object receiving the action in 'Pak hem voorzichtig op.' Here it refers to the screw that should be picked up. Use it after an action verb when referring to this object as the thing affected.

voorzichtig Voorzichtig means carefully in 'Pak hem voorzichtig op.' It tells the listener how to perform the action of picking up the screw. Use it with an action when care is needed.

op Op completes the pick-up expression in 'Pak hem voorzichtig op.' With Pak and the object hem, it indicates lifting the screw from its place. In this kind of command, an object can come between the action word and op.

is Is means is in 'Hij is heel klein.' It links the screw with the description of its size. Use it before an adjective when describing what something is like.

heel Heel means very in 'heel klein' and strengthens the description of the screw’s size. It comes before the adjective klein. Use it before an adjective when you want to emphasize the description.

klein Klein means small or tiny in 'Hij is heel klein.' It describes the screw’s size, with heel making the description stronger. Use it after is to describe a small object.

Houd Houd tells the listener to hold the screw in 'Houd hem in je handpalm, zodat hij niet weer wegrolt.' The instruction keeps the small object in a safe place. Use it when telling someone to keep an object in a particular position or location.

je Je means your in 'je handpalm' and shows that the palm belongs to the person being addressed. It comes before the body-part noun handpalm. Use it before something belonging to the listener.

handpalm Handpalm means palm of the hand and names the place where the screw should be held. In 'in je handpalm,' it follows the location phrase in je. Use it when describing an object held in the palm.

zodat Zodat means so that and introduces the intended result in 'zodat hij niet weer wegrolt.' The clause explains why the screw should be held in the palm. Use it to connect an action with the result it is meant to produce.

niet Niet means not and makes the rolling-away action negative in 'hij niet weer wegrolt.' It shows that the screw should stay in place rather than roll away. Use it with the action or description that should not happen.

weer Weer means again in 'niet weer wegrolt.' It refers to the possibility of the screw rolling away another time. Use it when an action or situation is repeated.

wegrolt Wegrolt means rolls away in 'hij niet weer wegrolt.' It describes the movement that the speaker wants to prevent. Use it when a round or small object moves away by rolling.

We We means we and refers to the two people working together in 'We hebben hem nodig om de plank te repareren.' It presents the need as shared by the speakers. Use it when you include yourself and at least one other person.

hebben Hebben means have in 'We hebben hem nodig'; together with nodig, the phrase means need. The object hem is placed between hebben and nodig in this expression. Use this construction when saying that you require an item for a task.

nodig Nodig contributes the meaning needed or necessary in 'We hebben hem nodig.' Together with hebben, it says that the screw is required for the repair. Use it after an object when explaining that something is needed.

om Om introduces the purpose in 'om de plank te repareren.' It connects the need for the screw with the repair task. Use it to begin a purpose expression followed by te and an action.

plank Plank means shelf here in 'de plank te repareren.' It names the object that the speakers plan to repair. Use it when talking about a shelf or board used in a room.

te Te marks the action in 'te repareren' after om. It helps form the purpose expression about repairing the shelf. Use it before the action word in this kind of om-purpose construction.

repareren Repareren means to repair or fix in 'om de plank te repareren.' It names the task the screw is needed for. Use it after te when describing the purpose of repairing something.

Dan Dan means then in 'Dan kunnen we hem helemaal repareren.' It marks the next step that follows from having the screw. Use it to introduce an action that can happen after a previous event or condition.

kunnen Kunnen means can in 'Dan kunnen we hem helemaal repareren.' With we, it expresses that the speakers will be able to complete the repair. Use it before the rest of an action when expressing ability or possibility.

helemaal Helemaal means completely or fully in 'hem helemaal repareren.' It emphasizes that the repair will be completed in full. Use it with an action when you want to stress completeness.

Grammar Points

zodat + bijzin: het werkwoord staat achteraan

Houd hem voorzichtig, zodat hij niet wegrolt.

HOWT hem vohr-ZIKH-tukh, soh-DAHT hay neet WEKH-rohlt.

Hold it carefully so that it does not roll away.

Na zodat komt het werkwoord aan het einde van de bijzin: zodat hij niet wegrolt.

Dutch Vocabulary

bij prep

BEH-eye by; near

hem pron

hem him; it

kijken verb

KEH-eye-kuh(n) to look; to check Kijk

klein adj

KLEH-eye-n small kleine

kwijt adj

KWEH-eye-t lost; missing

een kleine schroef kwijt

liggen verb

LIKΗ-uh(n) to lie; to be situated lag

onder prep

ON-der under

pakken verb

PAHK-uh(n) to pick up; to take Pak

schroef noun

SKHROOF screw

stoel noun

STOOL chair

stoelpoot noun

STOOL-poht chair leg

voorzichtig adv

vohr-ZIKH-tukh carefully; careful

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I lost a small screw.

Show Answer

Ik ben een kleine schroef kwijt.

Check under the chair.

Show Answer

Kijk onder de stoel.

It was by the chair leg.

Show Answer

Hij lag bij de stoelpoot.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

chair leg

Show Answer

stoelpoot

to look; to check

Show Answer

Kijk

screw

Show Answer

schroef

lost; missing

Show Answer

kwijt