Fixing a loose chair | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Fixing a loose chair to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Deze stoel voelt los aan.

DAY-zuh STOOL FOOLT LOSS AHN. This chair feels loose.

Welk deel beweegt?

WELK DAYL buh-VAYKHT? Which part is moving?

De achterste poot wiebelt een beetje.

duh AKH-ter-stuh POHT WEE-bult un BAY-tyuh. The back leg wobbles a little.

We moeten hem repareren voordat iemand hem gebruikt.

wuh MOO-tun hem RAY-puh-RAY-run vohr-DAHT EE-munt hem ghuh-BROIKT. We should fix it before anyone uses it.

Zal ik ergens anders gaan zitten?

ZAHL ik AIR-ghuns AHN-ders ghahn ZIH-tun? Should I sit somewhere else?

Gebruik nu even een andere stoel.

ghuh-BROIK noo AY-vun un AHN-duh-ruh STOOL. Use another chair for now.

Ik zet deze stoel aan de kant.

ik ZET DAY-zuh STOOL AHN duh KAHNT. I will move this one away.

Zet hem tegen de muur, zodat het looppad vrij blijft.

ZET hem TAY-ghun duh MYUR, soh-DAHT ut LOHP-paht VRY BLYFT. Put it against the wall so the walkway stays clear.

Word by Word

Deze "Deze" means "this" and points to the specific chair being discussed in "Deze stoel". It is used before the noun to identify something nearby or already in focus, such as "Deze stoel" in this dialogue.

stoel "stoel" means "chair", the piece of furniture that feels loose in this dialogue. It is used after a word identifying the chair, as in "Deze stoel" and "een andere stoel".

voelt "voelt" describes how the chair seems when touched or tested: it feels loose. In "Deze stoel voelt los aan", it is used with a description and the particle "aan"; this pattern can describe how something feels.

los "los" means loose here, showing that the chair is not firmly fixed. In "voelt los aan", it describes the condition the speaker notices, and it can be used after a feeling verb to describe a physical condition.

aan "aan" is the particle in "voelt los aan", which together expresses that the chair feels loose. In this construction it comes at the end of the clause after the description.

Welk "Welk" means "which" in the question "Welk deel beweegt?". It identifies one choice from possible parts and is placed directly before "deel" here.

deel "deel" means "part", referring to one section of the chair. In "Welk deel", it names the thing being selected in a question about which section is moving.

beweegt "beweegt" describes movement; here it asks which part is moving. It is used after the subject in the question "Welk deel beweegt?" and can describe movement of an object.

De "De" means "the" and introduces the specific back leg in "De achterste poot". It is used before this noun phrase to refer to the leg that is relevant in the room.

achterste "achterste" means "backmost" or "at the back" here, identifying which leg is meant. It comes before "poot" in "De achterste poot" and can specify the position of an object.

poot "poot" means "leg", referring here to one leg of the chair. It is used in the noun phrase "De achterste poot" to identify the part that wobbles.

wiebelt "wiebelt" means wobbles, describing an unsteady side-to-side movement. Here it is used with "De achterste poot" as the moving object and can describe a loose or unstable object.

een "een" means "a" in "een beetje", contributing to the expression "a little". It comes before "beetje" to express a small amount.

beetje "beetje" refers to a small amount; in "wiebelt een beetje" it means that the leg wobbles a little. The expression "een beetje" is used after the action or description to limit its amount.

We "We" means "we", referring to the two people acting together. In "We moeten hem repareren", it is the subject of a statement about a shared responsibility.

moeten "moeten" expresses that something should or must happen; here, the chair needs to be repaired. It is followed by "repareren" in "We moeten hem repareren", a reusable way to state that someone needs to do something.

hem "hem" means "him" or "it" as the object of the action; here it refers to the chair. In "hem repareren" and "hem gebruikt", it appears before the verb and points back to the object being discussed.

repareren "repareren" means to repair or fix the chair. It follows "moeten" in "We moeten hem repareren", where it names the action that is necessary.

voordat "voordat" means "before" and introduces the time condition for the repair. In "voordat iemand hem gebruikt", it places the repair before another person uses the chair.

iemand "iemand" means "anyone" or "someone" without naming a particular person. In "voordat iemand hem gebruikt", it is the person who might use the chair, and it can be used when the person's identity is not specified.

gebruikt "gebruikt" means uses; here it describes someone using the unsafe chair. It appears after the object in "iemand hem gebruikt", and it can describe using an object for its intended purpose.

Zal "Zal" helps form the question "Zal ik ergens anders gaan zitten?", asking whether the speaker should sit somewhere else. At the start of this question, it introduces a proposed action by the speaker.

ik "ik" means "I", referring to the person asking about their own action. In "Zal ik ... gaan zitten?", it follows "Zal" and identifies who may sit somewhere else.

ergens "ergens" means "somewhere" in "ergens anders", referring to an unspecified place. It is combined with "anders" to indicate a different place without naming it.

anders "anders" means "else" or "different" here, modifying the unspecified place in "ergens anders". Together, "ergens anders" means "somewhere else" and can be used when the alternative place is not named.

gaan "gaan" means "go" in the expression "gaan zitten". Together with "zitten", it describes moving into a sitting position, as in the question about sitting somewhere else.

zitten "zitten" means "sit" in "gaan zitten", describing the position the speaker will take. It follows "gaan" in this construction, which expresses going to sit down or taking a seat.

Gebruik "Gebruik" tells someone to use something; here it is a direct instruction to use another chair. It comes at the beginning of "Gebruik nu even een andere stoel" and can introduce an object that should be used.

nu "nu" means "now", placing the instruction in the present situation. In "nu even", it helps express that another chair should be used for the current period.

even "even" means "for now" or indicates a brief, temporary action in "Gebruik nu even een andere stoel". Together with "nu", it makes the instruction temporary rather than a permanent choice of chair.

andere "andere" means "another" or "different" and identifies a chair that is not the loose one. It comes before "stoel" in "een andere stoel" to specify the alternative.

zet "zet" means "put" or "move into a place" here, as in moving the chair aside or against the wall. In "Ik zet deze stoel aan de kant" and "Zet hem tegen de muur", it is used with an object and a destination or position.

kant "kant" means "side" in "aan de kant", which describes moving the chair out of the walkway or main space. It is used with "aan de" as part of this expression rather than as an isolated destination.

tegen "tegen" means "against" and shows that the chair is placed in contact with the wall. In "tegen de muur", it comes before the object used as the destination or supporting surface.

muur "muur" means "wall", the surface against which the chair should be placed. In "tegen de muur", it completes the phrase showing where the chair is put.

zodat "zodat" means "so that" and introduces the intended result of moving the chair. In "zodat het looppad vrij blijft", it connects the placement of the chair with keeping the walkway clear.

het "het" means "the" before "looppad", referring to the specific walkway in the room. In "het looppad", it forms the noun phrase for the route people use to walk through the space.

looppad "looppad" means "walkway", the path that should remain unobstructed. In "het looppad vrij blijft", it is the space whose condition is being protected.

vrij "vrij" means "clear" or "unobstructed" here, describing a walkway with nothing blocking it. It follows "het looppad" in "het looppad vrij blijft" and describes the condition that should continue.

blijft "blijft" means "stays" or "remains"; here it says that the walkway continues to be clear. In "het looppad vrij blijft", it is used with a description to express that a condition continues.

Grammar Points

voordat + bijzin: het werkwoord staat achteraan

Gebruik de andere stoel voordat iemand gaat zitten.

ghuh-BROIK duh AHN-duh-ruh STOOL vohr-DAHT EE-munt ghaht ZIH-tun.

Use the other chair before anyone sits down.

Na voordat staat het werkwoord in de bijzin achteraan: iemand gaat zitten.

zodat + bijzin: het werkwoord staat achteraan

Gebruik de andere stoel, zodat het looppad vrij blijft.

ghuh-BROIK duh AHN-duh-ruh STOOL soh-DAHT ut LOHP-paht VRY BLYFT.

Use the other chair so that the walkway stays clear.

Na zodat staat het werkwoord achteraan in de bijzin: het looppad vrij blijft.

Dutch Vocabulary

beweegt verb

buh-VAYKHT is moving

deel noun

DAYL part

een beetje phrase

un BAY-tyuh a little

iemand pron

EE-munt anyone; someone

los adj

LOSS loose

poot noun

POHT leg

repareren verb

RAY-puh-RAY-run to fix; to repair

stoel noun

STOOL chair

voelt ... aan verb

FOOLT ... AHN feels

voordat conj

vohr-DAHT before

welk det

WELK which

wiebelt verb

WEE-bult wobbles

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

This chair feels loose.

Show Answer

Deze stoel voelt los aan.

Which part is moving?

Show Answer

Welk deel beweegt?

The back leg wobbles a little.

Show Answer

De achterste poot wiebelt een beetje.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

part

Show Answer

deel

wobbles

Show Answer

wiebelt

which

Show Answer

welk

is moving

Show Answer

beweegt