Preparing for a sunny walk | Learn Dutch in English

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Use Preparing for a sunny walk to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Het is zonnig buiten.

hut iss ZON-ikh BOW-tun It's sunny outside.

Neem je zonnebril mee.

NAYM yuh ZON-uh-bril MAY Bring your sunglasses.

Is het te warm voor een wandeling?

iss hut tuh VARM vohr un VAN-duh-ling? Is it too hot for a walk?

Het is warm, maar we kunnen nog steeds gaan.

hut iss VARM, mar wuh KUN-nun nokh STAYS KHAHN It's warm, but we can still go.

We kunnen in de schaduw blijven.

wuh KUN-nun in duh SKHAH-doo BLY-vun We can stay in the shade.

De bomen zullen ons wel koel houden.

duh BOH-mun ZUL-lun ons well KOOL HOW-dun The trees should keep us cool.

Ik neem een fles water mee.

ik NAYM un FLES WAH-tur MAY I'll bring a bottle of water.

Die komt goed van pas tijdens de wandeling.

DEE KOMT KHOOT vahn PAHS TIDE-uns duh VAN-duh-ling It'll come in handy during the walk.

Word by Word

Het Het means “it” as the impersonal subject in “Het is zonnig buiten.”, referring to the weather rather than to a specific object. This pattern is useful for describing the weather.

is is means “is” in “Het is zonnig buiten.” and links the subject Het with the description zonnig. It is used here in a simple statement about the weather.

zonnig zonnig means “sunny” in “Het is zonnig buiten.” and describes the weather. Use it when saying that there is plenty of sun.

buiten buiten means “outside” in “Het is zonnig buiten.” and locates the weather outdoors. This form is useful when describing something outside or an outdoor situation.

Neem Neem means “bring” or “take” in the instruction “Neem je zonnebril mee.” It is the command form of nemen, and with mee it tells someone to take the sunglasses along; use it when instructing someone to bring an item.

je je means “your” in “Neem je zonnebril mee.” and identifies the sunglasses as belonging to or being associated with the person addressed. It comes before the item being brought when speaking to one person.

zonnebril zonnebril means “sunglasses” in “Neem je zonnebril mee.” and names the eyewear the person should bring. Use it when talking about sunglasses as an item.

mee mee adds the meaning “along” or “with you” in “Neem je zonnebril mee.” It completes the idea that the item should go with the person, so it is useful in instructions about taking or bringing something along.

te te means “too” in “te warm”, showing that the temperature may be more than is suitable for a walk. It comes directly before the adjective in this pattern and is useful for describing an excessive degree.

warm warm describes the temperature in “Is het te warm voor een wandeling?” and “Het is warm, maar we kunnen nog steeds gaan.” In the question, te makes it mean “too warm”; use it when describing weather or temperature.

voor voor means “for” in “voor een wandeling” and introduces the activity against which the temperature is being judged. This preposition is useful before an activity or purpose.

een een means “a” in “een wandeling” and introduces a nonspecific walk. It comes before the noun here and is used when referring to a nonspecific singular item or activity.

wandeling wandeling means “walk” in “een wandeling” and “de wandeling”. It names the activity the speakers are considering and planning, so it is useful when talking about going for a walk.

maar maar means “but” in “Het is warm, maar we kunnen nog steeds gaan.” It contrasts the warm weather with the fact that going is still possible; use it to connect two contrasting ideas.

we we means “we” in “we kunnen nog steeds gaan” and “We kunnen in de schaduw blijven.” It refers to the speaker together with at least one other person and is used as the subject when describing their shared action.

kunnen kunnen means “can” or “are able to” in “we kunnen nog steeds gaan” and “We kunnen in de schaduw blijven.” It is followed by gaan or blijven to describe an action that is possible; use it when discussing what people can do.

nog nog contributes the meaning “still” in “nog steeds gaan”, showing that going remains possible despite the warmth. Together with steeds, it is useful for saying that an action or possibility continues.

steeds steeds contributes to the continuing meaning of “nog steeds gaan”. The full expression means “still” here and is useful when saying that a situation or possibility continues.

gaan gaan means “go” in “nog steeds gaan”, naming the action that remains possible. After kunnen, it specifies what the speakers can do, so it is useful when discussing going somewhere or taking an outing.

in in means “in” in “in de schaduw” and locates the speakers within the shade. It introduces the place where they can remain and is useful before a place or area.

de de means “the” in “de schaduw” and “de bomen”, marking these nouns as definite. It introduces the known shade and the trees in this conversation.

schaduw schaduw means “shade” in “in de schaduw” and names the area protected from direct sun. It is used here as a place where the speakers can stay during a sunny walk.

blijven blijven means “stay” or “remain” in “We kunnen in de schaduw blijven.” After kunnen, it names the action the speakers can choose. Use it when someone or something remains in a place or state.

bomen bomen means “trees” in “De bomen zullen ons wel koel houden.” It refers to multiple trees that are expected to provide shade or coolness, so it is useful when talking about more than one tree.

zullen zullen means “will” in “De bomen zullen ons wel koel houden” and presents what the trees are expected to do. It is followed by houden, while wel makes the prediction reassuring; use it for a future or expected result.

ons ons means “us” in “ons koel houden” and refers to the people who are being kept cool. It is used when an action affects the speaker together with other people.

wel wel adds a reassuring “probably” or “surely” nuance in “zullen ons wel koel houden”, making the prediction sound positive without being absolute. Here it reassures the listener that the trees will likely keep them cool.

koel koel means “cool” in “koel houden” and describes the temperature the trees are expected to maintain for the speakers. Together with houden, it expresses keeping someone cool.

houden houden means “keep” in “ons koel houden” and expresses maintaining the speakers in a cool condition. It follows zullen in this sentence and completes the action predicted of the trees.

Ik Ik means “I” in “Ik neem een fles water mee” and identifies the speaker as the person who will bring the bottle. It is used as the subject when the speaker describes their own action.

fles fles means “bottle” in “een fles water” and names the container. The pattern “een fles water” is useful when specifying a bottle and what it contains.

water water means “water” in “een fles water” and specifies what the bottle contains. Use it after a container word when naming the contents.

Die Die refers back to the bottle in “Die komt goed van pas tijdens de wandeling”, meaning “it” or “that one” rather than introducing a new object. It is useful for continuing to talk about a previously mentioned object.

komt komt means “comes” in “Die komt goed van pas”, where the bottle is described as useful. Together with goed van pas, it expresses that the item will prove useful in the situation.

goed van pas The exact phrase “goed van pas” means “come in handy” here. In this fixed expression, goed adds a positive sense of being useful, while van and pas form the idiomatic part rather than translating separately; use the phrase to say that something will be useful when needed.

tijdens tijdens means “during” in “tijdens de wandeling” and locates the bottle’s usefulness within the time of the walk. It comes before the activity or event and is useful for saying when something happens.

Grammar Points

meenemen → Neem ... mee

Neem de zonnebril mee.

NAYM duh ZON-uh-bril MAY

Take the sunglasses along.

meenemen is a separable verb: in the imperative, neem and mee appear apart.

te + bijvoeglijk naamwoord

te warm

tuh VARM

too warm

te vóór een bijvoeglijk naamwoord betekent ‘too’ en geeft een te hoge mate aan.

Dutch Vocabulary

blijven verb

BLY-vun to stay; to remain

We kunnen in de schaduw blijven.

boom noun

BOHM tree bomen

De bomen zullen ons wel koel houden.

buiten adv

BOW-tun outside

Het is zonnig buiten.

gaan verb

KHAHN to go

We kunnen nog steeds gaan.

meenemen verb

MAY-nay-mun to bring along Neem ... mee

Neem je zonnebril mee.

nog steeds adv

nokh STAYS still

Het is warm, maar we kunnen nog steeds gaan.

schaduw noun

SKHAH-doo shade

We kunnen in de schaduw blijven.

te adv

tuh too

Is het te warm voor een wandeling?

wandeling noun

VAN-duh-ling walk

Is het te warm voor een wandeling?

warm adj

VARM warm; hot

Is het te warm voor een wandeling?

zonnebril noun

ZON-uh-bril sunglasses

Neem je zonnebril mee.

zonnig adj

ZON-ikh sunny

Het is zonnig buiten.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

It's sunny outside.

Show Answer

Het is zonnig buiten.

Bring your sunglasses.

Show Answer

Neem je zonnebril mee.

We can stay in the shade.

Show Answer

We kunnen in de schaduw blijven.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to go

Show Answer

gaan

sunglasses

Show Answer

zonnebril

warm; hot

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warm

walk

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wandeling