Strong Wind Outside | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: Outside, two adults talk about strong wind and walking more slowly near the street..

EN → NL / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Strong Wind Outside to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Het waait buiten.

hut VITE BOW-tuh. It's windy outside.
B

Houd je hoed met één hand vast.

HOWT yuh HOOT met AYN HAHNT vahst. Hold your hat with one hand.
A

De bomen bewegen veel.

duh BOHM-un buh-VAY-ghun VAYL. The trees are moving a lot.
B

De wind is sterker bij de straat.

duh VINT iss STAIR-kur BAY duh STRAHT. The wind is stronger near the street.
A

Zullen we langzamer lopen?

ZUH-lun wuh LAHNG-zah-mur LOH-pun? Should we walk more slowly?
B

Laten we langzamer lopen bij de straat.

LAH-tun wuh LAHNG-zah-mur LOH-pun BAY duh STRAHT. Let's slow down near the street.
A

Ik houd mijn tas ook dicht bij me.

ik HOWT mine TAHS OHK DIKHT BAY muh. I'll hold my bag close too.
B

Dan waait hij waarschijnlijk niet open.

DAHN VITE hay vahr-SKHAIN-luk neet OH-pun. That should keep it from blowing open.

Word by Word

Het In “Het waait buiten”, “Het” is the weather subject, corresponding to “it” in “it is windy”. It appears with “waait” in a weather expression. Use this form when describing the weather.
waait In “Het waait buiten”, “waait” means “is windy” or “blows”. It is the form of “waaien” used with “Het” here. The pattern “Het waait” describes windy weather.
buiten In “Het waait buiten”, “buiten” means “outside” and specifies where the weather condition is occurring. It can be used to identify an outdoor location. Use it when talking about something happening outside.
Houd In “Houd je hoed met één hand vast”, “Houd” tells someone to hold or keep something securely held. It is the instruction form related to “houden”. The reusable construction is “Houd ... vast”, for telling someone to hold something firmly.
je In “je hoed”, “je” means “your”, so “je hoed” means “your hat”. It comes before the noun whose owner is being identified. Use “je” before a noun to express possession when addressing someone.
hoed In “je hoed”, “hoed” means “hat”. It is the object that the listener is told to hold in “Houd je hoed met één hand vast”. Use it when referring to a hat.
met In “met één hand”, “met” means “with” and introduces the means used for the action. Here it identifies the hand used to hold the hat. A reliable pattern is “met” followed by the person, object, or means involved.
hand In “met één hand”, “hand” means “hand”. It identifies the body part used for holding the hat. Use it when specifying an action performed with a hand.
vast In “Houd je hoed met één hand vast”, “vast” adds the idea of holding something securely or keeping it in place. Together with “Houd”, it completes the instruction “hold firmly”. The reusable construction is “Houd ... vast” when telling someone to keep an object secure.
De In “De bomen bewegen veel”, “De” means “the” and introduces “bomen”. It identifies the trees as the subject of the sentence. Use “de” before a noun when referring to a specific thing or group.
bomen In “De bomen bewegen veel”, “bomen” means “trees”. It is the plural form related to “boom”, and the trees are the subject of the sentence. Use it when referring to more than one tree.
bewegen In “De bomen bewegen veel”, “bewegen” means “move”. It describes what the trees are doing, and this form is used with the plural subject “De bomen”. A reusable pattern is a subject followed by “bewegen” to describe movement.
veel In “De bomen bewegen veel”, “veel” means “a lot” and indicates the extent of the movement. It modifies the action “bewegen”. Use it after an action when you want to say that something happens or occurs a lot.
wind In “De wind is sterker bij de straat”, “wind” means “wind”. It is the subject whose strength is being described. Use “de wind” when talking about the wind as a specific weather feature.
is In “De wind is sterker bij de straat”, “is” links “De wind” with the description “sterker”. It is a form of “zijn”. Use the pattern “subject + is + description” to describe a current state or quality.
sterker In “De wind is sterker bij de straat”, “sterker” means “stronger”. It is the comparative form related to “sterk” and compares the wind’s strength. The pattern “is sterker bij” can describe where something has greater strength.
bij In “bij de straat”, “bij” means “near” or “by”. It introduces the place used to locate the stronger wind. Use “bij” before a place or person to say that something is near them.
straat In “bij de straat”, “straat” means “street”. It names the place near which the wind is stronger and the speakers change how they walk. Use it when referring to a street as a location.
Zullen In “Zullen we langzamer lopen?”, “Zullen” helps form a suggestion asking whether the speakers should walk more slowly. Together with “we”, it gives the meaning “shall we” or “should we”. Use the pattern “Zullen we + verb?” to propose an action to someone.
we In “Zullen we langzamer lopen?”, “we” means “we” and refers to the speaker and the other person together. It is the group being asked to take the action. Use “we” when including yourself and at least one other person.
langzamer In “langzamer lopen”, “langzamer” means “more slowly”. It is the comparative form related to “langzaam” and describes a reduced walking speed. Use it before or with an action when suggesting that the action should happen more slowly.
lopen In “Zullen we langzamer lopen?” and “Laten we langzamer lopen”, “lopen” means “walk”. It names the action that the speakers are considering and proposing. Use it after “Zullen we” or “Laten we” when talking about walking together.
Laten In “Laten we langzamer lopen”, “Laten” occurs with “we” to form the suggestion “let’s”. The complete phrase “Laten we” proposes a joint action. Use the pattern “Laten we + verb” when suggesting that you and another person do something together.
Ik In “Ik houd mijn tas ook dicht bij me”, “Ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person holding the bag. It is the subject of the sentence. Use “Ik” at the start of a statement about your own action.
mijn In “mijn tas”, “mijn” means “my” and shows that the bag belongs to or is associated with the speaker. It comes before “tas”. Use “mijn + noun” to identify something connected with yourself.
tas In “mijn tas”, “tas” means “bag”. It is the object that the speaker will hold close. Use it when referring to a bag.
ook In “Ik houd mijn tas ook dicht bij me”, “ook” means “also” or “too”. It adds the speaker’s action to the actions already being discussed. Use it when saying that an additional person or action shares a relevant feature.
dicht In “dicht bij me”, “dicht” contributes the meaning “close” or “near”. Together with “bij me”, it says that the bag is kept close to the speaker. The reusable pattern is “dicht bij” followed by the person or place that something is near.
me In “dicht bij me”, “me” means “me” and identifies the speaker as the person the bag is kept close to. It follows “bij” in this expression. Use “bij me” when referring to something being near you.
Dan In “Dan waait hij waarschijnlijk niet open”, “Dan” means “then” or “in that case”. It introduces the expected result of holding the bag close. Use “Dan” to connect an action or condition with its consequence.
hij In “Dan waait hij waarschijnlijk niet open”, “hij” refers back to “mijn tas” and means “it” here. It is the thing expected not to blow open. Use a pronoun like this to refer back to an object already mentioned.
waarschijnlijk In “waait hij waarschijnlijk niet open”, “waarschijnlijk” means “probably”. It shows that the result is expected but not certain. Use it when making a likely prediction about what will happen.
niet In “waait hij waarschijnlijk niet open”, “niet” marks the negation and means “not”. It says that the bag is probably not going to blow open. Use it to negate the relevant action or description in a sentence.
open In “waait hij waarschijnlijk niet open”, “open” describes the resulting state that the bag is expected not to reach. It completes the expression about something being blown open; “open” alone does not mean “blow”. Use it when describing an object becoming open.

Grammar Points

Comparatief: -er

sterk → sterker; langzaam → langzamer

STAIRK → STAIR-kur; LAHNG-zahm → LAHNG-zah-mur

strong → stronger; slow → slower

Dutch forms many comparatives by adding -er to an adjective or adverb.

Dutch Vocabulary

bewegen verb
buh-VAY-ghun to move

De bomen bewegen veel.

boom noun
BOHM tree bomen

De bomen bewegen veel.

buiten adv
BOW-tun outside

Het waait buiten.

één num
AYN one

Houd je hoed met één hand vast.

hand noun
hahnt hand

Houd je hoed met één hand vast.

hoed noun
HOOT hat

Houd je hoed met één hand vast.

houden verb
HOW-dun to hold Houd

Houd je hoed met één hand vast.

sterk adj
STAIRK strong sterker

De wind is sterker bij de straat.

vast adv
vahst firmly

Houd je hoed met één hand vast.

veel adv
VAYL a lot

De bomen bewegen veel.

waaien verb
VY-un to blow waait

Het waait buiten.

wind noun
VINT wind

De wind is sterker bij de straat.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

It's windy outside.

Show AnswerHet waait buiten.

The trees are moving a lot.

Show AnswerDe bomen bewegen veel.

Should we walk more slowly?

Show AnswerZullen we langzamer lopen?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

hat

Show Answerhoed

to hold

Show AnswerHoud

to blow

Show Answerwaait

firmly

Show Answervast