Staying inside during a storm | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Staying inside during a storm to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Het weer ziet er slecht uit.

ut VAYR zeet uhr SLEKHT OWT. The weather looks bad.

Er komt misschien een storm aan.

uhr KOHMT muh-SKHEEN uhn STORM AHN. A storm may be coming.

Zullen we binnen blijven?

ZUH-luhn wuh BIN-nuh BLY-vuhn? Should we stay inside?

Laten we hier wachten tot het voorbij is.

LAH-tuhn wuh HEER WAKH-tuhn toht ut vohr-BY iss. Let's wait here until it passes.

Kunnen we naar buiten gaan als het stopt?

KUN-nuhn wuh NAHR BOW-tuhn GHAHN ahls ut STOHPT? Can we go out after it stops?

We kunnen het weer nog eens bekijken en dan beslissen.

wuh KUN-nuhn ut VAYR nokh AYNS buh-KAY-kuhn en DAHN buh-SLISS-uhn. We can check the weather again and decide then.

We kunnen thee maken terwijl we wachten.

wuh KUN-nuhn TAY MAH-kuhn tuh-RVILE wuh WAKH-tuhn. We can make some tea while we wait.

Dan gaat de tijd sneller voorbij.

DAHN GHAHT duh TAYT SNEL-uhr vohr-BY. That will help pass the time.

Word by Word

Het In ‘Het weer ziet er slecht uit’, ‘Het’ means ‘the’ before ‘weer’; in ‘als het stopt’, ‘het’ means ‘it’ and refers to the storm or bad weather. The same form can therefore introduce a noun or refer back to something already understood. Use ‘het’ when the noun or situation has the corresponding Dutch form.

weer ‘weer’ means ‘weather’ in both ‘Het weer ziet er slecht uit’ and ‘het weer nog eens bekijken’. It is the thing being described and checked in this dialogue. Use it when talking about current outdoor conditions.

ziet In ‘ziet er slecht uit’, ‘ziet’ contributes the meaning ‘looks’ as part of the expression ‘ziet er slecht uit’. The expression describes how something appears rather than what someone is literally looking at. Use this pattern with an adjective when giving an impression, such as an assessment of the weather.

er In ‘Het weer ziet er slecht uit’, ‘er’ is a required part of the Dutch expression meaning ‘looks’. It does not independently mean ‘there’ in this sentence. Reuse the complete pattern ‘ziet er slecht uit’ when saying that something looks bad.

slecht ‘slecht’ means ‘bad’ in ‘Het weer ziet er slecht uit’. It describes the weather’s negative appearance within the expression ‘ziet er slecht uit’. Use it with something you are evaluating negatively, including weather conditions.

uit In ‘ziet er slecht uit’, ‘uit’ completes the expression that means ‘looks’. Its meaning here comes from the whole expression, not from ‘uit’ alone. Use the complete pattern ‘ziet er ... uit’ with an adjective to describe how something appears.

komt In ‘Er komt misschien een storm aan’, ‘komt’ means that the storm is coming or approaching. The surrounding words identify the storm as the thing moving toward the speaker. Use this form when describing something that is approaching or arriving.

misschien ‘misschien’ means ‘maybe’ and shows that the speaker is not certain about the storm’s arrival. Here it makes the statement about the storm possible rather than definite. Use it when giving an uncertain expectation about an event.

een ‘een’ introduces ‘een storm’ as a non-specific storm, meaning ‘a storm’. It is placed before the noun it introduces. Use it before a singular, non-specific noun when mentioning something for the first time or without identifying a particular one.

storm ‘storm’ means ‘storm’ in ‘een storm’. It names the weather event that may be approaching. Use it when discussing severe weather and its possible effects.

aan In ‘Er komt misschien een storm aan’, ‘aan’ is the particle that completes the arrival expression and shows that the storm is approaching. Its contribution is understood together with the verb and the rest of the sentence. Use the complete expression when warning that something is coming toward you.

Zullen In ‘Zullen we binnen blijven?’, ‘Zullen’ introduces a suggestion meaning ‘Shall we’ or ‘Should we’. Together with ‘we’ and the action that follows, it asks for a joint decision. Use this question when proposing an activity to another person.

we ‘we’ means ‘we’ and refers to the speaker together with the other person or people involved. In this dialogue, it includes both adults when they decide what to do. Use it as the subject when talking about a shared action or decision.

binnen ‘binnen’ means ‘inside’ in ‘binnen blijven’. It gives the place where the people will remain during the storm. Use it with a verb such as ‘blijven’ when saying that someone remains indoors.

blijven ‘blijven’ means ‘stay’ or ‘remain’ in ‘binnen blijven’. It describes continuing to be in the same place, here inside the house. Use it after a suggestion such as ‘Zullen we’ when proposing that people remain somewhere.

Laten In ‘Laten we hier wachten’, ‘Laten’ is used with ‘we’ to make a suggestion meaning ‘Let’s’. The full expression proposes a shared action rather than asking for permission to let someone do something. Use ‘Laten we’ to suggest an activity to another person.

hier ‘hier’ means ‘here’ in ‘Laten we hier wachten’. It identifies the place where the speakers propose waiting. Use it when referring to the location where the speaker and listener currently are.

wachten ‘wachten’ means ‘wait’ in ‘hier wachten’. It names the activity the speakers want to do until the storm passes. Use it with a place or a time boundary when explaining where or how long someone will wait.

tot ‘tot’ means ‘until’ in ‘tot het voorbij is’. It introduces the point at which the waiting should end: when the storm or bad weather is over. Use it before an event or situation that marks an ending time.

voorbij In ‘tot het voorbij is’, ‘voorbij’ means ‘over’ or ‘past’, referring to the storm or bad weather. In ‘de tijd sneller voorbij’, it describes time passing. Use it when an event has ended or when time moves past.

is In ‘het voorbij is’, ‘is’ helps express that the storm or bad weather is over. It connects ‘het’ with the state described by ‘voorbij’. Use this form when stating that a situation has reached a particular state.

Kunnen In ‘Kunnen we naar buiten gaan?’, ‘Kunnen’ means ‘can’ and asks whether going outside is possible. It introduces a question about the shared action ‘naar buiten gaan’. Use it at the start of a question when asking about ability or possibility.

naar ‘naar’ means ‘to’ or ‘toward’ in ‘naar buiten gaan’. It marks the direction of movement. Use it before a destination or direction when describing where someone is going.

buiten ‘buiten’ means ‘outside’ in ‘naar buiten gaan’. Together with ‘naar’, it describes movement from inside to the outdoors. Use it when talking about going outdoors or being outside.

gaan ‘gaan’ means ‘go’ in ‘naar buiten gaan’. It describes the movement the speakers may make after the storm stops. Use it after a modal verb such as ‘Kunnen’ and with a direction such as ‘naar buiten’.

als ‘als’ means ‘when’ or ‘if’ in ‘als het stopt’. It introduces the condition or time at which going outside may become possible. Use it before a situation that must occur before another action is considered.

stopt ‘stopt’ means ‘stops’ in ‘als het stopt’, referring to the storm or bad weather stopping. It identifies the change that must happen before the speakers may go outside. Use it when describing an activity or event coming to an end.

nog In ‘nog eens bekijken’, ‘nog’ contributes to the meaning ‘again’ together with ‘eens’. It does not mean ‘still’ by itself in this sentence. Use the complete expression when proposing another check of something.

eens In ‘nog eens bekijken’, ‘eens’ helps express repetition, so the phrase means ‘check again’. Its meaning here comes from the phrase with ‘nog’, not from an isolated translation of ‘eens’. Use this expression when revisiting information or checking something one more time.

bekijken ‘bekijken’ means ‘check’ or ‘look at’ in ‘het weer nog eens bekijken’. The object being checked is ‘het weer’. Use it with a direct object when examining information or a situation.

en ‘en’ means ‘and’ and connects the actions of checking the weather and deciding. It joins two related actions in the same sentence. Use it to link actions, objects, or ideas that belong together.

dan ‘dan’ means ‘then’ in ‘en dan beslissen’. It places the decision after checking the weather. Use it when showing what will happen next in a sequence.

beslissen ‘beslissen’ means ‘decide’ in ‘dan beslissen’. It names the action of choosing what to do after checking the weather. Use it when someone reaches a choice or plan.

thee ‘thee’ means ‘tea’ in ‘thee maken’. It is the drink the speakers plan to prepare while waiting. Use it as the object of an expression about preparing or drinking tea.

maken ‘maken’ means ‘make’ or ‘prepare’ in ‘thee maken’. With ‘thee’, it describes preparing tea rather than manufacturing an object. Use it with a food or drink when describing its preparation.

terwijl ‘terwijl’ means ‘while’ in ‘terwijl we wachten’. It introduces an action that happens at the same time as making tea. Use it to connect a main activity with another activity happening simultaneously.

gaat In ‘Dan gaat de tijd sneller voorbij’, ‘gaat’ contributes to the expression that means ‘time passes’. The subject is ‘de tijd’, and ‘sneller’ describes the speed at which it passes. Use this expression when saying that time seems to pass more quickly during an activity.

de ‘de’ means ‘the’ before ‘tijd’ in ‘de tijd’. It introduces the specific time being discussed: the time spent waiting. Use it before a noun when referring to a specific or understood thing.

tijd ‘tijd’ means ‘time’ in ‘de tijd’. In this sentence, it is the time that passes while the speakers wait and drink tea. Use it when discussing how long something lasts or how time passes.

sneller ‘sneller’ means ‘faster’ in ‘de tijd sneller voorbij’. It says that time passes at a greater speed, as perceived by the speakers while they are occupied. Use it when comparing the speed of an action or process.

Grammar Points

er ... uitzien

Het weer ziet er slecht uit.

ut VAYR zeet uhr SLEKHT OWT.

The weather looks bad.

In this fixed expression, er comes before the adjective and uit comes at the end: ziet er slecht uit.

aankomen → komt ... aan

De storm komt misschien aan.

duh STORM KOHMT muh-SKHEEN AHN.

The storm may be arriving.

In a main clause, the prefix aan moves to the end of the sentence: komt ... aan.

Dutch Vocabulary

aankomen verb

AHN-KOH-muhn to be coming; to arrive komt ... aan

Er komt misschien een storm aan.

binnen adv

BIN-nuh inside

Zullen we binnen blijven?

blijven verb

BLY-vuhn to stay

Zullen we binnen blijven?

de storm noun

duh STORM the storm

Er komt misschien een storm aan.

er slecht uitzien phrase

uhr SLEKHT OWT-ZEEN to look bad ziet er slecht uit

Het weer ziet er slecht uit.

het weer noun

ut VAYR the weather

Het weer ziet er slecht uit.

misschien adv

muh-SKHEEN maybe

Er komt misschien een storm aan.

naar buiten phrase

NAHR BOW-tuhn outside; outdoors

Kunnen we naar buiten gaan als het stopt?

slecht adj

SLEKHT bad

Het weer ziet er slecht uit.

stoppen verb

STOHP-uhn to stop stopt

Kunnen we naar buiten gaan als het stopt?

voorbijgaan verb

vohr-BY-GHAHN to pass voorbij is

Laten we hier wachten tot het voorbij is.

wachten verb

WAKH-tuhn to wait

Laten we hier wachten tot het voorbij is.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The weather looks bad.

Show Answer

Het weer ziet er slecht uit.

A storm may be coming.

Show Answer

Er komt misschien een storm aan.

Should we stay inside?

Show Answer

Zullen we binnen blijven?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

inside

Show Answer

binnen

to stay

Show Answer

blijven

bad

Show Answer

slecht

to wait

Show Answer

wachten