Drawing in your free time | Learn Dutch in English

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Use Drawing in your free time to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Wat doe je in je vrije tijd?

vaht doo yuh in yuh VRAY-uh tayt? What do you do in your free time?

Ik teken graag thuis.

ik TAY-kuhn khrahkh tows. I enjoy drawing at home.

Dat klinkt als een ontspannende hobby.

daht KLAYNGKT ahls uhn ont-SPAH-nuhn-duh HOB-bee. That sounds like a relaxing hobby.

Ik teken meestal kleine dingen in mijn notitieboek.

ik TAY-kuhn MAY-stahl KLAY-nuh DING-uhn in mayn noh-TEE-tsee-book. I usually sketch small things in my notebook.

Oefen je vaak?

OO-fuhn yuh vahk? Do you practice often?

Een beetje, meestal als ik tijd heb.

ayn BAY-chuh, MAY-stahl ahls ik tayt hep. A little, mostly when I have time.

Misschien kan ik het ook proberen.

mis-KHEEN kahn ik uht ohk proh-BAY-ruh(n). Maybe I can try it too.

Je kunt mijn oude potlood gebruiken.

yuh kunt mayn OW-duh POT-loht khuh-BROW-kuhn. You can use my old pencil.

Word by Word

Wat “Wat” means “what” in “Wat doe je in je vrije tijd?”. It asks for information about the activity someone does, and it commonly comes at the beginning of a question.

doe “Doe” means “do” in “Wat doe je in je vrije tijd?”. It is a form of doen used with je here; the pattern Wat doe je ...? asks what activity someone does.

je “Je” means “you” in “Wat doe je in je vrije tijd?”. It refers to the person being asked and is used here in the question pattern Wat doe je ...?.

in “In” means “in” or “during” in “in je vrije tijd”. It links the activity to the period when it happens, and it is commonly used before a time expression.

vrije “Vrije” means “free” in the expression “je vrije tijd”. It is the form of vrij used before tijd here; the expression je vrije tijd refers to time when you are not occupied.

tijd “Tijd” means “time” in “je vrije tijd”. Together with vrije, it identifies the period available for personal activities, and it can be used in expressions about when something happens.

Ik “Ik” means “I” in “Ik teken graag thuis.”. It identifies the speaker as the person who enjoys drawing, and it normally comes before the verb in this statement.

teken “Teken” means “draw” in “Ik teken graag thuis.”. It is a form of tekenen used with Ik here; the pattern Ik teken ... describes an activity the speaker does.

graag “Graag” shows that the speaker enjoys doing the activity in “Ik teken graag thuis.”. It is placed after the verb in this sentence and is useful with a verb to express that someone likes doing it.

thuis “Thuis” means “at home” in “Ik teken graag thuis.”. It states where the drawing takes place and is used directly, without a separate preposition, for being at home.

Dat “Dat” means “that” in “Dat klinkt als een ontspannende hobby.”. It refers to the activity just mentioned and lets the speaker comment on it.

klinkt “Klinkt” means “sounds” in “Dat klinkt als een ontspannende hobby.”. It is a form of klinken used with Dat here; the pattern Dat klinkt als ... gives an impression or evaluation.

als “Als” means “like” in “klinkt als een ontspannende hobby”. It connects what something sounds like with the description that follows, and it is commonly used after klinken for this kind of comparison.

een “Een” means “a” in “een ontspannende hobby.” It introduces one hobby as a general description rather than identifying a specific previously named hobby.

ontspannende “Ontspannende” means “relaxing” in “een ontspannende hobby”. It is the form of ontspannend used before hobby here and describes the effect or character of the hobby.

hobby “Hobby” means “hobby” in “een ontspannende hobby.” It names drawing as an activity someone does for enjoyment, and it follows the article and description in this noun phrase.

meestal “Meestal” means “usually” or “mostly” in “Ik teken meestal kleine dingen in mijn notitieboek.”. It indicates that this is the speaker’s usual activity or subject, and it commonly appears near the verb or before the part being qualified.

kleine “Kleine” means “small” in “kleine dingen”. It is the form of klein used before dingen here and describes the size of the things being drawn.

dingen “Dingen” means “things” in “kleine dingen”. It refers to the objects the speaker sketches, and it combines naturally with a describing word such as kleine.

mijn “Mijn” means “my” in “mijn notitieboek”. It shows that the notebook belongs to or is associated with the speaker, and it comes directly before the noun it describes.

notitieboek “Notitieboek” means “notebook” in “mijn notitieboek”. It identifies the place where the small drawings are made, and it follows the possessive mijn in this noun phrase.

Oefen “Oefen” means “practice” in the question “Oefen je vaak?”. It is a form of oefenen used at the beginning of this question; placing it before je forms a question about practicing.

vaak “Vaak” means “often” in “Oefen je vaak?”. It asks about how frequently the person practices, and it can be used with an activity verb to ask about regularity.

beetje “Beetje” means “bit” or “little” in “Een beetje”. Together, Een beetje means “a little” and gives a small amount as the answer to how much the speaker practices.

heb “Heb” means “have” in “als ik tijd heb.”. It is a form of hebben used with ik here; the expression tijd hebben means to have time, and the verb appears at the end of this clause.

Misschien “Misschien” means “maybe” in “Misschien kan ik het ook proberen.”. It makes the suggestion less certain and commonly appears at the beginning of a sentence introducing a possible action.

kan “Kan” means “can” in “kan ik het ook proberen.”. It is a form of kunnen used with ik here and is followed by the infinitive proberen to express ability or possibility.

het “Het” means “it” in “het ook proberen.”. It refers to trying the drawing hobby or activity already discussed, and it functions as the object of proberen.

ook “Ook” means “also” or “too” in “het ook proberen.”. It adds the idea that the speaker wants to try it as well, and it is placed before the infinitive proberen in this sentence.

proberen “Proberen” means “try” in “kan ik het ook proberen.”. It remains in this infinitive form after kan; the pattern iets proberen means to try something.

kunt “Kunt” means “can” in “Je kunt mijn oude potlood gebruiken.”. It is a form of kunnen used with Je here and is followed by the infinitive gebruiken to give permission or describe ability.

oude “Oude” means “old” in “mijn oude potlood”. It is the form of oud used before potlood here and describes the pencil’s age or condition.

potlood “Potlood” means “pencil” in “mijn oude potlood”. It names the object that can be used for drawing and follows the possessive and describing word in this noun phrase.

gebruiken “Gebruiken” means “use” in “kunt mijn oude potlood gebruiken.”. It is an infinitive after kunt and takes the object mijn oude potlood in this sentence.

Grammar Points

werkwoord + graag

teken graag

TAY-kuhn khrahkh

enjoy drawing

In Dutch, graag follows the conjugated verb to express that you enjoy doing something.

bijvoeglijk naamwoord + zelfstandig naamwoord

vrije tijd

VRAY-uh tayt

free time

An adjective usually gets -e before a de-word noun, as in vrije tijd.

Dutch Vocabulary

als conj

ahls like; as

doen verb

doon to do doe

graag adv

khrahkh gladly; enjoy doing

hobby noun

HOB-bee hobby

klinken verb

KLAYNG-kuhn to sound klinkt

meestal adv

MAY-stahl usually; mostly

ontspannend adj

ont-SPAH-nunt relaxing ontspannende

tekenen verb

TAY-kuhn to draw teken

thuis adv

t-owys at home

tijd noun

tayt time

vrij adj

vray free vrije

wat pron

vaht what

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I enjoy drawing at home.

Show Answer

Ik teken graag thuis.

That sounds like a relaxing hobby.

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Dat klinkt als een ontspannende hobby.

Do you practice often?

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Oefen je vaak?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

gladly; enjoy doing

Show Answer

graag

to draw

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teken

free

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vrije

to sound

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klinkt