Drawing in your free time | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Wat doe je in je vrije tijd?

   What do you do in your free time?

   Wat

   what

   doe

   do

   je

   you

   in

   in; during

   vrije

   free

   tijd

   time

   More detail

   Wat asks for information about a thing or activity: “what.” In this sentence it asks about the activity someone does. Compare wie (“who”) for a person and waar (“where”) for a place. doe is the present-tense form of doen (“to do”) used with ik (“I”) or je/jij (“you”): ik doe, je doet in an ordinary statement, but doe je ...? in this question. The form doe is therefore not the infinitive; the infinitive is doen. The first je is the subject, meaning “you.” In a yes/no or information question, Dutch commonly places the finite verb before the subject: Doe je ...? Here the question word comes first, followed by doe je. The later je belongs to je vrije tijd and expresses possession, meaning “your.” in introduces the time period in which something happens. Here it corresponds to “in” or “during,” not to a location. For example: Ik lees in de avond. — “I read in the evening.” vrije is the form of the adjective vrij (“free”) used before the noun tijd in this noun phrase. In vrije tijd, it means time available for personal activities, commonly translated as “free time” or “leisure time.” The ending -e is on the adjective, not on the noun. For comparison, vrij can mean “free,” while druk means “busy”; vrije tijd contrasts with time occupied by work or other obligations. tijd is the noun “time.” In this expression it refers to a period available for activities, rather than to a particular clock time. A useful related expression is veel tijd — “a lot of time.” Together, Wat doe je in je vrije tijd? means “What do you do in your free time?” The structure is Wat + finite verb doe + subject je + in + possessive je + vrije tijd: it asks which activities the listener does during their available personal time.

2. Ik teken graag thuis.

   I enjoy drawing at home.

   Ik

   I

   teken

   draw

   graag

   like to; gladly

   thuis

   at home

   More detail

   Ik is the first-person singular pronoun: “I.” It is used for the speaker as the subject of the clause. The related object form is mij or its shortened form me, as in Ze ziet me (“She sees me”); that form is not used as the subject here. teken is the present-tense form of tekenen (“to draw”) with ik: ik teken = “I draw.” Dutch commonly uses the present tense for a habitual activity or a general preference, so this form fits an activity the speaker enjoys. The same verb can describe a current action when the context supports that reading. graag is an adverb used with an activity to express that the subject enjoys or likes doing it. A reusable pattern is Ik + verb + graag, meaning “I like/enjoy + -ing.” For example, Ik lees graag means “I like reading.” Here, graag modifies the activity teken; it is not the verb “to like” itself. thuis means “at home,” referring to being in one’s home. It does not express movement toward home. For movement, Dutch uses naar huis, as in Ik ga naar huis (“I am going home”); thuis describes the location of the activity. Together, Ik teken graag thuis follows the reusable pattern Ik + present-tense activity verb + graag + location: “I enjoy drawing at home.” The subject is the speaker, teken supplies the activity, graag marks enjoyment of that activity, and thuis gives its location.

3. Dat klinkt als een ontspannende hobby.

   That sounds like a relaxing hobby.

   Dat

   that

   klinkt

   sounds

   als een

   like a

   ontspannende

   relaxing

   hobby

   hobby

   More detail

   Dat is a standalone demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. It points back to the idea just mentioned, rather than naming a new participant. Dutch also uses dat before a noun as a demonstrative determiner, but that is not its role in this sentence. Compare: Dat is interessant. — “That is interesting.” klinkt comes from klinken, “to sound.” It is the present-tense form for a singular subject: dat klinkt; with a plural subject, use klinken, as in Die ideeën klinken goed. — “Those ideas sound good.” als een is the reusable comparison pattern “like a.” als introduces the comparison, and een is the Dutch indefinite article. Here een does not by itself assert a numerical count; it presents hobby as an unspecified example of a type. For example: Het klinkt als een goed plan. — “It sounds like a good plan.” ontspannende means “relaxing” here. It is related to the verb ontspannen, “to relax,” and the form ontspannend is a present participle used adjectivally. Before the noun hobby, it has the attributive ending -e: een ontspannende hobby. This adjective describes the hobby as producing a relaxing effect; it does not mean that the hobby itself is relaxing. For example: een ontspannende wandeling — “a relaxing walk.” hobby is a noun meaning “hobby.” It is a loanword used in Dutch and has the plural hobby’s: Mijn hobby’s zijn tekenen en lezen. — “My hobbies are drawing and reading.” Together, Dat klinkt gives “That sounds,” and als een ontspannende hobby compares the previously mentioned activity with a relaxing hobby. The complete meaning is: “That sounds like a relaxing hobby.”

4. Ik teken meestal kleine dingen in mijn notitieboek.

   I usually sketch small things in my notebook.

   Ik

   I

   teken

   sketch

   meestal

   usually

   kleine

   small

   dingen

   things

   in

   in

   mijn

   my

   notitieboek

   notebook

   More detail

   Ik means “I” here: the first-person singular subject. Dutch subject pronouns include ik (I), jij/je (you, singular), and hij/zij/ze (he/she/they, depending on context). The pronoun itself identifies the speaker; the sentence does not specify anything more about that person. teken is the present-tense first-person singular form of tekenen, “to draw” or “to sketch.” With ik, many Dutch verbs use the stem without an ending: ik teken. Example: Ik teken een huis. — “I draw a house.” In this sentence, the intended activity is sketching, as shown by the fixed translation. meestal means “usually” or “most of the time.” It describes a recurring preference or habit, not every single occasion. Example: Ik lees meestal 's avonds. — “I usually read in the evening.” kleine is the form of the adjective klein, “small,” used before the plural noun dingen. Dutch attributive adjectives normally take -e in this environment: kleine dingen. The base/comparison chain is klein (small), kleiner (smaller), het kleinst (the smallest). Example: Zij koopt kleine planten. — “She buys small plants.” dingen means “things” and is the plural of ding, “thing.” The singular is een ding; the plural adds -en: dingen. Example: Ik zie drie dingen. — “I see three things.” in is the preposition “in,” marking the place or container where something is located or takes place. Here it introduces the notebook as the place in which the sketching happens. Example: De pen ligt in de tas. — “The pen is in the bag.” mijn means “my” and is the first-person singular possessive form. It identifies the notebook as belonging to or being associated with the speaker. Mijn does not change for singular versus plural: mijn boek (my book) and mijn boeken (my books). Example: Mijn fiets is buiten. — “My bicycle is outside.” notitieboek means “notebook.” It is a compound noun built from notitie (note) and boek (book), but it functions as one noun. Its plural is notitieboeken; with a definite article, it is het notitieboek. Example: Mijn notitieboek ligt op tafel. — “My notebook is on the table.” Together, Ik teken gives “I sketch,” meestal places this activity in the usual-habit category, and kleine dingen specifies what is sketched: small things. The phrase in mijn notitieboek gives the location. Thus the whole utterance means: “I usually sketch small things in my notebook.”

5. Oefen je vaak?

   Do you practice often?

   Oefen

   practice

   je

   you

   vaak

   often

   More detail

   Oefen is the present-tense form of oefenen (“to practise/to practice”). In a Dutch yes/no question, the finite verb comes first: Oefen je ...? This is the inverted form of Je oefent ... (“You practise ...”); with je/jij after the verb, the present-tense -t is not used: je oefent, but oefen je?. je means “you” here and refers to one person addressed informally. It is the unstressed subject form; the more emphatic form is jij, as in Jij oefent vaak (“You practise often”). vaak means “often” and indicates repeated frequency. It can be used with many activities, for example: Ik lees vaak. — “I often read.” Together, the verb-first question pattern Oefen je ...? asks whether the listener practises. Adding vaak specifies the frequency, so Oefen je vaak? means “Do you practise often?”

6. Een beetje, meestal als ik tijd heb.

   A little, mostly when I have time.

   Een beetje

   a little

   meestal

   mostly

   als

   when

   ik

   I

   tijd

   time

   heb

   have

   More detail

   Een beetje means “a little” or “a small amount.” beetje is the noun-like word for a small amount; een is the indefinite article. Here, een does not by itself assert a numeric count. This compact expression can be reused with an activity or ability, for example: Ik spreek een beetje Nederlands. — “I speak a little Dutch.” meestal means “mostly” or “usually.” It describes what happens in the greater part of the relevant cases, without meaning “always.” Example: Ik wandel meestal 's avonds. — “I usually walk in the evening.” als introduces the time condition here and is translated as “when.” Dutch als can also introduce a condition meaning “if”; the fixed translation and sentence context support the time reading here. The clause introduced by als is als ik tijd heb. ik is the first-person singular pronoun, “I.” It refers to the speaker. A different subject uses a different pronoun, such as jij for “you” in an informal singular context. tijd is the noun “time.” With an ordinary singular noun, Dutch commonly uses tijd without an article in expressions about having enough or available time, as in this sentence. Example: Heb je tijd? — “Do you have time?” heb is the first-person singular present form of hebben, “to have.” The useful present-tense contrast is ik heb — “I have” and jij hebt — “you have.” In the subordinate clause after als, the finite verb comes at the end: als ik tijd heb — “when I have time.” Together, Een beetje gives the amount, and meestal limits how often that amount applies. als ik tijd heb specifies the time condition: “when I have time.” The complete utterance therefore means “A little, mostly when I have time.”

7. Misschien kan ik het ook proberen.

   Maybe I can try it too.

   Misschien

   maybe

   kan ik

   I can

   het

   it

   ook

   too

   proberen

   try

   More detail

   Misschien means “maybe” and marks the statement as uncertain rather than definite. It is a useful sentence-initial adverb. When it comes first in a Dutch main clause, the finite verb comes before the subject: Misschien kan ik ... (“Maybe I can ...”). kan ik expresses “I can.” kan is the present-tense form of kunnen (“can, be able to”) used with ik. The same form occurs with hij, singular zij, and het; with wij, jullie, and plural zij, the form is kunnen. In this sentence, kan is followed by the infinitive proberen, so the meaning is ability or possibility to try. Example: Ik kan morgen komen. — “I can come tomorrow.” het is the Dutch neuter singular pronoun corresponding here to “it.” Its exact referent is not identified in the fixed sentence itself, but it represents the thing being tried. Dutch pronouns use forms that reflect relevant grammatical properties of their referents; het is used for a neuter singular referent, while hem and haar are other object-pronoun forms in contexts requiring them. Example: Ik zie het. — “I see it.” ook means “too” or “also.” It adds this action to something already mentioned or understood. Its position can affect what it emphasizes, but here it naturally contributes the meaning “try it as well.” Example: Ik kom ook. — “I am coming too.” proberen means “to try” and is the infinitive after the modal verb kan. The pattern is kunnen + infinitive: Ik kan proberen means “I can try.” In the fixed sentence, proberen describes the possible action, while kan carries the present-tense information. Together, Misschien + kan ik + het + ook + proberen gives “Maybe I can try it too.” The initial Misschien causes the finite verb kan to precede the subject ik; het is the object of proberen, and ook adds the sense of “too.”

8. Je kunt mijn oude potlood gebruiken.

   You can use my old pencil.

   Je kunt

   you can

   mijn

   my

   oude

   old

   potlood

   pencil

   gebruiken

   use

   More detail

   Je kunt means “you can” here. je is the subject pronoun “you”; it is an informal singular or plural form, and the exact number is not specified by this sentence. kunt is a present-tense form of kunnen (“can, be able to”). With je, both je kunt and the less emphatic je kan occur; je kunt is the form used here. In this construction, kunnen expresses ability or permission, and the following infinitive names the action. mijn means “my”. It is a possessive determiner placed before the noun: mijn potlood = “my pencil”. Unlike an English possessive, mijn does not change for the gender or number of the noun it modifies. oude means “old” here. Its base form is oud; the ending -e appears in this noun phrase because the adjective precedes the definite possessive phrase mijn potlood. For example, een oud potlood means “an old pencil”, while mijn oude potlood means “my old pencil”. potlood means “pencil”. It is a noun; its plural is potloden (“pencils”). The adjective and noun remain separate: oude describes potlood, rather than being part of the noun itself. gebruiken means “to use”. This is the infinitive of gebruiken, used after the modal verb kunnen: Je kunt ... gebruiken = “You can use ...”. In a regular present-tense clause without kunnen, the form is je gebruikt (“you use”); after kunt, the infinitive gebruiken is retained. Together, Je kunt mijn oude potlood gebruiken. says that the addressee has the ability or permission to use the speaker’s old pencil. The structure is subject + kunnen + possessive adjective + noun + infinitive: Je kunt [mijn oude potlood] gebruiken = “You can use my old pencil.”