Talking about cooking | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At home, two adults talk about cooking simple soup and sharing it when it is ready..

EN → NL / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Talking about cooking to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Is koken jouw hobby?

iss KOH-kuhn yow HAW-bee? Is cooking your hobby?
B

Ik maak graag eenvoudig eten thuis.

ik MAHK ghrahkh AYN-vow-dikh AY-tuhn TOYS. I like making simple food at home.
A

Wat maak je graag?

vaht MAHK yuh ghrahkh? What do you like to make?
B

Ik maak vaak een eenvoudige soep.

ik MAHK VAHK ayn AYN-vow-dikh SOOP. I often make a simple soup.
A

Gebruik je een recept?

ghuh-BROYK yuh ayn ray-SEPT? Do you use a recipe?
B

Ik volg een eenvoudig recept.

ik VAWL-ghuhn ayn AYN-vow-dikh ray-SEPT. I follow an easy one.
A

Ik wil het graag proeven als het klaar is.

ik vill het ghrahkh PROO-vuhn ahls het KLAHR iss. I would like to try it when it is ready.
B

Ik bewaar wat soep voor je.

ik buh-VAHR vaht SOOP vohr yuh. I will save some soup for you.

Word by Word

Is "Is" asks whether something has a certain state or identity, here whether cooking is the person's hobby. It appears at the beginning of "Is koken jouw hobby?" to form a yes-or-no question.
koken "koken" means cooking here and names the activity being discussed in "Is koken jouw hobby?". You can reuse it when asking whether cooking is someone’s hobby or activity.
jouw "jouw" means your and identifies the hobby as belonging to the person being addressed. In "jouw hobby", it comes directly before the thing that belongs to that person.
hobby "hobby" means a hobby or regular leisure activity in "jouw hobby". It is useful when asking or talking about an activity someone enjoys in free time.
Ik "Ik" means I and identifies the speaker as the person making or describing the food. It starts statements such as "Ik maak graag eenvoudig eten thuis."
maak "maak" means make or prepare in the dialogue, referring to preparing food. It is used in "Ik maak" and "Wat maak je graag?", so it can introduce the food or activity someone makes.
graag "graag" adds the idea of doing something willingly or with pleasure; in "maak graag", English naturally says "like to make". It also appears in "wil het graag proeven", where it shows that the speaker would like to taste it.
eenvoudig "eenvoudig" describes the food as simple or uncomplicated in "eenvoudig eten". It comes before the noun it describes and is useful for describing uncomplicated food.
eten "eten" means food in "eenvoudig eten" and refers to what the speaker prepares at home. The phrase "eenvoudig eten" can be reused when describing simple food.
thuis "thuis" means at home and says where the speaker makes the food. It can be placed with an action to specify that the action happens at home.
Wat "Wat" means what in the question "Wat maak je graag?" and asks which thing the other person likes to make. The lowercase form "wat" in "wat soep" means some, referring to an unspecified amount of soup.
je "je" means you in "Wat maak je graag?" and addresses the other speaker. In this question it appears after "maak", a common word order for a question beginning with "Wat".
vaak "vaak" means often and says that making soup happens regularly. In "Ik maak vaak een eenvoudige soep", it comes before the food being made.
een "een" means a or an and introduces one unspecified soup in "een eenvoudige soep". It is used before the noun phrase when referring to one example rather than a specific previously identified item.
eenvoudige "eenvoudige" describes the soup as simple or uncomplicated in "een eenvoudige soep". This is the form used directly before "soep" in this dialogue.
soep "soep" means soup and names the food the speaker often makes and saves. It appears in "een eenvoudige soep" and "wat soep", useful patterns for talking about soup.
Gebruik "Gebruik" means use in the question "Gebruik je een recept?" and asks whether the other person uses a recipe. It begins the question, followed by "je" and the thing being used.
recept "recept" means recipe and refers to the instructions used for preparing the food. In "een recept", it follows the indefinite article and can be used when asking about or mentioning cooking instructions.
volg "volg" means follow in "Ik volg een eenvoudig recept" and describes using the recipe’s instructions. It is followed here by "een eenvoudig recept", the thing being followed.
wil "wil" expresses want or would like in "Ik wil het graag proeven". Together with "graag" and "proeven", it politely states the speaker’s wish to taste the food.
het "het" means it in "Ik wil het graag proeven" and refers to the food being discussed. It also appears in "als het klaar is", where it refers to the thing that will be ready.
proeven "proeven" means taste or try food and is the action the speaker wants to do in "het graag proeven". It is useful after an expression of wanting when saying that you would like to taste something.
als "als" means when in "als het klaar is" and introduces the time at which the tasting should happen. It connects an action with the condition or time that something is ready.
klaar "klaar" means ready in "het klaar is" and describes the food as finished and ready to taste. It is useful after a subject when saying that something is ready.
bewaar "bewaar" means save or keep in "Ik bewaar wat soep voor je". It describes keeping some soup so that it remains available for the other person.
voor "voor" means for in "voor je" and marks the person who is intended to receive the saved soup. The pattern "voor je" can be used when reserving or doing something for another person.

Grammar Points

graag + infinitief

graag koken

GHRAHKH KOH-kuhn

to like cooking

In Dutch, graag often comes before the infinitive to express that you like doing something.

eenvoudige + zelfstandig naamwoord

eenvoudige soep

AYN-vow-duh-ghuh SOOP

simple soup

The adjective eenvoudig gets an -e before a noun in this form: eenvoudige.

Dutch Vocabulary

eenvoudig adj
AYN-vow-dikh simple; easy eenvoudige
eten noun
AY-tuhn food
gebruiken verb
ghuh-BROY-kuhn use Gebruik
graag adv
GHRAHKH gladly; like to
hobby noun
HAW-bee hobby
koken noun
KOH-kuhn cooking
maken verb
MAHK-uhn make maak
recept noun
ray-SEPT recipe
soep noun
SOOP soup
thuis adv
TOYS at home
vaak adv
VAHK often
volgen verb
VAWL-ghuhn follow

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Is cooking your hobby?

Show AnswerIs koken jouw hobby?

I like making simple food at home.

Show AnswerIk maak graag eenvoudig eten thuis.

What do you like to make?

Show AnswerWat maak je graag?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

make

Show Answermaak

soup

Show Answersoep

gladly; like to

Show Answergraag

at home

Show Answerthuis