Listening to music in your free time | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At home, two adults talk about listening to slow music and playing a quiet track..

EN → NL / Level: A1

About This Lesson

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

Dialogue

A

Luister je naar muziek?

LOUYS-tur yuh nar muh-ZEEK? Do you listen to music?
B

Ik luister in mijn vrije tijd.

ik LOUYS-tur in mine VRY-uh tite. I listen in my free time.
A

Welke soort muziek vind je leuk?

WELL-kuh sort muh-ZEEK vint yuh luhk? What kind of music do you like?
B

Ik hou van rustige liedjes.

ik HOW vahn RUHS-tuh-khuh LEET-yuhs. I like slow songs.
A

Gebruik je een koptelefoon?

khuh-BROYK yuh uhn KOP-tuh-FOHN? Do you use headphones?
B

Ik gebruik hem als ik wil ontspannen.

ik khuh-BROYK uhm ahls ik vil on-t-SPAN-uhn. I use them when I want to relax.
A

Kan ik iets horen?

kahn ik eets HOHR-uhn? Can I hear something?
B

Ik zet een rustig nummer op.

ik zet uhn RUHS-tuhkh NUHM-ur op. I'll play a quiet track.

Word by Word

Luister “Luister” means “listen” in the question “Luister je naar muziek?”. It is the form of luisteren used with je here. A reusable pattern is luisteren naar something when asking about or describing listening to it; you could use it when asking someone about music.
je “je” means “you” as the person being asked in “Luister je naar muziek?”. It appears before the verb in this question pattern, “Luister je ...?”. Use it when addressing one person directly, for example when asking about their habits.
naar In “Luister je naar muziek?”, “naar” marks what is being listened to. The verb luisteren is used with naar for the thing being heard. Use the pattern luisteren naar something when talking about listening.
muziek “muziek” means “music”, the thing being listened to in “Luister je naar muziek?”. It follows naar in this expression. Use it when asking or talking about music as an activity or interest.
Ik “Ik” means “I” and is the subject of “Ik luister in mijn vrije tijd.”. It identifies the person who listens. Use Ik at the start of a statement about your own actions or preferences.
in In “in mijn vrije tijd”, “in” places the action within a period of time, meaning “during”. It introduces the time expression rather than a physical location here. Use in before a time period when saying when an activity takes place.
mijn “mijn” means “my” in “mijn vrije tijd”. It shows that the free time belongs to the speaker. Use mijn before a noun phrase when referring to something belonging to or associated with you.
vrije “vrije” means “free” in the expression “vrije tijd”, referring to time available for personal activities. It describes tijd in this phrase. Use the expression vrije tijd when talking about activities outside your usual obligations.
tijd “tijd” means “time” in “mijn vrije tijd”. Together, “vrije tijd” means time available for relaxation or personal activities. Use it when describing when you do a hobby or another activity.
Welke “Welke” means “which” or “what kind of” at the beginning of “Welke soort muziek vind je leuk?”. It asks the listener to identify a type or category. Use welke before a noun when asking which one or which kind.
soort “soort” means “kind” or “type” in “Welke soort muziek”. It helps ask about a category of music rather than one specific song. Use soort before a noun when asking what kind of thing something is.
vind In “vind je leuk”, “vind” contributes the idea of considering or finding something enjoyable, and the full construction means “like”. The citation form is vinden; vind is the form used in this question. A reusable pattern is subject + vind + object + leuk, for example in a new example: “Ik vind deze muziek leuk.”
leuk In “vind je leuk”, “leuk” gives the positive evaluation that makes the construction express liking. It means that the music is enjoyable to the person. Use leuk with the construction vind ... leuk when saying that someone likes something.
hou “hou” means “like” or “love” as part of “hou van” in “Ik hou van rustige liedjes.”. The citation form is houden; hou is the form used here. Use the pattern houden van + a noun when expressing that you like or love something.
van In “hou van”, “van” is the fixed linking part of the expression that means “like” or “love”. It does not carry that complete meaning by itself here. Keep van after hou when using the pattern houden van + a noun, such as “hou van rustige liedjes” in the dialogue.
rustige “rustige” means “quiet” or “calm” in “rustige liedjes”, describing the songs the speaker likes. The citation form is rustig; rustige is the form used before liedjes here. Use rustige before a noun when describing calm or quiet things.
liedjes “liedjes” means “songs” in “Ik hou van rustige liedjes.”. The citation form is liedje, and liedjes is the form used for the songs being liked here. Use it when talking about songs, including in the phrase rustige liedjes.
Gebruik “Gebruik” means “use” in the question “Gebruik je een koptelefoon?”. The citation form is gebruiken; Gebruik is the form used at the beginning of this question. Use the pattern Gebruik je + an object? when asking whether someone uses something.
een “een” is the indefinite article “a” before koptelefoon in “een koptelefoon”. It introduces one unspecified headphone device. Use een before a singular noun when referring to an unspecified item.
koptelefoon “koptelefoon” means “headphones” in “een koptelefoon”. It names the device the speaker uses for listening. Use it with een when referring to a pair or set of headphones as one device.
hem “hem” means “it” in “Ik gebruik hem als ik wil ontspannen.” and refers back to “een koptelefoon”. It avoids repeating the name of the device. Use hem as the object when referring back to this previously mentioned item.
als “als” means “when” in “als ik wil ontspannen”. It introduces the situation in which the speaker uses the headphones. Use als before a clause to connect an action with the time or condition in which it happens.
wil “wil” means “want” in “ik wil ontspannen”. The citation form is willen; wil is the form used with ik here. Use the pattern ik wil + an action when saying what you want to do.
ontspannen “ontspannen” means “relax” in “wil ontspannen”. It names the action the speaker wants to do after wil. Use it after wil when talking about wanting to relax, as in the dialogue.
Kan “Kan” means “can” in “Kan ik iets horen?”, where the speaker asks whether hearing something is possible or permitted. The citation form is kunnen; Kan is the form used at the beginning of this question. Use the pattern Kan ik + an action? when making a polite request or asking about possibility.
iets “iets” means “something” in “Kan ik iets horen?”. It refers to an unspecified thing that the speaker may hear. Use iets before a verb when asking about or referring to an unspecified object or experience.
horen “horen” means “hear” in “Kan ik iets horen?”. It follows Kan and names the action the speaker asks to perform. Use the pattern iets horen when talking about hearing something unspecified.
zet In “zet een rustig nummer op”, “zet” contributes the action of putting on or playing a track. Together with op, it is the separable verb opzetten; zet is the form used here. Use the pattern zet + object + op when saying that you will play or put on something.
rustig “rustig” means “quiet” or “calm” in “een rustig nummer”. It describes the track that will be played. Use rustig before a noun when describing a quiet or calm thing, such as a music track.
nummer “nummer” means “track” or “song” in “een rustig nummer”. Here it refers to a piece of music that can be played, not to a numerical value. Use it when talking about a music track, including in the expression een rustig nummer.
op In “zet een rustig nummer op”, “op” is the final part of the expression meaning “put on” or “play”. The object comes between zet and op in this construction. Keep op after the object when using the separable verb opzetten in this sense.

Grammar Points

gebiedende wijs: luister / gebruik

Luister naar muziek.

LOUYS-tur nar muh-ZEEK.

Listen to music.

In de gebiedende wijs staat het werkwoord vooraan, zonder onderwerp: luister, gebruik.

scheidbaar werkwoord: opzetten → zet ... op

Zet ... op.

ZET ... OP.

Put/play ... on.

Bij een scheidbaar werkwoord komt op in een gewone zin achteraan; de stam staat vooraan.

Dutch Vocabulary

gebruiken verb
khuh-BROY-kuhn to use Gebruik
houden van phrase
HOW-duhn vahn to like; to love hou van
leuk adj
luhk nice; enjoyable
liedje noun
LEET-yuh song liedjes
luisteren verb
LOUYS-tuh-ruhn to listen Luister
muziek noun
muh-ZEEK music
naar prep
nar to
rustig adj
RUHS-tikh quiet; calm rustige
soort noun
sort kind; type
vinden verb
VIN-duhn to find; to like vind
vrije tijd phrase
VRY-uh tite free time
welke det
WELL-kuh which

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Do you listen to music?

Show AnswerLuister je naar muziek?

I listen in my free time.

Show AnswerIk luister in mijn vrije tijd.

What kind of music do you like?

Show AnswerWelke soort muziek vind je leuk?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to

Show Answernaar

nice; enjoyable

Show Answerleuk

to find; to like

Show Answervind

music

Show Answermuziek