Waiting in line | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Is deze rij voor de balie?

   Is this line for the counter?

   Is

   is

   deze

   this

   rij

   line

   voor

   for

   balie

   counter

   More detail

   Is is a present-tense singular form of zijn (“to be”). In a Dutch yes/no question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Is ...? Compare the statement Deze rij is ... with the question Is deze rij ...?. deze means “this” and stands before the noun it specifies. Here it is used with rij, a singular de-noun. The useful pattern is deze + singular de-noun; with a singular het-noun, Dutch generally uses dit instead. rij means “line” or “queue” here. Its base form is also rij; de rij is the ordinary noun phrase. Example: De rij is lang. — “The line is long.” voor is the preposition “for” in this question. It introduces the relation between the line and the counter: voor + noun. balie means “counter” or “service desk.” It is a singular de-noun: de balie. In this sentence, de makes the phrase de balie definite, referring to the counter intended in the question; the article is part of this noun phrase rather than a statement of quantity. Together, deze rij means “this line,” and voor de balie means “for the counter.” Dutch places is before the subject in this yes/no question, producing Is deze rij voor de balie? — “Is this line for the counter?”

2. Hier begint de rij.

   This is where it starts.

   Hier

   here

   begint

   starts; begins

   rij

   line; queue

   More detail

   Hier means “here,” referring to the location being indicated. Dutch can use hier at the beginning to point out a place: Hier is de ingang. — “The entrance is here.” begint is the present-tense form of beginnen, “to begin” or “to start.” It agrees with the singular subject de rij; the plural form is beginnen, as in De rijen beginnen hier. — “The lines start here.” rij means “line” or “queue” in this context. Its plural is rijen: De rij is lang. — “The queue is long.” Together, Hier begint de rij uses the pattern “Here begins the queue/line.” Because hier occupies the first position, the finite verb begint comes next, followed by the subject de rij. The fixed translation expresses the resulting meaning naturally as “This is where it starts.”

3. Heb ik een kaartje nodig?

   Do I need a ticket?

   Heb ik

   do I …?

   kaartje

   ticket

   nodig

   needed; necessary

   More detail

   Heb ik is the Dutch question order for hebben (“to have”): the finite verb heb comes before the subject ik (“I”). In the reusable pattern Heb ik ... nodig?, this inversion makes a yes/no question: “Do I need ...?” The form heb is the present-tense form used with ik; in an ordinary statement, the order is Ik heb ... nodig (“I need ...”). kaartje means “ticket” here. It is also a diminutive form related to kaart (“card”), but in this context the established meaning is a ticket. Example: Ik heb een kaartje. — “I have a ticket.” nodig means “needed” or “necessary.” Together with hebben, the construction iets nodig hebben means “to need something.” The thing needed is placed between hebben and nodig: Ik heb een kaartje nodig — “I need a ticket.” In the question, Heb ik een kaartje nodig?, the finite verb moves before ik, while nodig remains at the end. The whole utterance therefore combines Heb ik (“Do I ...?”), een kaartje (“a ticket”), and nodig (“need/necessary”) to mean “Do I need a ticket?”

4. Pak een kaartje uit deze doos.

   Take one from this box.

   Pak

   take

   kaartje

   ticket

   uit

   from

   deze

   this

   doos

   box

   More detail

   Pak is the imperative of pakken (“to take”). In this sentence it gives a direct instruction. The regular imperative is usually the verb stem: pakken → pak. Example: Pak de sleutel. — “Take the key.” kaartje means “ticket” here. It is a diminutive form of kaart (“card”), formed with -je; depending on context, kaartje can refer to a small card or a ticket. In the full phrase, een kaartje means “a ticket” or, as in the fixed translation, “one.” The article een does not by itself always assert a numerical count; the “one” reading is supported here by the intended translation. Example: Ik heb een kaartje. — “I have a ticket.” uit expresses movement out of or from inside something. With a source container, the reusable pattern is iets uit iets pakken: “take something from/out of something.” Example: Haal een boek uit de tas. — “Take a book out of the bag.” deze means “this” and points to a singular noun in the de-word class, or to plural nouns. Here it accompanies doos, which is a singular de-word. For a singular het-word, Dutch uses dit instead. Example: deze stoel — “this chair”; dit boek — “this book.” doos is the noun “box.” Its definite article is de: de doos. Example: De doos is groot. — “The box is big.” Together, Pak gives the instruction “take,” een kaartje identifies what to take, and uit deze doos identifies the source container: “Take one from this box.”

5. Wanneer ben ik aan de beurt?

   When is my turn?

   Wanneer

   when

   ben ik

   am I

   aan de beurt

   one’s turn

   More detail

   Wanneer means “when” and asks for the time or order of an event. It is a question word; compare wanneer? (“when?”) with waar? (“where?”) and wie? (“who?”). ben ik uses the present-tense form ben of zijn (“to be”) with the subject ik (“I”). In this question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Ben ik ...? means “Am I ...?” The same form ben is used for first-person singular; other subjects use other forms, such as jij bent (“you are”). aan de beurt is the fixed expression for being the person whose turn it is. Beurt is the noun “turn,” while aan de beurt zijn is the reusable pattern “to be one’s turn.” Example: Jij bent aan de beurt. — “It’s your turn.” Together, Wanneer + ben ik + aan de beurt asks when the speaker’s turn will occur: “When is my turn?”

6. U bent na die persoon.

   You're after that person.

   U bent

   you are

   na

   after

   die

   that

   persoon

   person

   More detail

   U bent means “you are.” bent is the present-tense form of zijn (“to be”) used with u, the formal or plural second-person pronoun. The same form is used for formal singular and plural you: U bent hier. = “You are here.” na means “after” and places one person or thing later than another in an order, sequence, or position. Here it introduces the person whose position comes before yours. For example: Ik kom na jou. = “I come after you.” die means “that” in this phrase. It is a demonstrative used with a singular common-gender noun such as persoon; it also has other uses, including with plural nouns. The form for a nearby singular neuter noun is dat, as in dat huis (“that house”). persoon means “person.” Its base form is also persoon; its plural is personen. For example: Die persoon wacht. = “That person is waiting.” Together, na die persoon means “after that person,” and U bent says that you occupy that position. The complete utterance is therefore “You’re after that person.” In the supplied context, this naturally describes position in a turn or sequence.

7. Ik wacht hier.

   I will wait here.

   Ik

   I

   wacht

   wait

   hier

   here

   More detail

   Ik is the first-person singular subject pronoun: “I.” It identifies the speaker as the person doing the action. Compare jij or u for “you”; these refer to the person addressed, not the speaker. wacht is the present-tense form of wachten, “to wait,” with a first-person singular subject such as ik: ik wacht. Dutch present tense can also describe a planned or expected near-future action, so the fixed translation naturally gives “I will wait.” The form itself does not mark “will”; the future meaning comes from the intended context. hier is the adverb “here,” referring to the relevant place where the waiting takes place. It is not an inflected form and does not change for person or number. Together, Ik + wacht gives “I wait” or, in this intended context, “I will wait”; adding hier specifies the place: “I will wait here.”

8. De persoon voor u is bijna klaar.

   The person ahead is almost finished.

   persoon

   person

   voor u

   ahead of you

   bijna

   almost

   klaar

   finished

   More detail

   persoon means “person” here. Its base form is persoon; the plural is personen. Example: De persoon wacht. — “The person is waiting.” voor u places the person relative to the person addressed: “ahead of you” here. voor can express a position in front of someone, while u is the polite or formal Dutch pronoun for “you.” u can refer to one addressee or to more than one; this sentence does not by itself specify the number. bijna means “almost.” It shows that something is close to being true or complete. Example: Het werk is bijna klaar. — “The work is almost finished.” klaar means “finished” or “ready,” depending on context. Here, with the fixed translation, it means “finished.” It is a descriptive word that does not change form for singular or plural subjects in this use. Example: Wij zijn klaar. — “We are finished/ready.” De persoon is the subject, “the person.” is is the present-tense form of zijn (“to be”) used with a singular subject. voor u adds the person's position relative to the addressee, and bijna klaar means “almost finished.” Together, the utterance means: “The person ahead is almost finished.”