Leaving Space in a Crowded Line | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Het wordt echt druk in deze rij.

   This line is getting really crowded.

   wordt

   is getting; becomes

   echt

   really

   druk

   crowded; busy

   in

   in

   deze

   this

   rij

   line

   More detail

   wordt is the present-tense third-person singular form of worden, “to become” or “to get.” In the pattern het wordt + adjective, it describes a developing state: Het wordt koud means “It is getting cold.” Here, wordt combines with druk to express that the situation is becoming crowded, rather than simply already being crowded. echt is an adverb meaning “really.” It strengthens the adjective that follows: echt druk means “really crowded.” druk is an adjective. Its meaning here is “crowded,” describing a place with many people or little available space. The same adjective can also mean “busy” in contexts such as Ik ben druk (“I am busy”), so the surrounding phrase determines the meaning. in is a preposition meaning “in” or “inside.” It introduces the place connected with the developing situation: in deze rij means “in this line.” deze is a demonstrative meaning “this.” It appears before the singular common-gender noun rij; the corresponding plural form is also deze, as in deze rijen (“these lines”). rij is a noun meaning “line” or “queue” here. Its article is de: de rij. A useful example is De rij is lang — “The line is long.” Together, Het wordt presents a change of state, echt druk says that the new state is really crowded, and in deze rij locates it in this line. The complete meaning is: “This line is getting really crowded.”

2. Laten we aan de zijkant wat ruimte laten.

   Let's leave some room on the side.

   Laten we

   let’s

   aan

   on/at

   zijkant

   side

   wat

   some

   ruimte

   space

   laten

   leave

   More detail

   Laten we is a reusable Dutch construction for making a suggestion: “let’s …”. Here, the first laten is the first-person plural imperative/hortative form; it is identical in shape to the infinitive and to the present-tense plural form. we is the subject, and the proposed action comes later in the sentence. Example: Laten we gaan. — “Let’s go.” aan means “on” or “at” here. With the following noun phrase, aan de zijkant means “on the side.” Its exact English equivalent varies with the relation expressed in other contexts. zijkant means “side” or “side area.” It is one compound noun, built from zij (“side”) and kant (“side/edge”). Example: Aan de zijkant staat een stoel. — “There is a chair at the side.” wat means “some” here. It indicates an unspecified amount, not a particular number, and modifies ruimte. ruimte means “space” here: available physical room, not necessarily a separate room. Example: Er is nog ruimte. — “There is still space.” The final laten means “leave” here, as in leaving space available. This occurrence is the infinitive used as the action proposed by Laten we. The same Dutch form can also mean “let” or occur in other constructions, so its surrounding words determine the meaning. ruimte laten is a useful combination meaning “leave room/space.” Together, Laten we proposes an action, aan de zijkant specifies where, wat ruimte specifies an unspecified amount of space, and the final laten gives the action. The whole utterance means: “Let’s leave some room on the side.”

3. Zal ik een beetje naar achteren gaan?

   Should I move back a little?

   Zal ik

   Should I …?

   een beetje

   a little

   naar achteren

   backward

   gaan

   go; move

   More detail

   Zal ik combines the first-person subject ik (“I”) with zal, the singular present form of zullen. In this question, zal ik ...? asks whether the speaker should do something, so it corresponds to “Should I ...?” It is a reusable way to offer or check a possible action. The verb that completes this construction comes afterward in the infinitive. een beetje means “a little” or “slightly.” Here it reduces the extent of the movement: the speaker proposes moving only a small distance. The expression describes degree or amount; the indefinite article een does not by itself assert a count of one in this use. naar achteren is a directional expression meaning “backward” or “toward the back.” naar introduces the direction, while achteren refers to the backward direction. It describes where the movement is directed, not the amount of movement. For example: De stoel schuift naar achteren. — “The chair moves backward.” gaan is the infinitive of “to go” and can also mean “to move” when the context concerns changing position. After zal ik, Dutch uses the infinitive: Zal ik wachten? — “Should I wait?” In the fixed utterance, gaan supplies the action whose suitability is being asked about. Together, Zal ik een beetje naar achteren gaan? means “Should I move back a little?” The speaker asks whether moving a small distance in the backward direction would be appropriate. The preceding and following context supports this as a practical question about making room, but the sentence itself remains a question rather than a statement that the movement has happened.

4. Dan kunnen mensen er makkelijker langs.

   That would make it easier for people to pass.

   Dan

   then; that way

   kunnen

   can; be able to

   mensen

   people

   makkelijker

   more easily

   er … langs

   past it; past there

   More detail

   Dan introduces a consequence or practical conclusion: “then” or “in that case.” Here it links the suggested movement in the previous sentence to its result. At the start of a main clause, it occupies the first position, and the finite verb follows it: Dan kunnen .... kunnen is the present-tense plural form of kunnen, “can” or “be able to.” It agrees with plural mensen here. With a modal such as kunnen, Dutch commonly places the modal in the main-clause verb position and puts the other verbal element later; in this sentence, langs helps express being able to pass by. Example: We kunnen wachten. — “We can wait.” mensen means “people” and is the plural of mens, “person.” The singular and plural are different forms: één mens — “one person”; twee mensen — “two people.” makkelijker means “more easily” here. It is the comparative form of the adverb makkelijk, “easily”; the ending -er marks the comparison. The sentence compares the ease of passing with the situation before the suggested movement. Example: Zo gaat het makkelijker. — “It goes more easily this way.” er and langs form a split spatial construction. er refers to the relevant place or point already understood in the situation, while langs expresses movement past or along it. Together here they mean “pass by” or “get past,” without specifying that place again. Their separation is normal in this word order: er appears before the modal-related material and langs remains later. Example: Je kunt erlangs lopen. — “You can walk past it.” Taken together, Dan kunnen mensen er makkelijker langs means “Then people can pass by more easily.” The opening Dan presents this as the consequence of moving back, kunnen expresses ability, mensen is the group that can pass, makkelijker describes the improved ease, and er ... langs supplies the spatial idea of passing by the relevant place.

5. Is dit ver genoeg?

   Is this far enough?

   Is dit

   Is this…?

   ver

   far

   genoeg

   enough

   More detail

   Is dit places the finite form is before dit to make a yes/no question. Is is the present-tense form of zijn for a singular third-person subject. Dit means “this” and is the neuter singular demonstrative used here for the thing being evaluated; the utterance itself does not need to name that thing again. Compare the statement order Dit is ... with the question order Is dit ...?. ver means “far” here. It is an adjective describing distance, and it can also be used as a predicate after zijn: De ingang is ver. means “The entrance is far.” Its comparative is verder (“farther” or “further”), while verst is the superlative (“farthest” or “furthest”). genoeg means “enough.” Here it comes after ver and sets the required degree: ver genoeg means “far enough.” This placement is reusable with many adjectives, for example groot genoeg (“big enough”) and duidelijk genoeg (“clear enough”). Together, Is dit + ver genoeg asks whether the thing referred to by dit has sufficient distance: “Is this far enough?” It is a yes/no question about whether the distance meets the relevant practical requirement.

6. Er is nu een vrije doorgang.

   There is a clear path now.

   Er is

   there is

   nu

   now

   vrije

   clear; unobstructed

   doorgang

   passage; way through

   More detail

   Er is is the Dutch existential pattern meaning “there is” or “there exists.” Here, is is the third-person singular present form of zijn (“to be”), while er introduces what exists. Reusable pattern: Er is + singular noun = “There is + singular noun.” Example: Er is een probleem. — “There is a problem.” With a plural noun, Dutch uses Er zijn: Er zijn twee stoelen. — “There are two chairs.” Nu means “now” and places the situation at the present time. Vrije means “clear” here, in the sense of unobstructed or available for passage. Its base form is vrij. In vrije doorgang, the adjective is attributive and precedes doorgang, a singular common-gender noun; those conditions require the -e form. The ending is therefore on the adjective vrije, not on the noun. In a predicative use, the adjective has the base form: De doorgang is vrij. — “The passage is clear.” Vrij can mean “free” in other contexts, so the noun helps identify the relevant sense here. Doorgang means “passage” or “way through.” It is a singular noun. Een doorgang means “a passage”; the indefinite article marks an unspecified passage, not by itself a stated numerical count. Together, Er is introduces something that exists, een vrije doorgang identifies it as an unobstructed passage, and nu places that situation in the present. The complete utterance means: “There is a clear path now.”

7. Ik kan dichter bij de muur gaan staan.

   I can stand closer to the wall.

   Ik kan

   I can

   dichter

   closer

   bij

   near; by

   de muur

   the wall

   gaan staan

   stand; go and stand

   More detail

   Ik kan means “I can.” Ik is the first-person singular pronoun, “I.” kan is the present-tense form of kunnen (“can; be able to”) for ik; the infinitive is kunnen. In this sentence, it expresses the speaker’s ability or possibility, not a command. For example: Ik kan helpen. — “I can help.” dichter means “closer.” It is the comparative form of dicht (“close” in distance). A useful comparison is dicht — “close,” dichter — “closer,” and het dichtst — “the closest.” Here it describes a position nearer to the wall. bij means “near” or “by” and introduces the reference point for distance. The pattern dichter bij + [something] means “closer to + [something].” For example: De stoel staat dichter bij de tafel. — “The chair is closer to the table.” de muur means “the wall.” muur is the noun “wall,” and de is the definite article used with this noun. The article belongs to the noun phrase; it does not itself express a numeric count. gaan staan is a two-verb construction meaning “go and stand” or, in this context, “move into a standing position.” gaan and staan are both infinitives here. Dutch commonly uses gaan plus an infinitive to express beginning or moving into an action or position; with staan, the resulting meaning is specifically related to standing. For example: Ga daar staan. — “Stand there.” Together, Ik kan states the speaker’s ability or possibility, dichter bij de muur specifies a position nearer to the wall, and gaan staan describes moving into a standing position. The complete utterance therefore means: “I can stand closer to the wall.”

8. Zo blijft het looppad vrij.

   That keeps the walkway open.

   Zo

   that way

   blijft

   stays; remains

   looppad

   walkway

   vrij

   clear; open

   More detail

   Zo means “that way” or “so” here. It points to the manner just described: standing closer to the wall. Dutch zo can also mean “like this,” depending on context, but here the fixed translation supports the manner meaning “that way.” blijft is the present-tense third-person singular form of blijven, “to stay” or “to remain.” The construction iets blijft ... says that something continues to have a condition. For example: De deur blijft open. — “The door stays open.” looppad is a noun meaning “walkway” or “path for walking.” Its plural is looppaden. In this sentence it is the thing whose condition is being described. vrij means “clear” or “open” here: the walkway is unobstructed. It is a predicative adjective after blijven, and it describes the condition that continues. For example: De weg blijft vrij. — “The road remains clear.” Together, Zo + blijft gives “That way, ... remains,” while het looppad is the subject and vrij states its continuing condition. The complete meaning is: “That keeps the walkway open.”