Checking items in a bag | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Checking items in a bag to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Kun je me helpen mijn tas te controleren?

kuhn yuh muh HEL-puh(n) mine tahs tuh kohn-troh-LAY-ruh(n)? Can you help me check my bag?

Ik kan er samen met je doorheen kijken.

ik kahn ur SAH-muh(n) met yuh door-HAYN KIGH-kuh(n). I can look through it with you.

Zie je iets dat ontbreekt?

zee yuh eets daht ont-BRAYKT? Do you see anything missing?

Je portemonnee en je telefoon zijn er allebei.

yuh por-tuh-muh-NAY en yuh tay-luh-FOHN zine ur ahl-uh-BIGH. Your wallet and phone are both here.

Waar is mijn kleine notitieboekje?

vahr iss mine KLAY-nuh noh-TEE-tsee-BOOK-yuh? Where is my small notebook?

Het ligt onder je jas.

ut likht ON-dur yuh yahs. It is under your jacket.

Dan heb ik alles.

dahn HEB ik AHL-uhs. Then I have everything.

Je kunt de tas nu dichtdoen.

yuh kuhnt duh tahs nyoo DIKHT-doon. You can close the bag now.

Word by Word

Kun “Kun” expresses ability in the question “Kun je me helpen mijn tas te controleren?” It is used at the beginning of a polite request asking whether someone can do something. A reusable pattern is “Kun je …?” when asking another person for help or an action.

je “je” refers to the person being addressed: “you.” Here it is the subject of “Kun” and the person whose bag is being checked. It is commonly used in direct questions and informal conversation.

me “me” refers to the person receiving help: “me.” In “Kun je me helpen mijn tas te controleren?”, it comes after “helpen” as the person who needs assistance. A reusable pattern is helping someone with an action, such as asking another person to help you.

helpen “helpen” means “to help” in the request to assist with checking the bag. It is used with the person receiving help and can be followed by an action that the person needs help doing. This is useful when asking someone for assistance in an everyday situation.

mijn “mijn” means “my” and identifies the bag as belonging to the speaker. It comes directly before the noun “tas” in “mijn tas.” Use it before a noun when referring to something belonging to yourself.

tas “tas” means “bag,” the item being checked in the dialogue. It appears after “mijn” and later with “de” in “de tas.” This word is useful when talking about carrying, opening, checking, or closing a bag.

te “te” marks the infinitive “controleren” in the action the speaker wants help with. Together, “te controleren” expresses “to check” after “helpen.” It is commonly placed directly before an infinitive in this kind of action phrase.

controleren “controleren” means “to check” or inspect, here referring to examining the contents of the bag. It follows “te” in “te controleren.” Use it when verifying whether something is present, correct, or complete.

Ik “Ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “Ik kan er samen met je doorheen kijken.” It is the subject of the sentence and comes before “kan.” Use it when stating what you can do or what you are doing.

kan “kan” expresses ability: “can” or “am able to.” In “Ik kan er samen met je doorheen kijken,” it introduces the action of looking through the bag together. It is commonly followed by an infinitive phrase describing the possible action.

er “er” refers back to the bag in “Ik kan er samen met je doorheen kijken.” It helps avoid repeating “de tas” while the sentence describes looking through it. In Dutch, “er” can refer to a previously mentioned object in this way.

samen “samen” means “together,” showing that the two people will look through the bag jointly. It appears with “met je” to specify who is participating. Use it when describing an activity shared with another person.

met “met” means “with” and introduces the person participating with the speaker: “met je.” It is placed before the person or thing that accompanies an action. This is useful for describing doing something together with someone.

doorheen “doorheen” contributes the meaning “through” in “er samen met je doorheen kijken.” With the rest of that expression, it describes looking through the bag’s contents. It is useful when an action moves or looks through an object or space.

kijken “kijken” means “to look,” here as part of looking through the bag. It appears at the end of the infinitive phrase “doorheen kijken.” Use it when describing directing your eyes toward something or examining what is inside.

Zie “Zie” means “see” in the question “Zie je iets dat ontbreekt?” It comes before “je” because this is a question. Use it to ask whether someone notices or perceives something.

iets “iets” means “something” and refers to a possible item that is missing from the bag. In this question, it is described by the following clause “dat ontbreekt.” Use it when referring generally to an unspecified thing.

dat “dat” introduces the clause “dat ontbreekt,” which describes what “iets” is. Here it connects “iets” with the information that it is missing. It is useful for adding a description or statement about a thing already mentioned.

ontbreekt “ontbreekt” means “is missing” in the question about the bag’s contents. It describes an item that is not present where it should be. A reusable pattern is using this form to say that a particular item is missing.

portemonnee “portemonnee” means “wallet,” one of the items confirmed to be in the bag. It appears after the possessive “Je” in “Je portemonnee.” Use it when talking about the small item used to carry money or cards.

en “en” means “and” and joins “portemonnee” with “telefoon.” It shows that both items are included in the same statement. Use it to connect words or phrases of equal importance.

telefoon “telefoon” means “phone,” the second item confirmed to be present. It is joined to “portemonnee” by “en.” Use it when referring to a phone in everyday conversations about carrying, finding, or checking belongings.

zijn “zijn” means “are” in “Je portemonnee en je telefoon zijn er allebei.” It links the two items to their location or presence. Use it with multiple items when saying where they are or confirming that they are present.

allebei “allebei” means “both,” emphasizing that the wallet and the phone are each present. It appears after “zijn” and before the final part of the sentence. Use it when referring to exactly two people or things together.

Waar “Waar” means “where” and begins the question asking for the notebook’s location. It is placed at the start of the question before “is.” Use it to ask where a person, object, or place is.

is “is” means “is” and identifies the location of the notebook in “Waar is mijn kleine notitieboekje?” It follows the question word “Waar.” Use it when asking or stating the location of one object or person.

kleine “kleine” means “small” and describes the notebook in “mijn kleine notitieboekje.” It comes directly before the noun it describes. Use it before a noun when identifying something as small.

notitieboekje “notitieboekje” means “notebook,” specifically the small notebook whose location is being asked about. It appears after “mijn kleine.” Use it when referring to a notebook for writing notes.

Het “Het” means “it” and refers back to the notebook in “Het ligt onder je jas.” It is the subject of the sentence that gives the notebook’s location. Use it to refer to an object already identified in the conversation.

ligt “ligt” means “lies” or “is located,” describing where the notebook is positioned. Here it says that the notebook is under the jacket. Use it when stating the location of an object that is lying or resting somewhere.

onder “onder” means “under” and introduces the position of the notebook relative to “je jas.” It is followed by the noun phrase “je jas.” Use it to describe one object being below or covered by another.

jas “jas” means “jacket,” the item under which the notebook is located. It appears after “je” in “je jas.” Use it when talking about a jacket as clothing or as a place where something may be found.

Dan “Dan” means “then,” linking the discovery of the notebook to the conclusion that everything is present. It appears at the beginning of “Dan heb ik alles.” Use it to introduce a consequence or next step after something has happened.

heb “heb” means “have” in “Dan heb ik alles,” where the speaker says that all the needed items are present. It is the form used with “ik.” Use it when stating that you possess something or have everything needed.

alles “alles” means “everything,” referring here to all the items the speaker expected to find. It completes the statement “Dan heb ik alles.” Use it when referring to the complete set of relevant things.

kunt “kunt” expresses ability in “Je kunt de tas nu dichtdoen”: “you can” or “you are able to.” It is used with “je” and introduces the action of closing the bag. Use it when giving someone permission or saying that an action is possible.

de “de” means “the” and identifies the specific bag already being discussed: “de tas.” It comes directly before the noun. Use it before a noun when referring to a particular known person, thing, or object.

nu “nu” means “now,” indicating that the bag can be closed at this point in the conversation. It appears before “dichtdoen.” Use it to mark the present time or the next action to take.

dichtdoen “dichtdoen” means “to close,” here referring to closing the bag after checking its contents. It follows “kunt” as the action that is now possible. Use it with an object such as a bag, door, or container when putting it into a closed state.

Grammar Points

dichtdoen → doe ... dicht

Ik doe de tas dicht.

ik doo duh tahs DIKHT.

I close the bag.

Dichtdoen is a separable verb: in a main clause, doe comes second and dicht moves to the end.

een + adjective + noun: kleine

een kleine tas

uhn KLAY-nuh tahs.

a small bag

Before a noun, klein usually takes -e after een: een kleine tas.

Dutch Vocabulary

allebei adv

ahl-uh-BIGH both

ze zijn er allebei

controleren verb

kohn-troh-LAY-ruh(n) to check

mijn tas te controleren

helpen verb

HEL-puh(n) to help

Kun je me helpen mijn tas te controleren?

iets pron

eets something; anything

Zie je iets dat ontbreekt?

kijken verb

KIGH-kuh(n) to look

doorheen kijken

klein adj

klayn small kleine

mijn kleine notitieboekje

ontbreken verb

ont-BRAY-kuh(n) to be missing ontbreekt

iets dat ontbreekt

portemonnee noun

por-tuh-muh-NAY wallet

Je portemonnee

samen adv

SAH-muh(n) together

er samen met je doorheen kijken

tas noun

tahs bag

mijn tas

telefoon noun

tay-luh-FOHN phone

je telefoon

zien verb

zeen to see Zie

Zie je iets dat ontbreekt?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Do you see anything missing?

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Zie je iets dat ontbreekt?

Where is my small notebook?

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Waar is mijn kleine notitieboekje?

It is under your jacket.

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Het ligt onder je jas.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

together

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samen

wallet

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portemonnee

to check

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controleren

something; anything

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iets