Warming up at home | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Warming up at home to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ik heb het nu koud.

ik hehp ut nü KOWT I feel cold now.

Wikkel jezelf in deze warme deken.

WIH-kuhl yuh-ZELF in DAY-zuh WAR-muh DAY-kuhn Wrap yourself in this warm blanket.

Mijn handen zijn ook koud.

meyn HAN-duhn zeyn OHK KOWT My hands are cold too.

Houd deze warme kop een tijdje vast.

howt DAY-zuh WAR-muh KAWP uhn TAYT-yuh vahst Hold this warm cup for a while.

Dat helpt een beetje.

daht HELPT uhn BAYT-yuh That helps a little.

Ga op de bank zitten en rust uit.

GHAA op duh BAHNGK ZIH-tuhn en RÜST OYT Sit on the sofa and rest.

De kamer voelt nu warmer aan.

duh KAH-mur voolt nü WAR-mur AHN The room feels warmer now.

Ik doe het raam dicht, zodat het zo blijft.

ik DOO uht RAHM DIKHT, zoh-DAHT uht zoh BLEYFT I'll close the window so it stays that way.

Word by Word

Ik “Ik” means “I” and is the speaker referring to themself in “Ik heb het nu koud.” It is used as the subject, as in the reusable pattern “Ik heb ...”. In this dialogue, use it when reporting your own condition or experience.

heb “heb” contributes “have” to the Dutch expression “Ik heb het nu koud”, which means that the speaker feels cold. The expression uses “heb” with “het” and “koud”, rather than translating “feel” directly. Use the pattern “Ik heb het ...” when describing a personal condition.

het In “Ik heb het nu koud”, “het” is part of the fixed expression for feeling cold. Together with “heb” and “koud”, it helps express the speaker’s condition. Use the exact pattern “Ik heb het koud” when saying that you feel cold.

nu “nu” means “now” and places the feeling in the present moment in “Ik heb het nu koud.” It can be placed before the condition being described. Use it when reporting how something is at this moment.

koud “koud” means “cold”; in “Ik heb het nu koud”, it describes how the speaker feels. In “Mijn handen zijn ook koud”, it describes the physical temperature of the hands, so the surrounding construction matters. Use “koud” with “Ik heb het ...” for feeling cold or with a body part and “zijn” for something being cold.

Wikkel “Wikkel” means “wrap” in the instruction “Wikkel jezelf in deze warme deken.” It is the form used to tell one person to perform the action. Use “Wikkel ... in ...” when telling someone to wrap something or themself in a covering.

jezelf “jezelf” means “yourself” and refers back to the person being addressed in “Wikkel jezelf in deze warme deken.” It marks that the person receiving the instruction is also the person being wrapped. Use it in the pattern “... jezelf in ...” when addressing someone about wrapping themself.

in “in” means “in” or “into” in “Wikkel jezelf in deze warme deken.” It connects the wrapping action with the blanket that surrounds the person. Use “in” with the thing someone wraps themself or an object in.

deze “deze” means “this” and points to the particular blanket in “deze warme deken.” It comes directly before the noun it identifies. Use the pattern “deze + noun” when indicating one specific nearby thing.

warme “warme” means “warm” and describes the blanket in “deze warme deken” and the cup in “deze warme kop.” This exact form comes before the nouns in these phrases. Use “deze warme + noun” to describe a specific warm item.

deken “deken” means “blanket” in “deze warme deken.” It is the item used to wrap the person and provide warmth. Use “een deken” or “deze deken” when talking about a blanket, depending on whether it is general or specific.

Mijn “Mijn” means “my” and shows that the hands belong to the speaker in “Mijn handen zijn ook koud.” It comes directly before the possessed noun. Use “mijn + noun” when identifying something as belonging to yourself.

handen “handen” means “hands” in “Mijn handen zijn ook koud.” It is the body part whose temperature the speaker is describing. Use the pattern “Mijn handen zijn ...” when reporting the condition of your hands.

zijn “zijn” links “Mijn handen” with the description “ook koud” in “Mijn handen zijn ook koud.” Here it expresses that the hands are cold. Use it between a plural subject and a description, as in “handen zijn koud”.

ook “ook” means “too” or “also” and adds the hands to the earlier statement about feeling cold in “Mijn handen zijn ook koud.” It usually comes before the description it adds here. Use it when saying that another person or thing shares the same property or situation.

Houd “Houd” means “hold” in the instruction “Houd deze warme kop een tijdje vast.” It tells one person to keep holding the cup. Use “Houd ... vast” when instructing someone to hold an object securely.

kop “kop” means “cup” in “deze warme kop.” It is the warm object that the listener is told to hold. Use it after a determiner or possessive when referring to a cup, as in “deze kop” or “mijn kop”.

een “een” means “a” in the time expression “een tijdje.” It introduces the unspecified period that the listener should hold the cup. Use “een” before a singular noun when referring to one non-specific item or period.

tijdje “tijdje” means “a while” in “een tijdje.” Together, “een tijdje” gives the duration of the holding action. Use the reusable expression “een tijdje” when asking or saying that something lasts for a short period.

vast “vast” contributes the idea of holding firmly or keeping something in place in “Houd deze warme kop een tijdje vast.” Its meaning here comes with “Houd” in the full expression “Houd ... vast.” Use that pattern when someone should keep an object securely in their hand.

Dat “Dat” means “that” and refers to the warming action just suggested in “Dat helpt een beetje.” It makes the earlier action the thing being evaluated. Use “Dat helpt ...” as a response when saying that something is helping.

helpt “helpt” means “helps” in “Dat helpt een beetje.” It says that the earlier action has a beneficial effect, though only to a small degree. Use “X helpt” when reporting that a person, action, or thing is useful.

beetje “beetje” means “little bit” in “Dat helpt een beetje.” With “een”, it limits the amount of help being described. Use the expression “een beetje” when saying that something happens or applies to a small degree.

Ga “Ga” means “go” in the instruction “Ga op de bank zitten en rust uit.” It starts the direction to move to the sofa and sit down; the meaning “sit” comes from the full construction, not from “Ga” alone. Use “Ga ... zitten” when telling someone to go and sit somewhere.

op “op” means “on” in “op de bank” and identifies the sofa as the surface where the person should sit. It links the action of sitting with that location. Use “op + place or surface” for locations such as sitting on a sofa.

de “de” means “the” in “de bank.” It identifies the particular sofa being discussed at home. Use it before a specific noun when referring to a known thing.

bank “bank” means “sofa” in “de bank.” It is the place where the listener is told to sit and rest. Use it after “de” when referring to the sofa, as in “op de bank”.

zitten “zitten” means “sit” in “Ga op de bank zitten.” It follows “Ga” and completes the instruction to go and sit on the sofa. Use the pattern “Ga op ... zitten” when directing someone to sit on a particular surface or place.

en “en” means “and” and joins the two instructions in “Ga op de bank zitten en rust uit.” It connects sitting with resting as related actions. Use it to link two actions or statements in one instruction.

rust “rust” contributes “rest” to the instruction “rust uit.” The complete expression is needed for the meaning of taking a rest, so “rust” alone is not the whole construction here. Use “rust uit” when telling someone to rest.

uit “uit” is the particle that completes “rust uit” in “Ga op de bank zitten en rust uit.” Together, the expression tells the listener to rest. Use the exact pattern “rust uit” for this purpose rather than treating “uit” as a separate location word.

kamer “kamer” means “room” in “De kamer voelt nu warmer aan.” It is the part of the home whose temperature or impression has changed. Use it with “de” when referring to a particular room, as in “de kamer”.

voelt “voelt” means “feels” in “De kamer voelt nu warmer aan.” With “aan”, the full expression describes how the room seems or feels to the speaker. Use the pattern “X voelt ... aan” when describing how something feels or comes across.

warmer “warmer” means “warmer” in “De kamer voelt nu warmer aan.” It indicates that the room feels more warm than before in the dialogue. Use it after “voelt” in the pattern “voelt ... warmer aan” when describing an improvement in warmth.

aan “aan” is the particle that completes “voelt ... aan” in “De kamer voelt nu warmer aan.” Together with “voelt”, it expresses how something feels or seems, so “aan” does not mean “on” by itself here. Use the construction “voelt ... aan” for a sensory impression.

doe “doe” contributes “do” to “Ik doe het raam dicht.” In this construction, “doe ... dicht” means to close the object, so the closing meaning belongs to the whole expression. Use the pattern “Ik doe ... dicht” when saying that you close something.

raam “raam” means “window” in “het raam.” It is the object that will be closed to keep the warmer condition. Use it after “het” when referring to a specific window, as in “het raam”.

dicht “dicht” means “closed” or “shut” in “Ik doe het raam dicht.” Together with “doe” and the object, it expresses the action of closing the window. Use “doe ... dicht” for closing an object; for example, new example: “Ik doe de deur dicht.”

zodat “zodat” means “so that” and introduces the result intended by closing the window in “zodat het zo blijft.” It connects the action with the condition that should continue. Use “zodat + clause” when explaining the intended result of an action.

zo “zo” means “that way” or “so” in “zodat het zo blijft.” It refers back to the room feeling warmer and says that this condition should continue. Use “zo” when referring to a previously described way or condition.

blijft “blijft” means “stays” or “remains” in “zodat het zo blijft.” It says that the warmer condition should continue after the window is closed. Use the pattern “zodat het ... blijft” when describing a condition that should remain unchanged.

Grammar Points

het koud hebben

Ik heb het koud.

ik hehp ut KOWT

I feel cold.

Dutch says you “have the cold,” rather than using a verb meaning “to feel.”

dichtdoen → doe ... dicht

Doe het raam dicht.

DOO uht RAHM DIKHT

Close the window.

In a main-clause command, this separable verb splits: the verb comes first and dicht comes at the end.

Dutch Vocabulary

deken noun

DAY-kuhn blanket

deze warme deken

een beetje phrase

ayn BAYT-yuh a little

Dat helpt een beetje.

een tijdje phrase

ayn TAYT-yuh for a while

Houd deze warme kop een tijdje vast.

hand noun

HAHNT hand handen

Mijn handen zijn ook koud.

helpen verb

HEL-puhn to help helpt

Dat helpt een beetje.

het koud hebben phrase

ut KOWT HEH-buhn to feel cold heb het koud

Ik heb het nu koud.

jezelf pron

yuh-ZELF yourself

Wikkel jezelf in deze warme deken.

kop noun

KAWP cup

Houd deze warme kop een tijdje vast.

koud adj

KOWT cold

Mijn handen zijn ook koud.

vasthouden verb

VAHST-how-duhn to hold Houd ... vast

Houd deze warme kop een tijdje vast.

warm adj

WARM warm warme

deze warme deken

wikkelen verb

WIH-kuh-luhn to wrap Wikkel

Wikkel jezelf in deze warme deken.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I feel cold now.

Show Answer

Ik heb het nu koud.

Wrap yourself in this warm blanket.

Show Answer

Wikkel jezelf in deze warme deken.

My hands are cold too.

Show Answer

Mijn handen zijn ook koud.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

blanket

Show Answer

deken

to wrap

Show Answer

Wikkel

warm

Show Answer

warme

cold

Show Answer

koud