Tired Eyes and Screen Brightness | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At home, two adults talk about tired eyes, lowering screen brightness, and taking a break..

EN → NL / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Tired Eyes and Screen Brightness to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Mijn ogen voelen moe aan.

mine OH-ghun VOO-lun moo AHN. My eyes feel tired.
B

Het scherm is misschien te fel.

hut SKHEHRM iss miss-KHEEN tuh FEHL. The screen may be too bright.
A

Kan ik het scherm donkerder maken?

kahn ik hut SKHEHRM DON-kur-dur MAH-kun? Can I make it darker?
B

Probeer de helderheid lager te zetten.

proh-BEER duh HEL-dur-hite LAH-ghur tuh ZET-un. Try lowering the brightness.
A

Ik zou mijn ogen ook moeten laten rusten.

ik zow mine OH-ghun ohk MOO-tun LAH-tun RUHS-tun. I should rest my eyes too.
B

Kijk nu weg van het scherm.

kike noo vekh fan hut SKHEHRM. Look away from the screen now.
A

Dat voelt beter.

daht voolt BAY-tur. That feels better.
B

Neem later nog een pauze.

naym LAH-tur nokh un POW-zuh. Take another break later.

Word by Word

Mijn Mijn means “my” in “Mijn ogen voelen moe aan.” It identifies the eyes as belonging to the speaker and is placed before the noun; use it when referring to something that belongs to you, such as a body part in a health conversation.
ogen Ogen means “eyes” here and is the subject of “Mijn ogen voelen moe aan.” It names the body part that feels tired, and it can be used after a possessive word when talking about your eyes or someone else’s eyes.
voelen Voelen means “feel” in “Mijn ogen voelen moe aan.” With the subject ogen, this form describes the sensation experienced by the eyes; use it to say how something feels in a health or everyday conversation.
moe Moe means “tired” and describes the condition of the eyes in “Mijn ogen voelen moe aan.” It follows the feeling verb in this expression, and it is useful for describing a person or body part that needs rest.
aan Aan completes the expression “voelen moe aan,” which describes how something feels. Here it helps connect the feeling to the eyes, and the same construction can be used when reporting a physical sensation.
Het Het means “the” in “Het scherm is misschien te fel.” It identifies a specific screen already relevant in the conversation and comes before scherm; use it before a specific noun when giving advice about an object.
scherm Scherm means “screen” and is the object being discussed in “Het scherm is misschien te fel.” It is the subject of the description of the brightness, and it can be used when talking about a phone, computer, or other display.
is Is means “is” in “Het scherm is misschien te fel.” It links the screen to the description of its brightness, and it is used to state what condition or quality something has.
misschien Misschien means “maybe” and shows that the speaker is making a possibility rather than a certain statement in “Het scherm is misschien te fel.” It is useful when giving tentative advice or explaining a possible cause.
te Te means “too” in the expression “te fel.” It marks the brightness as excessive for the situation and is placed directly before the describing word; use this pattern when a quality is more than is comfortable or suitable.
fel Fel means “bright” or “intense” here, describing the screen light in “Het scherm is misschien te fel.” Together with te, it says the light may be uncomfortably strong; use it when evaluating the intensity of light.
Kan Kan means “can” at the beginning of “Kan ik het scherm donkerder maken?” It introduces a question about whether the speaker can adjust the screen, and placing it before ik forms a direct question about possibility or permission.
ik Ik means “I” in “Kan ik het scherm donkerder maken?” Here it identifies the person who wants to adjust the screen; the same pronoun appears capitalized as “Ik” at the beginning of “Ik zou mijn ogen ook moeten laten rusten.”
donkerder Donkerder means “darker” in “het scherm donkerder maken.” It describes the requested change in the screen’s appearance, and it can be used with a verb meaning “make” when asking to change something to a darker state.
maken Maken means “make” in “het scherm donkerder maken.” Together with donkerder, it describes changing the screen so that it becomes darker; use an object followed by a describing word and maken when discussing a change to that object.
Probeer Probeer means “try” in the direct suggestion “Probeer de helderheid lager te zetten.” It tells the listener to attempt an action and is useful for giving practical advice or instructions.
de De means “the” in “de helderheid.” It introduces the specific brightness setting being discussed and comes before helderheid; use it when referring to a known setting or object.
helderheid Helderheid means “brightness” in “de helderheid lager te zetten.” It names the screen setting that should be reduced, and it can be used when discussing or adjusting how much light a screen gives off.
lager Lager means “lower” in “de helderheid lager te zetten.” It indicates that the brightness should be reduced, and it can be used with a setting or level when giving adjustment instructions.
zetten Zetten means “set” or “put” in “de helderheid lager te zetten.” With lager, it describes setting the brightness at a lower level, and it follows te in this action phrase; use it when telling someone how to adjust a setting.
zou Zou helps express “should” in “Ik zou mijn ogen ook moeten laten rusten.” Together with moeten, it presents resting the eyes as advice for the speaker rather than as a direct command; use this form when giving a recommendation in a relatively soft way.
ook Ook means “also” or “too” in “Ik zou mijn ogen ook moeten laten rusten.” It adds resting the eyes to the other helpful actions already discussed, and it is useful when adding another action or point to a conversation.
moeten Moeten expresses “should” or “need to” in “mijn ogen ook moeten laten rusten.” With zou, it presents the action as something advisable or necessary, and it is used before another verb when describing an action that needs to happen.
laten Laten means “let” or “have” in “mijn ogen ook moeten laten rusten.” It makes the eyes the thing that is allowed or caused to rest, and the pattern laten followed by an action is useful when arranging for something or someone to do that action.
rusten Rusten means “rest” in “mijn ogen ook moeten laten rusten.” It is the action the eyes should perform in this expression and follows laten; use it when talking about pausing activity so that a person or body part can recover.
Kijk Kijk means “look” in the instruction “Kijk nu weg van het scherm.” It directly tells the listener where to direct their gaze and is useful for giving an immediate instruction.
nu Nu means “now” in “Kijk nu weg van het scherm.” It shows that the action should happen immediately, and it is useful with instructions when timing matters.
weg Weg means “away” in “Kijk nu weg van het scherm.” With the direction phrase that follows, it tells the listener to move their gaze away; use it when describing movement or attention away from something.
van Van means “from” in “weg van het scherm.” It marks the screen as the thing from which the listener should look away, and the pattern weg van can be used with a noun to describe distance or direction away from it.
Dat Dat means “that” in “Dat voelt beter.” It refers to the action or change just discussed and makes it the subject of the next comment; use it to comment on a situation or result without repeating the whole situation.
voelt Voelt means “feels” in “Dat voelt beter.” This is the form of voelen used with Dat and describes the result as experienced by the speaker; use it with a subject and a describing word when evaluating how something feels.
beter Beter means “better” in “Dat voelt beter.” It evaluates the current feeling more positively than before, and it can be used after a feeling verb to report an improvement.
Neem Neem means “take” in the instruction “Neem later nog een pauze.” It tells the listener to take a break and is useful as a direct recommendation about rest or recovery.
later Later means “later” in “Neem later nog een pauze.” It places the recommended break at a time after the current moment, and it is useful in instructions that allow an action to happen afterward rather than immediately.
nog Nog means “another” or “one more” in “Neem later nog een pauze.” It adds one further break to the conversation, and the pattern nog een followed by a noun is useful when requesting or recommending one additional thing.
een Een means “a” in “nog een pauze.” It introduces one unspecified break rather than a particular break already named, and it is used before a singular noun when referring to one item or event.
pauze Pauze means “break” in “Neem later nog een pauze.” It names a period of stopping or resting from the screen, and it is useful when recommending a pause during work, study, or another activity.

Grammar Points

De gebiedende wijs

Probeer nu. Kijk weg. Neem pauze.

proh-BEER noo. kike vekh. naym POW-zuh.

Try now. Look away. Take a break.

Een opdracht heeft meestal geen onderwerp. Het werkwoord staat vooraan; sommige werkwoorden hebben een speciale vorm, zoals neem.

De vergrotende trap op -er

donkerder, lager, beter

DON-kur-dur, LAH-ghur, BAY-tur

darker, lower, better

Bijvoeglijke naamwoorden krijgen vaak -er voor een vergelijking. Beter is een onregelmatige vorm van goed.

Dutch Vocabulary

donker adj
DON-kur dark donkerder

Kan ik het scherm donkerder maken?

fel adj
FEHL bright

Het scherm is misschien te fel.

helderheid noun
HEL-dur-hite brightness

Probeer de helderheid lager te zetten.

laag adj
LAH-gh low lager

Probeer de helderheid lager te zetten.

maken verb
MAH-kun to make

Kan ik het scherm donkerder maken?

misschien adv
miss-KHEEN perhaps; maybe

Het scherm is misschien te fel.

moe adj
MOO tired

Mijn ogen voelen moe aan.

oog noun
OHKH eye ogen

Mijn ogen voelen moe aan.

proberen verb
proh-BEER-un to try Probeer

Probeer de helderheid lager te zetten.

scherm noun
SKHEHRM screen

Het scherm is misschien te fel.

voelen verb
VOO-lun to feel

Mijn ogen voelen moe aan.

zetten verb
ZET-un to set; to put

Probeer de helderheid lager te zetten.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

My eyes feel tired.

Show AnswerMijn ogen voelen moe aan.

The screen may be too bright.

Show AnswerHet scherm is misschien te fel.

Can I make it darker?

Show AnswerKan ik het scherm donkerder maken?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

eye

Show Answerogen

to feel

Show Answervoelen

to try

Show AnswerProbeer

screen

Show Answerscherm