Using a shared office | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Using a shared office to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Mag ik in dit gedeelde kantoor werken?

mahkh ik in dit khuh-DAYL-duh kahn-TOHR WER-kuhn? Can I work in this shared office?

Kies een vrij bureau.

KEES un VRAY byu-ROH. Choose an open desk.

Ik kan het bureau bij de deur gebruiken.

ik kahn ut byu-ROH bay duh DUHR khuh-BROY-kuhn. I can use the one near the door.

Laat het schoon achter als je klaar bent.

LAHT ut skhohn AKH-tuhr als yuh KLAHR bent. Leave it clean when you finish.

Ik heb een rustige plek nodig.

ik hep un RUS-tuh-khuh plek NOH-dukh. I need a quiet place.

Probeer het bureau bij de muur.

proh-BAIR ut byu-ROH bay duh MYUHR. Try the desk by the wall.

Ik ruim mijn spullen op voordat ik wegga.

ik ROYM mine SPUH-lun op vohr-DAHT ik WEKH-uh. I will clear my things before I leave.

Zo blijft het bureau klaar voor de volgende persoon.

zoh blayft ut byu-ROH klahr vohr duh VOL-khun-duh per-SOHN. That keeps the desk ready for the next person.

Word by Word

Mag “Mag” asks for permission in this dialogue: “May I work…?” It is used here with “ik” and followed by the infinitive “werken”. A common reuse pattern is “Mag ik …?” for asking whether you may do something.

ik “ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person who wants to work. It is the subject in “Mag ik …?” and “Ik kan …”. Use “ik” before a verb when talking about yourself.

in “in” means “in” and places the action inside the shared office. Here it is used in the pattern “in dit gedeelde kantoor”. It can introduce the place where someone works or stays.

dit “dit” means “this” and points to the office being indicated in the situation. It appears before “gedeelde kantoor” in “dit gedeelde kantoor”. Use it before a nearby or currently identified het-word noun.

gedeelde “gedeelde” means “shared” and describes the office as being used by more than one person. The form “gedeelde” appears before “kantoor”. It is useful in combinations such as “een gedeelde ruimte” for a shared space.

kantoor “kantoor” means “office”, the place where the speaker wants to work. In the dialogue it appears in “dit gedeelde kantoor”. It can be used after a determiner such as “een” or “het” when naming an office.

werken “werken” means “to work” and describes the activity the speaker wants to do. It follows “Mag ik” in “Mag ik in dit gedeelde kantoor werken?”. After a modal such as “Mag” or “kan”, use the infinitive at the end of the clause.

Kies “Kies” tells someone to choose something, here an available desk. It is the form used in the instruction “Kies een vrij bureau.” Use “Kies …” to give a direct instruction to select an option.

een “een” introduces one unspecified desk: “a desk”. It appears in “een vrij bureau” before the noun phrase. Use “een” when referring to a non-specific singular thing.

vrij “vrij” means “available” here, so “een vrij bureau” is a desk that nobody is using. It directly describes “bureau” in the instruction. A common reuse pattern is “een vrije plek” for an available place.

bureau “bureau” means “desk”, the piece of furniture being chosen and used in the office. It appears in “een vrij bureau” and later in “het bureau”. It can be combined with a location phrase such as “het bureau bij de deur”.

kan “kan” expresses ability or possibility in “Ik kan het bureau … gebruiken”: “I can use the desk”. It is used with “ik” and followed by the infinitive “gebruiken”. A common pattern is “Ik kan … gebruiken” when saying what you are able to use.

het “het” means “the” before “bureau” in “het bureau bij de deur”. It identifies a specific desk that has already been selected or described. It can also refer to a thing as “it”, but here it is the article before “bureau”.

bij “bij” means “near” or “by” and locates the desk next to the door. It appears in “bij de deur”. Use “bij” followed by a place or object when describing where something is nearby.

de “de” means “the” before “deur” in “bij de deur”. It identifies the particular door relevant to the office. Use it before “deur” when referring to a specific door.

deur “deur” means “door”, which is the reference point for locating the desk. It appears in “bij de deur”. It can be used after a location word such as “bij” to say that something is near a door.

gebruiken “gebruiken” means “to use” and describes using the desk for work. It follows “kan” in “Ik kan het bureau bij de deur gebruiken”. After “kan”, keep “gebruiken” as the infinitive at the end of the clause.

Laat “Laat” gives the instruction to leave the desk clean. It is the form used at the beginning of “Laat het schoon achter”. Use “Laat … achter” when telling someone to leave something in a particular condition or place.

schoon “schoon” means “clean” and describes the condition in which the desk should be left. In “Laat het schoon achter”, it describes “het” while “achter” completes the instruction. It can be used after “blijven” or with “laten” to describe a clean result.

achter “achter” contributes the idea of leaving something behind in “Laat het schoon achter”. Together with “Laat het schoon” it expresses the instruction to leave it clean. Use “iets achterlaten” when saying that something is left behind.

als “als” means “when” and introduces the time condition “als je klaar bent”. It connects finishing with the instruction to leave the desk clean. Use “als” before a clause describing when something happens.

je “je” means “you” and refers to the person using the desk. It is the subject in “als je klaar bent”. Use “je” when addressing one person informally.

klaar “klaar” means “finished” or “ready” in “als je klaar bent”: when you are finished. It describes the person’s state together with “bent”. A common pattern is “Ik ben klaar” when saying that you are finished.

bent “bent” means “are” in “je klaar bent”. It is the form of “zijn” used with “je” here and comes after “klaar” in the subordinate clause. Use “je bent …” to describe the state or condition of the person you address.

heb “heb” means “have” in “Ik heb een rustige plek nodig”, which expresses that the speaker needs a quiet place. It is the form used with “ik” in the pattern “Ik heb … nodig”. Put the thing that is needed between “heb” and “nodig”.

rustige “rustige” means “quiet” and describes the place the speaker needs. It appears before “plek” in “een rustige plek”. The ending in “rustige” is used here because the adjective comes before this noun with “een”.

plek “plek” means “place” or “spot”, here a place where the speaker can work quietly. It appears in “een rustige plek”. It can be combined with an adjective such as “een rustige plek” to describe the kind of place needed.

nodig “nodig” means “needed” or “necessary” in the expression “Ik heb een rustige plek nodig”. This expression states what someone needs, with the needed thing before “nodig”. Use “heb … nodig” for practical needs such as a place, object, or item.

Probeer “Probeer” tells someone to try the desk by the wall. It is the form used in the instruction “Probeer het bureau bij de muur.” Use “Probeer …” to suggest testing or using something to see whether it works.

muur “muur” means “wall”, which is the reference point for locating the suggested desk. It appears in “bij de muur”. Use it after a location phrase when describing something positioned near a wall.

ruim “ruim” contributes the meaning “clear” or “tidy away” in “Ik ruim mijn spullen op”. Together with “op”, it says that the speaker will put away their belongings. Use “ruim … op” with the things that are being cleared away.

mijn “mijn” means “my” and shows that the belongings belong to the speaker. It appears before “spullen” in “mijn spullen”. Use “mijn” before a noun when referring to something belonging to yourself.

spullen “spullen” means “things” or “belongings”, here the speaker’s personal items on or around the desk. It appears in “mijn spullen”. Use it for a group of personal things when the exact items do not need to be named.

op “op” is the particle in “ruim … op”, contributing the idea of putting things away. The full expression is “Ik ruim mijn spullen op”, not just “Ik ruim”. Use “op” after the object when using this separable verb pattern.

voordat “voordat” means “before” and introduces the action that must happen first: “voordat ik wegga”. It connects clearing away the belongings with leaving the office. Use “voordat” before a clause describing an earlier action.

wegga “wegga” means “leave” or “go away” in “voordat ik wegga”. It is the form of “weggaan” used with “ik” in this clause, and it appears at the end after “voordat”. Use “voordat ik wegga” to say before I leave.

Zo “Zo” means “in this way” or “so” and links the previous action to its result: clearing the belongings means the desk remains ready. It appears at the beginning of “Zo blijft het bureau klaar …”. Use “Zo …” to explain how an action produces a result.

blijft “blijft” means “stays” or “remains” in “Zo blijft het bureau klaar”. It describes the desk continuing to be ready after the speaker leaves. It is used with “het bureau” as the subject.

voor “voor” means “for” and identifies who the desk is ready for: “voor de volgende persoon”. Use “voor” before a person or group who will receive something, use something, or benefit from a situation.

volgende “volgende” means “next” and describes the person who will use the desk after the current user. It appears before “persoon” in “de volgende persoon”. Use it before a noun when referring to the next person or thing in an order.

persoon “persoon” means “person”, here the next person who may use the desk. It appears in “de volgende persoon”. It can follow an adjective such as “volgende” when identifying a particular person.

Grammar Points

opruimen → ruim ... op

Ruim de spullen op.

ROYM duh SPUH-lun OP.

Tidy up the things.

Opruimen is a separable verb: in a simple sentence, ruim and op are separated.

gedeeld → gedeelde vóór een zelfstandig naamwoord

een gedeelde plek

un khuh-DAYL-duh plek

a shared place

An adjective usually gets -e before a noun: gedeeld becomes gedeelde.

Dutch Vocabulary

achter adv

AKH-tuhr behind; left behind

Laat het schoon achter.

bureau noun

byu-ROH desk

Kies een vrij bureau.

deur noun

DUHR door

bij de deur

gebruiken verb

khuh-BROY-kuhn to use

Ik kan het bureau bij de deur gebruiken.

gedeeld adj

khuh-DAYLT shared gedeelde

dit gedeelde kantoor

kantoor noun

kahn-TOHR office

dit gedeelde kantoor

nodig adj

NOH-dukh needed

Ik heb een rustige plek nodig.

plek noun

plek place

een rustige plek

rustig adj

RUS-tukh quiet rustige

een rustige plek

schoon adj

skhohn clean

Laat het schoon achter.

vrij adj

VRAY available; free

een vrij bureau

werken verb

WER-kuhn to work

Mag ik in dit gedeelde kantoor werken?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Choose an open desk.

Show Answer

Kies een vrij bureau.

I need a quiet place.

Show Answer

Ik heb een rustige plek nodig.

Try the desk by the wall.

Show Answer

Probeer het bureau bij de muur.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

available; free

Show Answer

vrij

shared

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gedeelde

clean

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schoon

behind; left behind

Show Answer

achter