Keeping a Shared Bathroom Clean | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Keeping a Shared Bathroom Clean to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Kan ik deze gedeelde badkamer gebruiken?

kahn ik DAY-zuh khuh-DAYL-duh BAHT-kah-mur khuh-BROW-kuhn? Can I use this shared bathroom?

Dat kan, en houd de ruimte bij de wastafel schoon, alsjeblieft.

daht kahn, en howt duh RUYM-tuh bay duh VAHS-tah-fuhl skhohn, ahl-shuh-BLEEFT. You can, and please keep the sink area clean.

Ik heb een papieren handdoek nodig.

ik hehp uhn pah-PEER-uhn HAHNT-dook NOH-dikh. I need a paper towel.

Er liggen er een paar bij de wastafel.

air LIKH-uhn air uhn pahr bay duh VAHS-tah-fuhl. There are some near the sink.

Moet dit in de vuilnisbak?

MOOT dit in duh VOWL-nis-bahk? Does this go in the trash?

Doe het in de kleine afvalbak.

DOO uht in duh KLAY-nuh AH-fahl-bahk. Put it in the small bin.

Ik veeg de wastafel ook snel schoon.

ik VAYKH duh VAHS-tah-fuhl ohk snel skhohn. I will wipe the sink quickly too.

Dat helpt de volgende persoon.

daht helpt duh VOLKH-un-duh pair-SOHN. That helps the next person.

Word by Word

Kan In “Kan ik deze gedeelde badkamer gebruiken?” means “can” and asks whether something is possible or permitted. A useful reuse pattern is “Kan ik ... gebruiken?” when asking to use something.

ik “ik” means “I” and identifies the person asking or acting in the dialogue. It is used as the subject in “Kan ik deze gedeelde badkamer gebruiken?” and “Ik heb een papieren handdoek nodig.”

deze “deze” means “this” and points to the particular bathroom being discussed. It appears directly before “gedeelde badkamer” in “deze gedeelde badkamer.”

gedeelde “gedeelde” means “shared” and describes a bathroom used by more than one person. In “deze gedeelde badkamer,” it describes “badkamer”; the exact form is used before that noun.

badkamer “badkamer” means “bathroom,” the room the speaker asks to use. A useful reuse pattern is “de badkamer gebruiken” when talking about using the bathroom.

gebruiken “gebruiken” means “use” in “Kan ik deze gedeelde badkamer gebruiken?” It follows “Kan ik” in this question, so “Kan ik ... gebruiken?” is a reusable way to ask permission to use something.

Dat In “Dat kan,” “Dat” refers to the possibility just mentioned and means “that” or “it.” The short pattern “Dat kan” can confirm that something is possible or allowed.

en “en” means “and” and connects the confirmation with the request to keep the area clean. It joins the two parts of “Dat kan, en houd de ruimte bij de wastafel schoon, alsjeblieft.”

houd In “houd de ruimte bij de wastafel schoon,” “houd” means “keep” and gives a polite instruction about maintaining the area. The reusable pattern is “houd ... schoon,” with the object placed between the two parts.

de “de” is the definite article meaning “the” before “ruimte” in “de ruimte bij de wastafel.” It identifies the particular area being discussed.

ruimte “ruimte” means “space” or “area” and refers here to the area around the sink. The phrase “de ruimte bij de wastafel” is useful for identifying an area near a specific object.

bij “bij” means “near” or “by” in “bij de wastafel.” It places the space in relation to the sink; a useful pattern is “bij de ...” for something located near a place or object.

wastafel “wastafel” means “sink” or “washbasin” and is the object near which the paper towels are located. It appears in “bij de wastafel,” a useful phrase for describing something near the sink.

schoon “schoon” means “clean” in “houd de ruimte bij de wastafel schoon.” It describes the condition the area should remain in after the instruction; the reusable pattern is “houd ... schoon.”

alsjeblieft “alsjeblieft” means “please” and makes the instruction “houd de ruimte bij de wastafel schoon” more polite. It is placed at the end here, a common position for a polite request.

heb In “Ik heb een papieren handdoek nodig,” “heb” contributes to the Dutch expression for needing something, literally presenting the item as something one has needed. The reusable pattern is “Ik heb ... nodig,” with the needed object in the middle.

een “een” means “a” in “een papieren handdoek” and introduces one non-specific paper towel. It is used before the noun phrase naming the item that is needed.

papieren “papieren” means “paper” and describes what the hand towel is made of in “een papieren handdoek.” A useful reuse pattern is “een papieren ...” when naming a paper item.

handdoek “handdoek” means “towel” and refers here to the paper towel the speaker needs. In “een papieren handdoek,” it is the main noun and “papieren” describes it.

nodig “nodig” means “needed” in the expression “Ik heb een papieren handdoek nodig.” The complete reusable pattern is “Ik heb ... nodig,” used to say that someone needs a particular thing.

Er At the beginning of “Er liggen er een paar bij de wastafel,” “Er” introduces the statement that some items are present. A useful pattern is “Er liggen ...” for saying that objects are lying or located somewhere.

liggen “liggen” means “lie” or “be located” in “Er liggen er een paar bij de wastafel.” Here it describes where the paper towels are; the pattern “Er liggen ... bij ...” identifies objects located near something.

paar In “er een paar,” “paar” means “few” or “a couple,” referring to some paper towels near the sink. The reusable expression “een paar” can indicate a small number of items.

Moet In “Moet dit in de vuilnisbak?” “Moet” asks whether the item must or needs to go into the trash bin. A useful question pattern is “Moet dit in ...?” when checking where something should be put.

dit “dit” means “this” and refers to the item being held or discussed. In “Moet dit in de vuilnisbak?” it is the thing whose destination is being checked.

in “in” means “in” and marks the destination in “in de vuilnisbak.” The pattern “in de ...” is useful when saying that something should go inside a particular place or container.

vuilnisbak “vuilnisbak” means “trash bin” and names the container mentioned in the question “Moet dit in de vuilnisbak?” It is used after “in” to identify where the item might go.

Doe In “Doe het in de kleine afvalbak,” “Doe” means “put” and gives the instruction to place something somewhere. The useful pattern is “Doe het in ...” when telling someone where to put an item.

het “het” means “it” and refers to the item mentioned in the preceding question. In “Doe het in de kleine afvalbak,” it is the object being put into the bin.

kleine “kleine” means “small” and describes the bin in “de kleine afvalbak.” It helps identify which waste bin to use.

afvalbak “afvalbak” means “waste bin” and names the small container where the item should be placed. The full location phrase is “in de kleine afvalbak.”

veeg In “Ik veeg de wastafel ook snel schoon,” “veeg” means “wipe” and describes the speaker cleaning the sink. The reusable pattern is “Ik veeg ... schoon,” with the surface being wiped in the middle.

ook “ook” means “also” or “too” and adds this cleaning action to the actions already discussed. In “Ik veeg de wastafel ook snel schoon,” it says that the speaker will wipe the sink as well.

snel “snel” means “quickly” in “Ik veeg de wastafel ook snel schoon.” It describes the speed of the wiping action; it can be placed before the final part of this cleaning expression.

helpt In “Dat helpt de volgende persoon,” “helpt” means “helps” and says that the cleaning action benefits someone else. The reusable pattern is “Dat helpt ...,” followed by the person or thing receiving the benefit.

volgende “volgende” means “next” and identifies the person who will use the shared bathroom after the current speaker. It describes “persoon” in “de volgende persoon.”

persoon “persoon” means “person” and refers here to the next user of the shared bathroom. The phrase “de volgende persoon” is useful for talking about the person who comes or acts after someone else.

Grammar Points

deze + bijvoeglijk naamwoord op -e + zelfstandig naamwoord

deze gedeelde badkamer

DAY-zuh khuh-DAYL-duh BAHT-kah-mur

this shared bathroom

Na deze krijgt een bijvoeglijk naamwoord meestal de uitgang -e: gedeelde.

Dutch Vocabulary

alsjeblieft intj

ahl-shuh-BLEEFT please

badkamer noun

BAHT-kah-mur bathroom

deze det

DAY-zuh this

deze gedeelde badkamer

gebruiken verb

khuh-BROW-kuhn to use

gedeelde adj

khuh-DAYL-duh shared

deze gedeelde badkamer

handdoek noun

HAHNT-dook towel

houd verb

howt keep

houd de ruimte bij de wastafel schoon

nodig adj

NOH-dikh needed

Ik heb een papieren handdoek nodig.

papieren adj

pah-PEER-uhn paper

een papieren handdoek

ruimte noun

RUYM-tuh space; area

schoon adj

skhohn clean

wastafel noun

VAHS-tah-fuhl sink; washbasin

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I use this shared bathroom?

Show Answer

Kan ik deze gedeelde badkamer gebruiken?

I need a paper towel.

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Ik heb een papieren handdoek nodig.

Does this go in the trash?

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Moet dit in de vuilnisbak?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

keep

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houd

to use

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gebruiken

sink; washbasin

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wastafel

bathroom

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badkamer