A weekly cleaning schedule | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use A weekly cleaning schedule to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

We hebben een beter schoonmaakschema voor het appartement nodig.

wuh HEB-uhn uhn BAY-tur SKHOHN-mahk-SKAY-mah fohr ut ah-pah-ruh-MENT NOH-dikh. We need a better cleaning schedule for the apartment.

We hebben de klusjes niet eerlijk verdeeld.

wuh HEB-uhn duh KLUH-shus neet AYR-luk vur-DAYLT. We have not been dividing the chores evenly.

Ik kan zaterdagochtend de planken afstoffen.

ik kahn ZAH-tur-dahkh-OKH-tunt duh PLAHNG-kuhn AHF-stoff-uhn. I can dust the shelves on Saturday morning.

Dan dweil ik na de lunch de keuken.

dahn dwayl ik nah duh luhnch duh KUHR-kuhn. Then I'll mop the kitchen after lunch.

Zullen we de badkamer elke zondag schoonmaken?

ZUH-luhn wuh duh BAHT-kah-mur EL-kuh ZON-dakh SKHOHN-mah-kuhn? Should we clean the bathroom every Sunday?

Zondag is logisch, omdat de badkamer snel vies wordt.

ZON-dakh iss LOH-khiss, ohm-DAHT duh BAHT-kah-mur snel vees vort. Sunday makes sense because it gets dirty quickly.

Ik leg het schema op de koelkast.

ik LEKH ut SKHAY-mah op duh KOOL-kahst. I'll put the schedule on the fridge.

Dat zou ons moeten helpen om elke taak te onthouden.

daht zow ons MOO-tuhn HEL-puhn om EL-kuh tahk tuh ont-HOW-duhn. That should help us remember each task.

Word by Word

We We means “we” and refers to the two speakers together in We hebben een beter schoonmaakschema voor het appartement nodig. It is used when the speaker includes themself and another person in a shared situation or plan.

hebben hebben means “have” here as part of the expression We hebben een beter schoonmaakschema voor het appartement nodig, which expresses a need rather than simple possession. This form is useful when describing what a group needs in a shared situation.

een een introduces one nonspecific schoonmaakschema in We hebben een beter schoonmaakschema voor het appartement nodig. It is used before a singular countable thing when it is not yet identified as a particular one.

beter beter means “better” and compares the needed schedule with the current or previous situation. It is the comparative form related to goed, and it is useful when proposing an improvement.

schoonmaakschema schoonmaakschema means “cleaning schedule,” the plan that organizes the cleaning tasks in the apartment. This compound word is useful when talking about planned cleaning duties and their timing.

voor voor means “for” in voor het appartement and shows who or what the schedule is intended for. It is commonly used to connect something with its intended person, place, or purpose.

het het is the definite article used before appartement in het appartement. It refers to a specific apartment known in the conversation, and it is also used before schema in het schema when that noun is treated as a specific thing.

appartement appartement means “apartment,” the home whose cleaning is being planned. It is useful when identifying the place connected with household activities or objects.

nodig nodig means “needed” in We hebben een beter schoonmaakschema voor het appartement nodig. Together with hebben and the needed object, it expresses that something is required; this pattern is useful for stating a practical need.

de de is the definite article used before nouns such as de klusjes, de planken, de lunch, de keuken, and de badkamer. It points to specific things or places in the shared situation, which is useful when referring to known household items or tasks.

klusjes klusjes means “chores” in de klusjes niet eerlijk verdeeld. It refers to the small household tasks being shared, and it is useful when discussing who does particular jobs at home.

niet niet means “not” and makes the statement negative in We hebben de klusjes niet eerlijk verdeeld. It is used here to deny that the chores were divided fairly or evenly.

eerlijk eerlijk means “fairly” or “evenly” in niet eerlijk verdeeld and describes whether the division of chores was fair. It is useful when evaluating how responsibilities are shared.

verdeeld verdeeld means “divided” in We hebben de klusjes niet eerlijk verdeeld, describing the result of assigning the chores. It is the form related to verdelen and is useful when talking about tasks or responsibilities being shared.

Ik Ik means “I” and identifies the speaker who offers to dust the shelves in Ik kan zaterdagochtend de planken afstoffen. It is used when the speaker describes their own action, ability, or responsibility.

kan kan means “can” and expresses the speaker’s ability or availability to do the task in Ik kan zaterdagochtend de planken afstoffen. It is the form related to kunnen used with Ik, and it is useful for offering to take responsibility for an action.

zaterdagochtend zaterdagochtend means “Saturday morning” and gives the time for dusting the shelves. This compound time word is useful for assigning a household task to a specific part of a day.

planken planken means “shelves” and is the object of afstoffen in de planken afstoffen. It refers to more than one shelf here, and it is useful when specifying which household surfaces need cleaning.

afstoffen afstoffen means “to dust” in Ik kan zaterdagochtend de planken afstoffen. It names the cleaning action proposed for the shelves and is useful when assigning the removal of dust from a surface.

Dan Dan means “then” and connects the second person’s cleaning task to the first person’s offer in Dan dweil ik na de lunch de keuken. It is useful for presenting the next action in a sequence or plan.

dweil dweil means “mop” as a verb in Dan dweil ik na de lunch de keuken, meaning that the speaker will mop the kitchen. It is the form related to dweilen used with ik and is useful when describing a mopping task.

na na means “after” in na de lunch and places the mopping after lunch in the schedule. It is useful for ordering one activity in relation to a time or another event.

lunch lunch means “lunch” in na de lunch and identifies the event that comes before mopping the kitchen. It is useful when arranging an activity around a meal.

keuken keuken means “kitchen,” the room that will be mopped in de keuken. It is useful when identifying a specific room where a household task takes place.

Zullen Zullen begins Zullen we de badkamer elke zondag schoonmaken? and introduces a suggestion about a shared plan. This form is useful at the beginning of a question when proposing an action for the speakers to do together.

badkamer badkamer means “bathroom” and identifies the room to be cleaned in de badkamer. It is useful when assigning or discussing a cleaning task for a particular room.

elke elke means “every” or “each” in elke zondag and shows that the proposed cleaning repeats on each Sunday. It is useful for setting a regular schedule with a single time unit.

zondag zondag means “Sunday” and identifies the proposed weekly cleaning day in elke zondag. In Zondag is logically, the same day name begins the sentence with a capital letter; it is useful for naming a day in a schedule.

schoonmaken schoonmaken means “to clean” in Zullen we de badkamer elke zondag schoonmaken? After Zullen we, it names the action being proposed. It is useful when suggesting that a room or object be cleaned.

is is means “is” in Zondag is logisch and links Sunday with the assessment logisch. It is the form related to zijn and is useful for describing or evaluating a situation.

logisch logisch means “logical” or “makes sense” in Zondag is logisch. Here it explains that Sunday is a sensible choice for cleaning, and it is useful when agreeing with a practical plan.

omdat omdat means “because” and introduces the reason in omdat de badkamer snel vies wordt. It is useful for connecting a decision or opinion with its explanation.

snel snel means “quickly” in de badkamer snel vies wordt and describes how fast the bathroom becomes dirty. It is useful when describing the speed of a change or process.

vies vies means “dirty” in de badkamer snel vies wordt and describes the condition the bathroom reaches. Together with wordt, it expresses that the bathroom gets dirty, which is useful when explaining why cleaning is needed.

wordt wordt means “becomes” or “gets” in de badkamer snel vies wordt. It is the form related to worden and is useful for describing a change into a new condition.

leg leg means “put” or “place” in Ik leg het schema op de koelkast. It is the form related to leggen used with Ik and describes placing the schedule somewhere so it can be seen.

schema schema means “schedule” in het schema and refers to the plan for the cleaning tasks. It is useful when referring back to an organized timetable or plan.

op op means “on” in op de koelkast and shows that the schedule is placed on the surface of the fridge. It is useful for describing placement on a surface.

koelkast koelkast means “fridge” in op de koelkast and identifies where the schedule will be placed. It is useful when talking about a common household appliance or a visible place for reminders.

Dat Dat means “that” in Dat zou ons moeten helpen om elke taak te onthouden and refers to the preceding idea of putting the schedule on the fridge. It is useful for pointing back to an action, object, or situation just mentioned.

zou zou expresses an expected or suggested result in Dat zou ons moeten helpen om elke taak te onthouden. It presents the help as something the schedule is expected to provide, which is useful when discussing the likely effect of a plan.

ons ons means “us” and identifies the people who should receive help in Dat zou ons moeten helpen om elke taak te onthouden. It is useful when an action affects the speaker and another person together.

moeten moeten contributes the sense of “should” or expected necessity in zou ... moeten helpen. Here it presents the schedule as something expected to help, and it is useful when describing an intended or expected effect.

helpen helpen means “help” in Dat zou ons moeten helpen om elke taak te onthouden. It connects the people receiving help with the action they want to manage, and it is useful in the pattern helpen om ... te onthouden.

om om introduces the purpose or action supported by helpen in om elke taak te onthouden. Together with te and the following verb, it frames what the help is intended to make possible.

taak taak means “task” in elke taak and refers to each individual cleaning responsibility on the schedule. It is useful when separating a larger plan into specific pieces of work.

te te marks the verb that follows in om elke taak te onthouden. Together with om, it forms the structure that explains the action the help is intended to support.

onthouden onthouden means “remember” in om elke taak te onthouden and names the action the speakers want help with. It is useful when talking about keeping information, duties, or appointments in mind.

Grammar Points

worden + bijvoeglijk naamwoord

De badkamer wordt vies.

duh BAHT-kah-mur vort vees.

The bathroom becomes dirty.

Worden means “to become”; the adjective vies follows it without an ending because it describes the subject.

eerlijk + werkwoord

Een taak eerlijk verdelen.

uhn tahk AYR-luk vur-DAY-luhn.

Divide a task evenly.

Eerlijk is an adverb here: it describes how the task is divided, not the task itself.

Dutch Vocabulary

afstoffen verb

AHF-stoff-uhn to dust

Ik kan zaterdagochtend de planken afstoffen.

appartement noun

ah-pah-ruh-MENT apartment

We hebben een beter schoonmaakschema voor het appartement nodig.

beter adj

BAY-tur better

We hebben een beter schoonmaakschema voor het appartement nodig.

dweilen verb

DWAY-luhn to mop dweil

Dan dweil ik na de lunch de keuken.

eerlijk adv

AYR-luk evenly

We hebben de klusjes niet eerlijk verdeeld.

klusje noun

KLUH-shuh chore klusjes

We hebben de klusjes niet eerlijk verdeeld.

lunch noun

luhnch lunch

Dan dweil ik na de lunch de keuken.

nodig adj

NOH-dikh needed

We hebben een beter schoonmaakschema voor het appartement nodig.

plank noun

PLAHNGK shelf planken

Ik kan zaterdagochtend de planken afstoffen.

schoonmaakschema noun

SKHOHN-mahk-SKAY-mah cleaning schedule

We hebben een beter schoonmaakschema voor het appartement nodig.

verdelen verb

vur-DAY-luhn to divide verdeeld

We hebben de klusjes niet eerlijk verdeeld.

zaterdagochtend noun

ZAH-tur-dahkh-OKH-tunt Saturday morning

Ik kan zaterdagochtend de planken afstoffen.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I can dust the shelves on Saturday morning.

Show Answer

Ik kan zaterdagochtend de planken afstoffen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

shelf

Show Answer

planken

better

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beter

evenly

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eerlijk

needed

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nodig