Fixing a Weak Internet Connection | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Fixing a Weak Internet Connection to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

De internetverbinding is zwak in deze kamer.

duh IN-ter-net-fur-BIN-ding iss zvahk in DAY-zuh KAH-mer. The internet connection is weak in this room.

Misschien moet de router even opnieuw worden gestart.

muh-SKHEEN moot duh ROW-ter AY-vun op-NEEW VOR-dun khuh-START. The router may need a quick restart.

Zal ik hem uitzetten en weer aanzetten?

zahl ik um OYT-set-un en vayr AHN-set-un? Should I turn it off and on again?

Doe dat en wacht dan tot het statuslampje weer aangaat.

DOO daht un vahkht dahn tot ut STAH-tus-LAHMP-yuh vayr ahn-KHAHT. Do that, then wait until the status light comes back on.

De pagina laadt nu beter.

duh pah-ZHEE-nah lahdt nyoo BAY-ter. The page is loading better now.

Misschien helpt het nog meer om hem op een open plank te zetten.

muh-SKHEEN helpt ut nokh MAYR um op un OH-pun plahngk tuh ZET-un. Putting it on an open shelf might help even more.

Zullen we hem bij de deuropening zetten?

ZULL-un vuh um bye duh DURR-oh-puh-ning ZET-un? Should we move it near the doorway?

Dan kan het signaal misschien deze kamer bereiken.

dahn kahn ut sikh-NAHL muh-SKHEEN DAY-zuh KAH-mer buh-RY-kun. That could help the signal reach this room.

Word by Word

De De means “the” here and begins the sentence before internetverbinding. It is capitalized because it starts the sentence; the same article appears as de before deuropening. Use it before a noun when referring to a specific thing.

internetverbinding internetverbinding means “internet connection” and names the connection that is weak in this room. It is a compound referring to the connection provided by the internet. It can be used as the subject of a sentence describing connection quality.

is is means “is” and links internetverbinding with the description zwak. Here it states the current condition of the connection. A reusable pattern is a subject followed by is and a description.

zwak zwak means “weak” and describes the internet connection in this room. It expresses insufficient strength or quality in this situation. It can describe a connection or signal when its strength is poor.

in in means “in” and places the weak connection in deze kamer. Here it identifies the room where the problem is noticed. Use it before a place when describing something located or experienced there.

deze deze means “this” and points to the specific room being discussed. Together with kamer, it identifies the room near the speakers. Use it before a noun when indicating a nearby or currently relevant thing.

kamer kamer means “room” and names the space where the internet connection is weak. It is the place referred to by in deze kamer. It can be used after a location word to identify an indoor space.

Misschien Misschien means “maybe” and marks the restart as a possibility rather than a certainty. Here it introduces a possible solution to the weak connection. Use it at the beginning of a sentence when making a tentative suggestion.

moet moet means “must” or “needs to” and says that the router may need the action that follows. It expresses necessity in the suggestion about restarting the router. It commonly appears before the thing that needs an action and the action itself.

router router means “router” and names the device that may need to be restarted. It is the device referred to later by hem. It can be used as the subject or object when discussing home network equipment.

even even means “just” or “briefly” here and makes the restart sound like a small, quick action. It softens the practical suggestion rather than giving an exact duration. It is often placed near an action that is presented as quick or minor.

opnieuw opnieuw means “again” or “anew” and shows that the router will be started another time. Here it is part of the restart instruction. It can be placed with an action to indicate that the action is repeated.

worden worden helps form the passive expression in which the router is started. The router is the thing receiving the action, and the person doing it is not named. It can be used with a past participle when describing an action done to something.

gestart gestart means “started” and describes what happens to the router in the passive expression. Together with worden, it says that the router is started again. It is useful when describing the completion of a starting action without naming the person who performs it.

Zal Zal means “shall” or “should” in the question about the speaker turning the router off and on. Zal ik introduces an offer or request for confirmation about the speaker’s action. Use this question pattern when proposing to do something for the other person.

ik ik means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person asking whether to perform the action. It is the subject of the question beginning with Zal. Use it when referring to yourself as the person doing an action.

hem hem means “him” or “it” here and refers to the router as the object being turned off and on. It prevents the speaker from repeating router. Use it as an object pronoun when referring back to the device in this conversation.

uitzetten uitzetten means “turn off” and names the first action proposed for the router. It is paired with weer aanzetten to describe switching the device off and then on. Use it with a device when stopping its operation by switching it off.

en en means “and” and joins the two actions uitzetten and weer aanzetten. It shows that the actions are connected in sequence. Use it to join two actions or items that belong together.

weer weer means “again” here and shows that the router is turned on after being turned off. It modifies aanzetten in the second part of the action. It can be used with an action that is repeated or resumed.

aanzetten aanzetten means “turn on” and names the second action performed on the router. In the line, it follows uitzetten and is modified by weer. Use it with a device when starting its operation by switching it on.

Doe Doe means “do” and gives a direct instruction to carry out the action just discussed. In Doe dat, it refers back to turning the router off and on. Use this form when telling one person to perform a known or previously mentioned action.

dat dat means “that” and points back to the complete action of turning the router off and on. It functions in Doe dat as a reference to something already mentioned. Use it to refer to a previous action, event, or suggestion.

wacht wacht means “wait” and instructs the listener to pause after carrying out the restart. It is followed by the point at which the waiting should end. Use it when telling someone to remain paused until an event happens.

dan dan means “then” and orders the waiting after the instruction to restart the router. It connects the next step with the action that came before it. Use it to mark the next action in a sequence.

tot tot means “until” and introduces the event that ends the waiting. Here the waiting continues until the status light comes on again. Use it before a time or event that marks when an action should stop.

het het means “the” here because it comes before statuslampje. It identifies the specific status light on the router, rather than meaning “it.” Use it as the definite article before this noun in the sentence.

statuslampje statuslampje means “status light” and names the indicator that shows the router’s status. It is the thing that comes on again after the restart. It can be used when referring to a small light that communicates the state of a device.

aangaat aangaat means “comes on” and describes the status light becoming lit again. It appears in the event that determines how long the listener should wait. Use this form when describing a light or device switching on in a clause about an event.

pagina pagina means “page” and refers here to the web page that is loading. It is the subject of laadt in the sentence about the improved connection. It can be used for a page on a website or in an app.

laadt laadt means “loads” and says that the page is now loading more successfully. The improvement is expressed by beter. Use it with a page when describing the process of displaying its content.

nu nu means “now” and places the improved loading in the present moment. It contrasts the current result with the earlier problem. Use it to show when something is happening or has changed.

beter beter means “better” and shows that the page is loading more successfully than before. It describes an improvement in the current situation. It can be used after a verb to compare the present result with an earlier one.

helpt helpt means “helps” and says that placing the router on an open shelf may improve the situation further. The possible helpful effect is introduced by Misschien. It can be used when an action or change has a beneficial effect on a problem.

nog nog means “even” in nog meer and adds the idea of a further increase. Here it says the new placement might improve the connection beyond the improvement already noticed. It commonly appears before a comparative word to indicate an additional degree.

meer meer means “more” and indicates a greater improvement in nog meer. It compares the possible result of moving the router with the current result. Use it with a quantity, degree, or improvement that increases.

om om begins the infinitive construction describing the action that might help: placing the router on an open shelf. It connects helpt with the action expressed later by te zetten. Use it before an infinitive construction when linking an action to its purpose or effect.

op op means “on” and describes the router’s position on the shelf. It introduces the surface named by een open plank. Use it before a surface or location when saying that something is placed there.

een een means “a” or “an” and introduces one open shelf without identifying a particular shelf in advance. It comes before open plank. Use it before a singular noun when referring to a nonspecific item.

open open means “open” and describes the shelf as an open shelf. It distinguishes the type of place where the router could be put. Use it before a noun when describing something that is not closed or enclosed.

plank plank means “shelf” in this context and names the surface where the router might be placed. It is the object after op in the proposed location. It can be used for a shelf or board used to hold something.

te te marks the infinitive in te zetten and helps connect the proposed placement with the preceding construction. It appears directly before zetten. Use it with an infinitive in this type of action construction.

zetten zetten means “put” or “place” and describes moving the router onto a shelf. In te zetten, it names the action that might help the connection. Use it when placing an object in a specific location.

Zullen Zullen means “shall” or “should” in the suggestion about moving the router together. Zullen we introduces a proposal for a shared action. Use this question pattern when suggesting that the speaker and another person do something together.

we we means “we” and refers to the two adults who may move the router together. It is the subject after Zullen in the suggestion. Use it when including yourself and at least one other person in an action.

bij bij means “near” or “by” and places the router close to the doorway. It introduces the location deuropening. Use it before a place or person when indicating nearby position.

deuropening deuropening means “doorway” and names the location near which the router may be placed. It is the object of bij. It can be used when referring to the open passage at a door.

kan kan means “can” or “could” and expresses the possibility that the signal will reach the room. Misschien makes this possibility less certain. It commonly appears before an infinitive to describe what may be possible.

signaal signaal means “signal” and refers here to the wireless signal from the router. It is the thing that may reach this room. It can be used when discussing the strength, movement, or coverage of a signal.

bereiken bereiken means “reach” and describes the signal arriving at or covering this room. It follows kan as the action that may be possible. Use it with a destination or place when saying that something reaches it.

Grammar Points

Scheidbare werkwoorden: het voorvoegsel staat achteraan in een hoofdzin

Zet de router opnieuw aan.

ZET duh ROW-ter op-NEEW ahn.

Turn the router on again.

With separable verbs, the prefix moves to the end of a main clause: zet ... aan.

Inversie na een bijwoord: Misschien + werkwoord + onderwerp

Misschien laadt de pagina beter.

muh-SKHEEN lahdt duh pah-ZHEE-nah BAY-ter.

Maybe the page loads better.

After Misschien, the finite verb comes before the subject; the verb stays in second position.

Dutch Vocabulary

aangaan verb

AHN-KHAHN to come on; to turn on aangaat

Doe dat en wacht dan tot het statuslampje weer aangaat.

aanzetten verb

AHN-SET-un to turn on

Zal ik hem uitzetten en weer aanzetten?

internetverbinding noun

IN-ter-net-fur-BIN-ding internet connection

De internetverbinding is zwak in deze kamer.

kamer noun

KAH-mer room

De internetverbinding is zwak in deze kamer.

misschien adv

muh-SKHEEN maybe Misschien

Misschien moet de router even opnieuw worden gestart.

opnieuw adv

op-NEEW again; anew

Misschien moet de router even opnieuw worden gestart.

pagina noun

pah-ZHEE-nah page

De pagina laadt nu beter.

router noun

ROW-ter router

Misschien moet de router even opnieuw worden gestart.

statuslampje noun

STAH-tus-LAHMP-yuh status light

Doe dat en wacht dan tot het statuslampje weer aangaat.

uitzetten verb

OYT-SET-un to turn off

Zal ik hem uitzetten en weer aanzetten?

wachten verb

VAHKH-tun to wait wacht

Doe dat en wacht dan tot het statuslampje weer aangaat.

zwak adj

zvahk weak

De internetverbinding is zwak in deze kamer.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The page is loading better now.

Show Answer

De pagina laadt nu beter.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

weak

Show Answer

zwak

again; anew

Show Answer

opnieuw

to turn on

Show Answer

aanzetten

to wait

Show Answer

wacht