Cooking Dinner with a Recipe | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Dit recept lijkt eenvoudig genoeg voor het avondeten.

   This recipe looks simple enough for dinner.

   Dit

   this

   recept

   recipe

   lijkt

   looks; seems

   eenvoudig

   simple

   genoeg

   enough

   avondeten

   dinner

   More detail

   Dit means “this” here and points to the singular noun recept. In Dutch, dit is used with a singular het-word; with a singular de-word or with plural nouns, the corresponding demonstrative is deze. The form dit itself does not show the noun’s gender independently; its choice is determined by the noun’s article class and number. recept means “recipe.” It is a neuter (het) noun: het recept means “the recipe.” Dutch nouns should be learned together with their article when the article class affects forms such as dit. lijkt is the present-tense third-person singular form of lijken, “to seem” or “to look.” The sentence uses it to give an appearance or assessment, not to state that the recipe objectively is simple. The related pattern iets lijkt + adjective means “something seems/looks + adjective.” Example: Het plan lijkt goed. — “The plan seems good.” eenvoudig means “simple” or “easy” in this context. It is an adjective. After a linking verb such as lijken, it describes the subject without an adjective ending here: het recept lijkt eenvoudig — “the recipe looks simple.” genoeg means “enough.” After an adjective, it forms the reusable pattern adjective + genoeg (“adjective enough”): eenvoudig genoeg means “simple enough.” This says that the recipe reaches the required level of simplicity; it does not merely mean “very simple.” Example: De tas is groot genoeg. — “The bag is big enough.” avondeten means “dinner” or “the evening meal.” It is a compound noun and is used here with the definite article: het avondeten. In voor het avondeten, voor means “for,” so the phrase means “for dinner.” Together, Dit recept means “this recipe,” lijkt eenvoudig genoeg means “looks simple enough,” and voor het avondeten identifies the purpose or occasion: “for dinner.” The complete utterance is therefore: “This recipe looks simple enough for dinner.”

2. Ik kan de groenten snijden terwijl jij water kookt.

   I can chop the vegetables while you boil water.

   Ik kan

   I can

   groenten

   vegetables

   snijden

   chop

   terwijl

   while

   jij

   you

   water

   water

   kookt

   boil

   More detail

   Ik kan means “I can” here. In Dutch, kan is the first-person singular present form of kunnen (“can, be able to”). A modal such as kunnen is followed by an infinitive: Ik kan snijden = “I can chop.” groenten means “vegetables” in this sentence. It is the plural of groente; the plural ending is -en. The definite article de belongs with this plural noun: de groenten = “the vegetables.” snijden means “to chop” here. It is the infinitive form, so it stays after the modal kan. The same verb can also mean “to cut,” depending on what is being cut. Example: Ik kan het brood snijden. — “I can cut the bread.” terwijl means “while” and introduces an action happening at the same time as the action in the main clause. In the clause after terwijl, the finite verb comes at the end: terwijl jij water kookt. jij means “you” and is the subject of the clause after terwijl. Dutch also has the less-emphatic subject form je; jij can make the subject contrastive or more prominent, but here it simply identifies the person who boils the water. Example: Jij kookt het water. — “You boil the water.” water means “water.” It is normally an uncountable or mass noun, so this sentence does not specify a number of separate units. The definite article is not required when water is used generally or as a substance: Ik drink water. — “I drink water.” kookt means “boil” here and is the present-tense form of koken with the subject jij. For this verb, the present forms include ik kook, jij kookt, and hij kookt. The ending -t in kookt marks the form used with jij in this sentence. Koken can also mean “to cook”; with water as the object, the intended meaning is “boil water.” Together, Ik kan de groenten snijden means “I can chop the vegetables.” terwijl jij water kookt adds the simultaneous action “while you boil water.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I can chop the vegetables while you boil water.”

3. Hoe lang moet de soep koken?

   How long should the soup cook?

   Hoe lang

   how long

   moet

   must; should

   soep

   soup

   koken

   cook

   More detail

   Hoe lang asks about duration: literally, it asks for the amount of time something takes or is required to continue. It is reusable in questions such as Hoe lang duurt de film? — “How long does the film last?” Do not confuse it with hoeveel, which asks how many or how much. moet is the present-tense form of moeten used with the singular subject de soep. In this sentence, moeten expresses what is required or expected, so the translation “should” fits the cooking-time question. Its basic pattern is moet + subject + infinitive in a question, while a statement can use subject + moet + infinitive: De soep moet koken. — “The soup must/should cook.” soep means “soup.” The form is a noun; de soep combines it with the definite article de, referring to the soup intended in this context. Dutch nouns with de and het require learning the article together with the noun; soep is a de-word. koken is the infinitive “to cook” or, for a liquid, “to boil.” Here it is the infinitive after the modal moet, so it does not take a separate finite ending. In the context of soup, it describes the soup cooking/boiling; in jij water kookt, the same verb is finite because jij is the subject: “you boil water.” Together, Hoe lang asks for the duration, moet de soep presents the soup as the subject of a requirement, and koken gives the action. The whole utterance means: “How long should the soup cook?” Dutch places the finite modal moet before the subject in this question and keeps the infinitive koken at the end.

4. Laat de soep koken tot de groenten zacht zijn.

   Let it cook until the vegetables are soft.

   Laat

   let; allow

   soep

   soup

   koken

   cook

   tot

   until

   groenten

   vegetables

   zacht

   soft

   zijn

   be

   More detail

   Laat is the imperative of laten, “to let” or “to allow.” In laat + an infinitive, it can express an instruction to let something happen: Laat de deur open. = “Leave the door open.” Here, Laat ... koken means “Let ... cook,” rather than “cook” as a direct command to a person. soep means “soup.” It is a noun; in ordinary definite use it appears with de: de soep = “the soup.” koken is the infinitive “to cook” or, for food and liquid, “to boil.” After laat, the infinitive stays in this form: Laat de rijst koken. = “Let the rice cook.” In this sentence, the intended meaning is that the soup is allowed to cook. tot introduces an endpoint in time: “until.” The pattern tot + clause tells when the preceding action should stop or reach its result. For example, Wacht tot het water kookt. = “Wait until the water boils.” groenten means “vegetables.” It is the plural of groente; the plural form is used because the clause refers to vegetables in the plural. De groenten means “the vegetables.” zacht means “soft.” As a predicate adjective after zijn, it describes the vegetables’ state. Its comparative is zachter (“softer”), and its superlative is het zachtst (“the softest”): De groenten zijn zachter. = “The vegetables are softer.” zijn is the infinitive of zijn, “to be.” Here it follows the plural subject de groenten: de groenten zijn zacht = “the vegetables are soft.” The form zijn also serves as the present-tense form with plural subjects; with a singular subject, the present form is usually is, as in De soep is warm. = “The soup is hot.” Together, Laat de soep koken gives the instruction “Let the soup cook.” The time clause tot de groenten zacht zijn sets the endpoint: this should continue until the vegetables have become soft. The complete meaning is: “Let it cook until the vegetables are soft.”

5. Zullen we de soep proeven voordat we meer zout toevoegen?

   Should we taste it before we add more salt?

   Zullen we

   shall we

   soep

   soup

   proeven

   taste

   voordat

   before

   meer

   more

   zout

   salt

   toevoegen

   add

   More detail

   Zullen we combines the modal verb zullen with we in a question. Here it proposes a joint action: “shall we…?” In a question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Zullen we ...? Compare the ordinary order We zullen ... (“We will ...”). The following verb stays in the infinitive. soep means “soup” here. Dutch uses the article de with this noun, as in de soep; the article is separate from the noun. Example: De soep is warm. — “The soup is hot.” proeven is the infinitive meaning “to taste” or “to sample.” After zullen, it remains an infinitive: Zullen we de soep proeven? — “Shall we taste the soup?” In a simple present statement, the same verb appears as We proeven de soep — “We taste the soup.” The form is unchanged for we, but the surrounding verb structure differs. voordat introduces a time clause meaning “before.” In voordat we ... toevoegen, Dutch places the finite verb at the end. A reusable pattern is voordat + subject + ... + finite verb. meer means “more” in this sentence: it marks an additional amount of salt. It is the comparative form related to veel (“much/many”): veel → meer → het meest (“the most”). Example: Ik wil meer water. — “I want more water.” zout means “salt.” Here it refers to the substance, so meer zout means an additional amount rather than a stated number of pieces. Example: Voeg geen zout toe. — “Do not add salt.” toevoegen means “to add.” It is a separable Dutch verb: in a main clause, the prefix can separate, as in We voegen zout toe — “We add salt.” In the fixed subordinate clause, toevoegen is the present-tense finite form for we, and it remains joined at the end: voordat we meer zout toevoegen. Thus its final position comes from the subordinate-clause word order, not from its being an infinitive. Together, Zullen we de soep proeven? asks whether the speakers should taste the soup, and voordat we meer zout toevoegen specifies that this should happen before they add more salt. The whole utterance therefore means: “Should we taste it before we add more salt?”

6. Proef de soep eerst.

   Taste it first.

   Proef

   taste!

   soep

   soup

   eerst

   first

   More detail

   Proef is the imperative of proeven, “to taste.” In this sentence it gives a direct instruction. The imperative uses the verb stem: proeven → proef!. Compare ik proef (“I taste”) with proef! (“taste!”). Dutch can use this imperative for a single or multiple addressee; the form alone does not specify the number. soep means “soup.” In de soep, de is the definite article: the noun phrase refers to identifiable soup in this context. Soep is a common-gender noun, which is another reason Dutch uses de rather than het. Example: De soep is warm. — “The soup is warm.” eerst means “first.” It places the tasting before a later action. Example: Proef eerst, voeg daarna zout toe. — “Taste first; add salt afterwards.” Together, Proef de soep eerst means “Taste the soup first.” Proef supplies the instruction, de soep is the thing to be tasted, and eerst places that tasting before the later seasoning action mentioned in the context.

7. Daarna kunnen we de soep voorzichtig kruiden.

   Then we can season it carefully.

   Daarna

   afterwards

   kunnen we

   we can

   soep

   soup

   voorzichtig

   carefully

   kruiden

   season

   More detail

   Daarna is a time adverb meaning “after that” or “afterwards.” It places this action later than an already mentioned action. Example: Daarna drinken we koffie. — “Afterwards, we drink coffee.” kunnen we combines kunnen (“can/be able to”) with we (“we”). Kunnen is the present-tense form used with we; the following verb remains an infinitive. The reusable pattern is we kunnen + infinitive: We kunnen wachten. — “We can wait.” Here it expresses that the speakers can carry out the action. soep means “soup.” In de soep, the noun refers to the soup already introduced in the preceding context. De is the definite article: it marks a specific or known noun, and soep is a singular common-gender de-word, so its definite form is de soep. Example: De soep is warm. — “The soup is hot.” voorzichtig means “carefully” here. It describes the manner of the action. The same form can also be used as an adjective before a noun; in that position it can take -e: een voorzichtige bestuurder — “a careful driver.” kruiden is the infinitive of the verb meaning “to season” food. After kunnen, Dutch uses this infinitive: We kunnen de rijst kruiden. — “We can season the rice.” Kruiden can also be a plural noun meaning “herbs” or “spices,” but its position after kunnen identifies the verb use here. Together, Daarna sets the time, kunnen we expresses what the speakers can do, de soep identifies the object, voorzichtig describes the manner, and kruiden names the action. The complete meaning is: “Then we can season the soup carefully.” In the fixed translation, it refers to that soup.

8. De soep smaakt nu beter.

   The soup tastes better now.

   soep

   soup

   smaakt

   tastes

   nu

   now

   beter

   better

   More detail

   soep means “soup” here. It is a noun; the definite article de marks the noun phrase as definite: de soep = “the soup.” Example: Ik maak soep. — “I am making soup.” smaakt comes from the verb smaken, “to taste.” In this sentence, smaakt is the present-tense form used with the singular subject de soep; the soup is the thing whose taste is being described. Example: De saus smaakt goed. — “The sauce tastes good.” nu means “now” and places the tasting judgment in the present situation. It contrasts with a time such as volgende keer (“next time”) in the surrounding context. beter is the comparative form of goed (“good”): goed → beter (“better”) → best (“best”). It indicates that the soup tastes better than at an understood earlier point or than another relevant comparison, without specifying that comparison in this sentence. Example: Deze thee smaakt beter. — “This tea tastes better.” Together, De soep identifies the soup, smaakt says how it tastes, nu locates that judgment in the present, and beter gives the comparison. The complete meaning is: “The soup tastes better now.”

9. Volgende keer kunnen we meer kruiden toevoegen.

   Next time we can add more herbs.

   Volgende keer

   next time

   kunnen we

   we can

   meer

   more

   kruiden

   herbs

   toevoegen

   add

   More detail

   Volgende keer means “next time.” volgende is the form of volgend used before a noun here; it points to the occasion after the current one. The complete expression is a reusable time phrase: Volgende keer ... = “Next time ...”. Example: Volgende week oefenen we opnieuw. — “Next week we will practise again.” kunnen we expresses “we can.” kunnen is the present-tense form for we of kunnen, “to be able to” or “can.” In this sentence it expresses possibility or ability, not a command. Because the time phrase comes first, Dutch places the finite verb kunnen before the subject we: Volgende keer kunnen we .... With the subject first, the order is We kunnen .... meer means “more.” It indicates a greater amount than before and can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. Example: We gebruiken meer zout. — “We use more salt.” kruiden means “herbs” here. It is the plural form of kruid, “herb” or “spice.” The plural ending is part of the noun form; the sentence does not specify how many herbs there are. Example: De kruiden ruiken sterk. — “The herbs smell strong.” 'toevoegen means “to add.” This is the infinitive of the separable verb toevoegen; its parts are toe and voegen, but the verb is learned as one verb meaning “add.” After kunnen, Dutch uses the infinitive at the end of the clause: We kunnen meer kruiden toevoegen.` — “We can add more herbs.” Together, Volgende keer sets the time, kunnen we says that the participants are able or permitted to do something, meer kruiden means a greater amount of herbs, and toevoegen names the action. The whole utterance therefore means: “Next time we can add more herbs.”