Saving leftovers for tomorrow's lunch | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Saving leftovers for tomorrow's lunch to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Er zijn nog veel restjes van het avondeten.

air zine nokh fayl RES-chus vahn ut AH-vont-ay-tun. There are a lot of leftovers from dinner.

Laten we ze in een schone bak doen.

LAH-tun vuh zuh in un SKHOO-nuh bahk doon. Let's put them in a clean container.

Kan ik ze morgen voor de lunch opwarmen?

kahn ik zuh MOR-khun voor duh lunkh OP-var-mun? Can I reheat them for lunch tomorrow?

Dat kan, als we ze tot die tijd in de koelkast bewaren.

daht kahn, ahls vuh zuh toht dee TIGHT in duh KOOL-kahst buh-VAH-run. You can if we keep them in the fridge until then.

Zal ik een label op de bak plakken?

zahl ik un LAY-bul op duh bahk PLAH-kun? Should I put a label on the container?

Dan weten we morgen wat erin zit.

dahn VAY-tun vuh MOR-khun vaht air-IN zit. That way, tomorrow we will know what is inside.

Ik plak er een duidelijk label op.

ik plahk air un DOY-luk LAY-bul op. I'll put a clear label on it.

Dat maakt de lunch makkelijker.

daht mahkt duh lunkh MAH-kuh-LY-kur. That will make lunch easier.

Word by Word

Er In “Er zijn nog veel restjes van het avondeten”, “Er” introduces the fact that something exists or is present; it does not mean a specific location here. It is commonly used at the beginning of an existence statement. In this scene, it presents the leftovers after dinner.

zijn In “Er zijn nog veel restjes”, “zijn” says that the leftovers are present or exist. It is used after “Er” with the plural item being introduced. This form is useful for saying that several things are available or present.

nog In “nog veel restjes”, “nog” shows that the leftovers remain after dinner. It adds the idea that they have not been used up. It is useful before a quantity or noun when something is still available.

veel In “veel restjes”, “veel” indicates a large quantity of leftovers. It comes before the noun it describes. Use it when saying that a large amount or number of something remains.

restjes “Restjes” means the small portions of food left after the meal. In this dialogue, it is the plural form used in “veel restjes van het avondeten”. You would use it when discussing food that can be saved or eaten later.

van In “restjes van het avondeten”, “van” connects the leftovers with their source: the evening meal. Here it means “from” or “of”. This pattern is useful for identifying where food or another thing comes from.

het In “het avondeten”, “het” is the definite article used with the noun for the evening meal. Together, the phrase refers to the specific dinner that has just been eaten. This fixed noun phrase is useful when talking about dinner.

avondeten “Avondeten” means dinner or the evening meal. In “het avondeten”, it identifies the meal from which the leftovers came. Use it when referring to the main meal eaten in the evening.

Laten In “Laten we ze in een schone bak doen”, “Laten” helps make a suggestion involving the speaker and listener together. It is followed by “we” and an action. This is useful when proposing that both people do something.

we In “Laten we ze in een schone bak doen”, “we” refers to the speaker and the listener together. It makes the suggestion a joint action rather than an instruction to only one person. The same pronoun also appears in “als we ze tot die tijd in de koelkast bewaren”.

ze In “Laten we ze in een schone bak doen”, “ze” means “them” and refers back to the leftovers. It is used as the object of the action. This kind of pronoun lets you refer to previously mentioned things without repeating the noun.

in In “in een schone bak doen”, “in” shows that the leftovers are put into the container. It expresses the destination or location of the food. Use it with a container or place when describing where something is put.

een In “een schone bak”, “een” introduces one unspecified container. It comes before the adjective and noun. This article is useful when mentioning a container or other single item for the first time.

schone In “een schone bak”, “schone” describes the container as clean. It appears before the noun “bak”. Use this form when describing the condition of a container before putting food in it.

bak “Bak” means a container or tub, here one used for storing the leftovers. In “in een schone bak”, it is the place where the food will be kept. You would use it when choosing a container for food or another item.

doen In “Laten we ze in een schone bak doen”, “doen” expresses putting the leftovers into the container. It is the action proposed after “Laten we”. This verb is useful for describing placing something somewhere.

Kan In “Kan ik ze morgen voor de lunch opwarmen?”, “Kan” asks whether the speaker is allowed or able to do something. It comes before “ik” in the question. A useful question pattern is “Kan ik” followed by an action.

ik In “Kan ik ze morgen voor de lunch opwarmen?”, “ik” means “I” and identifies the person asking about the action. It is the subject of the question. It also appears in “Ik plak er een duidelijk label op” for the speaker’s own action.

morgen “Morgen” means tomorrow and places the action on the following day. In “morgen voor de lunch”, it specifies when the leftovers may be reheated. It is useful before or alongside an action to refer to the next day.

voor In “voor de lunch”, “voor” means “for” and shows the purpose of reheating the leftovers. It connects the action with the meal they are intended for. Use it before a meal or purpose when explaining what something is meant for.

de In “de lunch”, “de” is the definite article before the specific meal being discussed. The phrase refers to tomorrow’s lunch in this scene. It is useful when referring to a known or planned meal.

lunch “Lunch” means the midday meal. In “voor de lunch”, it identifies the meal for which the leftovers will be reheated. Use it when discussing plans or food for midday.

opwarmen “Opwarmen” means to reheat the leftovers. In the question, it follows “Kan ik” and names the action the speaker is asking about. Use it when heating prepared food again before eating it.

Dat In “Dat kan”, “Dat” refers to the requested action of reheating the leftovers. The phrase means that the action is possible or permitted. It is useful as a response to a suggestion or request when referring back to what was just mentioned.

als In “als we ze tot die tijd in de koelkast bewaren”, “als” introduces the condition under which reheating is possible. It means “if” here. Use it before a clause that states a requirement or condition.

tot In “tot die tijd”, “tot” means “until” and marks the endpoint of the storage period. The leftovers should remain stored up to that point. This preposition is useful with a time expression.

die In “tot die tijd”, “die” points to the particular time already understood from the conversation, namely the time before tomorrow’s lunch. Together with “tijd”, it means “that time”. This expression is useful when referring back to a previously mentioned time.

tijd In “tot die tijd”, “tijd” means the time or point when the storage period ends. The full phrase means “until then”. It is useful when referring to a time already established in the conversation.

koelkast “Koelkast” means refrigerator or fridge. In “in de koelkast bewaren”, it is the place where the leftovers should be stored. Use it when describing where food is kept cold.

bewaren In “in de koelkast bewaren”, “bewaren” means to keep or store the leftovers for later. The sentence describes preserving them until tomorrow. Use it when keeping food or another item in a place for future use.

Zal In “Zal ik een label op de bak plakken?”, “Zal” introduces a question about whether the speaker should perform the action. It is a polite way to offer or propose doing something. A useful pattern is “Zal ik” followed by an action.

label “Label” means a label attached to the container to identify its contents. In “een label op de bak plakken”, it is the item being attached. Use it when marking a container or object with information.

op In “op de bak plakken”, “op” shows the surface where the label will be attached: on the container. It goes before the object receiving the label. Use it with an attaching action and a surface.

plakken In “een label op de bak plakken”, “plakken” means to stick or attach the label to the container. It names the proposed action after “Zal ik”. Use it when attaching a label or another sticky item to a surface.

Dan In “Dan weten we morgen wat erin zit”, “Dan” means “then” or “that way” and introduces the result of labeling the container. It connects the proposed action with its benefit. Use it at the beginning of a sentence describing a resulting situation.

weten In “Dan weten we morgen wat erin zit”, “weten” means to know the contents of the container. It is followed by information introduced by “wat”. This pattern is useful when saying that someone knows what something contains.

wat In “wat erin zit”, “wat” introduces the information that will be known: what is inside the container. It does not name the contents itself. Use it after a verb such as “weten” when the information is unknown or being identified.

erin In “wat erin zit”, “erin” means “in it” or “inside it” and refers to the container. It keeps the reference to the container without repeating “de bak”. Use it when describing something located inside an already mentioned object.

zit In “wat erin zit”, “zit” describes the contents as being inside the container. In this context, it means “is in” rather than referring to a person sitting. Use it with “erin” when describing what a container contains.

plak In “Ik plak er een duidelijk label op”, “plak” means “I stick” or “I attach”. It is the speaker’s action of attaching the label to the container, and it corresponds to the citation form “plakken”. The reusable pattern places the object between “plak” and “op” when attaching something to a surface.

duidelijk In “een duidelijk label”, “duidelijk” describes the label as clear and easy to understand. It helps ensure that the contents can be recognized tomorrow. Use it before a noun when describing information that is easy to read or understand.

maakt In “Dat maakt de lunch makkelijker”, “maakt” means “makes” and describes the effect of labeling the container. It corresponds to the citation form “maken”. The construction describes one action causing another thing to become easier or different.

makkelijker In “Dat maakt de lunch makkelijker”, “makkelijker” means easier and describes the improved convenience of lunch. It is the result associated with “maakt”. Use it when comparing a situation with how difficult or convenient it was before.

Grammar Points

schone + zelfstandig naamwoord

schone bak

SKHOO-nuh bahk

clean container

Voor een de-woord krijgt het bijvoeglijk naamwoord vaak -e: schoon wordt schone.

makkelijker + werkwoord

makkelijker bewaren

MAH-kuh-LY-kur buh-VAH-run

easier to store

De uitgang -er maakt een bijvoeglijk naamwoord vergelijkend: makkelijker betekent ‘more easy’ of ‘easier’.

Dutch Vocabulary

avondeten noun

AH-vont-ay-tun dinner

Er zijn nog veel restjes van het avondeten.

bak noun

bahk container

Laten we ze in een schone bak doen.

bewaren verb

buh-VAH-run to keep; to store

Als we ze tot die tijd in de koelkast bewaren.

doen verb

doon to put; to do

Laten we ze in een schone bak doen.

koelkast noun

KOOL-kahst fridge

Als we ze tot die tijd in de koelkast bewaren.

label noun

LAY-bul label

Zal ik een label op de bak plakken?

lunch noun

lunkh lunch

Kan ik ze morgen voor de lunch opwarmen?

opwarmen verb

OP-var-mun to reheat

Kan ik ze morgen voor de lunch opwarmen?

plakken verb

PLAH-kun to stick; to put on

Zal ik een label op de bak plakken?

restje noun

RES-chuh leftover restjes

Er zijn nog veel restjes van het avondeten.

schoon adj

SKHOHN clean schone

Laten we ze in een schone bak doen.

tot die tijd phrase

toht dee TIGHT until then

Als we ze tot die tijd in de koelkast bewaren.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

That will make lunch easier.

Show Answer

Dat maakt de lunch makkelijker.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

leftover

Show Answer

restjes

dinner

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avondeten

to keep; to store

Show Answer

bewaren

clean

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schone