Asking about sauce ingredients | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Asking about sauce ingredients to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Mag ik vragen welke ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten?

mahk ik VRAH-ghun VEL-kuh in-ghruh-dee-ENT-uhn ur in DAY-zuh sowss ZIT-tuhn? Could I ask about the ingredients in this sauce?

Er zit melk en een beetje knoflook in.

ur zit melkh en un BAY-tyuh KNOHF-look in. It contains milk and a little garlic.

Ik mag geen melk.

ik makh khayn melkh. I can't have milk.

Ik kan de saus apart houden.

ik kahn duh sowss uh-PART HOW-duhn. I can keep the sauce on the side.

Dat zou voor mij beter werken.

daht zow voor may BAY-tur VUR-kuhn. That would work better for me.

Zijn er nog andere dingen die je moet vermijden?

zayn ur nokh AHN-duh-ruh DING-uhn dee yuh moot vur-MY-duhn? Are there any other foods you need to avoid?

Knoflook is prima.

KNOHF-look is PREE-mah. Garlic is fine.

Ik maak je bord klaar zonder de saus.

ik mahk yuh bort khlahr ZON-dur duh sowss. I'll prepare your plate without the sauce.

Word by Word

Mag “Mag” means “may” or “be allowed to” in the polite question “Mag ik vragen welke ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten?” It is the question form of “mogen” and is useful when politely asking permission to do something.

ik “ik” means “I” and identifies the person asking the question in “Mag ik vragen welke ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten?” It commonly appears before a verb when you describe your own action or situation.

vragen “vragen” means “ask” in “Mag ik vragen welke ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten?” It follows “Mag ik” here and is used when requesting information from another person.

welke “welke” means “which” and asks for the specific ingredients in “welke ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten”. It is used directly before the thing or things being identified.

ingrediënten “ingrediënten” means “ingredients” in “welke ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten”. It refers here to the foods that make up the sauce and is useful when asking about what a dish contains.

er “er” helps introduce the contents in “Er zit melk en een beetje knoflook in” and “welke ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten”. In these patterns, it points to the fact that something is present in a place or food.

in “in” means “in” and marks the container or food in “in deze saus” and “er in”. It is used with a place or substance that contains something.

deze “deze” means “this” and identifies the particular sauce in “deze saus”. It is used before the noun when pointing to something specific nearby or already being discussed.

saus “saus” means “sauce” in “deze saus” and “de saus”. It refers to the food being discussed and can be used when asking about its ingredients or serving it separately.

zitten “zitten” means “be contained” or “be in” in “welke ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten”. It appears at the end of this question and is useful for asking what a food or container contains.

zit “zit” means “is contained” or “is in” in “Er zit melk en een beetje knoflook in.” It is part of the pattern “Er zit ... in”, used to state that something is present in a food or place.

melk “melk” means “milk” in “Er zit melk en een beetje knoflook in” and “Ik mag geen melk.” It identifies the ingredient that the speaker cannot have, so it is useful when discussing food restrictions.

en “en” means “and” and joins “melk” with “een beetje knoflook” in “Er zit melk en een beetje knoflook in.” It connects two ingredients or other items in the same statement.

een “een” means “a” or “an” in “een beetje knoflook”. It introduces the small quantity described by “beetje” and commonly comes before a singular noun phrase.

beetje “beetje” means “a little” or “a bit” in “een beetje knoflook”. Together with “een”, it expresses a small amount and is useful when describing the quantity of an ingredient.

knoflook “knoflook” means “garlic” in “een beetje knoflook” and “Knoflook is prima.” It is the ingredient that is acceptable to the speaker, so it is useful when clarifying which foods are safe.

geen “geen” means “no” or “not any” in “Ik mag geen melk.” It negates the noun “melk” and is useful for saying that someone is not allowed to have a particular food.

kan “kan” means “can” or “be able to” in “Ik kan de saus apart houden.” It is the form used with “ik” and introduces an action the speaker is able to offer or perform.

de “de” means “the” in “de saus” and “de saus apart houden”. It identifies the specific sauce already being discussed and comes before this noun.

apart “apart” means “separately” or “on the side” in “de saus apart houden”. It explains that the sauce will not be mixed with the rest of the food, which is useful when accommodating a food restriction.

houden “houden” means “keep” in “de saus apart houden”. It follows “kan” here and describes keeping the sauce separate from the plate.

Dat “Dat” means “that” in “Dat zou voor mij beter werken.” It refers back to the proposed solution of keeping the sauce separate and is useful when responding to a suggestion.

zou “zou” expresses “would” in “Dat zou voor mij beter werken.” It presents the proposed arrangement as a result that would suit the speaker and is useful for giving a polite, conditional response.

voor “voor” means “for” in “voor mij”. It marks who would benefit from the proposed arrangement and is useful when describing what works for a person.

mij “mij” means “me” in “voor mij”. It identifies the person for whom the separate sauce would be better and is used after “voor” in this phrase.

beter “beter” means “better” in “beter werken”. It compares the proposed solution with the current situation and is useful when explaining that one option suits someone more well.

werken “werken” means “work” or “be effective” in “voor mij beter werken”. It describes whether an arrangement is suitable for the speaker and is useful when evaluating a proposed solution.

Zijn “Zijn” means “are” in the question “Zijn er nog andere dingen die je moet vermijden?” It is placed at the beginning because the sentence asks whether additional items exist, making it useful for asking about further restrictions.

nog “nog” means “any more” or “additional” in “Zijn er nog andere dingen die je moet vermijden?” It asks whether there are further items beyond the one already discussed and is useful when checking for extra information.

andere “andere” means “other” in “andere dingen”. It distinguishes additional items from the foods already mentioned and is useful when asking about more options or restrictions.

dingen “dingen” literally means “things”, but in “andere dingen die je moet vermijden” it refers to other foods or ingredients to avoid. This wording is useful when asking broadly about additional items.

die “die” means “that” or “which” in “andere dingen die je moet vermijden”. It connects “andere dingen” with the information about avoiding them and is useful for adding a description to a noun.

je “je” means “you” in “die je moet vermijden”. It refers to the person whose food restrictions are being checked and is used here as the person who must avoid the items.

moet “moet” means “must” or “need to” in “je moet vermijden”. It expresses the necessity to avoid certain foods and is followed here by the verb “vermijden”.

vermijden “vermijden” means “avoid” in “die je moet vermijden”. It follows “moet” and describes not eating or using certain foods, which is useful when discussing dietary restrictions.

is “is” means “is” in “Knoflook is prima.” It links “knoflook” with the assessment “prima” and is useful when stating whether a food is acceptable.

prima “prima” means “fine” or “okay” in “Knoflook is prima.” It confirms that garlic does not need to be avoided and is useful for reassuring someone about a food or ingredient.

maak “maak” means “make” or “prepare” in “Ik maak je bord klaar zonder de saus.” It describes the speaker’s action of preparing the plate and is useful when explaining how food will be arranged.

bord “bord” means “plate” in “je bord”. It refers to the dish being prepared for the other person and is useful when talking about serving or arranging food.

klaar “klaar” means “ready” or “prepared” in “maak je bord klaar”. Together with “maak”, it describes preparing the plate, so the food is ready to serve.

zonder “zonder” means “without” in “zonder de saus”. It introduces what is left out of the plate and is useful when specifying that a dish should not contain a particular ingredient.

Grammar Points

geen + zelfstandig naamwoord

geen melk

khayn melkh

no milk; not any milk

Use geen before a noun to say that there is no amount or none of something.

zonder + zelfstandig naamwoord

zonder knoflook

ZON-dur KNOHF-look

without garlic

Zonder means “without” and is followed directly by the noun that is left out.

Dutch Vocabulary

andere adj

AHN-duh-ruh other

andere dingen

apart adv

uh-PART separately; on the side

de saus apart houden

beter adj

BAY-tur better

beter werken

een beetje phrase

un BAY-tyuh a little

een beetje knoflook

geen det

khayn no; not any

geen melk

houden verb

HOW-duhn keep

de saus apart houden

ingrediënten noun

in-ghruh-dee-ENT-uhn ingredients

welke ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten

knoflook noun

KNOHF-look garlic

een beetje knoflook

melk noun

melkh milk

Er zit melk in

saus noun

sowss sauce

deze saus

vragen verb

VRAH-ghun ask

Mag ik vragen

zitten verb

ZIT-tuhn be in; be contained

ingrediënten er in deze saus zitten

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I can't have milk.

Show Answer

Ik mag geen melk.

I can keep the sauce on the side.

Show Answer

Ik kan de saus apart houden.

That would work better for me.

Show Answer

Dat zou voor mij beter werken.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

no; not any

Show Answer

geen

garlic

Show Answer

knoflook

separately; on the side

Show Answer

apart

ask

Show Answer

vragen