Reporting a Lost Travel Card | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Reporting a Lost Travel Card to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ik denk dat ik mijn reiskaart in de trein ben kwijtgeraakt.

ick DENK uh ick mine RICE-kaart in duh TRANE ben KVITE-khuh-RAAKT. I think I lost my travel card on the train.

Je moet naar het bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen gaan.

yuh MOOT NAHR uht buh-ROH vohr VOHN-duh(n) VOHR-vair-puhn KHAHN. You should go to the lost property office.

Kunnen ze voorkomen dat de kaart wordt gebruikt?

KUN-uh z uh VOHR-koh-muhn daht duh KA HRT vawrt khuh-BROYKT? Can they stop the card from being used?

Ze kunnen je helpen een formulier in te vullen om de kaart te blokkeren.

zuh KUN-uh yuh HELP-uh(n) uhn for-moo-LEER in tuh VIL-uh um duh KA HRT tuh blaw-KAY-ruh(n). They can help you fill out a form to block it.

Ik heb mijn accountgegevens bij me.

ick HEP mine uh-KOWNT-khuh-GAY-vuhns bye muh. I have my account details with me.

Die informatie helpt het personeel.

dee in-for-MAHT-see HELPT uht pair-soh-NAIL. That information will help the staff.

Dan vraag ik of ik een nieuwe kaart moet aanvragen.

dahn VRAHK ick awf ick uh NEE-vuh KA HRT MOOT AHN-vrah-khuhn. Then I'll ask whether I should get a new card.

Vraag dat eerst, want misschien heeft iemand de kaart afgegeven.

VRAHK daht AYRST, vahnt mis-KHEEN hayft EE-mahnt duh KA HRT AF-khuh-GAY-vuhn. Ask first, because someone might have handed it in.

Word by Word

Ik Ik means I and is the subject in the statement about losing the card. It is capitalized at the beginning of a sentence; the same pronoun appears as lowercase ik after dat. A reliable reuse pattern is Ik denk dat + a clause when expressing a thought or belief.

denk Denk means think in Ik denk dat ik mijn reiskaart in de trein ben kwijtgeraakt. It is the form used with Ik and introduces the content clause with dat. Use denken dat + a clause when giving an opinion or expressing uncertainty.

dat Dat means that here and introduces the clause describing what the speaker thinks. In Ik denk dat..., it connects denk with the following statement. A reliable reuse pattern is denken dat + a clause.

mijn Mijn means my and shows that the reiskaart belongs to or is associated with the speaker. It comes directly before reiskaart in mijn reiskaart. Use mijn + a noun when identifying something as yours, for example when reporting a personal item.

reiskaart Reiskaart means travel card in this dialogue and is the item that was lost. It appears in mijn reiskaart, meaning my travel card. Use it when identifying a card used for travel in a conversation with transport staff.

in In indicates the location where the card was lost in in de trein, which means on or inside the train in this context. It combines with a place expression such as in de trein. Use in + a place when saying where something is or happened.

de De is the definite article meaning the before trein and kaart in the dialogue. It appears in de trein and de kaart. A reliable reuse pattern is de + noun when referring to a specific item or place.

trein Trein means train and identifies the place where the travel card was lost. It appears in the location phrase in de trein. Use it when explaining to transport staff where an item was lost or found.

ben Ben is the first-person form of zijn used with kwijtgeraakt in the statement about having lost the card. Together with that form, it describes a completed loss. A reliable reuse point is the first-person perfect construction with ben and a past participle when describing something that happened to you.

kwijtgeraakt Kwijtgeraakt means lost in Ik ben mijn reiskaart in de trein kwijtgeraakt. It is the form used with ben to say that the speaker lost something. Use kwijtraken with an object when reporting a lost personal item to another person or an office.

Je Je means you and is the person being advised to go to the lost property office. It is capitalized as Je at the beginning of the sentence and appears as lowercase je elsewhere. A reliable reuse pattern is Je moet ... gaan when advising someone to go somewhere.

moet Moet expresses should or must in Je moet naar het bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen gaan. It is followed here by the destination and the infinitive gaan. Use moeten + an infinitive when giving advice or stating that an action is necessary.

naar Naar indicates the destination in naar het bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen, meaning to the lost property office. It is used before the place someone should go to. Use naar + a place when describing movement toward a destination.

het Het is the definite article meaning the before bureau and personeel in the dialogue. It appears in het bureau and het personeel. A reliable reuse pattern is het + noun when referring to a specific place, group, or thing.

bureau Bureau means office here and forms part of the name of the lost property office. In bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen, it identifies the office or service desk where lost items are handled. Use bureau when directing someone to an office or desk.

voor Voor means for in voor gevonden voorwerpen and links the office with its purpose. The full phrase bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen identifies an office for found items. Use voor + a noun to indicate the intended purpose of a place or service.

gevonden Gevonden means found in bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen, referring to items that have been found. It is related to vinden and is used here as part of the label for the lost property office. The expression gevonden voorwerpen is useful when asking about items handed in after being found.

voorwerpen Voorwerpen means objects or items in gevonden voorwerpen. It refers to the physical belongings handled by the lost property office. Use gevonden voorwerpen when talking about items that someone has found and handed in.

gaan Gaan means go in the advice to go to the lost property office. It is the infinitive after moet in naar het bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen gaan. Use moeten ... gaan when telling someone that they should go to a particular place.

Kunnen Kunnen means can or be able to in the question about stopping the card from being used. It appears as Kunnen at the beginning of the question and as lowercase kunnen after ze. Use kunnen + an infinitive when asking whether someone is able to do something.

ze Ze means they and refers to the staff at the lost property office. It is the subject of ze kunnen voorkomen and is capitalized as Ze at the start of the following sentence. Use ze kunnen + an infinitive when describing what a group can do.

voorkomen Voorkomen means prevent in Kunnen ze voorkomen dat de kaart wordt gebruikt? The construction voorkomen dat introduces the result or event that someone wants to prevent. Use voorkomen dat + a clause when asking or explaining whether an unwanted action can be stopped.

kaart Kaart means card and refers to the travel card that may still be used. It appears as de kaart and as part of the phrase de kaart te blokkeren. Use kaart when identifying the card in a report, blocking request, or replacement request.

wordt Wordt is the passive auxiliary used in de kaart wordt gebruikt, meaning the card is or gets used. It combines with gebruikt to describe the card as the thing receiving the action. Use wordt + a past participle when describing an action done to an object.

gebruikt Gebruikt means used in de kaart wordt gebruikt. Together with wordt, it says that the card is being used rather than describing who uses it. Use wordt gebruikt when explaining that a card, device, or item is in use.

helpen Helpen means help in Ze kunnen je helpen een formulier in te vullen. It describes the staff assisting the person with completing the form and appears after kunnen as an infinitive. A reliable reuse pattern is iemand helpen + an action, especially when requesting assistance at an office.

een Een means a or an before formulier in een formulier in te vullen. It introduces one non-specific form that the person needs to complete. Use een + noun when mentioning an item for the first time or when it is not yet specifically identified.

formulier Formulier means form and is the document the staff help the person complete. It appears in een formulier in te vullen. Use formulier when asking for or completing an official document.

te Te marks the infinitive in in te vullen and om de kaart te blokkeren. It helps connect an action to constructions such as helpen or om ... te. Use te + an infinitive in a phrase describing an action to be carried out.

vullen Vullen contributes the meaning fill in in in te vullen, where in and vullen together describe completing a form. The full expression in te vullen is used after helpen. Use een formulier in te vullen when explaining that someone needs to complete a form.

om Om means in order to in om de kaart te blokkeren and introduces the purpose of the form. The complete purpose construction is om ... te + an infinitive. Use it when explaining why an action is being done, such as blocking a card.

blokkeren Blokkeren means block and describes preventing the card from being used. It appears in om de kaart te blokkeren, which states the purpose of completing the form. Use iets blokkeren when requesting that access to or use of something be stopped.

heb Heb means have in Ik heb mijn accountgegevens bij me. In this expression, it says that the speaker has the account details with them. Use Ik heb ... bij me when telling someone that you are carrying or have something available.

accountgegevens Accountgegevens means account details and refers to the information the speaker has available for the staff. It appears in mijn accountgegevens bij me. Use accountgegevens when providing identifying information connected with an account or service.

bij Bij means with or on one’s person in bij me, so Ik heb mijn accountgegevens bij me means that the speaker has the details with them. It forms the reusable expression iets bij me hebben. Use this expression when saying that you have an item available with you.

me Me means me and completes the expression bij me in Ik heb mijn accountgegevens bij me. It identifies the person who has the account details with them. Use bij me when explaining that something is currently with you.

Die Die means that in Die informatie and points back to the account details just mentioned. It identifies specific information already known in the conversation. Use die + a noun when referring to a particular item or information already under discussion.

informatie Informatie means information and refers to the account details that can help the staff. It is the subject in Die informatie helpt het personeel. Use informatie when explaining that details or facts will help someone handle a request.

helpt Helpt means helps in Die informatie helpt het personeel. It describes the effect of the information on the staff’s work. Use informatie helpt ... when explaining that provided details make a task easier for someone.

personeel Personeel means staff and refers to the people working at the lost property office. It appears in het personeel as the group helped by the information. Use het personeel when addressing or referring to employees at an office or service location.

Dan Dan means then and marks the next step in the speaker’s plan. In Dan vraag ik..., it links the next action to what was just discussed. Use Dan + a clause when describing what you will do next.

vraag Vraag means ask in both Dan vraag ik and Vraag dat eerst, but its function depends on the sentence: it means I ask in the first and gives the instruction ask in the second. The form is related to vragen. Use vraag of + a clause when asking whether something is the case, and Vraag ... when telling someone to ask.

of Of means whether or if in vraag ik of ik een nieuwe kaart moet aanvragen. It introduces the question the speaker plans to ask. Use vragen of + a clause when asking about an option, decision, or condition.

nieuwe Nieuwe means new and describes the replacement card in een nieuwe kaart. It comes directly before kaart. Use een nieuwe + noun when requesting or discussing a replacement item.

aanvragen Aanvragen means apply for or request in een nieuwe kaart moet aanvragen. It describes formally asking for a new card. Use iets aanvragen when requesting a service, document, or replacement item from an organization.

eerst Eerst means first and tells the listener to ask before taking the next step. In Vraag dat eerst, it sets the order of the actions. Use eerst with an action when saying what should be done before something else.

want Want means because and introduces the reason for asking first. It connects the instruction with the possibility that someone has handed in the card. Use want + a clause when giving a direct explanation for advice or a decision.

misschien Misschien means maybe or perhaps and marks the possibility that someone handed in the card. It appears before the clause misschien heeft iemand de kaart afgegeven. Use misschien + a clause when presenting something as possible but not certain.

heeft Heeft means has in misschien heeft iemand de kaart afgegeven. Together with afgegeven, it describes a completed action by someone whose identity is unknown. Use iemand heeft ... when reporting that an unspecified person may have done something.

iemand Iemand means someone and refers to an unknown person who may have handed in the card. It is the subject of iemand de kaart afgegeven with heeft. Use iemand + a verb when talking about an unspecified person who performed or may perform an action.

afgegeven Afgegeven means handed in in misschien heeft iemand de kaart afgegeven. It describes returning the card to an office or another responsible place. Use iets afgeven when saying that someone hands an item in or gives it to the appropriate person.

Grammar Points

in te vullen

een formulier in te vullen

uhn for-moo-LEER in tuh VIL-uh

to fill out a form

Bij een scheidbaar werkwoord komt te tussen het voorvoegsel en de werkwoordstam: invullen → in te vullen.

Dutch Vocabulary

blokkeren verb

blaw-KAY-ruh(n) to block

Ze kunnen je helpen een formulier in te vullen om de kaart te blokkeren.

bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen phrase

buh-ROH vohr KHAWN-duh(n) VOHR-vair-puhn lost property office

Je moet naar het bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen gaan.

denken verb

DENK-uh(n) to think denk

Ik denk dat ik mijn reiskaart in de trein ben kwijtgeraakt.

formulier noun

for-moo-LEER form

Ze kunnen je helpen een formulier in te vullen om de kaart te blokkeren.

gaan verb

KHAHN to go

Je moet naar het bureau voor gevonden voorwerpen gaan.

gebruiken verb

khuh-BROY-kuhn to use gebruikt

Kunnen ze voorkomen dat de kaart wordt gebruikt?

helpen verb

HELP-uh(n) to help

Ze kunnen je helpen een formulier in te vullen om de kaart te blokkeren.

invullen verb

IN-VIL-uh(n) to fill out in te vullen

Ze kunnen je helpen een formulier in te vullen om de kaart te blokkeren.

kwijtraken verb

KVITE-rah-kuhn to lose kwijtgeraakt

Ik denk dat ik mijn reiskaart in de trein ben kwijtgeraakt.

reiskaart noun

RICE-kaart travel card

Ik denk dat ik mijn reiskaart in de trein ben kwijtgeraakt.

trein noun

TRANE train

Ik denk dat ik mijn reiskaart in de trein ben kwijtgeraakt.

voorkomen verb

VOHR-koh-muhn to prevent; to stop

Kunnen ze voorkomen dat de kaart wordt gebruikt?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I have my account details with me.

Show Answer

Ik heb mijn accountgegevens bij me.

That information will help the staff.

Show Answer

Die informatie helpt het personeel.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

travel card

Show Answer

reiskaart

to help

Show Answer

helpen

train

Show Answer

trein

to go

Show Answer

gaan