Explaining a grammar pattern | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: In a language classroom, two adults discuss a grammar pattern, why a verb form changes, and how to make another example..

EN → NL / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Explaining a grammar pattern to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Kun je dit grammaticapatroon nog een keer uitleggen?

Koon yuh dit grah-mah-TEE-kah-pah-TROHN nohkh uhn kayr OWT-lay-khuhn? Could you explain this grammar pattern again?
B

Het laat zien dat een handeling al klaar is.

Hut laht zeen daht uhn HAN-duh-ling ahl klahr iss. It shows that an action is already complete.
A

Waarom verandert het werkwoord in deze zin?

VAHR-uhm ver-AN-duhrt hut WERK-vohrt in DAY-zuh zin? Why does the verb change in this sentence?
B

De vorm verandert omdat de gebeurtenis voorbij is.

Duh vohrm ver-AN-duhrt om-DAHT duh khuh-BUR-tuh-niss vohr-BYE iss. The form changes because the event is finished.
A

Kun je me nog een voorbeeld geven?

Koon yuh muh nohkh uhn VOHR-baylt KHAY-vuhn? Can you give me another example?
B

Iemand deed het boek open vóór de les.

EE-mahnt dayt ut book OH-puhn vohr duh less. Someone opened the book before class.
A

Daardoor is het patroon gemakkelijker te begrijpen.

DAHR-dohr iss ut pah-TROHN khuh-MAH-kuh-luh-kur tuh buh-KHRAY-puhn. That makes the pattern easier to understand.
B

Probeer nu zelf een zin te maken.

Proh-BAYR nyoo zelf uhn zin tuh MAH-kuhn. Now try making your own sentence.

Word by Word

Kun In “Kun je dit grammaticapatroon nog een keer uitleggen?”, “Kun” means “can” and introduces a request. It is used with “je” and an infinitive, as in “Kun je … uitleggen?” when asking someone to do something.
je In “Kun je dit grammaticapatroon nog een keer uitleggen?”, “je” means “you” and refers to the person being asked. It appears directly after “Kun” in this request pattern.
dit In “dit grammaticapatroon”, “dit” means “this” and points to the grammar pattern being discussed. It comes before the noun it specifies.
grammaticapatroon “grammaticapatroon” means “grammar pattern” and identifies the language structure that the speaker wants explained. It is used as the object of “uitleggen” in “dit grammaticapatroon … uitleggen”.
nog In “nog een keer”, “nog” contributes the meaning “again” or “another time”; here it asks for a repeat. Together with “een keer”, it is useful when requesting that something happen once more.
een In “nog een keer”, “een” means “a” and forms the expression for “one more time” with “keer”. It also commonly comes before a singular noun.
keer In “nog een keer”, “keer” means “time” in the sense of an occasion or repetition. The expression “een keer” refers to one occurrence, and “nog een keer” asks for another.
uitleggen In “Kun je dit grammaticapatroon nog een keer uitleggen?”, “uitleggen” means “explain”. This infinitive follows “Kun je” and takes the thing being explained as its object.
Het At the start of “Het laat zien dat een handeling al klaar is”, “Het” means “it” and refers to the grammar pattern. It is the subject of the clause that explains what the pattern shows.
laat In “Het laat zien dat een handeling al klaar is”, “laat” contributes the idea of letting or causing something to be seen. With “zien”, the exact phrase means “shows”; “laten zien” is a useful expression for presenting information.
zien In “Het laat zien dat een handeling al klaar is”, “zien” means “see”, but with “laat” the phrase “laat zien” means “shows”. The phrase can introduce information about what something demonstrates.
dat In “laat zien dat een handeling al klaar is”, “dat” introduces the information being shown: that the action is complete. It is useful for connecting a statement with its explanation or result.
handeling “handeling” means “action” in “een handeling al klaar is”. It names the action whose completion is being discussed and appears after “een”.
al In “al klaar”, “al” means “already” and shows that the action is complete by the relevant point. It commonly comes before the word describing the resulting state.
klaar In “een handeling al klaar is”, “klaar” means “complete” or “finished”. With “is”, it describes the action as being in a completed state.
is In “een handeling al klaar is”, “is” means “is” and links “een handeling” with the state “klaar”. It also appears at the end of the clause introduced by “dat”.
Waarom “Waarom” means “why” and asks for a reason in “Waarom verandert het werkwoord in deze zin?”. It is placed at the beginning of this question.
verandert In “Waarom verandert het werkwoord in deze zin?”, “verandert” means “changes”. It describes what the verb does in the sentence and follows the question word “Waarom”.
werkwoord “werkwoord” means “verb” and identifies the language element whose form is being discussed. In “het werkwoord”, it is the subject of “verandert”.
in In “in deze zin”, “in” means “in” and locates the verb within the sentence. It is followed here by the phrase “deze zin”.
deze In “deze zin”, “deze” means “this” and points to the sentence under discussion. It comes directly before the noun “zin”.
zin In “deze zin”, “zin” means “sentence”. Together, “in deze zin” identifies the sentence where the verb changes.
De At the start of “De vorm verandert omdat de gebeurtenis voorbij is”, “De” means “the” and introduces “vorm”. It is the article used with that noun in this dialogue.
vorm “vorm” means “form” in “De vorm verandert”. It refers to the particular form of the language element, and it is the subject of “verandert”.
omdat “omdat” means “because” and introduces the reason for the change: “omdat de gebeurtenis voorbij is”. It is useful for connecting a result with its cause.
gebeurtenis “gebeurtenis” means “event” in “de gebeurtenis voorbij is”. It identifies the event whose completion explains why the form changes.
voorbij In “de gebeurtenis voorbij is”, “voorbij” means “over” or “finished”. With “is”, it describes the event as no longer continuing.
me In “Kun je me nog een voorbeeld geven?”, “me” means “me” and identifies the person receiving the example. It is placed before “een voorbeeld” in this request for someone to give something to the speaker.
voorbeeld “voorbeeld” means “example” in “me nog een voorbeeld geven”. It is the thing the speaker asks to receive and follows “een”.
geven In “Kun je me nog een voorbeeld geven?”, “geven” means “give”. It is the infinitive used after “Kun je” and takes “me” as the recipient and “een voorbeeld” as the thing given.
Iemand At the start of “Iemand deed het boek open vóór de les”, “Iemand” means “someone”. It identifies an unspecified person who opened the book.
deed In “Iemand deed het boek open”, “deed” is the form used for “did” and works with “open” to express opening the book. The phrase “deed het boek open” describes the completed action involving the book.
boek “boek” means “book” in “het boek”. It is the object that someone opened, and it follows the article “het”.
open In “deed het boek open”, “open” means “open” and completes the expression describing the book being opened. It appears after the object in this expression.
vóór In “vóór de les”, “vóór” means “before” and places the opening earlier than the class. It is followed by the time reference “de les”.
les “les” means “class” or “lesson” in “vóór de les”. The phrase identifies the event that had not yet begun when the book was opened.
Daardoor “Daardoor” means “because of that” or “as a result” in “Daardoor is het patroon gemakkelijker te begrijpen”. It refers back to the explanation or example and introduces its effect.
patroon “patroon” means “pattern” in “het patroon”. Here it refers back to the grammar pattern discussed in the lesson and is the subject of “is … gemakkelijker te begrijpen”.
gemakkelijker “gemakkelijker” means “easier” in “gemakkelijker te begrijpen”. It compares the effort needed to understand the pattern after the explanation.
te In “gemakkelijker te begrijpen”, “te” marks the infinitive phrase meaning “to understand”. It appears directly before the infinitive “begrijpen” after an expression describing ease or difficulty.
begrijpen In “gemakkelijker te begrijpen”, “begrijpen” means “understand”. Together with “te”, it describes what has become easier: understanding the pattern.
Probeer At the start of “Probeer nu zelf een zin te maken”, “Probeer” means “try” and gives the learner an instruction. It is followed here by “te maken” to name the action to attempt.
nu In “Probeer nu zelf een zin te maken”, “nu” means “now” and tells the learner when to begin. It appears after “Probeer” and before the rest of the instruction.
zelf In “Probeer nu zelf een zin te maken”, “zelf” means “yourself” or “on your own” and emphasizes that the learner should create the sentence personally. It adds emphasis to the person carrying out the action.
maken In “Probeer nu zelf een zin te maken”, “maken” means “make” and refers to creating a sentence. It is used after “te” in the construction “te maken”, which states what the learner should try to do.

Grammar Points

omdat + onderwerp + werkwoord

omdat iemand een handeling deed

om-DAHT EE-mahnt uhn HAN-duh-ling dayt

because someone did an action

In a clause with omdat, the conjugated verb moves to the end.

te + infinitief

gemakkelijker te begrijpen

khuh-MAH-kuh-luh-kur tuh buh-KHRAY-puhn

easier to understand

Use te before an infinitive after an adjective such as gemakkelijker.

Dutch Vocabulary

al adv
ahl already
dit det
dit this
grammaticapatroon noun
grah-mah-TEE-kah-pah-TROHN grammar pattern
handeling noun
HAN-duh-ling action
klaar adj
klahr complete; ready
laten zien phrase
LAH-tuhn zeen to show laat zien
nog een keer phrase
nohkh uhn kayr again; one more time
uitleggen verb
OWT-lay-khuhn to explain
veranderen verb
ver-AN-duh-run to change verandert
waarom adv
VAHR-uhm why
werkwoord noun
WERK-vohrt verb
zin noun
zin sentence

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to explain

Show Answeruitleggen

complete; ready

Show Answerklaar

why

Show Answerwaarom

action

Show Answerhandeling