About This Lesson
Use Planning a quiet dinner together to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Wil je samen gaan eten?
vihl yuh SAH-mun gahn AY-tun? Would you like to have dinner together?
B
Dat lijkt me leuk. Een rustig etentje klinkt fijn.
daht LAYKT muh LURK. uhn RUS-tukh AY-tun-chuh klinkt fayn. I'd like that. A quiet dinner sounds nice.
A
Zal ik een rustige plek kiezen?
zahl ik uhn RUS-tuh-khuh plek KEE-zun? Should I choose a calm place?
B
Een rustige plek zou ons helpen om te praten.
uhn RUS-tuh-khuh plek zow ons HEL-pun um tuh PRAH-tun. Somewhere quiet would help us talk.
A
Heb je liever eenvoudig eten of iets nieuws?
hep yuh LEE-vur AY-vun-dikh AY-tun of eets NEEWS? Do you prefer simple food or something new?
B
Ik kies vanavond liever iets vertrouwds.
ik KEEZ vah-NAH-vunt LEE-vur eets truh-FOWTS. I would rather choose something familiar tonight.
A
Ik kan een tafel reserveren bij een restaurant in de buurt.
ik kahn uhn TAH-fuhl ray-zur-VAY-run bay uhn res-tow-RAHNT in duh BURT. I can reserve a table at a nearby restaurant.
B
Stuur me de details als je kunt.
STUUR muh duh day-TAYLS ahls yuh kunt. Please send me the details when you can.Word by Word
Wil
In 'Wil je samen gaan eten?' Wil asks whether the other person wants to do something, so it makes an invitation. The citation form is willen; Wil is the form used here at the start of the question. Reuse the pattern 'Wil je + infinitive?' when asking about someone's wish.
je
In 'Wil je samen gaan eten?' je identifies the person being addressed. It is the form for 'you' in this direct question. Reuse 'Wil je ...?' when asking someone directly about an activity.
samen
In 'Wil je samen gaan eten?' samen means that the speaker and the other person will do the activity together. It emphasizes joint participation. Reuse samen with an activity when proposing to do it with another person.
gaan
In 'samen gaan eten', gaan contributes the idea of going to do the activity, while eten names the activity; together, the phrase proposes having dinner. Reuse the pattern gaan + infinitive for going to do something.
eten
In 'samen gaan eten?', eten names the activity of eating or having a meal. With gaan, it is the activity being proposed. Reuse eten when talking about eating or having a meal.
Dat
In 'Dat lijkt me leuk', Dat refers back to the suggested dinner and means that proposal or activity. It lets the speaker respond to the previous suggestion without repeating it. Reuse Dat to refer to something just mentioned.
lijkt
In 'Dat lijkt me leuk', lijkt presents the suggested dinner as seeming nice to the speaker. The citation form is lijken; lijkt is the exact dialogue form used here. Reuse the pattern 'Dat lijkt me + adjective' when giving your impression of a suggestion.
me
In 'Dat lijkt me leuk', me identifies the person to whom the impression is pleasant: the speaker. In 'Stuur me de details', it identifies the recipient. Reuse me after a verb when referring to the speaker as the affected person or recipient.
leuk
In 'Dat lijkt me leuk', leuk evaluates the suggested dinner as nice or enjoyable. It gives a positive response to the proposal. Reuse 'lijkt me leuk' to say that an idea sounds enjoyable.
Een
Een introduces the non-specific dinner in 'Een rustig etentje'. It is capitalized because it begins the sentence; the same article appears lowercase as 'een' elsewhere in the dialogue. Reuse een before a noun when introducing one non-specific thing.
rustig
In 'Een rustig etentje', rustig describes the dinner as calm and quiet. It helps specify the kind of dinner being proposed. Reuse rustig before a noun when describing a calm setting or activity.
etentje
In 'Een rustig etentje', etentje names the planned dinner as a social meal or occasion. It is useful when discussing arranging a meal with another person. Reuse 'een rustig etentje' when suggesting a calm dinner.
klinkt
In 'Een rustig etentje klinkt fijn', klinkt says that the proposed dinner gives a pleasant impression. The citation form is klinken; klinkt is the exact dialogue form used here. Reuse the pattern subject + klinkt fijn when saying that an idea sounds pleasant.
fijn
In 'Een rustig etentje klinkt fijn', fijn describes the proposed dinner as pleasant or agreeable. It completes the positive evaluation of the suggestion. Reuse fijn after klinkt when an idea sounds pleasant.
Zal
In 'Zal ik een rustige plek kiezen?', Zal introduces a suggestion about what the speaker should do. The citation form is zullen; Zal is the sentence-initial form used here. Reuse the pattern 'Zal ik + infinitive?' when offering to take an action.
ik
In 'Zal ik een rustige plek kiezen?' and 'Ik kan een tafel reserveren', ik refers to the speaker. It marks the person offering to choose or reserve something. Reuse ik when describing your own action or offer.
rustige
In 'een rustige plek', rustige describes plek as calm or quiet. It is the form used before plek in this noun phrase, while rustig appears before etentje. Reuse 'een rustige plek' when suggesting a calm location.
plek
In 'een rustige plek', plek means a place or location for the dinner. It is the location being chosen. Reuse plek after a description when talking about a possible place to go.
kiezen
In 'een rustige plek kiezen', kiezen means to select a place. It follows Zal in the question and remains in this infinitive form. Reuse 'Zal ik ... kiezen?' when offering to select something.
zou
In 'zou ons helpen om te praten', zou presents the benefit as a possible or expected result. The citation form is zullen; zou is the dialogue form used here. Reuse the pattern zou + infinitive when describing a possible result.
ons
In 'zou ons helpen om te praten', ons identifies the people who would receive the help: the speaker and the other person. It means us in this shared situation. Reuse ons with a verb when an action affects the speaker and another person.
helpen
In 'ons helpen om te praten', helpen means making it easier for the two people to talk. The citation form and dialogue form are both helpen. Reuse 'helpen om te praten' when describing something that makes conversation easier.
om
In 'om te praten', om introduces the activity connected with the help. Together with te praten, it links the help to its purpose or result. Reuse om before te + infinitive in this kind of construction.
te
In 'om te praten', te marks praten as the infinitive connected to the preceding expression. It works together with om rather than carrying the whole meaning alone. Reuse te before an infinitive in a construction such as om te praten.
praten
In 'om te praten', praten means to talk or have a conversation. It names the activity that the quiet place would help with. Reuse praten when discussing conversation with another person.
Heb
In 'Heb je liever eenvoudig eten of iets nieuws?', Heb begins a question asking which option the listener prefers. The citation form is hebben; Heb is the sentence-initial form used here. Reuse the pattern 'Heb je liever X of Y?' when asking someone to choose between preferences.
liever
In 'Heb je liever eenvoudig eten of iets nieuws?' liever marks the preferred option. It asks whether one choice is more desirable than the other. Reuse liever when expressing or asking about a preference.
eenvoudig
In 'eenvoudig eten', eenvoudig describes the food as simple or uncomplicated. It is one of the two choices being compared. Reuse eenvoudig before a noun when describing something as simple.
of
In 'eenvoudig eten of iets nieuws', of connects the two alternatives. It means or and presents a choice. Reuse of between options in a question or statement.
iets
In 'iets nieuws' and 'iets vertrouwds', iets means something without naming the exact thing. It is followed by a description of that unspecified thing. Reuse the pattern iets + adjective when referring to an unspecified item with a quality.
nieuws
In 'iets nieuws', nieuws means something new rather than news as information. The base adjective is nieuw; nieuws is the form used after iets in this dialogue. Reuse nieuws after iets when describing an unspecified new option.
kies
In 'Ik kies vanavond liever iets vertrouwds', kies states that the speaker chooses the familiar option. The citation form is kiezen; kies is the exact dialogue form used with ik. Reuse 'Ik kies liever ...' when stating your preferred choice.
vanavond
In 'Ik kies vanavond liever iets vertrouwds', vanavond places the choice in the evening of the current day. It gives the timing for the dinner decision. Reuse vanavond as a time word when talking about plans for tonight.
vertrouwds
In 'iets vertrouwds', vertrouwds describes something as familiar or known to the speaker. The base adjective is vertrouwd; vertrouwds is the form used after iets in this dialogue. Reuse vertrouwds after iets when choosing an unspecified familiar option.
kan
In 'Ik kan een tafel reserveren', kan expresses that the speaker is able or willing to make the reservation. The citation form is kunnen; kan is the dialogue form used with ik. Reuse 'Ik kan + infinitive' when offering or describing an ability to do something.
tafel
In 'een tafel reserveren', tafel means the table being booked at the restaurant. It is the object of the reservation. Reuse 'een tafel reserveren' when arranging seating at a restaurant.
reserveren
In 'een tafel reserveren', reserveren means to reserve or book a table. It follows kan in 'Ik kan een tafel reserveren' and remains in the infinitive form. Reuse reserveren with a table or another service that needs to be booked.
bij
In 'bij een restaurant in de buurt', bij marks the restaurant as the place where the table will be reserved. It contributes the location relation in the phrase. Reuse bij with a place when specifying where an activity or arrangement takes place.
restaurant
In 'bij een restaurant in de buurt', restaurant names the place where the dinner will happen. It is the location connected by bij. Reuse restaurant when discussing eating out or reserving a table.
in
In 'in de buurt', in is part of the expression that locates the restaurant in the nearby area. The whole phrase means nearby or in the neighborhood. Reuse 'in de buurt' when describing a place close to the speaker or listener.
de
In 'in de buurt', de introduces the specific noun buurt. It is the definite article used in this location expression. Reuse de before a noun when referring to a specific thing or place.
buurt
In 'in de buurt', buurt means the nearby area or neighborhood. The expression is used to say that the restaurant is close by. Reuse 'in de buurt' when talking about something located nearby.
Stuur
In 'Stuur me de details als je kunt', Stuur is a direct request to send something. The citation form is sturen; Stuur is the sentence-initial form used here. Reuse the pattern 'Stuur me + thing' when asking someone to send you something.
details
In 'Stuur me de details', details means the specific information about the dinner arrangement. The definite article shows that the speaker has particular information in mind. Reuse details when asking for or sharing information about a plan.
als
In 'als je kunt', als introduces the condition or time at which the sending can happen. Here it gives the request flexibility: send the information when or if possible. Reuse als before a clause that sets a condition or timing.
kunt
In 'als je kunt', kunt means can or are able to. The citation form is kunnen; kunt is the form used after je in this clause. Reuse 'je kunt + infinitive' when talking about another person's ability or possibility.
Grammar Points
gaan + infinitief
samen gaan eten
SAH-mun gahn AY-tunto have dinner together
Gaan gevolgd door een infinitief drukt uit dat je iets gaat doen.
iets + bijvoeglijk naamwoord op -s
iets nieuws; iets vertrouwds
eets NEEWS; eets truh-FOWTSsomething new; something familiar
Na iets krijgt een zelfstandig gebruikt bijvoeglijk naamwoord vaak de uitgang -s.
Dutch Vocabulary
eenvoudig
adj
AY-vun-dikh
simple
etentje
noun
AY-tun-chuh
dinner; meal
helpen
verb
HEL-pun
to help
kiezen
verb
KEE-zun
to choose
klinkt
verb
klinkt
sounds
leuk
adj
LURK
nice; fun
liever
adv
LEE-vur
rather; preferably
ons
pron
ons
us
plek
noun
plek
place
praten
verb
PRAH-tun
to talk
rustig
adj
RUS-tukh
quiet; calm
samen gaan eten
phrase
SAH-mun gahn AY-tun
to have dinner together
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Would you like to have dinner together?
Show Answer
Wil je samen gaan eten?Should I choose a calm place?
Show Answer
Zal ik een rustige plek kiezen?I would rather choose something familiar tonight.
Show Answer
Ik kies vanavond liever iets vertrouwds.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
sounds
Show Answer
klinktquiet; calm
Show Answer
rustigto choose
Show Answer
kiezendinner; meal