A Short Coffee Break | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At work, two adults decide to save a file and take a short coffee break before returning to a report..

EN → NL / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use A Short Coffee Break to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ik verlies mijn concentratie.

ick vuh-LEES mine con-sen-TRAH-tsee. I am losing focus.
B

Laten we even weggaan en koffie halen.

LAH-tun vuh EH-vun WEKH-gahn en KOF-fee HAH-lun. Let's step away and get coffee.
A

Een korte pauze lijkt me goed.

ain KOR-tuh POW-zuh LAYKT muh KHOOT. A short break sounds helpful.
B

We kunnen ons uitrekken voordat we weer gaan zitten.

vuh KOO-nun uns OWT-REK-kun vohr-DAHT vuh VAIR gahn ZIT-tun. We can stretch before we sit down again.
A

Zullen we na de koffie teruggaan naar het rapport?

ZUL-lun vuh nah duh KOF-fee tuh-RUKH-gahn NAHR ut rah-PORT? Should we return to the report after coffee?
B

Dan kunnen we het volgende deel afmaken.

DAHN KOO-nun vuh ut VOL-ghun-duh DAYL AHF-MAH-kun. We can finish the next part then.
A

Ik sla het bestand op voordat we weggaan.

ick SLAH ut buh-STAHT OP vohr-DAHT vuh WEKH-gahn. I will save the file before we leave.
B

Sla het nu op, zodat we niets kwijtraken.

SLAH ut noo OP, soh-DAHT vuh NEETS KWHY-trah-kun. Save it now, so we do not lose anything.

Word by Word

Ik Ik means “I” and identifies the speaker in Ik verlies mijn concentratie. It is used as the subject before the action or state being described, such as when talking about your own work situation. You can use it whenever you speak about yourself.
verlies Verlies describes the speaker losing concentration in Ik verlies mijn concentratie. The form expresses the current problem of no longer keeping focus, and it is used with the thing that is being lost. This is useful when explaining a problem with attention or control.
mijn Mijn means “my” and shows that the concentration belongs to the speaker in mijn concentratie. It comes before the noun it identifies. Use it when referring to something connected to yourself, such as your concentration or your file.
concentratie Concentratie means “concentration” or “focus” in mijn concentratie. It names the mental ability that the speaker is losing, rather than the whole action of losing it. You can use it when discussing attention during work, study, or another task.
Laten Laten begins the suggestion Laten we even weggaan en koffie halen, meaning “Let’s”. Together with we, it invites both speakers to do the following actions. Use this form to suggest a shared activity or short change of plan.
we We means “we” and refers to both people in Laten we even weggaan en koffie halen. It shows that the suggested actions apply to the speaker and the other person together. You can use it as the subject when describing something a group will do.
even Even makes the suggested action sound brief or limited in time in even weggaan. It presents stepping away as a short interruption rather than a long absence. This is useful when suggesting a quick break or another brief action.
weggaan Weggaan means “to go away” or “to step away” in even weggaan. Here it describes leaving the current work position for a short break, and it follows Laten we as the suggested action. Use it when someone leaves a place or situation.
en En means “and” and links weggaan with koffie halen in the suggestion. It shows that the two actions belong together: stepping away and getting coffee. Use it to connect actions, people, or things in one sentence.
koffie Koffie means “coffee” in koffie halen. Here it is the thing the speakers plan to get during their break. You can use it with an action such as halen when talking about getting coffee for yourself or others.
halen Halen means “to get” or “to fetch” in koffie halen. It describes obtaining the coffee, not merely drinking it, and it appears as the second action after en. Use it when going somewhere to obtain a person or thing, including coffee.
Een Een means “a” or “an” in Een korte pauze. It introduces one short break without identifying a specific previously mentioned break. It comes before the adjective and noun in this phrase and is useful when introducing a new thing.
korte Korte means “short” and describes the limited length of the pauze in Een korte pauze. It comes before the noun it describes. Use it with a noun when you want to specify that something does not last long.
pauze Pauze means “break” in Een korte pauze. It refers to a period away from the current work, and korte specifies its length. You can use it when discussing a break from work, study, or another activity.
lijkt Lijkt presents the break as seeming or sounding good in Een korte pauze lijkt me goed. It links the suggested idea with the speaker’s evaluation, while me identifies the person holding that view. Use this form when giving a personal impression of a suggestion.
me Me means “to me” in lijkt me goed and identifies whose opinion is being expressed. It contributes the personal perspective to the phrase, while goed evaluates the idea. Use it in expressions that describe how something seems or feels to you.
goed Goed means “good” or “helpful” in lijkt me goed. It gives the proposed short break a positive evaluation, rather than naming the break itself. Use it to approve an idea or describe something as suitable or beneficial.
kunnen Kunnen means “can” or “be able to” in We kunnen ons uitrekken. It introduces an action that the two speakers are able or willing to do. Use it before another action when discussing what someone can do.
ons Ons means “ourselves” in ons uitrekken and refers back to we. It shows that the speakers stretch their own bodies. Use it with an action directed back at the people doing the action.
uitrekken Uitrekken means “to stretch” in ons uitrekken. With ons, it describes the speakers stretching themselves before sitting down again. You can use it when talking about loosening or extending your body during a break or after sitting for a while.
voordat Voordat means “before” and introduces the action that must happen first in voordat we weer gaan zitten. It sets the time relationship between stretching and sitting down again. Use it to connect one action with a later action that has not happened yet.
weer Weer means “again” in weer gaan zitten. It shows that the speakers will return to an action or state connected with sitting. Use it before an action when something is repeated or resumes.
gaan Gaan means “go” in the expression gaan zitten, which describes moving into the action of sitting down. Here it works together with zitten, so the complete expression supplies the meaning of sitting down. Use this combination when someone takes a seat again.
zitten Zitten means “sit” in gaan zitten and names the position the speakers will return to. It appears after gaan in the expression for sitting down. Use it when talking about being seated or taking a seat in this construction.
Zullen Zullen begins the question Zullen we na de koffie teruggaan naar het rapport? and makes it a suggestion about a shared future action. Together with we, it asks whether both speakers should do something. Use it when proposing or checking a plan with another person.
na Na means “after” in na de koffie and places the return after the coffee break. It is followed here by the event or thing that marks the time. Use it to say that one action happens later than another event.
de De means “the” in de koffie and identifies the coffee as a specific item or occasion in the conversation. It comes directly before koffie. Use it before a noun when the listener can identify which thing you mean.
teruggaan Teruggaan means “to return” or “to go back” in teruggaan naar het rapport. It describes going back to the earlier work after the break. Use it with naar and the destination when describing a return to a place, activity, or task.
naar Naar means “to” or “toward” in teruggaan naar het rapport. It marks the destination of the return, which here is the report. Use it after a movement expression when indicating where someone is going.
het Het means “the” in het rapport and identifies a specific report already relevant to the speakers. It comes before rapport in this phrase. Use it before a noun when the intended item is known from the situation or conversation.
rapport Rapport means “report” in het rapport. It is the work document to which the speakers plan to return after coffee. You can use it for a written work or school report being prepared, read, or completed.
Dan Dan means “then” in Dan kunnen we het volgende deel afmaken. It connects the next action with the earlier plan to return to the report. Use it at the start of a sentence to introduce what will happen at that time or as a result.
volgende Volgende means “next” or “following” in het volgende deel. It identifies the part that comes after the one currently being handled. Use it before a noun when referring to the next item in an order or sequence.
deel Deel means “part” in het volgende deel. It refers to one section of the report, and volgende specifies which section. Use it when dividing a document, task, or larger activity into sections.
afmaken Afmaken means “to finish” or “to complete” in het volgende deel afmaken. It describes bringing the next part to completion and follows kunnen in the sentence. Use it with the thing being completed, such as a part of a report or another task.
sla Sla means “save” in Ik sla het bestand op and in Sla het nu op. In the first sentence it describes the speaker’s planned saving action, while in the second it gives the other person a direct instruction. Use it when telling someone to save something, especially a file.
bestand Bestand means “file” in Ik sla het bestand op. It is the digital item that must be saved before the speakers leave. You can use it with saving, opening, or working on a document on a computer.
op Op completes the saving expression in sla het bestand op; it does not mean “up” by itself in this context. The thing being saved appears between sla and op, as in sla het bestand op. Use this expression when saving a file or another digital item.
nu Nu means “now” in Sla het nu op. It makes the instruction immediate and says the saving should happen at this moment. Use it when an action should happen without waiting.
zodat Zodat means “so that” and introduces the intended result in zodat we niets kwijtraken. Here it explains why the file should be saved immediately: the speakers want to avoid losing anything. Use it to connect an action with its purpose or expected result.
niets Niets means “nothing” in niets kwijtraken. In this context it refers to no files or other relevant things being lost, giving the sentence its negative meaning. Use it when saying that no thing is affected or lost.
kwijtraken Kwijtraken means “to lose” or “to mislay” in niets kwijtraken. It describes ending up without something that should still be available, such as saved work. Use it when talking about losing belongings, information, or files.

Grammar Points

opslaan: sla ... op

Ik sla het bestand nu op.

ick SLAH ut buh-STAHT noo OP.

I save the file now.

Bij een scheidbaar werkwoord staat het voorvoegsel aan het einde van de hoofdzin: sla ... op.

voordat + werkwoord achteraan

Voordat we weer gaan zitten.

vohr-DAHT vuh VAIR gahn ZIT-tun.

Before we sit down again.

Na voordat staat het werkwoord achteraan in de bijzin: voordat we weer gaan zitten.

Dutch Vocabulary

concentratie noun
con-sen-TRAH-tsee concentration

I am losing my concentration.

even adv
EH-vun for a moment; briefly

Let's step away for a moment and get coffee.

goed adj
KHOOT good; helpful

A short break seems helpful.

halen verb
HAH-lun to get; to fetch

Let's get coffee.

koffie noun
KOF-fee coffee

Let's get coffee.

kort adj
KORT short korte

A short break sounds helpful.

lijken verb
LAY-kun to seem; to appear lijkt

A short break seems good to me.

pauze noun
POW-zuh break

A short break sounds helpful.

verliezen verb
vuh-LEE-zun to lose verlies

I am losing my concentration.

voordat conj
vohr-DAHT before

Before we sit down again.

weggaan verb
WEKH-gahn to go away; to leave

Let's go away for a moment.

zich uitrekken verb
zikh OWT-REK-kun to stretch ons uitrekken

We can stretch before sitting down again.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I am losing focus.

Show AnswerIk verlies mijn concentratie.

A short break sounds helpful.

Show AnswerEen korte pauze lijkt me goed.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

break

Show Answerpauze

to go away; to leave

Show Answerweggaan

for a moment; briefly

Show Answereven

to seem; to appear

Show Answerlijkt