Returning to Work with Better Focus | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: After a break at work, two adults return to a file, a chart section, and team comments with better focus..

EN → NL / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Returning to Work with Better Focus to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ik voel me nu frisser.

ik FOOL muh nyoo FRIH-suhr. I feel more refreshed now.
B

Laten we beginnen met het belangrijkste deel.

LAH-tun wuh buh-GHIH-nun met ut buh-LAHNG-rike-stuh dayl. Let's start with the part that matters most.
A

Zullen we verdergaan bij het gedeelte met de grafiek?

ZUH-lun wuh VAIR-der-ghahn bay ut guh-DAYL-tuh met duh ghrah-FEEK? Should we continue from the chart section?
B

Dat deel vraagt de meeste aandacht.

daht dayl VRAHKT duh MAY-stuh AHN-dahkht. That part needs the most focus.
A

Ik open het bestand en kijk het na.

ik OH-pun ut buh-STAHNT en kike ut nah. I'll open the file and check it.
B

Ik lees de opmerkingen van het team terwijl jij de grafiek bekijkt.

ik lays duh OP-mair-king-un vahn ut taym ter-WILE yay duh ghrah-FEEK buh-KITE. I'll read the team comments while you check the chart.
A

Ik kan de details nu beter volgen.

ik kahn duh DAY-tahls noo BAY-tur VOHL-ghun. I can follow the details better now.
B

Door de pauze voelt het werk lichter.

dohr duh POW-zuh foolt ut VAIRK LIHKH-tur. The break made the work feel lighter.

Word by Word

Ik Ik means “I” and is the speaker in “Ik voel me nu frisser.” It commonly comes before the verb, as in “Ik open het bestand” in the dialogue.
voel Voel means “feel” in “Ik voel me nu frisser.” It is used with me to describe the speaker’s physical or emotional state, as in the reusable pattern “Ik voel me + description.”
me Me refers back to Ik in “Ik voel me nu frisser” and helps express how the speaker feels. A reusable pattern is “Ik voel me + description” when describing your own state.
nu Nu means “now” and places the feeling in the present moment in “Ik voel me nu frisser.” It can be used before or after other parts of a sentence to mark what is happening at this time.
frisser Frisser means “more refreshed” in “Ik voel me nu frisser,” comparing the speaker’s current state with the state before the break. It can be used after voel me to describe an improved feeling after rest.
Laten Laten begins “Laten we beginnen...” and is used with we to suggest an action that the speakers will do together. The reusable pattern “Laten we + action” is useful when proposing what to do next.
we We means “we” in “Laten we beginnen met het belangrijkste deel” and refers to the speakers together. It is used with Laten to make a joint suggestion.
beginnen Beginnen means “begin” or “start” in “Laten we beginnen met het belangrijkste deel.” After Laten we, it names the action being suggested; a common pattern is “beginnen met + thing.”
met Met means “with” and introduces what the speakers will start with in “beginnen met het belangrijkste deel.” It commonly connects beginnen to the task or thing that comes first.
het Het is the article “the” before “belangrijkste deel” in “het belangrijkste deel.” Here it introduces the specific part the speakers want to start with.
belangrijkste Belangrijkste means “most important” in “het belangrijkste deel.” It describes deel and identifies the part with the highest priority; the reusable pattern is “het belangrijkste + noun.”
deel Deel means “part” in “het belangrijkste deel,” referring to one section of the work. It can be used after an adjective to identify a particular part, as in the dialogue form “het belangrijkste deel.”
Zullen Zullen begins “Zullen we verdergaan...?” and is used here to ask whether the speakers should continue together. The pattern “Zullen we + action?” is useful for making a suggestion or proposal.
verdergaan Verdergaan means “continue” or “go on” in “Zullen we verdergaan bij het gedeelte met de grafiek?” It names the action after Zullen we; a reusable pattern is “verdergaan bij + point or section.”
bij Bij means “at” in “verdergaan bij het gedeelte met de grafiek” and identifies the section where the work will continue. It can introduce the point, place, or section connected with continuing.
gedeelte Gedeelte means “section” or “part” in “het gedeelte met de grafiek.” It identifies a specific section of the material and can be followed by details that say which section it is.
de De is the article “the” before “grafiek” in “de grafiek.” Here it introduces the specific chart the speakers are discussing.
grafiek Grafiek means “chart” or “graph” in “het gedeelte met de grafiek.” It names the visual section that one speaker will check, and it can be used after “de” when referring to a specific chart.
Dat Dat means “that” in “Dat deel vraagt de meeste aandacht” and points to the part just discussed. The reusable pattern “Dat + noun” identifies a particular thing already in the conversation.
vraagt Vraagt means “requires” in “Dat deel vraagt de meeste aandacht.” It says that the part needs a certain amount of attention; a reusable pattern is “something vraagt aandacht.”
meeste Meeste means “most” in “de meeste aandacht,” referring to the greatest amount of attention. It is used in the pattern “de meeste + noun” when identifying the highest amount or degree.
aandacht Aandacht means “attention” or “focus” in “Dat deel vraagt de meeste aandacht.” It is the attention that the part requires, and it commonly appears after “vraagt” in the pattern “aandacht vragen.”
open Open means “open” in “Ik open het bestand en kijk het na.” It names the first action applied to the file; a reusable pattern is “Ik open + object.”
bestand Bestand means “file” in “Ik open het bestand.” It names the work document that the speaker will open and check, and it can follow an action such as open.
en En means “and” and links the two actions in “Ik open het bestand en kijk het na.” It is used to connect actions or statements that belong together.
kijk Kijk is used with na in “kijk het na” to mean “check” or “review” the file. The reusable pattern is “kijk + object + na,” with the object placed between kijk and na.
na Na completes the construction “kijk het na,” which means “check it” or “review it” here. In this expression, the reusable pattern keeps the object between kijk and na: “kijk + object + na.”
lees Lees means “read” in “Ik lees de opmerkingen van het team.” It names the action the speaker will perform on the comments; a reusable pattern is “Ik lees + text or information.”
opmerkingen Opmerkingen means “comments” or “remarks” in “de opmerkingen van het team.” It names the written input from the team and can be followed by “van + group” to identify whose comments they are.
van Van means “of” or “from” in “de opmerkingen van het team,” marking the team as the source or group connected with the comments. The reusable pattern is “opmerkingen van + person or group.”
team Team means “team” in “het team” within “de opmerkingen van het team.” It identifies the group whose comments are being read and can follow “van” to show association or source.
terwijl Terwijl means “while” and connects the two actions in “terwijl jij de grafiek bekijkt.” It introduces an action happening at the same time as the main action.
jij Jij means “you” in “terwijl jij de grafiek bekijkt” and identifies the person checking the chart. It is used as the subject of the clause introduced by terwijl.
bekijkt Bekijkt means “looks at” or “checks” in “jij de grafiek bekijkt.” In this terwijl-clause, the verb appears at the end; the pattern is “terwijl + subject + object + bekijkt.”
kan Kan means “can” or “is able to” in “Ik kan de details nu beter volgen.” It is followed by the action volgen, giving the pattern “kan + action” to express ability.
details Details means “details” in “Ik kan de details nu beter volgen.” It names the specific information the speaker can understand or keep up with, and it can be used as the object of volgen.
beter Beter means “better” in “Ik kan de details nu beter volgen,” showing that following the details is easier than before. It can be placed before the action in the pattern “beter volgen.”
volgen Volgen means “follow” or “keep up with” in “de details nu beter volgen.” Here it means understanding the details as they are reviewed; a reusable pattern is “kan + information + volgen.”
Door Door means “because of” in “Door de pauze voelt het werk lichter” and introduces the reason for the change. The reusable pattern is “Door + cause,” followed by the result.
pauze Pauze means “break” in “Door de pauze,” referring to the pause that came before returning to the work. It can follow door when explaining that a break caused an effect.
voelt Voelt means “feels” in “voelt het werk lichter.” It describes how the work seems to the speaker after the break; a reusable pattern is “something voelt + description.”
werk Werk means “work” in “het werk,” referring to the task the speakers return to. It is the subject of “voelt het werk lichter” and can be described by an adjective.
lichter Lichter means “lighter” in “voelt het werk lichter,” where the work feels less difficult or burdensome after the break. It can follow voelt to describe how a task seems.

Grammar Points

Zullen we + infinitief?

Zullen we verdergaan?

ZUH-lun wuh FAIR-der-ghahn?

Shall we continue?

Use “Zullen we” followed by an infinitive to make a suggestion or proposal.

Dutch Vocabulary

beginnen verb
buh-GHIH-nun start; begin

Laten we beginnen met het belangrijkste deel.

belangrijkste adj
buh-LAHNG-rike-stuh most important

Laten we beginnen met het belangrijkste deel.

deel noun
dayl part

Laten we beginnen met het belangrijkste deel.

frisser adj
FRIH-suhr fresher

Ik voel me nu frisser.

gedeelte noun
guh-DAYL-tuh section; part

Zullen we verdergaan bij het gedeelte met de grafiek?

grafiek noun
ghrah-FEEK chart; graph

Zullen we verdergaan bij het gedeelte met de grafiek?

meeste adj
MAY-stuh most

Dat deel vraagt de meeste aandacht.

nu adv
nyoo now

Ik voel me nu frisser.

verdergaan verb
VAIR-der-ghahn continue; carry on

Zullen we verdergaan bij het gedeelte met de grafiek?

voel verb
fool feel

Ik voel me nu frisser.

vraagt verb
VRAHKT asks for; requires

Dat deel vraagt de meeste aandacht.

Zullen we phrase
ZUH-lun wuh shall we; should we

Zullen we verdergaan bij het gedeelte met de grafiek?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I feel more refreshed now.

Show AnswerIk voel me nu frisser.

That part needs the most focus.

Show AnswerDat deel vraagt de meeste aandacht.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

continue; carry on

Show Answerverdergaan

part

Show Answerdeel

start; begin

Show Answerbeginnen

fresher

Show Answerfrisser