Returning to Work with Better Focus | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ik voel me nu frisser.

   I feel more refreshed now.

   Ik

   I

   voel me

   feel

   nu

   now

   frisser

   more refreshed

   More detail

   Ik is the first-person singular subject pronoun, meaning “I.” It identifies the speaker as the person experiencing the feeling. Example: Ik ben moe. — “I am tired.” voel me combines the present-tense form voel of voelen (“to feel”) with the reflexive pronoun me (“myself” in this use). Together, it expresses the speaker’s own physical or emotional state: “I feel.” The form voel is used with ik; other subjects use different present-tense forms, such as jij voelt — “you feel.” Example: Ik voel me beter. — “I feel better.” nu means “now” and places the feeling at the present moment. It can occur in other sentences as a time word, as in Nu begin ik. — “Now I am starting.” frisser is the comparative form of the adjective fris, “fresh” or, for a person’s condition, “refreshed.” The ending -er makes a comparison: fris → frisser, literally “fresher” or “more refreshed.” Here it describes how the speaker feels now, without stating what the comparison is against. Example: Na de pauze voel ik me frisser. — “After the break, I feel more refreshed.” Together, Ik voel me gives “I feel,” nu specifies “now,” and frisser describes the speaker’s current condition as more refreshed. The complete meaning is: “I feel more refreshed now.”

2. Laten we beginnen met het belangrijkste deel.

   Let's start with the part that matters most.

   Laten we

   let’s

   beginnen

   begin; start

   belangrijkste

   most important

   deel

   part

   More detail

   Laten we is the reusable Dutch pattern for making a suggestion: laten we + an infinitive means “let’s …”. Here, we is the proposed subject, and laten is part of this fixed suggestion pattern rather than a request to let something go. Example: Laten we wachten. — “Let’s wait.” beginnen is the infinitive “to begin” or “to start.” After laten we, Dutch uses the infinitive: Laten we beginnen. — “Let’s start.” The verb can also appear in other forms, such as ik begin (“I begin”) and we begonnen (“we began”). belangrijkste means “most important” here. It is the superlative form of the adjective belangrijk (“important”): belangrijk → belangrijker (“more important”) → belangrijkste (“most important”). In het belangrijkste deel, the superlative modifies deel; it is not the base form of the noun. deel means “part” or “section.” It is a neuter noun, which is why this definite noun phrase uses het: het deel — “the part.” In this sentence, deel refers to a part or section without further specifying its nature. Together, met het belangrijkste deel means “with the most important part.” The preposition met combines with the noun phrase to show the point or section where the starting action begins. The full utterance is therefore Laten we beginnen (“Let’s start”) + met het belangrijkste deel (“with the most important part”): “Let’s start with the part that matters most.”

3. Zullen we verdergaan bij het gedeelte met de grafiek?

   Should we continue from the chart section?

   Zullen we

   shall we …?

   verdergaan

   continue; proceed

   bij

   at; by

   gedeelte

   section; part

   grafiek

   chart; graph

   More detail

   Zullen we begins a proposal framed as a question: “shall we …?” In this utterance, zullen is the present form used with we to suggest a joint action, rather than to assert that the action will definitely happen. Reusable pattern: Zullen we + infinitive? Example: Zullen we beginnen? — “Shall we begin?” verdergaan means to continue or proceed. It is an infinitive here, following zullen. In ordinary present-tense wording, the same verb appears as we gaan verder — “we continue” or “we go on.” The word is written as one infinitive, while the corresponding present-tense expression separates gaan and verder. bij marks the relevant point, place, or section. Here it introduces the section from which the speakers propose continuing; its exact contribution combines with the following noun phrase rather than meaning a general “at” in isolation. gedeelte means “part” or “section.” With het, it forms the definite noun phrase het gedeelte, “the section.” The phrase het gedeelte met ... identifies the section by what it contains or is associated with. grafiek means “chart” or “graph.” In de grafiek, it is a common-gender noun with the definite article de. The preposition met means “with” and links de grafiek to het gedeelte: literally, the section with the chart. Together, bij het gedeelte met de grafiek specifies the chart section as the point from which to continue. Thus Zullen we verdergaan bij het gedeelte met de grafiek? asks, “Should we continue from the chart section?”

4. Dat deel vraagt de meeste aandacht.

   That part needs the most focus.

   Dat

   that

   deel

   part; section

   vraagt

   needs

   meeste

   most

   aandacht

   attention; focus

   More detail

   Dat means “that” here and points to a specific part already identifiable in the situation. It is the neuter singular demonstrative used with deel: dat deel (“that part”). The nearby contrast is dit deel (“this part”); deze is used with a common-gender singular noun or with plural nouns. deel is a noun meaning “part” or “section.” Its plural is delen. The related noun gedeelte can also mean “section,” but it is a different word, not the base form of deel. vraagt is the present-tense form of vragen (“to ask” or “to require/need”) for a third-person singular subject. In this sentence, vragen has the sense “need” or “require,” not “ask a question”: Dat deel vraagt ... = “That part needs ...” Compare ik vraag (“I ask/need”) and het vraagt (“it asks/needs”). meeste expresses the highest degree: veel (“much/many”) → meer (“more”) → meest (“most”). Before a noun in this phrase, it appears as meeste: de meeste aandacht (“the most attention”). This is a superlative, not merely a comparison between two parts. aandacht is a noun meaning “attention.” In de meeste aandacht, it refers to the focus or care required, so the natural meaning is “the most focus.” Aandacht is a de-word: de aandacht. Together, dat deel is the subject, vraagt says that it requires something, and de meeste aandacht identifies the greatest amount of attention required. The complete utterance is: “That part needs the most focus.”

5. Ik open het bestand en kijk het na.

   I'll open the file and check it.

   Ik

   I

   open

   open

   bestand

   file

   en

   and

   kijk … na

   check

   More detail

   Ik means “I” here: the first-person singular subject pronoun. It is used for the speaker, regardless of the speaker’s gender. For example, Ik lees. means “I read” or “I am reading,” depending on context. open is the present-tense form of openen, “to open.” With ik, Dutch uses the verb stem: ik open. The same verb has the infinitive openen; the final -en is not used in this form. Example: Ik open de deur. — “I open the door.” bestand means “file.” In this sentence it is a document or computer file. The noun is used with the neuter definite article in het bestand, “the file.” Example: Het bestand is groot. — “The file is large.” en means “and.” It joins the two coordinated actions: opening the file and checking it. kijk ... na is the separable verb nakijken, meaning “to check” or “to review.” In the present-tense main clause, its parts are separated: kijk is the form of kijken used with ik, and na appears later in the clause. The object is placed between them here: kijk het na, literally organized as “check it.” Do not treat na here as the ordinary preposition “after”; together with kijk, it forms the verb nakijken. Example: Ik kijk het antwoord na. — “I check the answer.” Together, Ik open het bestand means “I’ll open the file” in the fixed translation, and en kijk het na adds the coordinated action “and check it.” The pronoun het refers to the file in this utterance, as confirmed by the fixed translation. The complete utterance is therefore “I’ll open the file and check it.”

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

   I'll read the team comments while you check the chart.

   Ik

   I

   lees

   read

   opmerkingen

   comments

   team

   team

   terwijl

   while

   jij

   you

   grafiek

   chart

   bekijkt

   checks / looks at

   More detail

   Ik is the subject pronoun “I.” It identifies the speaker as the person doing the reading. In Dutch, the subject form is ik; the object form is mij or the shorter unstressed me, as in Hij ziet mij (“He sees me”). lees means “read” here. It is the first-person singular present form of lezen (“to read”): ik lees. Dutch can use the present tense for a planned or contextually understood future action, which is why the fixed translation uses “I’ll read.” The form itself has no separate future marker. Compare jij leest (“you read”) for the second-person singular. opmerkingen means “comments” here. It is the plural of opmerking (“comment” or “remark”); the plural is formed with -en. In de opmerkingen, de belongs to the noun phrase, and van het team specifies whose comments they are. team means “team.” It is a noun used here after het: het team. In de opmerkingen van het team, van links the comments to the team and can be understood as “of” or possessive “the team’s.” terwijl introduces the accompanying clause “while.” It connects actions occurring during the same period: Ik lees ... terwijl jij ... (“I read ... while you ...”). Example: Zij werkt terwijl ik kook. — “She works while I cook.” jij is the stressed subject pronoun “you” for one person. Its unstressed counterpart is je; both can mean singular “you,” but jij gives clearer emphasis or contrast. Here it is the subject of the second clause. grafiek means “chart” or “graph.” It is a singular noun and appears with the definite article in de grafiek (“the chart”). A useful contrast is een grafiek (“a chart”), with an indefinite article. bekijkt means “checks” or “looks at” here. It is the second-person singular present form of the non-separable verb bekijken (“to look at” or “to view”): jij bekijkt. With jij before the verb, this form has -t; in inversion, the usual form is bekijk jij (“do you look at?”), without -t. Kijken can also mean “look,” while bekijken presents something as the object being viewed or examined. Together, Ik lees de opmerkingen van het team means “I’ll read the team’s comments,” and terwijl jij de grafiek bekijkt means “while you check the chart.” The complete utterance says that the speaker will read those comments during the period in which the other person checks the chart. The present forms lees and bekijkt receive this planned-future interpretation from the fixed translation and context.

7. Ik kan de details nu beter volgen.

   I can follow the details better now.

   Ik kan

   I can

   de

   the

   details

   details

   nu

   now

   beter

   better

   volgen

   follow

   More detail

   Ik kan means “I can.” kan is the present-tense form of kunnen for ik; it expresses ability or possibility here. In a main clause, the conjugated modal comes before the subject’s other verb, while that verb stays in the infinitive: Ik kan ... volgen = “I can follow ...”. de is the definite article “the.” It is used here with details, which is plural. Dutch uses de with all plural nouns; it is also used with singular nouns in the common-gender group, while het is used with singular neuter nouns. The article itself does not express a numeric quantity. details means “details.” This plural noun refers to the details being followed in the utterance. Its singular is detail; the plural ending is -s. nu means “now.” It places the ability or activity in the present situation. Compare the reusable pattern nu + clause, for example: Ik werk nu. — “I am working now.” beter means “better” here and modifies volgen: the speaker can follow the details more successfully than before or than in another comparison point. It is the comparative form related to goed (“good”): goed — beter — best (“good” — “better” — “best”). In this sentence, beter is used adverbially, describing how well the following is done, not describing the noun details. volgen means “to follow” here, in the sense of understanding or keeping track of the details. It is the infinitive after the modal kan; kunnen carries the person marking, while volgen remains unchanged. The same verb can also describe physically following someone or something, depending on context. Together, Ik kan expresses the speaker’s ability, de details identifies what is being followed, nu sets the time, and beter describes the improved degree of success. The complete utterance means: “I can follow the details better now.”

8. Door de pauze voelt het werk lichter.

   The break made the work feel lighter.

   Door

   because of

   pauze

   break

   voelt

   feels

   werk

   work

   lichter

   lighter

   More detail

   Door introduces the cause here: door de pauze means “because of the break.” With a noun, door can also express movement through something, but that is not the meaning in this sentence. pauze is the noun “break,” referring here to a pause from work. Its plural is pauzes. The phrase uses the definite article de, forming de pauze (“the break”). voelt is the present-tense form of voelen (“to feel”). It is third-person singular, agreeing with the subject het werk: het werk voelt (“the work feels”). The present form describes how the work feels in the stated situation; the fixed English translation presents that situation as having made the work feel lighter. Example: Ik voel me beter. — “I feel better.” Here voel is the first-person singular form of voelen. werk is the noun “work.” In this sentence it is the subject of voelt, and het werk is the definite noun phrase “the work.” lichter is the comparative form of the adjective licht (“light”): licht → lichter (“lighter”) → lichtst/lichtste (“lightest,” depending on its grammatical use). It compares the work’s perceived weight or effort with an earlier or implicit reference point. Example: Deze tas is lichter. — “This bag is lighter.” Together, Door de pauze gives the cause, het werk is what is being evaluated, and voelt lichter says that it has the sensation of being lighter. The complete meaning is: “The break made the work feel lighter.”