Using the library printer | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Using the library printer to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Hoe gebruik ik de printer in de bibliotheek?

HOO guh-BROOK ik duh PRIN-ter in duh bee-blee-oh-TAKE? How do I use the printer in the library?

Kies eerst de printer op dit scherm.

KEEZ AYRST duh PRIN-ter awp dit SKHAIRRM. First, choose the printer on this screen.

Kan ik dubbelzijdig printen kiezen?

KAHN ik DUB-bul-ZY-dikh PRIN-tun KEE-zun? Can I choose double-sided printing?

Verander de instelling voordat je print.

vuh-RAHN-dur duh IN-stel-ling vuh-DAHT yur print. Change the setting before you print.

Ik hoef alleen een kort document te printen.

ik HOOF ah-LEEN un kawrt daw-kyoo-MENT tuh PRIN-tun. I only need to print a short document.

Controleer dan het voorbeeld voordat je begint.

kawn-troh-LEER dan ut vuh-BAILT vuh-DAHT yur buh-KHINT. Then check the preview before you start.

Waar komen de geprinte pagina's uit?

VAHR KOH-mun duh guh-PRIN-tuh pah-GEE-nahs OYT? Where do the printed pages come out?

Ze komen uit de lade eronder.

zuh KOH-mun OYT duh LAH-duh er-ON-dur. They come out in the tray below.

Word by Word

Hoe “Hoe” means “how” in the question “Hoe gebruik ik de printer in de bibliotheek?” It asks about the way to do something and commonly begins a question about a method or procedure.

gebruik “gebruik” means “use” here, as in asking how to operate the printer. It describes the action performed with an object, such as the printer in this dialogue.

ik “ik” means “I” and identifies the person who wants to use the printer. In “Hoe gebruik ik”, it is the person performing the action.

de “de” is the definite article before “printer”, referring to the specific printer being discussed. It is used here as part of the noun phrase “de printer”.

printer “printer” means “printer”, the device being used in the library. It is the object of the action in “de printer gebruiken”.

in “in” means “in” and places the printer inside the library in “in de bibliotheek”. It is commonly used to introduce a place or location.

bibliotheek “bibliotheek” means “library” and identifies the place where the printer is located. In this dialogue it appears after “de” in the location phrase “de bibliotheek”.

Kies “Kies” means “choose” and gives a direct instruction to select the printer. It is followed by the thing to be selected, “de printer”.

eerst “eerst” means “first” and marks the first step in the printer instructions. It is useful for ordering actions in a procedure.

op “op” means “on” in “op dit scherm”, identifying the screen where the printer should be selected. It can introduce the location of something on a surface or interface.

dit “dit” means “this” and points to the particular screen being indicated. It appears directly before “scherm” in “dit scherm”.

scherm “scherm” means “screen”, specifically the screen on which the printer is selected. It forms the noun phrase “dit scherm” with the demonstrative “dit”.

Kan “Kan” means “can” in the question “Kan ik dubbelzijdig printen kiezen?” It asks whether the speaker is able or allowed to make that selection, and it begins the question pattern “Kan ik ...?”.

dubbelzijdig “dubbelzijdig” means “double-sided” and describes the printing option the speaker wants to choose. Here it forms the expression “dubbelzijdig printen” for printing on both sides.

printen “printen” refers to printing and names the action in the option “dubbelzijdig printen”. It also appears in “te printen”, where it follows “te” as the action that needs to be done.

kiezen “kiezen” means “choose” in “Kan ik dubbelzijdig printen kiezen?” It is the action being asked about after “Kan ik” and takes the printing option as its object.

Verander “Verander” means “change” and gives the instruction to modify the printer setting. It is followed by the thing to change, “de instelling”.

instelling “instelling” means “setting”, here referring to a printer setting such as the printing choice. It appears in the definite noun phrase “de instelling”.

voordat “voordat” means “before” and introduces the action that must happen first in “voordat je print”. It connects the setting change with the later printing action.

je “je” means “you” and identifies the person who prints in “voordat je print”. It is the subject of the clause introduced by “voordat”.

print “print” means “print” in the clause “voordat je print”. It describes the printing action that takes place after the setting is changed.

hoef “hoef” indicates what the speaker needs to do in “Ik hoef alleen een kort document te printen.” Together with “alleen” and “te printen”, it expresses that the required task is limited to printing one short document.

alleen “alleen” means “only” and limits the speaker’s need to the short document in “Ik hoef alleen een kort document te printen.” It is useful for showing that no additional task is required.

een “een” means “a” and introduces “kort document” as one unspecified document. It appears directly before the noun phrase describing what will be printed.

kort “kort” means “short” and describes the document being printed. It comes before “document” as part of the phrase “een kort document”.

document “document” means “document” and is the item the speaker needs to print. It is the object associated with “te printen”.

te “te” marks the infinitive in “te printen” after “hoef”. The phrase identifies the action that the speaker needs to carry out.

Controleer “Controleer” means “check” and gives the instruction to inspect the preview before starting. It is followed by the thing to be checked, “het voorbeeld”.

dan “dan” means “then” and places the checking step after the earlier discussion of changing the setting. It is useful for linking steps in a sequence.

het “het” is the definite article before “voorbeeld”, referring to the specific preview on the printer. It forms the noun phrase “het voorbeeld”.

voorbeeld “voorbeeld” means “preview” here, referring to the display of the document before printing. It is the object of “Controleer” in the instruction.

begint “begint” means “start” in “voordat je begint”. It refers to starting the printing process, and the form appears after the subject “je” in this clause.

Waar “Waar” means “where” and asks for the location from which the printed pages emerge. It begins the question “Waar komen de geprinte pagina's uit?”.

komen “komen” means “come” in the question about where the pages come out. Together with “uit”, it describes pages emerging from a place or container.

geprinte “geprinte” means “printed” and describes the pages that have been printed. It appears directly before “pagina's” in “de geprinte pagina's”.

pagina's “pagina's” means “pages” and refers to the printed sheets. In the dialogue it is the subject of the question about where they come out.

uit “uit” means “out” in “komen ... uit” and indicates emergence from the tray. It is also used with “de lade” to identify the source or container.

Ze “Ze” means “they” and refers back to the printed pages. It is the subject of “Ze komen uit de lade eronder”.

lade “lade” means “tray”, the part of the printer where the pages appear. It follows “de” in “de lade eronder”.

eronder “eronder” means “below” or “underneath it” and describes the tray’s position relative to something already understood. In “de lade eronder”, it identifies which tray is meant by its location.

Grammar Points

Kies eerst ...

Kies eerst dubbelzijdig.

KEEZ AYRST DUB-bul-ZY-dikh.

First choose double-sided printing.

Dutch commands often use the verb stem without a subject: kies means “choose!”

geprinte + meervoudig zelfstandig naamwoord

geprinte pagina's

guh-PRIN-tuh pah-GEE-nahs

printed pages

Before a plural noun, an adjective usually takes -e: geprint becomes geprinte.

Dutch Vocabulary

bibliotheek noun

bee-blee-oh-TAKE library

de bibliotheek

dubbelzijdig adj

DUB-bul-ZY-dikh double-sided

dubbelzijdig printen

eerst adv

AYRST first

Kies eerst de printer op dit scherm.

gebruiken verb

guh-BROO-kun to use gebruik

Hoe gebruik ik de printer in de bibliotheek?

hoe adv

HOO how

Hoe gebruik ik de printer in de bibliotheek?

instelling noun

IN-stel-ling setting

de instelling

kiezen verb

KEE-zun to choose Kies

Kies eerst de printer op dit scherm.

printen verb

PRIN-tun to print

dubbelzijdig printen

printer noun

PRIN-ter printer

de printer

scherm noun

SKHAIRRM screen

dit scherm

veranderen verb

vuh-RAHN-dur-un to change Verander

Verander de instelling voordat je print.

voordat conj

vuh-DAHT before

voordat je print

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I choose double-sided printing?

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Kan ik dubbelzijdig printen kiezen?

Change the setting before you print.

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Verander de instelling voordat je print.

Where do the printed pages come out?

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Waar komen de geprinte pagina's uit?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to print

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printen

double-sided

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dubbelzijdig

library

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bibliotheek

screen

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scherm