Borrowing a screwdriver and returning it clean | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Mag ik je schroevendraaier lenen voor een kleine reparatie?

   Could I borrow your screwdriver for a small repair?

   Mag ik

   May I…? / Could I…?

   je

   your

   schroevendraaier

   screwdriver

   lenen

   borrow

   voor

   for

   een

   a/an

   kleine

   small

   reparatie

   repair

   More detail

   Mag ik is a reusable Dutch permission-question pattern: “May I…?” or, naturally here, “Could I…?” mag is the present-tense form of mogen with ik; mogen is a modal verb meaning “may/be allowed to.” In a question, the modal comes before the subject: Mag ik ...? After a modal, the other verb normally stays in the infinitive. je means “your” here and is placed before the noun it determines. Dutch je can also be an unstressed object pronoun meaning “you,” so its role comes from the sentence structure. The possessive meaning is supported here by the fixed translation. schroevendraaier means “screwdriver.” Its plural is schroevendraaiers. The noun names the tool being requested; the following context identifies that tool as being in the toolbox, but does not change this sentence’s request. lenen is the infinitive “to borrow.” With mag ik, Mag ik ... lenen? forms the reusable pattern “May/Could I borrow ...?” This is different from uitlenen, “to lend,” where the subject provides something to another person. voor means “for” here and introduces the purpose of borrowing: the repair. een is the indefinite article, corresponding to “a/an.” It introduces reparatie without making the article itself a stated numerical count. kleine means “small” here. Its base form is klein; before this singular noun, it has the -e form. The form is kleine because Dutch places the adjective before the noun and reparatie is a singular common-gender de-word: de kleine reparatie. The adjective, not the noun, carries this ending. reparatie means “repair.” It is a singular noun; its usual definite form is de reparatie. In this sentence, een kleine reparatie is an indefinite purpose phrase: “a small repair.” Together, Mag ik je schroevendraaier lenen means “Could I borrow your screwdriver,” and voor een kleine reparatie gives the purpose, “for a small repair.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Could I borrow your screwdriver for a small repair?”

2. Hij ligt in de blauwe gereedschapskist.

   It is in the blue toolbox.

   Hij

   It

   ligt

   is lying / is located

   in

   in

   blauwe

   blue

   gereedschapskist

   toolbox

   More detail

   Hij is a third-person singular subject pronoun. It is rendered as “it” here. The fixed sentence does not uniquely identify the exact inanimate referent. In Dutch, hij is used for a singular masculine referent; some de-nouns can also be referred to with hij, depending on their lexical or natural gender and the discourse context. ligt is the present-tense singular form of liggen, “to lie” or “to be located.” In a location statement, it can describe where something is without focusing on a literal act of lying. Example: De doos ligt op de tafel. — “The box is on the table.” in is the preposition “in.” It introduces the place containing the item. Example: in de kist means “in the box.” blauwe is the inflected form of the adjective blauw, “blue.” Before the singular definite noun phrase de gereedschapskist, Dutch uses the -e form: de blauwe gereedschapskist. Compare the indefinite neuter pattern een blauw huis — “a blue house” — with het blauwe huis — “the blue house.” The adjective, not the noun, carries this visible form change. gereedschapskist is a singular noun meaning “toolbox.” It is a compound of gereedschap (“tools” or “equipment”) and kist (“box” or “chest”), but it functions as one noun here. Its article is de: de gereedschapskist. Together, Hij ligt says that the referred-to item is located, in introduces the container, and de blauwe gereedschapskist identifies that container as the blue toolbox. The complete meaning is: “It is in the blue toolbox.” This is a neutral way to state an object's location.

3. Ik moet de plankbeugels vastdraaien.

   I need to tighten the shelf brackets.

   Ik moet

   I need to

   plankbeugels

   shelf brackets

   vastdraaien

   tighten

   More detail

   Ik moet means “I need to” here. moet is the first-person singular present form of moeten (“to need to” or “must”). In Dutch, a modal verb such as moeten is commonly followed by an infinitive: Ik moet werken = “I need to work.” The subject is Ik (“I”); moet agrees with this singular first-person subject. plankbeugels is the plural of plankbeugel, a bracket used to support a shelf. The word is a compound: plank (“shelf” or “board”) + beugel (“bracket”). The plural ending is visible in -s: één plankbeugel = “one shelf bracket,” twee plankbeugels = “two shelf brackets.” vastdraaien means “to tighten,” specifically by turning something so that it becomes secure. It is an infinitive, so it follows moet without a separate infinitive marker. The compound combines vast (“firmly/securely”) with draaien (“to turn”). For example, Je moet de schroef vastdraaien means “You need to tighten the screw.” Together, Ik moet + de plankbeugels + vastdraaien produces: “I need to tighten the shelf brackets.” The sentence presents tightening the brackets as the action the speaker needs to carry out.

4. Gebruik de middelgrote schroevendraaier.

   Use the medium screwdriver.

   Gebruik

   use

   middelgrote

   medium-sized

   schroevendraaier

   screwdriver

   More detail

   Gebruik is the imperative of gebruiken, “to use.” It gives a direct instruction to one or more addressees; the subject is normally understood rather than stated. The present-tense form for “I use” is ik gebruik, while the infinitive is gebruiken. Example: Gebruik deze sleutel. — “Use this key.” middelgrote means “medium-sized” here. Its base adjective is middelgroot; before the definite article de and the singular noun schroevendraaier, it has the attributive form middelgrote. This adjective describes size, not the type of tool. Example: een middelgrote doos — “a medium-sized box.” schroevendraaier is “screwdriver,” a tool for turning screws. It is a singular noun and takes the common-gender article de: de schroevendraaier. The form is a compound noun, but it functions as one noun in this sentence. Example: De schroevendraaier ligt hier. — “The screwdriver is here.” Together, de middelgrote schroevendraaier means “the medium-sized screwdriver”: de identifies a particular screwdriver, and middelgrote specifies its size. The imperative Gebruik then makes the complete utterance an instruction: “Use the medium-sized screwdriver.”

5. Die past beter bij die beugels.

   It fits those brackets better.

   Die

   it

   past

   fits

   beter

   better

   bij

   with

   die

   those

   beugels

   brackets

   More detail

   Die is a standalone Dutch demonstrative pronoun here. In this sentence it means “it,” with the referent supplied by the surrounding situation rather than named in the utterance. As a pronoun, it can refer to an entity expressed as a de-word or to a plural set; the fixed translation establishes the intended singular “it” here. past is the present-tense form of passen (“to fit” or “to suit”). With a singular subject, Dutch uses past; for example, Deze sleutel past means “This key fits.” The construction passen bij means “fit/suit something,” so bij connects what fits with what it fits. beter is the comparative form of goed (“good”), used here to mean “better.” It compares the fit with another possible fit without stating exactly what the comparison is. A useful pattern is A past beter dan B: “A fits better than B.” The second die is a demonstrative determiner meaning “those” before the plural noun beugels. It is distinct in role from the first, standalone Die: this one accompanies the noun. Beugels is the plural of beugel, “bracket.” The plural form is marked by -s here; een beugel means “a bracket,” while beugels means “brackets.” Together, Die past beter bij die beugels means “It fits those brackets better.” The first Die is the thing being assessed, past bij expresses what it fits, and beter adds the comparison. The sentence identifies the brackets as plural but does not name the specific referent of “it” within the utterance.

6. Wanneer moet ik hem terugbrengen?

   When should I return it?

   Wanneer

   when

   moet ik

   should I

   hem

   it

   terugbrengen

   return; bring back

   More detail

   Wanneer asks about time: “when”. It is the usual question word for asking at what time or on what occasion something happens. Example: Wanneer kom je? — “When are you coming?” moet ik combines the finite form moet of the modal verb moeten with the subject pronoun ik. Here, moet expresses what should or needs to happen, giving “should I”. In the present tense, the form is ik moet, while jij moet and hij moet also use moet; the infinitive that follows remains unchanged. In a yes/no question, Dutch places the finite verb before the subject: Moet ik wachten? — “Should I wait?” hem is an object pronoun used for a singular masculine or common-gender referent; in this sentence, the fixed translation gives the natural English meaning “it”. The pronoun is not the subject: ik is the person who will act, while hem is the object affected by the action. Compare the subject form hij (“he”) with the object form hem (“him/it”): Ik zie hem. — “I see him/it.” terugbrengen is the infinitive meaning “to bring back” or “to return” something. The useful verb to learn as a whole is terugbrengen. After a modal such as moeten, the infinitive comes at the end: Ik moet het boek terugbrengen. — “I have to return the book.” This is a separable verb in a finite main clause, so it can appear as breng ... terug. Example: Breng hem morgen terug. — “Bring it back tomorrow.” Together, Wanneer moet ik hem terugbrengen? has the pattern Wanneer + modal verb + subject + object + infinitive: “When should I return it?” The question asks when the speaker should bring the item back; it does not itself specify that time.

7. Breng hem alsjeblieft voor het avondeten terug.

   Please bring it back before dinner.

   Breng

   bring

   hem

   it

   alsjeblieft

   please

   voor

   before

   avondeten

   dinner

   terug

   back

   More detail

   Breng is the imperative form of brengen (“to bring”). It addresses the listener directly; Dutch imperatives commonly use the verb stem, so brengen becomes breng. In this sentence it is part of the reusable pattern breng ... terug (“bring ... back”). Example: Breng het boek. — “Bring the book.” hem is the singular object pronoun used here for “it.” Its form is hem, not the subject form hij (“he”) or the neuter object form het (“it”). The fixed translation and context establish that it refers to the item being returned, without identifying that item by name. Example: Ik zie hem. — “I see him/it,” depending on the established referent. alsjeblieft is the familiar polite word “please.” It softens a request or command. Example: Kom alsjeblieft. — “Please come.” voor means “before” here because it introduces a time point. The same preposition can have other meanings, such as “for,” but the following time expression makes the temporal meaning appropriate. Example: Bel me voor het eten. — “Call me before dinner.” avondeten is the compound noun for “dinner” or “the evening meal.” Dutch compounds are written as one word. In het avondeten, het is the definite article belonging to this noun phrase; it is not part of the selected quote avondeten. Example: Het avondeten is klaar. — “Dinner is ready.” terug is an adverb meaning “back” or “again toward the previous place or state.” Together with brengen, it forms the separable verb pattern terugbrengen (“to bring back”): in the imperative sentence, breng appears near the beginning and terug appears at the end. Example: Breng de sleutel terug. — “Bring the key back.” The sentence assembles as Breng hem ... terug (“bring it back”), with alsjeblieft making the request polite and voor het avondeten setting the deadline: “Please bring it back before dinner.”

8. Als hij stoffig wordt, veeg ik hem eerst af.

   If it gets dusty, I'll wipe it off first.

   Als

   if

   hij

   it

   stoffig

   dusty

   wordt

   gets; becomes

   veeg … af

   wipe off

   hem

   it

   eerst

   first

   More detail

   Als introduces a condition: “if/when …”. In a clause beginning with Als, Dutch normally places the finite verb after the subject: Als hij stoffig wordt (“if it gets dusty”). Example: Als het regent, blijf ik thuis. — “If it rains, I stay at home.” hij is the singular subject pronoun used here for the item rendered as “it” in the fixed translation. It is a masculine singular personal-pronoun form; the form itself does not identify the item’s real-world identity. Dutch also uses zij for a feminine singular or plural referent and het for a neuter singular referent, according to the relevant grammatical and discourse context. stoffig means “dusty” here. It is related to stof (“dust”) and appears as a predicate adjective after worden, so it has no adjective ending in this clause. worden means “become” or “get”; the observed form wordt is its present-tense third-person singular form. Compare Hij is stoffig — “It is dusty” — with Hij wordt stoffig — “It gets dusty.” veeg ... af is the separable verb afvegen, “to wipe off”. In this sentence, veeg is the first-person singular present form of afvegen, with the particle af placed later in the main clause. The same visible verb part can also occur with the non-prefixed verb vegen (“to wipe”); here, however, af makes the construction afvegen. Example: Ik veeg de tafel af. — “I wipe the table.” The particle contributes the “off” sense. After the subordinate Als clause, the main clause has the order veeg ik ... af: the finite verb comes before the subject because the entire condition occupies the first position. ik means “I”, and hem is the singular object pronoun meaning “it” in the fixed translation. Together, veeg ik hem ... af means “I wipe it off”; hem is the object being wiped, while hij is the subject that becomes dusty. eerst means “first” and marks the order of the wiping action. It does not itself state how many other actions follow. Example: Ik lees eerst de handleiding. — “I read the instructions first.” Assembled, Als hij stoffig wordt says “if it gets dusty”, and veeg ik hem eerst af says “I will wipe it off first”. The whole utterance therefore means: “If it gets dusty, I’ll wipe it off first.” In Dutch, the present form veeg can express this future action when the context makes the intended future situation clear.

9. Dat helpt om het gereedschap in goede staat te houden.

   That helps keep the tools in good shape.

   Dat

   that; it

   helpt

   helps

   het gereedschap

   the tools

   goede

   good

   staat

   condition; shape

   om … te houden

   in order to keep

   More detail

   Dat is the demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. It functions as the subject of helpt; the fixed translation confirms that it refers to something understood from the situation, without identifying a more specific noun. Dutch demonstratives have different forms depending on grammatical number and noun type, but this standalone Dat is the neuter singular form. helpt is the present-tense form of helpen, “to help.” Its ending marks a third-person singular subject: dat helpt. Compare ik help (“I help”) and zij helpen (“they help”). het gereedschap means “the tools” in the fixed translation. The noun gereedschap is a neuter Dutch mass or collective noun, so it takes the article het; its form does not become a plural merely because English translates it as “tools.” With het, Dutch uses het gereedschap for the tools understood as a set or supply. goede comes from the adjective goed, “good.” In goede staat, it has the -e form used before this noun phrase. The adjective describes staat, not gereedschap. goed can also appear without -e in some noun phrases, for example goed gereedschap (“good tools”), so the form is determined by the surrounding noun phrase rather than by the meaning “good” itself. staat means “condition” or “state” here, not the verb “stands.” The expression in goede staat is the usual way to say “in good condition” or “in good shape.” As a noun, staat is a de-word: de staat. om ... te houden is a Dutch om ... te infinitive construction. houden is the infinitive “to keep,” and te houden is the form used after om in this purpose-like complement. Dutch commonly uses helpen om ... te plus an infinitive: Dit helpt om het schoon te houden means “This helps keep it clean.” The object of houden is het gereedschap, and in goede staat describes the condition in which it is maintained. Together, Dat helpt om het gereedschap in goede staat te houden means “That helps keep the tools in good shape.” The structure is subject + helpen + om + object + condition + te + infinitive: something helps to maintain the tools in good condition.