Borrowing a laptop charger | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a laptop charger to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

De batterij van mijn laptop is bijna leeg.

duh buh-tuh-RAY van MAYN LAP-top iss BAY-nah LAYKH. My laptop battery is almost empty.

Je kunt mijn oplader lenen tot de vergadering.

yuh KUNT MAYN OH-plah-der LAY-nun tot duh vair-KHAH-duh-ring. You can borrow my charger until the meeting.

Werkt hij met mijn laptop?

VEHRKT hay met MAYN LAP-top? Is it compatible with my laptop?

Dat zou moeten werken, maar controleer eerst de stekker.

dut zow MOO-tun VEHR-kun, mahr kon-troh-LAYR AYRST duh STEK-ur. It should be, but check the connector first.

Hij past en de batterij laadt nu op.

hay PAHST en duh buh-tuh-RAY LAHDT noo OP. It fits, and the battery is charging now.

Leg hem terug op mijn bureau als je klaar bent.

LEKH um tuh-RURKH op mayn byoo-ROH als yuh KLAHR bent. Put it back on my desk when you finish.

Ik leg hem terug voordat je weggaat.

ik LEKH um tuh-RURKH vohr-DUT yuh VAYKH-gaht. I'll put it back before you leave.

Dan heb ik genoeg tijd voordat ik hem weer nodig heb.

dun hep ik khuh-NOOKH TAYT vohr-DUT ik um VAYR NOH-dikh hep. That gives me enough time before I need it again.

Word by Word

De “De” means “the” here and introduces “De batterij van mijn laptop.” It is used with this noun phrase to identify the battery being discussed.

batterij “Batterij” means “battery,” specifically the laptop battery in “De batterij van mijn laptop.” It is useful when talking about how much power a device has, such as when the battery is almost empty.

van “Van” links the battery to the laptop in “batterij van mijn laptop,” meaning the battery belonging to or associated with the laptop. This pattern identifies a relationship between two nouns.

mijn “Mijn” means “my” and shows that the laptop belongs to or is associated with the speaker in “mijn laptop.” It is placed directly before the noun it describes.

laptop “Laptop” means “laptop” in “mijn laptop.” It identifies the device whose battery is almost empty and that must work with the charger.

is “Is” means “is” in “De batterij van mijn laptop is bijna leeg.” It links the battery to the state described by “bijna leeg.”

bijna “Bijna” means “almost” and shows that the battery is close to being empty but is not described as completely empty. It is placed before the word that describes the approaching state, as in “bijna leeg.”

leeg “Leeg” means “empty” here, describing the battery’s lack of remaining power in “bijna leeg.” The same word can describe something that has no contents, but this dialogue uses it for battery power.

Je “Je” means “you” and refers to the person being offered the charger in “Je kunt mijn oplader lenen.” It is the subject of the sentence and comes before the modal verb “kunt.”

kunt “Kunt” expresses ability or permission in “Je kunt mijn oplader lenen,” meaning that you can borrow the charger. It is followed by the action in the form “kunt ... lenen.”

oplader “Oplader” means “charger,” the device being offered and later returned. It appears as the object in “mijn oplader” and is referred to later by “hem.”

lenen “Lenen” means “borrow” in “mijn oplader lenen,” describing temporary use of something that belongs to another person. After “kunt,” it stays in this verb form at the end of the main clause.

tot “Tot” means “until” in “tot de vergadering,” setting the time limit for borrowing the charger. It is followed by the event that marks the end of the period.

vergadering “Vergadering” means “meeting” in “tot de vergadering.” The phrase sets the meeting as the time up to which the charger may be borrowed.

Werkt “Werkt” asks whether something functions or is compatible in “Werkt hij met mijn laptop?” It comes before “hij” because this is a yes-or-no question.

hij “Hij” refers to the charger in “Werkt hij met mijn laptop?” and means “it” in this context. It is used to refer back to the previously mentioned charger.

met “Met” means “with” in “met mijn laptop,” showing what the charger must work with. This preposition commonly connects an item with the device or person it works together with.

Dat “Dat” means “that” and points back to the question of whether the charger works with the laptop in “Dat zou moeten werken.” It introduces the expected answer or situation being discussed.

zou “Zou” helps express an expectation rather than complete certainty in “Dat zou moeten werken.” Together with “moeten werken,” it means that the charger is expected to work.

moeten “Moeten” contributes the idea that something is expected or should be the case in “zou moeten werken.” The complete expression “zou moeten werken” means “should work,” not that “moeten” alone means “work.”

werken “Werken” means “work” in “Dat zou moeten werken,” referring to the charger functioning with the laptop. It follows “zou moeten” in this reusable expectation pattern.

maar “Maar” means “but” and contrasts the expectation in “Dat zou moeten werken” with the instruction to check the connector. It joins two parts of the sentence with contrasting purposes.

controleer “Controleer” tells the other person to check something in “controleer eerst de stekker.” It is the command form used to give the practical instruction before using the charger.

eerst “Eerst” means “first” and places the checking before the later action in “controleer eerst de stekker.” It is useful for ordering steps in an instruction.

stekker “Stekker” means “connector” or “plug” in “de stekker,” referring here to the charger part that must be checked. It is the object of the instruction “controleer ... de stekker.”

past “Past” means “fits” in “Hij past,” describing that the connector fits the laptop. It is used to confirm physical compatibility after the connector has been checked.

en “En” means “and” and connects the two results in “Hij past en de batterij laadt nu op.” It links the fitting connector with the battery beginning to charge.

laadt “Laadt” describes the battery charging in “de batterij laadt nu op.” Together with “op,” the expression “laadt ... op” means that the battery is charging up.

nu “Nu” means “now” and shows that the battery is charging at this moment in “de batterij laadt nu op.” It gives the timing of the action.

op In “de batterij laadt nu op,” “op” completes the charging expression and contributes the meaning “up” in “charge up.” In “op mijn bureau,” it instead means “on” and marks the desk as the location.

Leg “Leg” tells someone to put or place the charger in “Leg hem terug op mijn bureau.” It is a direct instruction, followed by the object “hem” and the destination phrase “op mijn bureau.”

hem “Hem” means “it” here and refers to the charger in “Leg hem terug” and “Ik leg hem terug.” It is used after the verb as the object being returned.

terug “Terug” means “back” and shows that the charger should return to its earlier place in “Leg hem terug.” It combines naturally with a placement verb when something is returned.

bureau “Bureau” means “desk” in “op mijn bureau.” The phrase gives the place where the charger should be put back.

als “Als” means “when” in “als je klaar bent,” introducing the time at which the other person finishes. In this dialogue it describes a time condition, not a comparison.

klaar “Klaar” means “finished” in “als je klaar bent,” describing that the person has finished using the charger. It is used with “bent” to describe the person’s completed state.

bent “Bent” means “are” with “je” in “als je klaar bent.” It completes the expression describing when the other person is finished.

Ik “Ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person who will return the charger in “Ik leg hem terug.” It comes before the verb in this statement.

voordat “Voordat” means “before” and introduces the time limit in “voordat je weggaat.” It connects the promised return with the other person’s departure.

weggaat “Weggaat” means “leaves” or “goes away” in “voordat je weggaat.” Together with “voordat,” it identifies the departure as the event that will happen after the charger is returned.

Dan “Dan” means “then” and connects the promised return with its result in “Dan heb ik genoeg tijd.” It presents the following situation as a consequence of returning the charger before departure.

heb “Heb” means “have” in “Dan heb ik genoeg tijd,” describing the amount of available time. It is used with “ik” and is followed by what the speaker has.

genoeg “Genoeg” means “enough” and shows that the available amount meets the need in “genoeg tijd.” It comes before the noun whose sufficient amount is being described.

tijd “Tijd” means “time” in “genoeg tijd,” referring to the interval available before the charger is needed again. The expression “genoeg tijd” describes a sufficient amount of time.

weer “Weer” means “again” in “hem weer nodig heb,” showing that the charger will be needed another time. It is placed with the expression about needing the charger.

nodig “Nodig” expresses “need” in “hem weer nodig heb,” where the speaker needs the charger again. The object comes before “nodig” in this expression, and “heb” completes the meaning.

Grammar Points

opladen → laadt ... op

Hij laadt de laptop op.

hay LAHDT duh LAP-top OP.

He charges the laptop.

Opladen is a separable verb: in a main clause, op moves to the end.

voordat + werkwoord achteraan

Leg de oplader terug voordat hij weggaat.

LEKH duh OH-plah-der tuh-RURKH vohr-DUT hay VAYKH-gaht.

Put the charger back before he leaves.

After voordat, the conjugated verb goes to the end of the clause.

Dutch Vocabulary

batterij noun

buh-tuh-RAY battery

De batterij van mijn laptop is bijna leeg.

bijna adv

BAY-nah almost

De batterij van mijn laptop is bijna leeg.

controleren verb

kon-troh-LAY-run to check controleer

Dat zou moeten werken, maar controleer eerst de stekker.

hij pron

hay he; it

Werkt hij met mijn laptop?

laptop noun

LAP-top laptop

De batterij van mijn laptop is bijna leeg.

leeg adj

LAYKH empty

De batterij van mijn laptop is bijna leeg.

lenen verb

LAY-nun to borrow

Je kunt mijn oplader lenen tot de vergadering.

met prep

MET with

Werkt hij met mijn laptop?

oplader noun

OH-plah-der charger

Je kunt mijn oplader lenen tot de vergadering.

tot prep

TOHT until

Je kunt mijn oplader lenen tot de vergadering.

vergadering noun

vair-KHAH-duh-ring meeting

Je kunt mijn oplader lenen tot de vergadering.

werken verb

VEHR-kun to work; to function Werkt

Werkt hij met mijn laptop?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Is it compatible with my laptop?

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Werkt hij met mijn laptop?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to work; to function

Show Answer

Werkt

meeting

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vergadering

battery

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batterij

laptop

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laptop