About This Lesson
Use Borrowing a bicycle pump to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Mijn achterband is bijna leeg.
mine AHKH-ter-bahnt is BYE-nah LAYKH. My back tire is almost flat.
B
Ik heb een pomp die je kunt lenen.
ik hehp uhn pohmp dee yuh kunt LAY-nuhn. I have a pump you can borrow.
A
Moet ik eerst op een lek controleren?
MOOT ik AYRST awp uhn lehk kohn-troh-LAY-run? Should I check for a leak first?
B
Kijk langs de zijkant van de band voordat je lucht bijpompt.
kike lahngs duh EYE-kahnt vuhn duh bahnt vohr-DAHT yuh luhkht BYE-pompt. Look along the sidewall before adding air.
A
Kun je me laten zien hoe ik hem moet vastmaken?
kun yuh muh LAH-tun zeen hoo ik hem moot VAHST-mah-kun? Can you show me how to attach it?
B
Druk dit deel op het ventiel en pomp langzaam.
druk dit dayl awp uht ven-TEEL uhn pohmp LAHNG-zahm. Press this part onto the valve and pump slowly.
A
De band voelt nu stevig genoeg aan.
duh bahnt voolt nyoo STAY-vukh khuh-NOOKH ahn. The tire feels firm enough now.
B
Breng de pomp terug als je klaar bent.
breng duh pohmp tuh-RUKH ahls yuh KLAHR behnt. Bring the pump back when you finish.Word by Word
Mijn
In 'Mijn achterband' it means 'my' and identifies the tire as belonging to the speaker. It comes before the noun and is useful when identifying something you own or use.
achterband
In 'Mijn achterband' it means the back or rear tire of a bicycle. The phrase 'Mijn achterband' is useful when reporting a problem with that tire.
is
In 'Mijn achterband is bijna leeg' it links the tire to its condition: it is almost flat. The form 'is' comes from the verb 'zijn' and is used here with the singular subject 'Mijn achterband'.
bijna
In 'bijna leeg' it means 'almost', showing that the tire is close to being flat but not necessarily completely flat. The pattern 'bijna leeg' is useful for describing something that is nearly empty.
leeg
In 'Mijn achterband is bijna leeg' it describes the tire as having almost no air. The phrase 'bijna leeg' is useful when describing a container or tire that is nearly empty.
Ik
In 'Ik heb een pomp' it means 'I' and is the person who has the pump. It is used as the subject before the verb in a statement about yourself.
heb
In 'Ik heb een pomp' it means 'have' and expresses possession. The form 'heb' comes from 'hebben' and follows 'Ik' in the reusable pattern 'Ik heb een pomp'.
een
In 'een pomp' and 'een lek' it is the indefinite article, meaning 'a' or 'an'. It introduces a singular thing that is being mentioned without identifying it as a specific known item.
pomp
In 'een pomp' it means the pump used to add air. In 'pomp langzaam' it is an instruction to pump slowly, so the same form appears as both the tool and an action in this dialogue.
die
In 'een pomp die je kunt lenen' it links the pump to information about borrowing it, meaning 'that' or 'which'. The pattern 'een pomp die je kunt lenen' adds a describing clause to a noun.
je
In 'die je kunt lenen' it means 'you' and is the person who can borrow the pump. In 'voordat je lucht bijpompt' it is also the person who adds air, so it commonly marks the person carrying out an action.
kunt
In 'die je kunt lenen' it means 'can' and expresses the possibility of borrowing the pump. The form 'kunt' comes from 'kunnen' and is followed by the infinitive 'lenen'.
lenen
In 'die je kunt lenen' it means 'borrow', referring to using the pump temporarily and returning it later. It is the infinitive after 'kunt' in the pattern 'die je kunt lenen'.
Moet
In 'Moet ik eerst op een lek controleren?' it asks whether checking for a leak is necessary or the right next step. The form 'Moet' comes from 'moeten'; the same form appears lowercase in 'hoe ik hem moet vastmaken' because it is not at the start of a sentence.
eerst
In 'Moet ik eerst op een lek controleren?' it means 'first' and sets the order of the actions. It is useful when asking or explaining which action should happen before another one.
op
In 'op een lek controleren' it is part of the expression meaning 'check for a leak', rather than referring to a physical position. The reusable pattern 'op een lek controleren' places the possible problem after 'op'.
lek
In 'op een lek controleren' it means a leak, the possible place where air escapes from the tire. The phrase 'op een lek controleren' is useful when inspecting something for this kind of problem.
controleren
In 'op een lek controleren' it means to check or inspect for a problem. It is the infinitive after 'Moet ik' and completes the expression 'op een lek controleren'.
Kijk
In 'Kijk langs de zijkant van de band' it is a direct instruction to look. The form 'Kijk' comes from 'kijken', and the full phrase is useful when directing someone's attention to a specific area.
langs
In 'langs de zijkant van de band' it means 'along', directing the person to inspect the length or edge of the tire's side. It comes before the area being inspected in this instruction.
de
In 'de zijkant van de band' and 'De band voelt nu stevig genoeg aan' it is the definite article, meaning 'the'. The capitalized 'De' at the start of the second sentence is the same article with sentence capitalization.
zijkant
In 'de zijkant van de band' it means the side or sidewall of the tire. The phrase 'de zijkant van de band' is useful when identifying the side area that should be inspected.
van
In 'de zijkant van de band' it links a part to the whole and means 'of'. It is useful for expressing a relationship such as the side of a tire.
band
In this dialogue 'band' means a bicycle tire, as in 'de zijkant van de band' and 'De band voelt nu stevig genoeg aan'. These phrases are useful when describing the tire's location or condition.
voordat
In 'voordat je lucht bijpompt' it means 'before' and introduces the action that must happen earlier. It is useful for putting one action in sequence with another.
lucht
In 'lucht bijpompt' it means air, the substance being added to the tire. The phrase 'voordat je lucht bijpompt' is used when describing tire inflation.
bijpompt
In 'voordat je lucht bijpompt' it means pumps in additional air. The form comes from 'bijpompen' and appears with 'je' in the clause that says what happens before the next step.
Kun
In 'Kun je me laten zien hoe ik hem moet vastmaken?' it means 'can' and begins a request for help or a demonstration. The form 'Kun' comes from 'kunnen' and is followed by 'je' in this question.
me
In 'me laten zien' it means 'me' and identifies the person who should be shown something. The pattern 'me laten zien hoe ik hem moet vastmaken' is useful when asking someone to demonstrate a procedure.
laten
In 'me laten zien' it helps form the construction meaning 'show me'. Together with 'zien', it expresses having someone allow another person to see or demonstrate something; 'laten' alone does not carry the whole meaning of 'show' here.
zien
In 'me laten zien' it contributes the idea of seeing, while the full construction 'laten zien' means 'show'. This pattern is useful when asking someone to demonstrate how something is done.
hoe
In 'hoe ik hem moet vastmaken' it means 'how' and introduces an explanation of the method. The pattern 'hoe ik hem moet vastmaken' is useful when asking for instructions.
hem
In 'hoe ik hem moet vastmaken' it means 'it' and refers to the item being attached in the tool-related context. It is the object of the action described by 'vastmaken'.
vastmaken
In 'hoe ik hem moet vastmaken' it means to attach or fasten the item in place. It is the infinitive after 'moet' and completes the instruction about how to secure something.
Druk
In 'Druk dit deel op het ventiel' it is a direct instruction to press. The form 'Druk' comes from 'drukken', and the phrase is useful when giving a step-by-step instruction.
dit
In 'dit deel' it means 'this' and points to a particular part that is near or being indicated. The pattern 'dit deel' is useful when identifying one component during an explanation.
deel
In 'dit deel' it means a part or component of the pump equipment. The phrase 'dit deel' helps identify the specific piece that should be pressed onto the valve.
het
In 'het ventiel' it is the definite article, meaning 'the', and identifies a specific valve. It comes directly before the noun in this instruction.
ventiel
In 'het ventiel' it means the valve on the tire where the pump is attached. The phrase 'op het ventiel' identifies the place where the pump part should be pressed.
en
In 'Druk dit deel op het ventiel en pomp langzaam' it means 'and' and joins two instructions. It is useful for linking consecutive actions in a procedure.
langzaam
In 'pomp langzaam' it means 'slowly' and describes the speed of pumping. The phrase 'pomp langzaam' is useful when giving an instruction about how quickly to perform an action.
voelt
In 'De band voelt nu stevig genoeg aan' it describes how the tire feels when checked by touch. This form belongs to the verb construction 'aanvoelen', and the full phrase is useful for reporting a physical impression.
nu
In 'voelt nu stevig genoeg aan' it means 'now' and shows that the tire's current condition is being assessed after pumping. It is useful for contrasting the present result with an earlier condition.
stevig
In 'stevig genoeg' it means firm or solid, describing the tire's feel after air has been added. The pattern 'stevig genoeg' is useful when checking whether something has reached the required firmness.
genoeg
In 'stevig genoeg' it means 'enough' and sets the required degree of firmness. It comes after the describing word in this phrase and indicates that the tire has reached a sufficient level.
aan
In 'De band voelt nu stevig genoeg aan' it completes the verb construction 'aanvoelen', which describes how something feels. It is not translated as a separate 'on' here and should stay with the verb construction when reused.
Breng
In 'Breng de pomp terug' it is a direct instruction to bring or return the pump. The form 'Breng' comes from 'brengen', while 'terug' supplies the return meaning in the full expression.
terug
In 'Breng de pomp terug' it means 'back' and shows that the pump should be returned. Together with 'Breng' it forms a useful instruction for returning a borrowed item.
als
In 'als je klaar bent' it means 'when' and introduces the condition for returning the pump. It is useful for connecting an action to the time when another action or task is finished.
klaar
In 'als je klaar bent' it means finished or ready, referring here to being finished with the pump. The phrase is useful when saying that someone has completed a task.
bent
In 'als je klaar bent' it means 'are' and links 'je' with the state 'klaar'. The form 'bent' comes from 'zijn' and appears at the end of this subordinate clause.
Grammar Points
Breng ... terug
Breng de pomp terug.
breng duh pohmp tuh-RUKH.Bring the pump back.
Bij een scheidbaar werkwoord staat het voorvoegsel terug aan het einde van de zin.
pomp ... bij
Pomp lucht bij.
pohmp luhkht BYE.Pump up the air.
Bijpompen is scheidbaar: in een korte zin komt bij achter het lijdend voorwerp.
Dutch Vocabulary
achterband
noun
AHKH-ter-bahnt
rear tire
Mijn achterband is bijna leeg.
bijna
adv
BYE-nah
almost
Mijn achterband is bijna leeg.
bijpompen
verb
BYE-pohm-pun
to pump up; to add air
bijpompt
voordat je lucht bijpompt
controleren
verb
kohn-troh-LAY-run
to check
Moet ik eerst op een lek controleren?
drukken
verb
DRUK-un
to press
Druk
Druk dit deel op het ventiel en pomp langzaam.
leeg
adj
LAYKH
flat; empty
Mijn achterband is bijna leeg.
lek
noun
lehk
leak
Moet ik eerst op een lek controleren?
lenen
verb
LAY-nuhn
to borrow
Ik heb een pomp die je kunt lenen.
lucht
noun
luhkht
air
Kijk langs de zijkant van de band voordat je lucht bijpompt.
pomp
noun
pohmp
pump
Ik heb een pomp die je kunt lenen.
vastmaken
verb
VAHST-mah-kun
to attach; to fasten
Kun je me laten zien hoe ik hem moet vastmaken?
zijkant
noun
EYE-kahnt
side; sidewall
Kijk langs de zijkant van de band voordat je lucht bijpompt.
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
My back tire is almost flat.
Show Answer
Mijn achterband is bijna leeg.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to borrow
Show Answer
lenenpump
Show Answer
pompalmost
Show Answer
bijnarear tire