Being locked out and asking for help | Learn Dutch in English

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Use Being locked out and asking for help to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ik kan mijn appartement niet in.

ikh kahn mine ah-pahr-tuh-MENT neet ihn. I am locked out of my apartment.

Heb je ergens een reservesleutel?

hep yuh ER-ghens uhn ruh-ZER-vuh-sloy-tuhl? Do you have a spare key somewhere?

Nee, maar mijn verhuurder heeft er misschien een.

nay, mahr mine vuh-HUR-duhr hayft ur mis-KHEEN uhn. I do not, but my landlord may have one.

Probeer je verhuurder nu te bellen.

proh-BAIR yuh vuh-HUR-duhr noo tuh BEL-luhn. Try calling them now.

Mag ik binnen wachten terwijl ik bel?

mahkh ikh BIH-nuhn WAHKH-tuhn tuh-RILE ikh bel? Could I wait inside while I make the call?

Kom even binnen.

KOHM AY-vuhn BIH-nuhn. Come in for a while.

Het is daar buiten koud.

hut iss dahr BOW-tuhn KOWT. It is cold out there.

Ik leg uit wat er is gebeurd en vraag naar de sleutel.

ikh lehkh OYT waht ur iss guh-BURT en vrahkh nahr duh SLOY-tuhl. I will explain what happened and ask about the key.

Zeg het maar als je iets nodig hebt terwijl je wacht.

ZEH-kh ut mahr ahls yuh eets NOH-dikh hept tuh-RILE yuh wahkht. Tell me if you need anything while you wait.

Word by Word

Ik “Ik” identifies the speaker as “I” in “Ik kan mijn appartement niet in.” It is used before the verb when making a statement about yourself, as in “Ik ...”.

kan In “Ik kan mijn appartement niet in”, “kan” expresses the ability to get inside, which is negated by “niet”. “kan” is the form of “kunnen” used with “Ik”; reuse “Ik kan ...” to talk about what you are able to do.

mijn “mijn” means “my” and shows that the apartment belongs to or is associated with the speaker. It comes directly before “appartement”; reuse “mijn” before something connected to you.

appartement “appartement” identifies the apartment that the speaker cannot enter. In “mijn appartement”, it is the place being discussed; reuse it after a possessive such as “mijn” when referring to an apartment.

niet “niet” makes the statement negative; in “niet in”, it helps express that the speaker cannot get inside. Use “niet” to say that an action, condition, or location does not apply.

in In “niet in”, “in” points to entering or being inside the apartment. It appears at the end of “Ik kan mijn appartement niet in”; use “in” with a place when referring to being inside or moving inside.

Heb “Heb” opens the question “Heb je ergens een reservesleutel?”, asking whether the other person has a spare key. It is the form of “hebben” used in this question with “je”; reuse “Heb je ...?” when asking whether someone has something.

je In “Heb je ergens een reservesleutel?”, “je” addresses one person as “you”. In “je verhuurder”, it means “your” and comes before the noun; these are two common uses of “je”.

ergens “ergens” means that the spare key may be in some unspecified place. In “ergens een reservesleutel”, it indicates an unknown location; use “ergens” when you do not name the exact place.

een In “een reservesleutel”, “een” means “a” and introduces one unspecified spare key. In “er misschien een”, it refers to one key without repeating “sleutel”; use “een” in both of these ways depending on whether a noun follows.

reservesleutel “reservesleutel” means a spare key, the backup key being sought in the dialogue. It is the object in “een reservesleutel”; reuse it when talking about a key kept for situations like being locked out.

Nee “Nee” directly answers the question negatively: the speaker does not have a spare key. In “Nee, maar”, it is followed by an exception or contrasting piece of information; reuse “Nee” to give a negative answer.

maar “maar” introduces a contrast: the speaker has no spare key, but the landlord may have one. The exact phrase “Nee, maar” is useful when rejecting one possibility and then adding another.

verhuurder “verhuurder” means landlord, the person who may have the key and is called for help. It appears in “mijn verhuurder” and “je verhuurder”; reuse it after a possessive when referring to a landlord.

heeft “heeft” says that the landlord may have a key in “mijn verhuurder heeft er misschien een”. It is the form of “hebben” used here with “mijn verhuurder”; reuse “heeft” to say that someone has something.

er In “er misschien een”, “er” refers back to the spare key already mentioned, so “sleutel” does not need to be repeated. Use “er” when referring back to something previously introduced.

misschien “misschien” shows uncertainty: the landlord may have a spare key, but the speaker is not sure. It appears before “een” in “er misschien een”; use “misschien” to make an uncertain statement.

Probeer In “Probeer je verhuurder nu te bellen”, “Probeer” gives direct advice to make the call. It is the form of “proberen” used as an instruction; reuse “Probeer ... te” when suggesting that someone try an action.

nu “nu” means “now” and says that the call should be made at the present time. In “nu te bellen”, it gives the timing of the suggested action; use “nu” to refer to the current moment.

te In “te bellen”, “te” links “Probeer” to the action of calling. It works before “bellen” in the pattern “Probeer ... te” rather than naming the call itself.

bellen “bellen” is the action of calling the landlord. In “te bellen”, it follows “te” after “Probeer”; reuse it when referring to calling a person or service.

Mag “Mag” asks for permission in “Mag ik binnen wachten?”, meaning that the speaker is asking whether waiting inside is allowed. It is the form of “mogen” used with “ik”; reuse “Mag ik ...?” when politely asking permission.

binnen “binnen” tells where the speaker wants to wait: inside rather than outside. In “binnen wachten”, it describes the location of waiting; it can also be used with an invitation to come inside.

wachten “wachten” means to wait while the speaker makes the call. It follows “Mag ik binnen” in “Mag ik binnen wachten?”; reuse “wachten” when describing remaining somewhere until something happens.

terwijl “terwijl” introduces an action happening at the same time as waiting: “terwijl ik bel”. Use “terwijl” before a clause with its own subject and verb when two actions happen simultaneously.

bel In “terwijl ik bel”, “bel” means that the speaker is making the call while waiting. It is the form of “bellen” used with “ik”; reuse “ik bel” when saying that you are calling.

Kom “Kom” invites the person to come inside in “Kom even binnen.” It is the form of “komen” used as a direct instruction; reuse “Kom ...” to invite someone to come to a place.

even In “Kom even binnen”, “even” makes the invitation brief or temporary: come in for a moment. It can soften an invitation or request by suggesting a short period.

Het In “Het is daar buiten koud”, “Het” refers to the general situation or weather, meaning “it”. Use “Het is ...” to describe a general condition such as the temperature.

is “is” connects the general situation with the condition “koud” in “Het is daar buiten koud”. It is the form of “zijn” used here; reuse “Het is ...” when describing a condition.

daar “daar” points to a place away from the speaker, namely the outside area in “daar buiten”. Use “daar” to refer to a location that is not here.

buiten “buiten” means outside and identifies where it is cold in “daar buiten”. Use “buiten” when referring to an outdoor location or conditions outdoors.

koud “koud” describes the temperature outside in “Het is daar buiten koud”. It follows the form “is” to describe the condition; use “koud” for cold weather, places, or objects.

leg In the exact combination “leg uit”, “leg” contributes the verb form used for the speaker’s act of explaining. It is the form of “leggen” used with “Ik”; reuse “Ik leg uit” when saying that you explain something.

uit In “leg uit”, “uit” completes the expression meaning “explain”; it does not mean only “out” here. Keep it with “leg” in the reusable expression “leg uit”.

wat “wat” introduces the content that will be explained in “wat er is gebeurd”. It refers to what happened; use “wat” to introduce the information or event being discussed.

gebeurd In “is gebeurd”, “gebeurd” refers to the event that took place and will be explained. It is the form of “gebeuren” used with “is”; reuse “wat er is gebeurd” when asking or talking about what happened.

en “en” joins the two actions in “en vraag naar de sleutel”: explaining what happened and asking about the key. Use “en” to connect related words, phrases, or actions.

vraag In “vraag naar de sleutel”, “vraag” means ask about or ask for information concerning the key. It is the form of “vragen” used with “Ik”; reuse “vraag naar” when seeking information about something.

naar In “vraag naar de sleutel”, “naar” identifies the subject being asked about or sought: the key. It belongs with “vraag” in the pattern “vraag naar ...”.

de “de” introduces “sleutel” as the specific key being discussed. In “de sleutel”, it marks the noun as definite; reuse it before a known or specific noun when appropriate.

sleutel “sleutel” means key, the object the speaker asks the landlord about. It appears in “de sleutel” and relates to the earlier “reservesleutel”; reuse it when referring to a key.

Zeg In “Zeg het maar”, “Zeg” invites the other person to tell the speaker if help is needed. It is the form of “zeggen” used as an instruction; “Zeg het maar” is a reusable way to say that someone can simply tell you.

als “als” introduces the condition “als je iets nodig hebt”: if you need anything. Use “als” before a clause that states a condition for what follows.

iets “iets” refers to an unspecified thing in “iets nodig hebt”, meaning anything the person may need. Use “iets” when the exact object is not named.

nodig In “iets nodig hebt”, “nodig” contributes the idea of being needed, so the phrase expresses that the person needs something. It is commonly used with a form of “hebben” when talking about a need.

hebt Together with “nodig”, “hebt” helps express that the other person has a need in “als je iets nodig hebt”. It is the form of “hebben” used with “je”; the full conditional can be reused when offering help.

wacht In “terwijl je wacht”, “wacht” means that the person is waiting. It is the form of “wachten” used with “je”; reuse “terwijl je wacht” when referring to something that happens during someone’s wait.

Grammar Points

uitleggen → leg uit

leg uit

lekh OYT

explain

Uitleggen is a separable verb: in the cited form, leg and uit appear as two separate parts.

nodig hebben

iets nodig hebt

eets NOH-dikh hept

you need something

Dutch expresses “need” with the fixed phrase nodig hebben; the object iets comes before the conjugated verb in this form.

Dutch Vocabulary

appartement noun

ah-pahr-tuh-MENT apartment

Ik kan mijn appartement niet in.

bellen verb

BEL-luhn to call

Probeer je verhuurder nu te bellen.

binnen adv

BIH-nuhn inside; indoors

Mag ik binnen wachten terwijl ik bel?

ergens adv

ER-ghens somewhere

Heb je ergens een reservesleutel?

hebben verb

HEH-buhn to have heb

Heb je ergens een reservesleutel?

komen verb

KOH-muhn to come kom

Kom even binnen.

misschien adv

mis-KHEEN perhaps; maybe

Nee, maar mijn verhuurder heeft er misschien een.

proberen verb

proh-BAIR-uhn to try probeer

Probeer je verhuurder nu te bellen.

reservesleutel noun

ruh-ZER-vuh-sloy-tuhl spare key

Heb je ergens een reservesleutel?

sleutel noun

SLOY-tuhl key

Ik leg uit wat er is gebeurd en vraag naar de sleutel.

verhuurder noun

vuh-HUR-duhr landlord

Probeer je verhuurder nu te bellen.

wachten verb

WAHKH-tuhn to wait

Mag ik binnen wachten terwijl ik bel?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I am locked out of my apartment.

Show Answer

Ik kan mijn appartement niet in.

Do you have a spare key somewhere?

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Heb je ergens een reservesleutel?

Try calling them now.

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Probeer je verhuurder nu te bellen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

somewhere

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ergens

landlord

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verhuurder

key

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sleutel

to try

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probeer