Getting a washing machine to start | Learn Dutch in English

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Use Getting a washing machine to start to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Deze wasmachine start niet.

DAY-zuh WASS-muh-SHEE-nuh start NEET. This washing machine won't start.

Heb je de stekker en de aan-knop gecontroleerd?

HEB yuh duh STEH-kur en duh AHN-knop khuh-kon-troh-LAYRT? Did you check the plug and the power button?

De stekker zit erin, maar er gebeurt niets.

Duh STEH-kur zit eh-RIN, mahr ur khuh-BURT neets. The plug is in, but nothing happens.

Misschien is de deur niet goed dicht.

Miss-KHEEN iss duh DUR neet khoot DIKHT. Maybe the door isn't closed properly.

In de gebruiksaanwijzing staat dat de deur moet klikken voordat de machine start.

In duh khuh-BRAYKS-ahn-VAY-zing staht dat duh DUR moot KLIK-uh(n) vohr-DAHT duh muh-SHEE-nuh start. The instructions say it should click before it starts.

Duw de deur nog een keer dicht en druk dan op start.

DYOO duh DUR nokh un keer DIKHT en druk dan op start. Push the door once more, then press start.

De deur klikte en nu werkt hij.

Duh DUR KLIK-tuh, en nyoo WERKT ay. The door clicked, and now it works.

Soms lossen simpele controles het probleem op.

SOMs LOSS-uh(n) SIM-puh-luh KOHN-troh-luhs ut proh-BLAYM op. Sometimes simple checks solve the problem.

Word by Word

Deze “Deze” means “this” and points to the washing machine being discussed in “Deze wasmachine”. It is used directly before the noun it identifies. New example: “Deze deur is open” means “This door is open.”

wasmachine “Wasmachine” means “washing machine”, the appliance that will not start here. It is used as the noun after “Deze” in “Deze wasmachine”. New example: “De wasmachine werkt” means “The washing machine works.”

start “Start” means “starts” in “Deze wasmachine start niet”. The same form is used in “de machine start” to describe the machine beginning its cycle. New example: “De computer start” means “The computer starts.”

niet “Niet” makes “Deze wasmachine start niet” negative: the washing machine does not start. It normally comes after the verb in this sentence. New example: “De knop werkt niet” means “The button does not work.”

Heb “Heb” means “have” in the question “Heb je de stekker en de aan-knop gecontroleerd?”. Together with “gecontroleerd”, it asks whether the checking has been done. New example: “Heb je de deur gecontroleerd?” means “Did you check the door?”

je “Je” means “you” in “Heb je de stekker en de aan-knop gecontroleerd?”. It is the person being asked whether they checked the items. New example: “Heb je tijd?” means “Do you have time?”

de “De” means “the” in “de stekker”, “de aan-knop”, and “de deur”. It comes before these specific nouns. New example: “de machine” means “the machine.”

stekker “Stekker” means “plug”, specifically the plug whose connection is being checked. It appears after “de” in “de stekker”. New example: “De stekker zit erin” means “The plug is in.”

en “En” means “and” and joins “de stekker” with “de aan-knop” in the question. It connects two items of the same list. New example: “de deur en de knop” means “the door and the button.”

aan-knop “Aan-knop” means “power button”, the button that is checked before starting the machine. It is used with the definite article in “de aan-knop”. New example: “Druk op de aan-knop” means “Press the power button.”

gecontroleerd “Gecontroleerd” means “checked” in “Heb je de stekker en de aan-knop gecontroleerd?”. With “Heb” and the objects before it, it describes checking that may already have been completed. New example: “Ik heb de deur gecontroleerd” means “I checked the door.”

zit “Zit” says that the plug is positioned or located in the socket in “De stekker zit erin”. Its meaning here is completed by “erin”, so the whole expression describes the plug being in place. New example: “De sleutel zit in de tas” means “The key is in the bag.”

erin “Erin” means “in it” or “in there” in “De stekker zit erin”. It points to the socket or opening understood from the situation and works together with “zit”. New example: “Doe het erin” means “Put it in.”

maar “Maar” means “but” and contrasts “De stekker zit erin” with “er gebeurt niets”. It links two statements that do not have the expected result. New example: “Ik heb tijd, maar ik kom niet” means “I have time, but I am not coming.”

er “Er” helps introduce the event statement “er gebeurt niets”. In this sentence, it does not name a specific place; it helps express that nothing is happening. New example: “Er gebeurt iets” means “Something is happening.”

gebeurt “Gebeurt” means “happens” in “er gebeurt niets”. It describes an event or change, and “niets” tells us that no event is taking place. New example: “Wat gebeurt er?” means “What is happening?”

niets “Niets” means “nothing” in “er gebeurt niets”. It is the thing that is said not to happen in the sentence. New example: “Ik hoor niets” means “I hear nothing.”

Misschien “Misschien” means “maybe” and signals that “de deur niet goed dicht” is a possible explanation, not a certainty. It commonly appears at the beginning of a suggestion or guess. New example: “Misschien is hij thuis” means “Maybe he is at home.”

is “Is” links the door with its condition in “de deur niet goed dicht”. Here it says that the door is not properly closed. New example: “De deur is open” means “The door is open.”

deur “Deur” means “door”, the part that may not be closed properly and later clicks. It appears in “de deur” with the definite article. New example: “Sluit de deur” means “Close the door.”

goed “Goed” means “properly” in “niet goed dicht”. It qualifies how completely the door is closed. New example: “Doe de deur goed dicht” means “Close the door properly.”

dicht “Dicht” means “closed” in “de deur niet goed dicht”. It describes the door’s closed state, while “goed” says that the state is not achieved properly. New example: “De deur is dicht” means “The door is closed.”

In “In” means “in” at the beginning of “In de gebruiksaanwijzing”. It introduces the source where the information is written. New example: “In de doos” means “In the box.”

gebruiksaanwijzing “Gebruiksaanwijzing” means “instructions” or “user manual”, the document that explains what the machine should do. It appears after “In” in “In de gebruiksaanwijzing”. New example: “Lees de gebruiksaanwijzing” means “Read the instructions.”

staat “Staat” means “says” or “states” in “In de gebruiksaanwijzing staat dat...”. Dutch uses this form to say that information is written in a document. New example: “Op de website staat dat de winkel open is” means “The website says that the shop is open.”

dat “Dat” means “that” and introduces the information stated in “staat dat de deur moet klikken”. It connects the statement in the manual with its content. New example: “Ik weet dat hij komt” means “I know that he is coming.”

moet “Moet” expresses what should or must happen in “de deur moet klikken”. It is followed by “klikken”, which names the required action or sound. New example: “Je moet de knop indrukken” means “You must press the button.”

klikken “Klikken” means “click” in “de deur moet klikken”. It is the action or sound that the door should produce before the machine starts. New example: “De knop moet klikken” means “The button should click.”

voordat “Voordat” means “before” and places “de machine start” earlier or later in relation to the door clicking. It introduces the event that follows it in “voordat de machine start”. New example: “Was je je handen voordat je eet” means “Wash your hands before you eat.”

machine “Machine” means “machine” in “de machine start”. Here it refers to the washing machine already mentioned in the dialogue. New example: “De machine werkt” means “The machine works.”

Duw “Duw” means “push” and gives the instruction in “Duw de deur nog een keer dicht”. It is used at the start of a direct instruction to one person. New example: “Duw de knop in” means “Push the button in.”

nog “Nog” contributes the meaning “another” or “once more” in “nog een keer”. The complete expression tells the person to do the action one more time. New example: “Nog een keer, alstublieft” means “One more time, please.”

een “Een” means “one” in the expression “nog een keer”. Together with “keer”, it helps express “once more” or “another time”. New example: “een keer” means “one time.”

keer “Keer” means “time” in “nog een keer”. With “nog een”, it forms the reusable expression “nog een keer”, meaning “once more”. New example: “Ik probeer het een keer” means “I try it once.”

druk “Druk” means “press” in the instruction “druk dan op start”. It tells the listener to press the start control after closing the door. New example: “Druk op de knop” means “Press the button.”

dan “Dan” means “then” in “druk dan op start”. It shows that pressing start should happen after the earlier instruction. New example: “Sluit de deur en druk dan op de knop” means “Close the door and then press the button.”

op “Op” is used with pressing a control in “druk dan op start”. The pattern “druk op” is followed by the button or control being pressed. New example: “Druk op de aan-knop” means “Press the power button.”

klikte “Klikte” means “clicked” in “De deur klikte”. It reports the click that happened when the door was pushed closed. New example: “De knop klikte” means “The button clicked.”

nu “Nu” means “now” in “nu werkt hij”. It marks the new situation after the door clicked. New example: “Nu werkt de machine” means “Now the machine works.”

werkt “Werkt” means “works” in “nu werkt hij”. It says that the machine is functioning after the door was closed properly. New example: “De knop werkt” means “The button works.”

hij “Hij” means “it” here and refers back to the machine in “nu werkt hij”. Dutch uses this pronoun for the machine in this dialogue. New example: “Hij werkt weer” means “It works again.”

Soms “Soms” means “sometimes” and presents the statement as something that happens on some occasions in “Soms lossen simpele controles het probleem op”. It commonly comes at the beginning of a general statement. New example: “Soms is het moeilijk” means “Sometimes it is difficult.”

lossen “Lossen” means “solve” in “simpele controles lossen het probleem op”. Together with “op”, it forms the separable verb “lossen ... op”; the simple checks are the subject that solve the problem. New example: “Deze stappen lossen het probleem op” means “These steps solve the problem.”

simpele “Simpele” means “simple” in “simpele controles”. It describes the checks as uncomplicated and comes before the noun. New example: “simpele stappen” means “simple steps.”

controles “Controles” means “checks” in “simpele controles”. It refers to basic inspections such as checking the plug, power button, and door. New example: “We doen enkele controles” means “We do some checks.”

het “Het” means “the” in “het probleem”. It comes before the specific problem being solved. New example: “het antwoord” means “the answer.”

probleem “Probleem” means “problem” in “het probleem”, referring to the washing machine not starting. It is the object of the separable expression “lossen ... op”. New example: “Ik begrijp het probleem” means “I understand the problem.”

Grammar Points

lossen ... op

We lossen het probleem op.

Wuh LOSS-uh(n) ut proh-BLAYM OP.

We solve the problem.

In Dutch, the separable verb splits: the main verb comes after the subject, while op moves to the end.

Dutch Vocabulary

aan-knop noun

AHN-knop power button

deur noun

DUR door

erin adv

eh-RIN in it

gebeurt verb

khuh-BURT happens

gebruiksaanwijzing noun

khuh-BRAYKS-ahn-VAY-zing instructions

gecontroleerd verb

khuh-kon-troh-LAYRT checked

goed dicht phrase

khoot DIKHT properly closed

misschien adv

miss-KHEEN maybe

staat verb

STAHT says or states

start verb

START starts

stekker noun

STEH-kur plug

wasmachine noun

WASS-muh-SHEE-nuh washing machine

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

This washing machine won't start.

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Deze wasmachine start niet.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

starts

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start

door

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deur

plug

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stekker

maybe

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misschien