Learning guitar in your free time | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At home, one adult describes learning guitar through online lessons and practicing in a quiet room..

EN → NL / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Learning guitar in your free time to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ik leer sinds kort gitaar spelen.

ihk LAIR sinst KORT khih-TAHR SPAY-lun. I recently started learning guitar.
B

Volg je lessen?

VOHLKH yuh LESS-un? Are you taking lessons?
A

Ik volg online lessen na het werk.

ihk VOLKH ON-line LESS-un nah ut VAIRK. I'm taking online lessons after work.
B

Is het moeilijk voor een beginner?

iss ut MOOY-luk fohr uhn buh-KHIH-nur? Is it difficult for a beginner?
A

Het ritme is moeilijk, maar ik vind het leuk.

ut RIT-muh iss MOOY-luk, mahr ihk fihnt ut LUHK. The rhythm is hard, but I enjoy it.
B

Hoe vaak oefen je?

hoo VAHK OO-fun yuh? How often do you practice?
A

Ik oefen 's avonds als mijn kamer stil is.

ihk OO-fun SAH-vonts ahls mine KAH-mur STEEL iss. I practice in the evening when my room is quiet.
B

Een vast moment zou je moeten helpen om beter te worden.

uhn vahst moh-MENT zow yuh MOO-tun HELP-un um BAY-tur tuh VOR-dun. A regular time should help you improve.

Word by Word

Ik ‘Ik’ and the lowercase form ‘ik’ mean ‘I’ and are the subject in statements such as ‘Ik leer’ and ‘Ik oefen’. They normally come before the verb in these sentences. The form is used when the speaker describes their own activity.
leer In ‘Ik leer sinds kort gitaar spelen’, ‘leer’ means ‘learn’ or ‘am learning’ and is a form of ‘leren’. It is followed here by ‘gitaar spelen’, giving the pattern of learning to do an activity. Use it when describing something you are learning.
sinds In ‘sinds kort’, ‘sinds’ contributes the idea of ‘since’, while the whole expression means ‘recently’. It introduces a time period or point connected with the present. This is useful when saying how recently something began.
kort In ‘sinds kort’, ‘kort’ literally relates to a short amount of time, and the complete expression means ‘recently’. Together with ‘sinds’, it places the activity in the recent past. Use ‘sinds kort’ when describing a new activity or situation.
gitaar ‘Gitaar’ means ‘guitar’ and is the instrument in ‘gitaar spelen’. It comes before ‘spelen’ in this activity expression. Use it when talking about learning or playing the guitar.
spelen In ‘gitaar spelen’, ‘spelen’ means ‘play’ and is the form used after ‘leren’ in ‘leren gitaar spelen’. The combination describes playing an instrument, rather than a game. Use it after an instrument when talking about playing that instrument.
Volg In ‘Volg je lessen?’, ‘Volg’ means ‘take’ or ‘attend’ lessons and is a form of ‘volgen’. It comes before ‘je’ because this is a yes-or-no question. Use this verb when asking whether someone attends a course or lessons.
je ‘Je’ means ‘you’ in ‘Volg je lessen?’ and in ‘zou je moeten helpen’. In the first sentence it is the person taking lessons; in the second it is the person receiving help. Its role is clear from its position and the verb around it.
lessen ‘Lessen’ means ‘lessons’ and is the plural form related to ‘les’. In ‘online lessen’ and ‘Volg je lessen?’, it refers to organized instruction. It commonly follows a word describing the type or format of the lessons.
online ‘Online’ means that the lessons take place through the internet in ‘online lessen’. It comes before ‘lessen’ to specify their format. Use it before a noun when describing an internet-based activity or service.
na ‘Na’ means ‘after’ in ‘na het werk’. It places the lessons later than the work. Use ‘na’ before an event or activity to say that something happens afterward.
het ‘Het’ has two functions in this dialogue: it is ‘the’ in ‘het werk’ and ‘it’ in ‘Is het moeilijk?’. In ‘het werk’ it comes before the noun; in the question it refers to the activity being discussed. The surrounding words show which function is intended.
werk ‘Werk’ means ‘work’ in the expression ‘na het werk’. With ‘het’, it refers to work as the activity that comes before the lessons. Use it in time expressions about what happens before or after work.
Is ‘Is’ and the lowercase form ‘is’ mean ‘is’ and are forms of ‘zijn’. In ‘Is het moeilijk?’ they begin a yes-or-no question, while in ‘mijn kamer stil is’ they link the room to its description. Use this form to describe a state or condition.
moeilijk ‘Moeilijk’ means ‘difficult’ or ‘hard’ in ‘Is het moeilijk voor een beginner?’ and ‘Het ritme is moeilijk’. It describes how challenging the activity or rhythm is. Use it after ‘is’ to describe something that requires effort.
voor ‘Voor’ means ‘for’ in ‘moeilijk voor een beginner’. It marks the person or group to whom the difficulty applies. Use ‘voor’ before a person or group when describing how something affects them.
een ‘Een’ and the sentence-initial form ‘Een’ mean ‘a’ or ‘an’. They introduce ‘een beginner’ and ‘een vast moment’. Use this article before a singular noun when referring to one non-specific person, thing, or time.
beginner ‘Beginner’ means ‘beginner’ and refers to someone who is new to the activity. In ‘voor een beginner’, it identifies the type of learner for whom the activity may be difficult. Use it when describing a person with little or no experience.
ritme ‘Ritme’ means ‘rhythm’ in ‘Het ritme is moeilijk’. It refers to the timing pattern that the learner must play. Use it when discussing the timing or beat of music.
maar ‘Maar’ means ‘but’ and connects two contrasting ideas in ‘Het ritme is moeilijk, maar ik vind het leuk’. It shows that the difficulty does not prevent the speaker from enjoying the activity. Use it to contrast a problem with a positive point.
vind In ‘ik vind het leuk’, ‘vind’ is a form of ‘vinden’ and contributes the idea of finding or considering something a certain way. The whole construction expresses the speaker’s evaluation, here that the activity is enjoyable. A reusable pattern places the thing being evaluated between ‘vind’ and the evaluation word.
leuk ‘Leuk’ describes the activity as enjoyable or fun in ‘ik vind het leuk’. Together with ‘ik vind het’, it expresses that the speaker enjoys it; this meaning belongs to the full construction. Use it when giving a positive evaluation of an activity or experience.
Hoe ‘Hoe’ means ‘how’ in ‘Hoe vaak oefen je?’. Together with ‘vaak’, it asks about frequency rather than manner alone. Use it at the beginning of a question when asking for information about how often something happens.
vaak ‘Vaak’ means ‘often’ and indicates frequency in ‘Hoe vaak oefen je?’. With ‘Hoe’, it forms a question about the number or regularity of practice occasions. Use it to describe or ask how frequently an activity occurs.
oefen In ‘Ik oefen’ and ‘Hoe vaak oefen je?’, ‘oefen’ means ‘practice’ and is a form of ‘oefenen’. It is used with the activity being practiced, here guitar playing. Use it when talking about repeated practice intended to improve a skill.
's avonds ‘'s avonds’ means ‘in the evening’ as a complete time expression in ‘Ik oefen 's avonds’. The components ‘'s’ and ‘avonds’ work together to identify the evening as the time of the activity. It can be placed with an activity to say when that activity happens.
als ‘Als’ means ‘when’ in ‘als mijn kamer stil is’. It introduces the time or condition connected with the practice. Use ‘als’ before a clause describing when something happens.
mijn ‘Mijn’ means ‘my’ in ‘mijn kamer’. It comes directly before the noun and identifies the room as belonging to or being associated with the speaker. Use ‘mijn’ before a noun when referring to something connected with yourself.
kamer ‘Kamer’ means ‘room’ in ‘mijn kamer stil is’. It is the place whose condition is described during practice. Use it with a possessive such as ‘mijn’ when talking about someone’s room.
stil ‘Stil’ means ‘quiet’ in ‘mijn kamer stil is’. It describes the room’s state and explains the setting in which the speaker practices. Use it after ‘is’ to describe a quiet place or environment.
vast ‘Vast’ means ‘fixed’ or ‘regular’ in ‘een vast moment’. It describes a time that is set and can be used repeatedly for practice. Use it before ‘moment’ when referring to a regular scheduled time.
moment ‘Moment’ means ‘moment’ or ‘time’ in ‘een vast moment’. Here it refers to a set time for practicing, not merely an instant. Use it with a description such as ‘vast’ when talking about a planned time.
zou In ‘zou je moeten helpen’, ‘zou’ is a form of ‘zullen’ and makes the statement express an expected or less direct result. Together with ‘moeten’, the phrase says that a regular time should help you. Use this combination when giving a gentle expectation or suggestion.
moeten In ‘zou je moeten helpen’, ‘moeten’ contributes the idea of ‘should’ or ‘ought to’, while ‘zou’ softens or frames the statement. It is followed by the infinitive ‘helpen’. This pattern is useful for expressing what is expected to happen or what would be advisable.
helpen ‘Helpen’ means ‘help’ in ‘je moeten helpen om beter te worden’. Here the regular practice time is expected to help the learner improve. The person being helped comes before the verb, and the goal follows in ‘om beter te worden’.
om In ‘om beter te worden’, ‘om’ introduces the goal of the helping. Together with ‘te worden’, it forms the purpose or result expression ‘to get better’. Use ‘om’ before a goal clause when explaining what an action is intended to achieve.
beter ‘Beter’ means ‘better’ in ‘beter te worden’ and is the comparative form related to ‘goed’. It describes improvement in the learner’s ability. Use it with ‘worden’ when saying that someone or something is getting better.
te In ‘om beter te worden’, ‘te’ marks the infinitive construction with ‘worden’. It connects the goal introduced by ‘om’ to the action of becoming better. Use this form before an infinitive in a construction that expresses a purpose or result.
worden ‘Worden’ means ‘become’ or ‘get’ in ‘beter te worden’. With ‘beter’, the complete expression means ‘to get better’. Use it after a description such as ‘beter’ when talking about a change into a new state.

Grammar Points

Sinds kort + tegenwoordige tijd

Sinds kort leer ik gitaar spelen.

sinst KORT LAIR ihk khih-TAHR SPAY-lun.

I have recently started learning to play guitar.

Dutch uses the present tense after sinds kort for an action that began recently and is still continuing.

Na + zelfstandig naamwoord, inversie

Na werk oefen ik 's avonds.

nah VAIRK OO-fun ihk SAH-vonts.

After work, I practise in the evening.

When a time phrase comes first, the verb comes before the subject: na werk oefen ik.

Dutch Vocabulary

beginner noun
buh-KHIH-nur beginner

Is het moeilijk voor een beginner?

gitaar noun
khih-TAHR guitar

Ik leer sinds kort gitaar spelen.

gitaar spelen phrase
khih-TAHR SPAY-lun to play guitar

Ik leer sinds kort gitaar spelen.

leren verb
LAY-run to learn leer

Ik leer sinds kort gitaar spelen.

les noun
LESS lesson lessen

Ik volg online lessen na het werk.

moeilijk adj
MOOY-luk difficult; hard

Is het moeilijk voor een beginner?

na prep
nah after

Ik volg online lessen na het werk.

online adj
ON-line online

Ik volg online lessen na het werk.

ritme noun
RIT-muh rhythm

Het ritme is moeilijk, maar ik vind het leuk.

sinds kort phrase
sinst KORT recently

Ik leer sinds kort gitaar spelen.

volgen verb
VOLKH-un to take; to follow volg

Volg je lessen?

werk noun
VAIRK work

Ik volg online lessen na het werk.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I recently started learning guitar.

Show AnswerIk leer sinds kort gitaar spelen.

Are you taking lessons?

Show AnswerVolg je lessen?

Is it difficult for a beginner?

Show AnswerIs het moeilijk voor een beginner?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

guitar

Show Answergitaar

work

Show Answerwerk

to take; to follow

Show Answervolg

to learn

Show Answerleer