Taking a cooking class | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Taking a cooking class to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Er is een kookles in het buurthuis.

ehr iss uhn KOHK-less in ut BYURT-hows. There's a cooking class at the community center.

Welke gerechten leren ze je te maken?

VEL-kuh khuh-REKH-tuhn LAY-run zuh yuh tuh MAH-kun? What kind of dishes will they teach you to make?

Eenvoudige pastagerechten en eenvoudige sauzen.

AYN-vow-duh-khuh PAH-sta-khuh-REKH-tuhn en AYN-vow-duh-khuh SOW-zun. Simple pasta dishes and basic sauces.

Is de les geschikt voor beginners?

iss duh less khuh-SKHIKT vohr buh-KHIN-urs? Is it open to beginners?

De les begint met eenvoudige stappen.

duh less buh-KHAYNT met AYN-vow-duh-khuh STAH-pun. The class starts with basic steps.

Je zou je moeten inschrijven.

yuh zow yuh MOO-tun in-SKHRAI-vun. You should sign up.

Ik wil één handig recept leren.

ik vil ayn HAN-dukh ruh-SEPT LAY-run. I want to learn one useful recipe.

Je kunt het daarna voor ons koken.

yuh kuhnt ut DAHR-nah vohr ons KOH-kun. You can cook it for us afterward.

Word by Word

Er In “Er is een kookles” it introduces the existence of something: there is a cooking class. This use commonly appears at the beginning of “Er is ...” when you inform someone that something exists or is available.

is In “Er is een kookles”, “is” means that the cooking class exists or is available. The same form appears as “Is” at the start of “Is de les geschikt voor beginners?”, where it forms a yes-or-no question. Use “Er is ...” to announce something and “Is ...?” to ask whether something is the case.

een In “een kookles”, “een” introduces one non-specific cooking class: a cooking class. It is placed directly before the singular noun it introduces. Use “een” when introducing an item that has not been identified more specifically.

kookles “Kookles” means a cooking class, the activity being offered at the community center. It names a lesson focused on cooking. In this dialogue it appears after “een” in “een kookles”.

in In “in het buurthuis”, “in” gives the location of the cooking class: at or in the community center. It is used here before a place. Use “in” with a location when saying where an activity takes place.

het In “het buurthuis”, “het” means the and introduces the specific community center being mentioned. It is placed before the noun “buurthuis”. Use “het” before a noun when referring to a specific thing or place.

buurthuis “Buurthuis” means community center, the place where the cooking class is held. In “in het buurthuis”, it identifies the location of the class. It is useful for talking about activities or services offered in a local community building.

Welke In “Welke gerechten leren ze je te maken?”, “Welke” asks which dishes or what kind of dishes. It comes directly before the noun “gerechten”. Use “Welke” before a noun when asking someone to identify or choose from possible items.

gerechten “Gerechten” means dishes, referring here to prepared foods that the class teaches people to make. It is the plural form related to “gerecht”. In “Welke gerechten ...?”, it follows “Welke” to ask what dishes are involved.

leren In “leren ze je te maken”, “leren” means teach: they teach you to make the dishes. The people being taught are expressed by “je”, and the action being taught is introduced by “te maken”. This pattern is useful for describing someone teaching another person an action.

ze In “leren ze je te maken”, “ze” means they and refers to the people running or teaching the class. It is the subject of “leren”. Use “ze” before a verb when saying that they perform an action.

je In “leren ze je te maken”, “je” means you as the person receiving the teaching. In “Je zou je moeten inschrijven”, “Je” is the person being advised. The form can therefore identify the person addressed, either as the receiver of an action or as its subject.

te In “te maken”, “te” marks “maken” as the action that is being taught. It connects the teaching verb “leren” with the action to make the dishes. A useful pattern is “leren ... te” followed by the action someone learns to do.

maken In “te maken”, “maken” means to make, specifically to make the dishes mentioned in the question. It is the action connected to “leren”. Use “maken” with something that is produced or prepared.

Eenvoudige In “Eenvoudige pastagerechten”, “Eenvoudige” means simple and describes the pasta dishes. The same form appears as “eenvoudige” in “eenvoudige stappen”. Use it before a noun when describing something as uncomplicated or basic.

pastagerechten “Pastagerechten” means pasta dishes, the foods included in the cooking class. It combines the idea of pasta with “gerechten”, dishes. In “Eenvoudige pastagerechten”, it is described as simple.

en In “pastagerechten en eenvoudige sauzen”, “en” means and and connects two parts of the list. It links the pasta dishes with the sauces. Use “en” to join words or phrases that belong together.

sauzen “Sauzen” means sauces, the second type of food taught in the class. It is the plural form related to “saus”. In the dialogue it is joined to “pastagerechten” by “en”.

de In “de les”, “de” means the and introduces the specific class or lesson being discussed. The same form appears as “De” at the beginning of “De les begint met eenvoudige stappen.” Use it before a noun when referring to a particular item already known from the conversation.

les In “de les”, “les” means class or lesson, referring to the cooking class. It is the subject of “De les begint met eenvoudige stappen.” Use it when talking about a particular lesson or class session.

geschikt In “geschikt voor beginners”, “geschikt” means suitable or appropriate. It describes the class as appropriate for people who are just starting. The reusable pattern is “geschikt voor” followed by the person or group something is appropriate for.

voor In “geschikt voor beginners”, “voor” means for and introduces the people the class is suitable for. It follows “geschikt” in the pattern “geschikt voor ...”. Use “voor” to identify the intended person or group.

beginners “Beginners” means people who are starting to learn something, here people with little or no cooking experience. It is the plural form related to “beginner”. In “geschikt voor beginners”, it names the intended group for the class.

begint In “De les begint met eenvoudige stappen”, “begint” means starts or begins. It tells when the lesson’s content starts and what it starts with. Use it in a pattern such as “iets begint met ...” when describing the first part of an activity.

met In “begint met eenvoudige stappen”, “met” means with and introduces the first content of the class. It follows “begint” in the pattern “begint met ...”. Use it to say what an activity starts with.

stappen “Stappen” means steps, referring here to the basic actions or stages taught at the beginning of the class. It is the plural form related to “stap”. In “eenvoudige stappen”, the steps are described as simple.

zou In “Je zou je moeten inschrijven”, “zou” helps express advice or a recommendation: you should sign up. Its meaning comes together with “moeten”, so it should be understood as part of the suggestion rather than as the whole meaning by itself. A useful pattern is “Je zou ... moeten” for recommending an action.

moeten In “zou je moeten inschrijven”, “moeten” contributes the idea that signing up is advisable or ought to be done. Together with “zou”, it makes the sentence a suggestion rather than a direct instruction. It is followed here by “inschrijven”, the recommended action.

inschrijven In “je moeten inschrijven”, “inschrijven” means sign up or register for the cooking class. The action is directed back to “je” in this sentence. Use it when registering for a class, course, or other organized activity.

Ik In “Ik wil één handig recept leren”, “Ik” means I and identifies the speaker as the person who wants to learn. It is the subject of “wil”. Use “Ik” at the start of a sentence when describing your own wish or action.

wil In “Ik wil één handig recept leren”, “wil” means want and expresses the speaker’s desire to learn a recipe. It is followed by the desired action, “leren”. Use the pattern “Ik wil” before an action you wish to do.

handig In “één handig recept”, “handig” means useful or handy and describes the recipe as practical to know. It appears directly before “recept”. Use “handig” before a noun when describing something that is useful in practice.

recept “Recept” means recipe, referring to the cooking instructions the speaker wants to learn. In “één handig recept leren”, it is the thing being learned. Use it when talking about instructions for preparing a dish.

kunt In “Je kunt het daarna voor ons koken”, “kunt” means can and expresses that the person addressed is able or permitted to cook it. It is followed by the action “koken”. Use the pattern “Je kunt” before an action that someone can do.

daarna In “Je kunt het daarna voor ons koken”, “daarna” means afterward, referring to a time later than the preceding cooking-class activity. It places the cooking for the others after that earlier activity. Use “daarna” when describing what happens next or later.

ons In “voor ons koken”, “ons” means us and identifies the people who will receive the cooking. It follows “voor” in the phrase “voor ons”. Use “voor ons” when saying that something is done for the speaker and other people.

koken In “voor ons koken”, “koken” means cook, referring to preparing the recipe or dish for the other people. It is the action that follows “kunt”. Use it with a food item as the thing being prepared and, when relevant, “voor” to name who will receive it.

Grammar Points

wil + infinitief

Ik wil daarna koken.

ik vil DAHR-nah KOH-kun.

I want to cook afterward.

After wil, the main verb stays in the infinitive: koken.

bijvoeglijk naamwoord + meervoudig zelfstandig naamwoord

eenvoudige pastagerechten

AYN-vow-duh-khuh PAH-sta-khuh-REKH-tuhn

simple pasta dishes

Before a plural noun, the adjective usually ends in -e: eenvoudige.

Dutch Vocabulary

beginners noun

buh-KHIN-urs beginners

Is de les geschikt voor beginners?

begint verb

buh-KHAYNT starts

De les begint met eenvoudige stappen.

buurthuis noun

BYURT-hows community center

Er is een kookles in het buurthuis.

eenvoudige adj

AYN-vow-duh-khuh simple

Eenvoudige pastagerechten en eenvoudige sauzen.

gerechten noun

khuh-REKH-tuhn dishes

Welke gerechten leren ze je te maken?

geschikt adj

khuh-SKHIKT suitable

Is de les geschikt voor beginners?

kookles noun

KOHK-less cooking class

Er is een kookles in het buurthuis.

leren verb

LAY-run teach

Welke gerechten leren ze je te maken?

maken verb

MAH-kun make

Welke gerechten leren ze je te maken?

pastagerechten noun

PAH-sta-khuh-REKH-tuhn pasta dishes

Eenvoudige pastagerechten en eenvoudige sauzen.

sauzen noun

SOW-zun sauces

Eenvoudige pastagerechten en eenvoudige sauzen.

stappen noun

STAH-pun steps

De les begint met eenvoudige stappen.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Simple pasta dishes and basic sauces.

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Eenvoudige pastagerechten en eenvoudige sauzen.

Is it open to beginners?

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Is de les geschikt voor beginners?

The class starts with basic steps.

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De les begint met eenvoudige stappen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

sauces

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sauzen

make

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maken

dishes

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gerechten

teach

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leren