Letting someone go first | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: In a line at a counter, one adult lets another person with heavy bags go ahead..

EN → NL / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Letting someone go first to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Pardon, u mag voor mij gaan.

par-DON, ew mahkh voor may khahn. Excuse me, you can go ahead of me.
B

Weet u het zeker? Ik wil uw plek niet innemen.

vayt ew ut ZAY-kur? ik vil ew plek neet in-NAY-mun. Are you sure? I don't want to take your place.
A

Geeft niet, uw tassen zien er zwaar uit.

khayft neet, ew TAH-sun zeen ur zvahr oyt. It's all right, your bags look heavy.
B

Dat waardeer ik.

daht vahr-DAYR ik. I appreciate it.
B

Ik ben maar een minuutje aan de balie.

ik ben mahr un mee-NEW-chuh ahn duh BAH-lee. I'll only be a minute at the counter.
A

Ik kan nog even wachten.

ik kahn nokh AY-vun VAKH-tun. I can wait a little longer.
B

Ik zal ervoor zorgen dat ik u niet ophoud.

ik zahl ur-VOOR ZOR-khun daht ik ew neet op-HOWT. I'll make sure I don't hold you up.

Word by Word

Pardon “Pardon” is a polite way to get someone’s attention before speaking, here before offering a place in line. It is useful when addressing a stranger or another person politely.
u “u” means “you” in a polite or formal way. In “u mag voor mij gaan” and “ik u niet ophoud”, it refers to the other adult; it can be used when speaking respectfully to someone you do not know well.
mag In “u mag voor mij gaan”, “mag” gives permission: the other person is allowed to go ahead. It commonly comes before an action word, as in “u mag voor mij gaan”, when granting permission politely.
voor In “voor mij gaan”, “voor” marks the position ahead of the speaker. Together with “mij” and “gaan”, it is used when letting someone move in front of you in a line.
mij “mij” means “me” in “voor mij gaan”, identifying the person whose position is behind the other person. The expression “voor mij” is useful when describing someone being ahead of you.
gaan In “u mag voor mij gaan”, “gaan” means to go or move forward. It follows “mag” to describe the action that the other person is allowed to take, such as moving ahead in a line.
Weet In “Weet u het zeker?”, “Weet” means “know” and begins a polite question asking whether the other person is certain. This question is useful when checking that someone really agrees with an offer or decision.
het In “Weet u het zeker?”, “het” refers to the situation or offer being discussed. Together with “zeker”, it forms the question “Weet u het zeker?” used to check someone’s certainty.
zeker In “Weet u het zeker?”, “zeker” means certain or sure. The expression is useful when politely asking someone to confirm that they really mean what they have said.
Ik “Ik” means “I” and appears at the beginning of several sentences, while the same word appears as “ik” in “waardeer ik”. It identifies the speaker and is used before statements about the speaker’s wishes, abilities, or actions.
wil In “Ik wil uw plek niet innemen”, “wil” means “want”. It introduces the speaker’s intention and comes before the action “innemen” when explaining what the speaker does not want to do.
uw “uw” means “your” in a polite or formal way. In “uw plek”, it shows that the place belongs to the person being addressed; it is placed directly before the noun it describes.
plek In “uw plek”, “plek” means a place or spot, specifically the person’s position in the line. This word is useful when discussing where someone is standing or sitting.
niet “niet” makes the action negative in “uw plek niet innemen”: the speaker does not want to take the other person’s place. It appears before the action “innemen” in this sentence.
innemen In “uw plek niet innemen”, “innemen” means to take or occupy someone’s place. It follows “wil” and is useful when talking about taking a position, seat, or place that belongs to someone else.
Geeft In the expression “Geeft niet”, “Geeft” is part of a fixed reassurance meaning “it’s all right” or “no problem”, rather than a literal reference to giving something. “Geeft niet” is useful as a reply when saying that an inconvenience or apology is acceptable.
tassen “tassen” means bags in “uw tassen zien er zwaar uit”. Here it refers to the other person’s bags, which are being used as the reason for letting that person go first.
zien In “zien er zwaar uit”, “zien” contributes the meaning “look” or “appear”. The full expression is useful when describing how something appears, such as bags that seem heavy.
er In “zien er zwaar uit”, “er” is a required part of the expression meaning “look” or “appear”; it does not mean a separate location here. The construction “zien er zwaar uit” is useful for describing an observed quality.
zwaar “zwaar” means heavy in “uw tassen zien er zwaar uit”. It describes the apparent weight of the bags and can be used with “zien er ... uit” when commenting on how something looks.
uit In “zien er zwaar uit”, “uit” completes the expression meaning “look” or “appear”. It works together with “zien” and “er”, rather than meaning “out” by itself in this sentence.
Dat In “Dat waardeer ik”, “Dat” means “that” or “it” and refers to the helpful offer made in the previous line. This expression is useful when acknowledging and thanking someone for a specific kindness.
waardeer In “Dat waardeer ik”, “waardeer” means “appreciate” or “value”. With “Dat” as what is appreciated and “ik” as the speaker, the expression is a polite way to show gratitude for help.
ben In “Ik ben maar een minuutje aan de balie”, “ben” means “am”, describing the speaker’s situation at the counter. It is used with “Ik” when stating where the speaker is or what situation the speaker is in.
maar In “Ik ben maar een minuutje aan de balie”, “maar” means “only” or “just” and limits the expected duration. The phrase “maar een minuutje” is useful when reassuring someone that something will take very little time.
een In “een minuutje”, “een” means “a” or “one” and introduces the short time period being mentioned. It is placed before “minuutje” in this duration expression.
minuutje “minuutje” means a short minute or just a little minute in “een minuutje”. The ending gives the duration a small, softened sense, making it useful when reassuring someone that you will be quick.
aan In “aan de balie”, “aan” means “at” or “by”, showing the speaker’s location beside the counter. The phrase is useful for saying where someone is being served or conducting a transaction.
de In “de balie”, “de” means “the” and introduces the specific counter being discussed. It appears directly before “balie” in this location phrase.
balie “balie” means counter or service desk, as in “aan de balie”. It is useful in places such as a shop, reception area, or public service desk where someone waits to be helped.
kan In “Ik kan nog even wachten”, “kan” means “can” or “am able to”. It expresses the speaker’s ability or willingness to wait a little longer and comes before the action “wachten”.
nog In “Ik kan nog even wachten”, “nog” adds the idea of continuing or waiting for some additional time. Together with “even”, it helps express that the speaker is willing to wait a little longer.
even In “nog even wachten”, “even” means for a little while or briefly. This common expression softens the length of the wait and is useful when describing a short period of time.
wachten In “Ik kan nog even wachten”, “wachten” means to wait. It follows “kan” and describes the action the speaker is able and willing to continue doing in the line.
zal In “Ik zal ervoor zorgen dat ik u niet ophoud”, “zal” expresses a future intention or promise: the speaker will make sure of something. It is useful before an action when making a polite commitment about what you will do.
ervoor In “ervoor zorgen dat”, “ervoor” refers to the matter that is to be ensured, while the full construction means “make sure that”. This expression is useful when promising to take care that a particular result happens.
zorgen In “ervoor zorgen dat ik u niet ophoud”, “zorgen” contributes the idea of taking care or making sure. The complete construction “ervoor zorgen dat” introduces the result the speaker promises to ensure.
ophoud In “ik u niet ophoud”, “ophoud” means hold up, delay, or keep someone waiting. The speaker promises not to delay the person being addressed; this phrase is useful when assuring someone that you will be quick.

Grammar Points

eruitzien: zien ... eruit

De tassen zien er zwaar uit.

duh TAH-sun zeen ur zvahr oyt.

The bags look heavy.

The separable verb eruitzien splits in a sentence: zien comes early, while er ... uit surrounds the description.

ervoor zorgen

U zorgt ervoor.

ew ZORKHT ur-VOOR.

You make sure.

ervoor zorgen is a separable fixed expression: zorgen is the verb and ervoor moves to the end.

Dutch Vocabulary

gaan verb
khahn to go

Pardon, u mag voor mij gaan.

geven verb
KHAY-vun to give Geeft

Geeft niet, uw tassen zien er zwaar uit.

innemen verb
in-NAY-mun to take; occupy

Ik wil uw plek niet innemen.

mij pron
may me

Pardon, u mag voor mij gaan.

pardon intj
par-DON excuse me Pardon

Pardon, u mag voor mij gaan.

plek noun
plek place; spot

Ik wil uw plek niet innemen.

tas noun
tahs bag tassen

Geeft niet, uw tassen zien er zwaar uit.

u pron
ew you (formal)

Pardon, u mag voor mij gaan.

uw det
ew your (formal)

Ik wil uw plek niet innemen.

voor prep
voor in front of; before

Pardon, u mag voor mij gaan.

weten verb
VAY-tun to know Weet

Weet u het zeker?

zeker adj
ZAY-kur sure; certain

Weet u het zeker?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Excuse me, you can go ahead of me.

Show AnswerPardon, u mag voor mij gaan.

I appreciate it.

Show AnswerDat waardeer ik.

I can wait a little longer.

Show AnswerIk kan nog even wachten.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

sure; certain

Show Answerzeker

in front of; before

Show Answervoor

place; spot

Show Answerplek

to go

Show Answergaan