Asking someone to hold your place in line | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: While waiting in line, one adult asks another to keep their place during a quick restroom break..

EN → NL / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Asking someone to hold your place in line to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Kun je me even een plezier doen?

kuhn yuh muh AY-vuhn uhn pluh-ZEER doon? Could you do me a quick favor?
B

Wat heb je nodig?

waht hep yuh NOH-dikh? What do you need?
A

Kun je mijn plek in de rij vrijhouden terwijl ik naar het toilet ga?

kuhn yuh mine plehk in duh ray fray-HOW-duhn ter-WILE ik nar ut toy-LET khah? Can you keep my place while I use the restroom?
B

Dat kan, maar kom alsjeblieft snel terug als de rij weer verdergaat.

daht kahn, mahr kawm ahls-yuh-BLEEFT snel trook ahls duh ray vair-der-khaht. I can, but please come back quickly if the line starts moving.
A

Ik ben zo terug.

ik ben zoh tuh-RUHKH. I'll be right back.
B

Als de rij verdergaat, loop ik naar voren en houd ik je plek vrij.

ahls duh ray vair-der-khaht, lohp ik nar VOH-run uhn howt ik yuh plek fray. If the line moves, I'll move forward and keep your place.
A

Bedankt. Ik zal opschieten en meteen terugkomen.

buh-DAHNGKT. ik zahl OHP-skhee-tuhn uhn muh-TAYN tuh-RUHKH-koh-muhn. Thanks. I'll hurry and come straight back.

Word by Word

Kun In 'Kun je me even een plezier doen?' this expresses ability in a polite request: can you do me a favor? It is used at the start of a question with 'je', as in the reusable pattern 'Kun je ...?'.
je In 'Kun je me even een plezier doen?' and 'Wat heb je nodig?' this means you, the person being addressed. It commonly appears after a question word or after 'Kun' in a request, as in 'Kun je ...?'.
me In 'Kun je me even een plezier doen?' this means me, the person who would receive the favor. It is the object of the request and comes before the expression 'een plezier doen'.
even In 'Kun je me even een plezier doen?' this means just or briefly and makes the request sound small and temporary. It is commonly placed before the action being requested, as in 'even helpen' in a new example.
een In 'een plezier doen' this is the indefinite article a or an. It introduces the singular noun 'plezier' in this fixed expression; a new example is 'een vraag stellen'.
plezier In 'een plezier doen' this means a favor. Together with 'doen', it refers to helping someone, and the reusable expression is 'iemand een plezier doen'.
doen In 'een plezier doen' this means do and completes the expression for doing someone a favor. After 'Kun je', it stays in this infinitive form, as in the reusable pattern 'Kun je ... doen?'.
Wat In 'Wat heb je nodig?' this asks what thing or help the other person needs. It stands at the beginning of the question, followed by 'heb je nodig'.
heb In 'Wat heb je nodig?' this is the verb form expressing have in a question about someone’s needs. It is used with 'je' in the reusable pattern 'Wat heb je nodig?'.
nodig In 'Wat heb je nodig?' this means needed or necessary and identifies what someone requires. It appears after the object or question word in the pattern 'iets nodig hebben', with 'iets' as a replaceable slot.
mijn In 'mijn plek in de rij' this means my and shows that the place belongs to the speaker. It comes directly before the noun, as in the reusable pattern 'mijn plek'.
plek In 'mijn plek in de rij' this means place or spot, specifically the speaker’s position in the queue. It can be reused in the pattern 'een plek in de rij'.
in In 'in de rij' this means in and connects the place with the queue where it is located. The reusable expression from the dialogue is 'in de rij'.
de In 'de rij' this is the definite article the used before the noun for the queue. It forms the fixed phrase 'de rij' in this dialogue.
rij In 'de rij' this means line or queue, the group of people waiting. It is reused in the expressions 'in de rij' and 'als de rij weer verdergaat'.
vrijhouden In 'mijn plek in de rij vrijhouden' this means keep available or hold open, so another person does not take the speaker’s place. The reusable pattern is 'iets vrijhouden', with the thing being kept open in the object slot.
terwijl In 'terwijl ik naar het toilet ga' this means while and introduces an action happening during another action. It is followed by a clause, as in the reusable pattern 'terwijl + clause'.
ik In 'terwijl ik naar het toilet ga' this means I and identifies the person going to the restroom. The same word appears as 'Ik' at the start of 'Ik ben zo terug.'; it is used before the verb in these clauses.
naar In 'naar het toilet ga' this means to or toward and marks the destination of going. It is used before a destination, as in the dialogue expression 'naar het toilet'.
het In 'het toilet' this is the definite article the used before 'toilet'. Together they form the destination phrase 'het toilet' in 'naar het toilet ga'.
toilet In 'naar het toilet ga' this means toilet or restroom, the place the speaker is going to use. The reusable expression is 'naar het toilet'.
ga In 'terwijl ik naar het toilet ga' this means go and describes the speaker’s movement to the restroom. It appears with 'ik' and follows the destination phrase 'naar het toilet'.
Dat In 'Dat kan' this refers back to the requested favor or arrangement and means that or it. It points to the preceding request, while 'kan' expresses that it is possible.
kan In 'Dat kan' this means can or is possible, accepting the request. A useful reusable response is the exact expression 'Dat kan' when agreeing that something is possible.
maar In 'Dat kan, maar kom alsjeblieft snel terug' this means but and introduces a condition or limitation after agreeing. It connects the acceptance with the request to return quickly.
kom In 'kom alsjeblieft snel terug' this means come and asks the person to return. It is used with 'terug' in the reusable request pattern 'kom ... terug'.
alsjeblieft In 'kom alsjeblieft snel terug' this means please and makes the request more polite. It can be placed inside a request, as it is here between the verb and the rest of the request.
snel In 'kom alsjeblieft snel terug' this means quickly and describes how soon the person should return. The reusable expression is 'snel terug'.
terug In 'kom alsjeblieft snel terug' this means back and shows movement toward the original place. It combines with a movement verb, here forming 'kom ... terug'.
weer In 'als de rij weer verdergaat' this means again, showing that the queue resumes moving. It is placed before 'verdergaat' to describe the repeated or renewed movement.
verdergaat In 'als de rij weer verdergaat' this means continues or moves on, referring to the queue advancing. It appears in the conditional pattern 'als de rij weer verdergaat'.
ben In 'Ik ben zo terug' this is the verb form used with 'Ik' in the statement that the speaker will be back soon. It combines with 'terug' to describe the speaker’s return.
zo In 'Ik ben zo terug' this means in a moment or right away and reassures the other person that the speaker will not be gone long. The reusable expression is 'zo terug'.
als In 'als de rij weer verdergaat' this means if and introduces the condition under which the other person will move forward. It is followed by a clause, as in the reusable pattern 'als + clause'.
loop In 'loop ik naar voren' this means walk or go and describes moving forward in the queue. It is followed by the direction phrase 'naar voren'.
voren In 'naar voren' this means forward and completes the direction expression for moving toward the front. The reusable phrase is 'naar voren'.
en In 'loop ik naar voren en houd ik je plek vrij' this means and and joins two actions: moving forward and keeping the place available. It connects the two verb phrases in the same sentence.
houd In 'houd ik je plek vrij' this means keep or hold and describes preserving the other person’s place. It is used with the object 'je plek' and the complement 'vrij'.
vrij In 'houd ik je plek vrij' this means free or available, describing the place that is being kept open. Together with 'houd' it forms the reusable pattern 'iets vrijhouden'.
Bedankt In 'Bedankt' this means thanks and expresses gratitude for the favor. It is a complete, common expression used after someone agrees to help.
zal In 'Ik zal opschieten en meteen terugkomen' this expresses will or an intention about what the speaker is going to do. It is followed by the action forms 'opschieten' and 'terugkomen'.
opschieten In 'Ik zal opschieten' this means hurry and states the speaker’s intention to move quickly. After 'zal', it appears in the reusable pattern 'zal + action'.
meteen In 'meteen terugkomen' this means immediately or straight away and emphasizes that the return will happen without delay. It commonly comes before the action, as in the dialogue expression 'meteen terugkomen'.
terugkomen In 'meteen terugkomen' this means come back or return to the original place. It combines the return element 'terug' with movement toward the speaker’s previous location, and the reusable expression is 'meteen terugkomen'.

Grammar Points

vrijhouden → houd ... vrij

Houd een plek vrij, alsjeblieft.

howt uhn plehk fray, ahls-yuh-BLEEFT.

Please keep a place free.

Bij een scheidbaar werkwoord staat het voorvoegsel in een hoofdzin vaak achteraan: houd ... vrij.

terwijl + bijzin met werkwoord achteraan

terwijl de rij verdergaat

ter-WILE duh ray VAIR-der-khaht

while the line continues

Na terwijl staat het werkwoord aan het einde van de bijzin.

Dutch Vocabulary

alsjeblieft intj
ahls-yuh-BLEEFT please

Kom alsjeblieft snel terug.

een plezier doen phrase
uhn pluh-ZEER doon to do someone a favor

Kun je me even een plezier doen?

even adv
AY-vuhn briefly; for a moment

Kun je me even een plezier doen?

gaan verb
khahn to go ga

Terwijl ik naar het toilet ga.

nodig adj
NOH-dikh needed; necessary

Wat heb je nodig?

plek noun
plehk place; spot

Kun je mijn plek in de rij vrijhouden?

rij noun
ray line; queue

Kun je mijn plek in de rij vrijhouden?

snel adv
snel quickly; fast

Kom alsjeblieft snel terug.

terug adv
tuh-RUHKH back

Kom alsjeblieft snel terug.

terwijl conj
ter-WILE while

Terwijl ik naar het toilet ga.

toilet noun
toy-LET restroom; toilet

Terwijl ik naar het toilet ga.

vrijhouden verb
fray-HOW-duhn to keep free; to hold

Kun je mijn plek in de rij vrijhouden?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What do you need?

Show AnswerWat heb je nodig?

I'll be right back.

Show AnswerIk ben zo terug.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

while

Show Answerterwijl

restroom; toilet

Show Answertoilet

needed; necessary

Show Answernodig

to keep free; to hold

Show Answervrijhouden