Checking a restaurant order | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At a restaurant, two adults check their order details before asking the server to confirm everything..

EN → NL / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Checking a restaurant order to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ik wil de bestelling controleren voordat het eten komt.

ik vil duh bə-STEL-ling kohn-troh-LAY-rən foh-DAHT ət AY-tən kohmt I want to check the order before the food comes.
B

Het is makkelijker om fouten te corrigeren voordat ze gaan koken.

ət is MAHK-uh-luh-kər om FOW-tən tə kor-ree-GHAY-rən foh-DAHT zə khahn KOH-kən It's easier to fix mistakes before they start cooking.
A

Ik heb om soep zonder uien gevraagd.

ik hep om SOOP ZON-dər OY-ən khə-VRAHKT I asked for soup without onions.
B

En ik heb om salade zonder dressing gevraagd.

en ik hep om sə-LAH-də ZON-dər DRES-sing khə-VRAHKT And I asked for salad with no dressing.
A

Het dessert zou na de maaltijd moeten komen.

ət dəh-SERT zow nah də MAHL-tayt MOO-tən KOH-mən The dessert should come after the meal.
B

Ik zal de ober vragen om alles te bevestigen.

ik zahl duh OH-bər VRAH-khen om AHL-ləs tə bə-VES-tə-khen I'll ask the server to confirm everything.

Word by Word

Ik “Ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “Ik wil de bestelling controleren”. It is used before the verb to show who wants to check the order. New example: “Ik kom morgen.”
wil “wil” expresses what the speaker wants to do in “Ik wil de bestelling controleren”. It is followed by an infinitive, such as “controleren”, for the desired action. New example: “Ik wil koffie.”
de “de” means “the” before “bestelling”, referring to the specific restaurant order. It is used directly before the noun in “de bestelling”. New example: “de tafel”.
bestelling “bestelling” means “order” here, specifically the restaurant order being checked. A useful pattern is “de bestelling controleren”, meaning to check the order. New example: “Ik wacht op de bestelling.”
controleren “controleren” means “to check” in “de bestelling controleren”. It follows “wil” because it names the action the speaker wants to do. New example: “Ik wil het adres controleren.”
voordat “voordat” means “before” and introduces the event that must happen later in “voordat het eten komt”. It connects one action with a later event. New example: “Bel me voordat je vertrekt.”
het In “het eten”, “het” means “the” and comes directly before “eten”. In “Het is makkelijker”, the same form means “it” as the subject of the sentence.
eten “eten” means “food” in “het eten”, referring to the food that will arrive at the restaurant. The pattern “het eten komt” describes the food coming. New example: “Het eten is warm.”
komt “komt” means “comes” in “het eten komt”. It describes the food arriving or coming to the table. New example: “De bus komt om acht uur.”
is “is” means “is” in “Het is makkelijker”. It links “het” with the description “makkelijker”. New example: “Het is goed.”
makkelijker “makkelijker” means “easier” in “Het is makkelijker om fouten te corrigeren”. It describes fixing mistakes as easier before cooking starts. New example: “Deze weg is makkelijker.”
om In “om fouten te corrigeren”, “om” introduces the action being described as easier. It is also used in “vragen om alles te bevestigen” to introduce what someone asks another person to do. New example: “Het is goed om te oefenen.”
fouten “fouten” means “mistakes” in “fouten te corrigeren”. It is the thing that can be corrected, and the pattern “fouten corrigeren” is useful for talking about correcting mistakes. New example: “Ik maak soms fouten.”
te “te” helps form the infinitive phrase “te corrigeren” after “om”. Together with “om”, it introduces the action of correcting mistakes. New example: “Het is belangrijk om te luisteren.”
corrigeren “corrigeren” means “to correct” in “fouten te corrigeren”. It describes fixing mistakes before the restaurant starts cooking. New example: “Ik wil de tekst corrigeren.”
ze “ze” means “they” in “voordat ze gaan koken”. It refers to the people who will start cooking. It appears before “gaan koken” in this clause.
gaan In “gaan koken”, “gaan” indicates that the people will start or proceed to cook. It is followed by the infinitive “koken”. New example: “We gaan eten.”
koken “koken” means “to cook” in “gaan koken”. It names the activity that the people are about to start. New example: “Ik kook vanavond.”
heb “heb” means “have” in “Ik heb om soep zonder uien gevraagd”. Together with “gevraagd”, it helps express that the speaker asked for something. New example: “Ik heb koffie besteld.”
soep “soep” means “soup” in “om soep zonder uien gevraagd”. It is the food the speaker requested. The pattern “om soep vragen” means to ask for soup. New example: “Ik neem soep.”
zonder “zonder” means “without” and specifies what the soup should not contain in “soep zonder uien”. A useful pattern is “X zonder Y”, meaning X without Y. New example: “koffie zonder suiker”.
uien “uien” means “onions” in “soep zonder uien”. It names the ingredient that the speaker does not want in the soup. New example: “Ik eet geen uien.”
gevraagd “gevraagd” means “asked for” in “Ik heb om soep zonder uien gevraagd”. It completes the request with “heb” and identifies the requested item after “om”. New example: “Ik heb om water gevraagd.”
En “En” means “and” and connects the second speaker’s request to the previous request. It begins “En ik heb om salade zonder dressing gevraagd”. New example: “En ik wil brood.”
salade “salade” means “salad” in “om salade zonder dressing gevraagd”. It is the dish the speaker requested. New example: “Ik bestel een salade.”
dressing “dressing” means “dressing” in “salade zonder dressing”. It names the ingredient that should not be added to the salad. New example: “Ik wil dressing apart.”
dessert “dessert” means “dessert” in “Het dessert zou na de maaltijd moeten komen”. It refers to the course expected after the meal. New example: “Het dessert is lekker.”
zou In “zou na de maaltijd moeten komen”, “zou” helps express what is expected or should happen. It works with “moeten” to describe the intended order of the dessert. New example: “Dat zou goed zijn.”
na “na” means “after” in “na de maaltijd”. It places the dessert later than the meal. A useful pattern is “na de maaltijd”, meaning after the meal. New example: “Ik bel je na het werk.”
maaltijd “maaltijd” means “meal” in “na de maaltijd”. It is the event after which the dessert should come. New example: “Na de maaltijd drinken we koffie.”
moeten In “zou na de maaltijd moeten komen”, “moeten” contributes the idea that the dessert is supposed to come after the meal. It is used with “komen” to describe the expected sequence. New example: “Je moet nu gaan.”
zal “zal” expresses the speaker’s future intention in “Ik zal de ober vragen”. It is followed by the action the speaker plans to carry out. New example: “Ik zal je morgen bellen.”
ober “ober” means “server” or “waiter” in “de ober vragen”. It identifies the restaurant worker whom the speaker will ask. New example: “De ober brengt het eten.”
vragen “vragen” means “to ask” in “de ober vragen om alles te bevestigen”. It is used with the person being asked and an “om” phrase describing the requested action. New example: “Ik wil de ober iets vragen.”
alles “alles” means “everything” in “alles te bevestigen”. It is the complete set of order details that the server should confirm. New example: “Ik begrijp alles.”
bevestigen “bevestigen” means “to confirm” in “om alles te bevestigen”. It describes checking and affirming that all the order details are correct. New example: “Kun je de afspraak bevestigen?”

Grammar Points

wil + infinitief

wil koken

vil KOH-kən

wants to cook

Na wil staat het volgende werkwoord in de infinitief: wil koken betekent ‘wants to cook’.

voordat + bijzin

Voordat we eten, wil ik de bestelling controleren.

foh-DAHT wə AY-tən, vil ik duh bə-STEL-ling kohn-troh-LAY-rən

Before we eat, I want to check the order.

Na voordat staat een bijzin; het werkwoord staat aan het einde: voordat we eten.

Dutch Vocabulary

bestelling noun
bə-STEL-ling order

Ik wil de bestelling controleren.

controleren verb
kohn-troh-LAY-rən to check

Ik wil de bestelling controleren.

corrigeren verb
kor-ree-GHAY-rən to correct

om fouten te corrigeren

eten noun
AY-tən food

voordat het eten komt

fout noun
FOWT mistake fouten

om fouten te corrigeren

gaan verb
KHAHN to go; to be going to

ze gaan koken

koken verb
KOH-kən to cook

ze gaan koken

komen verb
KOH-mən to come komt

Het eten komt.

makkelijk adj
MAHK-uh-lək easy makkelijker

Het is makkelijker.

voordat conj
foh-DAHT before

voordat het eten komt

vragen verb
VRAH-khen to ask gevraagd

Ik heb om soep gevraagd.

willen verb
VIL-ən to want wil

Ik wil de bestelling controleren.

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to correct

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easy

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food

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before

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