Checking ingredients before cooking | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Welke ingrediënten hebben we voordat we gaan koken?

   Before we start cooking, what ingredients do we have?

   Welke

   which; what

   ingrediënten

   ingredients

   hebben

   have

   voordat

   before

   gaan koken

   are going to cook

   More detail

   Welke asks for a choice or identification: here it means “what” in the question “what ingredients”. It is a form of the question word welk; Dutch uses welke with plural nouns and with common-gender singular nouns. Example: Welke boeken lees je? — “Which books are you reading?” ingrediënten is the plural of ingrediënt, meaning “ingredients”. The word refers to the items used in cooking, and the plural ending and diaeresis are part of the observed Dutch spelling. Example: We kopen ingrediënten. — “We are buying ingredients.” hebben means “have” here. It is the present-tense form used with we; the infinitive and the first-person plural present form are both hebben. In a statement, the same combination is We hebben ingrediënten — “We have ingredients.” In this question, hebben comes before we, a normal subject–finite-verb inversion in a main question: Welke ingrediënten hebben we? voordat introduces a time clause and means “before”. The clause voordat we gaan koken therefore gives the time condition for the question. In this sentence it is placed after the main question, although a time clause can also be placed first. Example: Was je je handen voordat je gaat eten. — “Wash your hands before you eat.” gaan koken is the Dutch pattern gaan + infinitive koken, meaning “go/start cooking” or “be going to cook”, depending on context. Here gaan is the finite verb and koken remains the infinitive; the surrounding we supplies the subject: we gaan koken — “we are going to start cooking.” In the subordinate clause, we comes before the finite verb, unlike the inverted main question. Example: We gaan morgen wandelen. — “We are going to walk tomorrow.” Together, Welke ingrediënten asks which cooking ingredients are involved, hebben we asks what is available to us, and voordat we gaan koken sets the time as before the cooking begins. The complete meaning is: “Before we start cooking, what ingredients do we have?”

2. Het recept heeft uien en tomaten nodig.

   The recipe needs onions and tomatoes.

   recept

   recipe

   heeft … nodig

   needs

   uien

   onions

   tomaten

   tomatoes

   More detail

   recept means “recipe.” Its plural is recepten: the ending -en is a common Dutch plural pattern, though Dutch plurals can also use other endings. Example: Het recept is eenvoudig. — “The recipe is simple.” heeft ... nodig is the Dutch pattern for saying that someone or something needs something. heeft is the present-tense form of hebben for het, hij, and zij (singular “it/he/she”); hebben is used with plural subjects and with we, jullie, and ik. In this construction, nodig comes later and means “needed.” Example: We hebben meer tijd nodig. — “We need more time.” The two parts are separated here because the needed items occur between them. uien means “onions.” It is the plural of ui (“onion”). Dutch commonly marks the plural of this noun with -en: één ui, twee uien. Example: Ik snijd uien. — “I am cutting onions.” tomaten means “tomatoes.” It is the plural of tomaat (“tomato”), with the plural ending -en: één tomaat, twee tomaten. Example: De salade bevat tomaten. — “The salad contains tomatoes.” The sentence begins with Het, meaning “the” for this noun. Het recept is the subject: “the recipe.” Dutch places the needed items after the subject and before the final part of this construction: Het recept heeft uien en tomaten nodig. uien en tomaten is the combined object, “onions and tomatoes,” and the whole utterance means “The recipe needs onions and tomatoes.”

3. We hebben tomaten, maar de uien zijn op.

   We have tomatoes, but we're out of onions.

   hebben

   have

   tomaten

   tomatoes

   maar

   but

   uien

   onions

   zijn op

   are used up

   More detail

   hebben is the present-tense form of hebben (“to have”) used with we (“we”): we hebben. It expresses possession or availability here. Compare ik heb (“I have”) and we hebben (“we have”). Example: We hebben brood. — “We have bread.” tomaten means “tomatoes” here. Its singular base form is tomaat; tomaten is the plural form. Example: Ik koop twee tomaten. — “I am buying two tomatoes.” maar connects two contrasting statements and means “but.” It introduces the fact that follows as a contrast with the preceding fact. Example: Ik wil komen, maar ik ben ziek. — “I want to come, but I am ill.” uien means “onions” here. Its singular base form is ui; uien is plural. The definite group de uien refers to the onions under discussion, while uien by itself is the plural noun. zijn op is a Dutch expression meaning that something has been completely used or consumed and is no longer available. In this sentence, zijn is the present plural form of zijn (“to be”), agreeing with plural de uien; op is part of the expression and does not mean “on” here. Example: De melk is op. — “The milk is used up.” Together, We hebben tomaten says “We have tomatoes.” maar contrasts this with de uien zijn op, “the onions are used up.” The complete utterance therefore means: “We have tomatoes, but we're out of onions.”

4. Kunnen we in plaats daarvan bosuitjes gebruiken?

   Can we use green onions instead?

   Kunnen we

   can we

   in plaats daarvan

   instead

   bosuitjes

   green onions

   gebruiken

   use

   More detail

   Kunnen we asks whether the speakers are able or allowed to do something: “can we …?” Kunnen is the infinitive of kunnen and is also the present-tense form used with we; the subject comes after it because this is a yes/no question. The lexical verb comes later, so the reusable pattern is Kunnen we + infinitive? Example: Kunnen we wachten? — “Can we wait?” in plaats daarvan is a fixed phrase meaning “instead” or “in its place.” It signals that the proposed action is a substitute for another option, without itself specifying the exact option being replaced. bosuitjes means “green onions.” It is the plural form of bosuitje; the singular refers to one green onion, while the plural refers to more than one. Example: Ik koop bosuitjes. — “I’m buying green onions.” gebruiken means “to use.” It is the infinitive, and it follows the modal verb kunnen: kunnen ... gebruiken means “can use.” Example: We kunnen citroen gebruiken. — “We can use lemon.” Together, Kunnen we ... gebruiken? asks whether the speakers can use something, while in plaats daarvan marks it as a replacement. Thus the whole utterance means: “Can we use green onions instead?”

5. Misschien, maar de smaak zal anders zijn.

   Maybe, but the taste will be different.

   Misschien

   maybe

   maar

   but

   smaak

   taste

   zal

   will

   anders

   different

   zijn

   be

   More detail

   Misschien means “maybe” and expresses uncertainty about the statement that follows. It can also stand alone as a short answer: Misschien. — “Maybe.” maar means “but” and links this possibility to a contrast with what came before. The pattern ..., maar ... is reusable for presenting a contrasting clause. smaak means “taste” here, referring to the flavor of something. It is a noun; its singular form is de smaak. The plural is smaken (“tastes” or “flavors”). Example: De smaak is sterk. — “The taste is strong.” zal is the third-person singular present form of zullen, used here as a future auxiliary with the singular subject de smaak. The pattern zal + infinitive expresses what something will be or do: De smaak zal veranderen. — “The taste will change.” Zullen also has other uses, including questions about what someone intends or proposes, so its exact meaning comes from the construction and context. anders means “different” in this sentence. It is the predicate description after zijn; it does not take a plural ending here. A useful contrast is hetzelfde (“the same”): De smaak is anders. — “The taste is different.” zijn is the infinitive “be.” After the future auxiliary zal, Dutch uses the infinitive: zal ... zijn, not a past or present form. The same verb has other forms, such as is for present singular: De smaak is anders. — “The taste is different.” Together, Misschien presents the claim as uncertain. maar contrasts it with the preceding suggestion, and de smaak zal anders zijn says that the taste will be different. The complete meaning is: “Maybe, but the taste will be different.”

6. Dan koop ik uien bij de winkel op de hoek.

   Then I'll buy onions from the corner shop.

   Dan

   then

   koop

   buy

   ik

   I

   uien

   onions

   bij

   from; at

   winkel

   shop

   op

   on; at

   hoek

   corner

   More detail

   Dan means “then” here, linking this action to what was just discussed. When it comes first, Dutch commonly places the finite verb before the subject: Dan koop ik ... (“Then buy I ...”), rather than the basic subject-first order. koop is the present-tense form of kopen (“to buy”) used with ik (“I”). The useful form chain is kopen → ik koop (“I buy / I am buying”); with hij/zij/het, the form is koopt. The sentence’s future meaning comes from the context and the English translation, not from a special future ending in koop. ik is the first-person singular subject pronoun, “I.” Together, koop ik forms the inverted subject–verb order required here because Dan occupies the first position. uien means “onions.” It is the plural of ui (“onion”): één ui, twee uien. The plural form has a spelling change, so it is not formed by simply adding a plural ending to the written form ui. bij can indicate being at or obtaining something from a place or person. In bij de winkel, it identifies the shop as the place associated with the purchase; the fixed translation naturally expresses this as “from the shop.” A reusable pattern is iets kopen bij een winkel (“buy something from/at a shop”). winkel means “shop” or “store.” The phrase de winkel uses the common-gender definite article de; the article belongs to the noun phrase and does not change the meaning of winkel itself. op means “on” in the phrase op de hoek. Here it introduces the location of the shop: the shop is situated “on the corner.” Its meaning is determined by this location pattern, rather than by the purchase relation expressed by bij. hoek means “corner.” In op de hoek, the definite noun phrase refers to a particular corner understood in the situation, producing “on the corner.” The meaningful structure is Dan + inverted koop ik + object uien + place/source phrase bij de winkel op de hoek. Together: “Then I’ll buy onions from the corner shop.” The target sentence uses present-tense koop in a context where the intended action is future, a normal possibility in Dutch when the timing is clear.

7. We moeten de rijst nog afmeten.

   We still need to measure the rice.

   We moeten

   we need to

   de rijst

   the rice

   nog

   still

   afmeten

   measure out

   More detail

   We moeten means “we need to” here. we is the first-person plural pronoun, and moeten is the present-tense form of moeten (“must; need to”) used with we. This modal is followed by an infinitive: We moeten ... afmeten = “We need to measure ...”. With a different subject, the form can change, for example Ik moet = “I must/need to.” de rijst means “the rice.” rijst is a mass noun, so this phrase refers to rice as the substance rather than specifying a number of grains. de is the definite article used with this noun; the article is not what expresses the quantity. nog means “still” in this sentence. It places the measuring in the set of actions that remains to be done. For example, Ik moet nog koken. means “I still need to cook.” afmeten means “to measure out.” It is a separable verb, built from af + meten (“measure”), but the observed infinitive keeps the parts together after the modal: moeten afmeten. In a finite clause, the parts separate: Ik meet genoeg rijst af. means “I measure out enough rice.” The form afmeten specifically presents measuring out a portion; it is not simply the general verb meten in every context. Together, We moeten + de rijst + nog + afmeten gives: “We still need to measure out the rice.” The modal expresses the remaining need, nog expresses that the action is still pending, and afmeten identifies the action.

8. Nadat ik terug ben, meet ik genoeg rijst af voor vier mensen.

   I'll measure enough rice for four people after I get back.

   Nadat

   after

   terug

   back

   meet … af

   measure out

   genoeg

   enough

   rijst

   rice

   vier

   four

   mensen

   people

   More detail

   Nadat introduces a time clause meaning “after”. In Nadat ik terug ben, the subject is ik (“I”), and ben is the first-person singular present form of zijn (“to be”). Dutch places the finite verb at the end of this subordinate clause. Terug zijn means “to be back”; here, the fixed translation presents this as “get back” in the time expression. Terug means “back” and describes the state of being back. In another sentence, Ik ben terug means “I am back.” Meet ... af is the separated form of the verb afmeten, “to measure out”. In this sentence, meet is the present-tense first-person singular form, while the separable particle af appears at the end of the main clause: ik meet ... af. The related verb meten means “to measure” more generally; afmeten emphasizes measuring out a particular amount. Example: Ik meet de bloem af. — “I measure out the flour.” Genoeg means “enough” and indicates a sufficient amount. It can be used before a noun, as in genoeg rijst (“enough rice”), or independently: Dat is genoeg. — “That is enough.” Rijst means “rice”. It is commonly used as a mass noun when referring to rice as an amount or substance, so genoeg rijst means “enough rice” without a plural ending. Vier is the cardinal number “four”. It does not change for the gender or number of the noun it counts. Vier mensen therefore means “four people”. Mensen is the plural of mens, “person/human being”. The irregular plural is mens → mensen, not a form made by simply adding the usual plural ending. Example: Er zijn vier mensen. — “There are four people.” Together, Nadat ik terug ben sets the time: “after I get back”. The main clause meet ik genoeg rijst af voor vier mensen says that I will measure out enough rice for four people. The full utterance means: “I’ll measure enough rice for four people after I get back.”