Choosing a nearby restaurant for lunch | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Welke plek zullen we kiezen voor de lunch?

   Which place should we choose for lunch?

   Welke

   which

   plek

   place

   zullen we

   shall we

   kiezen

   choose

   voor

   for

   lunch

   lunch

   More detail

   Welke means “which” when selecting one item from a set. In Welke plek, it has the form welke because plek is a de-word (de plek); with a singular het-word, Dutch uses welk, as in Welk boek lees je? — “Which book are you reading?” Plek means “place” or “spot.” Its plural is plekken: We zoeken twee plekken. — “We are looking for two spots.” In this sentence, it refers generally to a place suitable for the lunch, without specifying a particular location. Zullen we is a reusable question pattern with the verb zullen and the subject we. Here it proposes or asks about a choice: “shall we …?” In a Dutch yes/no or proposal question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Zullen we gaan? — “Shall we go?” The following lexical verb remains in the infinitive. Kiezen is the infinitive “to choose.” The form is unchanged after zullen: We zullen kiezen — “We will choose,” and Zullen we kiezen? — “Shall we choose?” A useful contrast is kiezen “to choose” versus besluiten “to decide”; the first focuses on selecting, while the second focuses on reaching a decision. Voor introduces the purpose or occasion connected with something. In voor de lunch, it means “for lunch.” It can also occur in een cadeau voor mijn broer — “a gift for my brother”; the exact relation comes from the surrounding noun phrase. Lunch is the noun “lunch.” Dutch commonly uses it without an article when naming the meal as an occasion: We eten lunch om twaalf uur. — “We eat lunch at twelve.” Together, Welke plek asks which place is being considered, zullen we kiezen asks whether the speakers should choose it, and voor de lunch identifies the occasion. The whole utterance means: “Which place should we choose for lunch?”

2. Laten we een plek kiezen die dichtbij en handig is.

   Let's pick somewhere close and convenient.

   Laten we

   Let's

   plek

   place; spot

   kiezen

   choose

   dichtbij

   close; nearby

   handig

   convenient; handy

   More detail

   Laten we is a reusable Dutch way to make a suggestion meaning “let’s …”. It consists of the imperative of laten (“let”) plus we (“we”), followed by an infinitive. The following infinitive is kiezen, so Laten we kiezen means “Let’s choose.” This construction does not itself state how many people are included in we. kiezen is the infinitive “to choose.” In the sentence, it follows Laten we and names the proposed action. A useful contrast is kiezen (“choose”) versus beslissen (“decide”): choosing selects an option, while deciding can refer more broadly to reaching a decision. Example: We kiezen een tafel. — “We choose a table.” een plek means “a place” or “a spot.” Plek is the noun; een is an indefinite article and does not by itself assert a particular numeric count. The phrase can refer to a location suitable for the choice being discussed. Example: We zoeken een rustige plek. — “We are looking for a quiet place.” dichtbij means “nearby” or “close.” Here it describes the place’s location. It can also be used independently: De winkel is dichtbij. — “The shop is nearby.” Do not confuse it with ver (“far”), its useful opposite for distance. handig means “convenient” or “handy.” Here it describes the place as practical or easy to use for the intended purpose. It is an adjective, and its form here does not show a comparative. The comparative is handiger (“more convenient”): Deze plek is handiger. — “This place is more convenient.” The relative word die links een plek to the description that follows: die dichtbij en handig is means “that is close and convenient.” The verb is (“is”) applies to the place, and the two adjectives dichtbij and handig are coordinated by en (“and”). Together, een plek die dichtbij en handig is means “a place that is close and convenient.” The complete utterance is therefore “Let’s pick somewhere close and convenient.”

3. Het restaurant in deze straat heeft een eenvoudig lunchmenu.

   The place on this street has a simple lunch menu.

   restaurant

   restaurant

   deze

   this

   straat

   street

   heeft

   has

   eenvoudig

   simple

   lunchmenu

   lunch menu

   More detail

   restaurant means “restaurant” here. It is a noun, and Dutch uses the neuter article het: het restaurant. The plural is restaurants. deze means “this” and points to something relatively near or currently identified. Its form agrees with the noun it determines: deze straat because straat is a singular common-gender noun. With a singular neuter noun, the corresponding form is dit, as in the example dit menu (“this menu”). straat means “street”. It is a common-gender noun, so its definite form is de straat; the plural is straten. In in deze straat, in introduces the location “in this street”. heeft is the present-tense third-person singular form of hebben (“to have”). The useful present-tense contrast is ik heb, jij hebt, and hij/zij/het heeft. Here, heeft is used because the subject is singular: Het restaurant heeft ... (“The restaurant has ...”). eenvoudig means “simple” in this sentence. Its base form is eenvoudig; the comparative is eenvoudiger (“simpler”), and the superlative is het eenvoudigst (“the simplest”). Before the singular neuter noun lunchmenu with the indefinite article een, the adjective appears without -e: een eenvoudig lunchmenu. With a definite noun, the form is commonly het eenvoudige lunchmenu. lunchmenu means “lunch menu”. It is a compound noun built from lunch and menu, written as one word in the observed form. Dutch compounds take their grammatical gender from the final part; menu is neuter, so the definite form is het lunchmenu. The plural is lunchmenu’s. The utterance is assembled as Het restaurant (“the restaurant”) + in deze straat (“in this street”) + heeft (“has”) + een eenvoudig lunchmenu (“a simple lunch menu”). Together, it means: “The place on this street has a simple lunch menu.” Here, restaurant supplies the specific kind of “place” expressed in the fixed translation.

4. Het café bij het park is misschien rustiger.

   The cafe near the park might be quieter.

   café

   café

   bij

   near; by

   park

   park

   misschien

   perhaps; maybe

   rustiger

   quieter

   More detail

   café means “café” here. It is a noun; the plural is cafés. In het café, het is the definite article used with this noun in the fixed phrase. bij introduces a nearby location: bij het park means “near the park” or “by the park.” Example: De winkel is bij het station. — “The shop is near the station.” park means “park.” Its plural is parken. In het park, het marks the definite noun phrase “the park.” misschien means “maybe” or “perhaps.” It expresses uncertainty about the statement that follows or surrounds it. Example: Misschien regent het. — “Maybe it is raining.” rustiger means “quieter” or “more peaceful” in this sentence. It is the comparative form of rustig (“quiet; peaceful”): rustig → rustiger → rustigst (“quietest”). The comparative ending is attached to rustig, not to the noun café. Example: Deze kamer is rustiger. — “This room is quieter.” The structure is Het café bij het park (“The café near the park”), followed by is (“is”), misschien (“perhaps”), and the predicate adjective rustiger (“quieter”). Together, Het café bij het park is misschien rustiger. means “The café near the park might be quieter.”

5. Maar het is verder weg.

   But it is farther away.

   Maar

   but

   het is

   it is

   verder

   farther

   weg

   away

   More detail

   Maar introduces a contrast with something stated or understood before it. It commonly corresponds to “but” and does not itself specify the contrasted idea. het is combines het, a third-person singular neuter pronoun, with is, the present-tense singular form of zijn (“to be”). Here, it corresponds to “it is” in the fixed translation. The sentence does not identify a more specific referent for het. verder means “farther” here. It is the comparative form associated with ver (“far”), in a distance comparison: ver → verder (“farther”) → verst (“farthest”). A comparison point or another location can remain understood rather than being stated. weg means “away” here. Together, verder weg is the reusable distance expression “farther away.” In this expression, verder is a comparative adverb modifying the distance expression, not a noun. Together, Maar het is verder weg. means “But it is farther away.” The structure is maar (“but”) + het is (“it is”) + verder weg (“farther away”).

6. Hebben we voor het restaurant in de buurt een reservering nodig?

   Do we need a reservation for the nearby place?

   Hebben we

   do we have

   restaurant

   restaurant

   in de buurt

   nearby; in the vicinity

   reservering

   reservation

   nodig

   needed; necessary

   More detail

   Hebben we comes first because this is a yes/no question: the finite verb hebben precedes the subject we. In this question, hebben belongs with nodig later in the sentence to form the common Dutch pattern iets nodig hebben, “to need something.” The form hebben is used with we; the singular form with ik is heb. restaurant is a Dutch noun meaning “restaurant.” Dutch nouns are normally written with a lowercase initial letter unless they begin a sentence or are part of a proper name. In the sentence, voor het restaurant means “for the restaurant”; het is the definite article used with this noun here. in de buurt is a reusable location phrase meaning “nearby” or “in the vicinity.” It describes the restaurant’s location, rather than expressing movement toward it. For example: De winkel is in de buurt. — “The shop is nearby.” reservering means “reservation” or “booking.” Its plural is reserveringen. The phrase een reservering refers to a reservation without asserting a specific number as a quantity; here it asks whether such a reservation is needed. nodig means “needed” or “necessary.” In nodig hebben, it is part of the expression for “to need”: Ik heb een tafel nodig. — “I need a table.” The form nodig itself does not change here for the subject; the verb carries the person and number information. Together, voor het restaurant in de buurt identifies what the reservation would be for: the nearby restaurant. een reservering nodig hebben expresses needing a reservation, and the question order Hebben we ... nodig? turns that into “Do we need ...?” The complete utterance therefore means: “Do we need a reservation for the nearby restaurant?”

7. Waarschijnlijk niet. Rond deze tijd kunnen we meestal wel een tafel vinden.

   Probably not. Around this time, we can usually find a table.

   Waarschijnlijk

   probably

   niet

   not

   Rond

   around

   deze

   this

   tijd

   time

   kunnen we

   we can

   meestal

   usually

   wel

   indeed

   tafel

   table

   vinden

   find

   More detail

   Waarschijnlijk means “probably” here. It is an adverb expressing likelihood and does not change for person or number. Compare zeker (“certainly”) for a stronger degree of confidence. Example: Waarschijnlijk komt hij morgen. — “He will probably come tomorrow.” niet is the ordinary Dutch negator, “not.” Here it negates the preceding implied answer: “Probably not.” Its exact scope depends on the sentence, so it is not automatically a negation of every later word. Rond means “around” in the time expression rond deze tijd. It can also introduce an approximate place, as in rond het station — “around the station.” deze means “this” and points to something relatively near in the relevant context. With a singular common-gender noun such as tijd, Dutch uses deze; with a singular neuter noun, the corresponding form is dit. For plural nouns, deze is also used. tijd means “time.” It is a common-gender de noun: de tijd, deze tijd. The phrase deze tijd refers to the relevant time period, while deze keer means “this time” in the sense of this particular occasion. kunnen we combines kunnen (“can, be able to”) with the subject pronoun we (“we”). Kunnen is a modal verb; in a main clause, the conjugated modal is in the second position and the other verb goes to the end. We kunnen ... means “we can ...”; kunnen we ...? is the corresponding question order. The form kunnen is used with we; singular present forms include kan with ik, jij, or hij/zij/het. meestal means “usually” or “most of the time.” It describes what generally happens, without saying that it happens every time. Example: We eten meestal thuis. — “We usually eat at home.” wel is an affirmative or contrastive particle here. In kunnen we meestal wel ... vinden, it makes the possibility sound affirmative—roughly “we can generally manage to find ...”—especially against an implied concern that finding one might be difficult. It is not the same as the ordinary word for “well” in every context. tafel means “table.” It is a common-gender de noun: de tafel. In this sentence, een tafel means “a table”; een marks an indefinite noun phrase, not a specific numerical count. Example: Er staat een tafel bij het raam. — “There is a table by the window.” vinden is the infinitive “to find.” After the modal kunnen, the infinitive remains at the end: we kunnen een tafel vinden — “we can find a table.” Its present-tense forms include ik vind and we vinden; the infinitive itself is vinden. Together, Rond deze tijd gives the approximate time, kunnen we expresses ability or possibility, and meestal wel makes that possibility generally affirmative. Een tafel vinden is the action. The first sentence is Waarschijnlijk niet (“Probably not”); the next sentence says that around this time, they can usually find a table.

8. Dan kiezen we het restaurant in deze straat.

   Then let's choose the place on this street.

   Dan

   then

   kiezen

   choose

   we

   we

   restaurant

   restaurant

   deze

   this

   straat

   street

   More detail

   Dan means “then” here, linking this choice to what was just discussed. It can also introduce a consequence in other sentences, so its exact English translation depends on the connection between events. kiezen means “to choose” or “to select.” In this sentence, kiezen is also the present-tense form used with we; Dutch plural subjects use this form, which is identical to the infinitive. For example: We kiezen een tafel. — “We choose a table.” we is the subject pronoun “we,” referring to the speaker together with at least one other person. Dutch also has the unstressed variant we and the emphatic variant wij; the form in the sentence is the ordinary unstressed form. restaurant is the noun “restaurant.” Dutch nouns have grammatical gender, but this noun’s gender is not determined merely by its English equivalent. Here, the noun is preceded by het, forming het restaurant; the article must be learned with the noun. deze means “this” and points to something relatively near the speaker or relevant in the current situation. It is a demonstrative determiner here, modifying straat. Dutch uses deze with common-gender singular nouns and plural nouns; with a singular neuter noun, the corresponding form is dit. straat means “street.” Its plural is straten: de straat — “the street”; de straten — “the streets.” In this sentence, straat is singular and appears in the phrase deze straat, “this street.” The remaining small words connect these meaningful parts: het restaurant means “the restaurant,” and in deze straat means “on/in this street.” Dutch uses in for being located within an area such as a street; the fixed translation renders this naturally as “on this street.” Together, Dan kiezen we het restaurant in deze straat. means “Then let's choose the place on this street.” More literally, it says, “Then we choose the restaurant on this street.” The present-tense kiezen with we, in this context, expresses the proposed joint action translated in English as “let’s choose.”

9. Dan hebben we meer tijd om te eten.

   That leaves us more time to eat.

   Dan

   then

   hebben we

   we have

   meer

   more

   tijd

   time

   om te eten

   to eat

   More detail

   Dan means “then” here, linking this result to the preceding choice. At the start of a Dutch main clause, it can be followed by the finite verb before the subject: Dan hebben we …. hebben we means “we have.” hebben is the present-tense form of hebben for we; the subject is we, and the verb comes before it because Dan occupies the first position. In a neutral statement, the order is usually we hebben …. meer means “more.” It is the comparative form used with tijd: veel = “much/a lot of,” meer = “more,” het meest = “the most.” tijd means “time.” In meer tijd, it refers to a greater amount of available time. Tijd is a mass noun here, so the phrase does not state a specific count of time units. om te eten is “to eat.” Dutch uses om te followed by an infinitive to express a purpose or intended activity: tijd om te eten = “time to eat.” Eten is the infinitive; te marks it in this construction. Together, Dan hebben we meer tijd om te eten means “That leaves us more time to eat.” The structure is roughly then + have we + more time + to eat, with the opening Dan creating the result and the final phrase identifying what the additional time can be used for.