Deciding which task to do first | Learn Dutch in English

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Use Deciding which task to do first to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ik heb vanmorgen te veel taken.

ikh hep vahn-MOR-ghun tuh VAYL TAH-kun. I have too many tasks this morning.

Zet ze eerst op volgorde van prioriteit.

ZET zuh AYRST op VOR-ghor-duh vahn pree-oh-ree-TAYT. List them by priority first.

Deze e-mail is dringend.

DAY-zuh AY-mayl is DRING-unt. This email is urgent.

Het rapport is belangrijk.

ut ra-PORRT is buh-LAHNG-rake. The report is important.

Wanneer is de deadline voor het rapport?

vuh-NAIR is duh DEAD-line vohr ut ra-PORRT? When is the report deadline?

Het moet morgenmiddag af zijn.

ut moot MOR-ghun-MID-dakh ahf zine. It is due tomorrow afternoon.

Beantwoord dan eerst de dringende e-mail.

buh-AHNT-vohrt dahn AYRST duh DRING-un-duh AY-mayl. Then answer the urgent email first.

Daarna ga ik aan het rapport werken.

dah-NAH khah ick ahn ut ra-PORRT WER-kun. After that I will work on the report.

Dat helpt je waarschijnlijk om je minder gestrest te voelen.

daht helpt yuh vah-SKHINE-luk om yuh MIN-dur khuh-STREST tuh VOO-lun. That should help you feel less stressed.

Word by Word

Ik “Ik” means “I” and is the speaker in “Ik heb vanmorgen te veel taken.” It is used before the verb in a simple statement about yourself, as in “Ik heb ...”.

heb “heb” means “have” in “Ik heb vanmorgen te veel taken.” It is the form used with “Ik” in the reusable pattern “Ik heb ...” for saying that you have something.

vanmorgen “vanmorgen” means “this morning” and specifies when the speaker has too many tasks. It is written as one word and can be used with a statement about something happening this morning.

te In “te veel taken”, “te” means “too” and shows that the amount is more than is manageable or wanted. The reusable pattern is “te veel + noun”, as in “te veel taken”.

veel “veel” means “many” here because it describes the number of “taken”. The pattern “te veel + plural noun” expresses that there are more items than is suitable.

taken “taken” means “tasks” in “te veel taken”, referring to pieces of work that need to be done. It can be used after a quantity word when talking about several work assignments.

Zet “Zet” tells someone to put or arrange something in “Zet ze eerst op volgorde van prioriteit.” It is the command form of “zetten”, and the pattern “Zet ... op volgorde van ...” is useful for asking someone to arrange items.

ze “ze” means “them” in “Zet ze eerst op volgorde van prioriteit” and refers to the tasks. It is placed before the verb in this command as the object being arranged.

eerst “eerst” means “first” and indicates that the tasks should be arranged before anything else. It is also used to mark the first step in a sequence, as in “Zet ze eerst ...”.

op In “op volgorde van prioriteit”, “op” helps express that the tasks are placed in an ordered arrangement. The reusable pattern is “iets op volgorde zetten” when arranging items.

volgorde “volgorde” means “order” in “op volgorde van prioriteit”, referring to the sequence in which tasks should be placed. It is commonly used in the pattern “op volgorde van + basis or criterion”.

van Here “van” links “volgorde” to the criterion “prioriteit”, giving “op volgorde van prioriteit”. The pattern “volgorde van + noun” specifies what determines the order.

prioriteit “prioriteit” means “priority”, the criterion used to order the tasks. In “op volgorde van prioriteit”, it identifies which tasks should come earlier or later.

Deze “Deze” means “this” in “Deze e-mail is dringend” and points to a specific email. It is placed before the noun it identifies, as in “Deze e-mail”.

e-mail “e-mail” means “email” in “Deze e-mail is dringend.” It is the thing being judged as urgent and can be used after a determiner such as “Deze”.

is “is” means “is” in “Deze e-mail is dringend” and connects the email with the description “dringend”. The same form is used in “Het rapport is belangrijk” for a statement about one thing.

dringend “dringend” means “urgent” in “Deze e-mail is dringend”, showing that the email needs attention quickly. It is used after “is” to describe the email’s situation.

Het “Het” has two uses in this dialogue: it means “the” in “Het rapport” and “it” in “Het moet morgenmiddag af zijn.” As “the”, it comes before “rapport”; as “it”, it refers back to the report.

rapport “rapport” means “report” in “Het rapport is belangrijk” and “het rapport” in “aan het rapport werken.” It can be used after “het” when referring to a specific report.

belangrijk “belangrijk” means “important” in “Het rapport is belangrijk”, describing the report’s significance. It follows “is” in this sentence pattern: “Het ... is belangrijk.”

Wanneer “Wanneer” means “when” and asks about the time of the report deadline in “Wanneer is de deadline voor het rapport?” It is placed at the beginning of this question about timing.

de “de” means “the” before “deadline” in “de deadline voor het rapport.” It identifies the specific deadline being discussed.

deadline “deadline” means “deadline”, the latest time by which the report must be finished. The pattern “de deadline voor + noun” identifies what the deadline concerns.

voor Here “voor” means “for” and connects the deadline with the report in “de deadline voor het rapport.” The pattern “deadline voor + noun” is used to specify the work or event concerned.

moet “moet” expresses that something is required in “Het moet morgenmiddag af zijn.” It is used with “af zijn” to state the required completion time.

morgenmiddag “morgenmiddag” means “tomorrow afternoon” and gives the deadline in “Het moet morgenmiddag af zijn.” It is written as one word and can specify when an action or result is expected.

af “af” means “finished” in “af zijn”, describing the completed state required for the report. The reusable pattern “af zijn” means that something is complete.

zijn “zijn” means “be” in “af zijn” and completes the expression meaning “be finished”. It follows “moet” here, giving the pattern “moet ... af zijn” for a required completion.

Beantwoord “Beantwoord” means “answer” in the command “Beantwoord dan eerst de dringende e-mail.” It is the command form of “beantwoorden” and is used directly before the email being answered.

dan “dan” means “then” in “Beantwoord dan eerst ...”, linking the advice to the deadline information just given. It marks the next action that follows from that information.

Daarna “Daarna” means “after that” and moves to the next step in “Daarna ga ik aan het rapport werken.” It is useful at the start of a sentence when describing what happens after an earlier action.

ga “ga” means “go” literally, but in “ga ik aan het rapport werken” it helps express a planned or next activity. It is the form of “gaan” used with “ik” in the pattern “ik ga ... werken”.

aan In “aan het rapport werken”, “aan” is used with “werken” to express working on something. The reusable pattern is “aan + noun + werken”, as in “aan het rapport werken”.

werken “werken” means “work” in “aan het rapport werken”, referring to doing work on the report. It follows “ga” in the pattern “ik ga ... werken” for a planned activity.

Dat “Dat” means “that” in “Dat helpt je waarschijnlijk ...” and refers to the plan or action mentioned before. It functions as the thing expected to help.

helpt “helpt” means “helps” in “Dat helpt je waarschijnlijk om je minder gestrest te voelen.” It is the form of “helpen” used with “Dat” as the subject and is followed here by the person helped.

je “je” means “you” in “helpt je ...” and identifies the person who may feel less stressed. It is used after “helpt” as the person receiving the help.

waarschijnlijk “waarschijnlijk” means “probably” and shows that the speaker considers the result likely but not certain. It can be placed in the sentence to soften a prediction or expectation.

om In “om je minder gestrest te voelen”, “om” introduces the intended result or experience of the help. The reusable pattern is “om + ... + te + infinitive” when expressing a purpose or result.

minder “minder” means “less” in “minder gestrest”, reducing the degree of stress. It is placed before the describing word in the pattern “minder + adjective.”

gestrest “gestrest” means “stressed” in “je minder gestrest te voelen”, describing how the person may feel. With “minder”, it expresses a lower level of stress.

voelen “voelen” means “feel” in “je minder gestrest te voelen.” It is the infinitive after “om ... te” and describes the person’s experience in the pattern “je ... voelen”.

Grammar Points

Zet/Beantwoord + ... (gebiedende wijs)

Zet de taken eerst in volgorde.

ZET duh TAH-kun AYRST in VOR-ghor-duh.

Put the tasks in order first.

De gebiedende wijs gebruikt de werkwoordstam zonder onderwerp: Zet! of Beantwoord!

dringende + zelfstandig naamwoord

een dringende e-mail

uhn DRING-un-duh AY-mayl

an urgent email

Een bijvoeglijk naamwoord krijgt vaak -e vóór een zelfstandig naamwoord: dringend wordt dringende.

Dutch Vocabulary

belangrijk adj

buh-LAHNG-rake important

deadline noun

DEAD-line deadline

dringend adj

DRING-unt urgent dringende

e-mail noun

AY-mayl email

eerst adv

AYRST first

prioriteit noun

pree-oh-ree-TAYT priority

rapport noun

ra-PORRT report

taak noun

TAHK task taken

te veel taken

te veel phrase

tuh VAYL too many

vanmorgen adv

vahn-MOR-ghun this morning

volgorde noun

VOR-ghor-duh order; sequence

zetten verb

ZET-un to put; to place Zet

Zet ze eerst op volgorde

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I have too many tasks this morning.

Show Answer

Ik heb vanmorgen te veel taken.

This email is urgent.

Show Answer

Deze e-mail is dringend.

The report is important.

Show Answer

Het rapport is belangrijk.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

priority

Show Answer

prioriteit

urgent

Show Answer

dringende

order; sequence

Show Answer

volgorde

task

Show Answer

taken