Reading Medicine Instructions | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Reading Medicine Instructions to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ik heb dit medicijn bij de apotheek opgehaald.

ik hep dit may-dee-SAYN bai duh ah-poh-TAKE op-khuh-HAHLT I picked up this medicine at the pharmacy.

Heeft de apotheker de instructies uitgelegd?

hayft duh ah-poh-TAY-kur duh in-STRUK-tees OYT-khuh-LAYKHT Did the pharmacist explain the instructions?

Op het etiket staat dat je het na het eten moet innemen.

op ut eh-ti-KET staht daht yuh ut nah ut AY-tun moot in-NAY-mun The label says to take it after meals.

Neem het dan niet vóór het ontbijt in.

NAYM ut dan neet vohr ut ont-BAYT in Then do not take it before breakfast.

Ik weet niet zeker welke dosis ik moet nemen.

ik vayt neet ZAY-kur VEL-kuh DOH-sis ik moot NAY-mun I am not sure about the dose.

Bel de apotheek als het etiket onduidelijk is.

bel duh ah-poh-TAKE ahls ut eh-ti-KET on-DOY-duh-LAYK is Call the pharmacy if the label is unclear.

Dat is veiliger dan raden.

daht is VAY-luh-khur dan RAH-dun That is safer than guessing.

De apotheker kan je de juiste dosis vertellen voordat je het inneemt.

duh ah-poh-TAY-kur kan yuh duh YOW-stuh DOH-sis ver-TEL-un vohr-DAHT yuh ut in-NAYMT The pharmacist can tell you the correct dose before you take it.

Word by Word

Ik “Ik” means “I” and is the speaker referring to themself. It commonly comes before the verb, as in the new example “Ik bel de apotheek” (“I call the pharmacy”).

heb “heb” means “have” here and helps form the completed-action construction “Ik heb dit medicijn bij de apotheek opgehaald”. It is the first-person form of “hebben” and is used with a past participle such as “opgehaald”.

dit “dit” means “this” and points to the specific medicine being discussed. It is placed before “medicijn”; a reusable pattern is “dit” plus a nearby noun.

medicijn “medicijn” means “medicine” in this dialogue. You can use it as the object of a verb, for example in the new example “Ik neem het medicijn in” (“I take the medicine”).

bij “bij” indicates the pharmacy as the place connected with picking up the medicine in “bij de apotheek”. It can commonly be used before a person or place to show being at or near that person or place.

de “de” is the definite article “the” before “apotheek” in this dialogue. It is used directly before the noun in the reusable phrase “de apotheek”.

apotheek “apotheek” means “pharmacy”, the place where the medicine was picked up and where the speaker can call for advice. A common reuse is “de apotheek bellen” (“call the pharmacy”).

opgehaald “opgehaald” means “picked up” in “Ik heb dit medicijn bij de apotheek opgehaald”. It is the past participle of “ophalen” and follows “heb” in this completed-action construction.

Heeft “Heeft” means “has” here and is the question auxiliary in “Heeft de apotheker de instructies uitgelegd?” It is the third-person form of “hebben” and comes before the subject in this yes-or-no question.

apotheker “apotheker” means “pharmacist”, the person who may explain the medicine instructions or give the correct dose. It can be used after “de”, as in “de apotheker bellen” (“call the pharmacist”).

instructies “instructies” means “instructions” in the question about what the pharmacist explained. It is the information being explained and can follow a verb such as “uitleggen” in the new example “de instructies uitleggen” (“explain the instructions”).

uitgelegd “uitgelegd” means “explained” in “de instructies uitgelegd”. It is the past participle of “uitleggen” and is used with “heeft” in the question.

Op “Op” means “on” and introduces the label as the surface or source where the information is written in “Op het etiket staat”. A common pattern is “op” followed by a place or surface, such as “op het etiket” (“on the label”).

het “het” means “the” before “etiket” in this dialogue. It is the definite article used in the fixed noun phrase “het etiket”.

etiket “etiket” means “label”, specifically the medicine label containing the dosage instructions. It can be used with “op”, as in “op het etiket” (“on the label”).

staat “staat” means “says” or “states” in “Op het etiket staat dat...”, describing information written on the label. It is the third-person form of “staan”; the reusable pattern is “Op ... staat dat ...” for information written on something.

dat “dat” means “that” and introduces the clause explaining what the label says. It connects “staat” with the following information, as in the new example “De brief zegt dat...” (“The letter says that...” ).

je “je” means “you” here and refers to the person who must take the medicine. It is the subject of “moet innemen” and commonly appears before the verb in this clause.

na “na” means “after” and places taking the medicine after eating in “na het eten”. It commonly comes before a noun or activity that happens first, such as “na het ontbijt” (“after breakfast”).

eten “eten” refers here to eating or a meal in “na het eten”. With “na het”, it names the activity or occasion that comes before taking the medicine; a new example is “na het slapen” (“after sleeping”).

moet “moet” means “must” and expresses the required action of taking the medicine. It is the form of “moeten” used with “je” and is followed by the infinitive “innemen”.

innemen “innemen” means “take” in the sense of ingesting medicine. It is the infinitive after “moet” in “moet innemen”; a reusable pattern is “iets innemen” for taking something such as medicine.

Neem “Neem” means “take” and gives a direct instruction not to take the medicine before breakfast. It is the command form of “nemen” and is followed here by “het” and the time phrase “vóór het ontbijt”.

dan “dan” means “then” and links this instruction to the preceding information about taking the medicine after meals. It commonly appears at the beginning or near the beginning of a response to show a resulting action.

niet “niet” means “not” and makes the instruction negative in “Neem het dan niet ... in”. It is placed before the time phrase and the separable verb part “in” in this sentence.

vóór “vóór” means “before” and places the action before breakfast. The accent is part of the exact dialogue form; a common reuse is “vóór het ontbijt” (“before breakfast”).

ontbijt “ontbijt” means “breakfast”, the meal used as the time reference in this instruction. It appears after “het” in the phrase “het ontbijt”.

weet “weet” means “know” in “Ik weet niet zeker...”, expressing that the speaker does not have certainty. It is the first-person form of “weten” and commonly occurs in the pattern “Ik weet niet zeker ...” when information is uncertain.

zeker “zeker” means “sure” or “certain” in the phrase “niet zeker”, showing a lack of confidence about the dose. The reusable pattern “niet zeker weten” means not to know for certain.

welke “welke” means “which” and asks which dose the speaker should take. It comes directly before the noun “dosis” in “welke dosis”.

dosis “dosis” means “dose”, the amount of medicine the speaker should take. It can follow “welke” to ask for a specific amount, as in “welke dosis” (“which dose”).

nemen “nemen” means “take” in “welke dosis ik moet nemen”. It is the infinitive after “moet” and describes the action applied to the dose; a common pattern is “een dosis nemen” (“take a dose”).

Bel “Bel” means “call” and gives the instruction to contact the pharmacy. It is the command form of “bellen” and can be followed by the person or place being called, such as “de apotheek”.

als “als” means “if” and introduces the condition that the label is unclear. It commonly begins a conditional clause, as in “als het regent” (“if it rains”).

onduidelijk “onduidelijk” means “unclear” and describes the label when its instructions cannot be understood. It follows “is” in “het etiket onduidelijk is” and can describe information that is difficult to understand.

is “is” means “is” and links “het etiket” with the description “onduidelijk”. It is the form of “zijn” used with the singular subject “het etiket”.

veiliger “veiliger” means “safer” and compares calling the pharmacy with guessing. It is the comparative form of “veilig” and is followed by “dan” when the comparison is stated.

raden “raden” means “guessing” in the comparison with calling the pharmacy. It is an infinitive used as the activity being compared, and it can describe choosing an answer without reliable information.

kan “kan” means “can” and expresses the pharmacist’s ability to tell the correct dose. It is used with the infinitive “vertellen”, which comes later in the clause.

juiste “juiste” means “correct” or “right” and describes the dose that the pharmacist can provide. It comes before “dosis” in the phrase “de juiste dosis”.

vertellen “vertellen” means “tell” in “je de juiste dosis vertellen”. It is the infinitive after “kan” and takes the person receiving the information and the information itself: “je” and “de juiste dosis”.

voordat “voordat” means “before” and introduces the action that should happen before taking the medicine. It starts the clause “voordat je het inneemt”; a common reuse is “voordat je begint” (“before you begin”).

inneemt “inneemt” means “take” in the sense of ingesting the medicine in “voordat je het inneemt”. It is the form of “innemen” used with “je” in this subordinate clause, where “in” is joined to the verb.

Grammar Points

na + zelfstandig naamwoord

na het eten

nah ut AY-tun

after eating

Use na before a noun to express that something happens afterward.

vóór + zelfstandig naamwoord

vóór het ontbijt

vohr ut ont-BAYT

before breakfast

Use vóór before a noun to express that something happens earlier.

Dutch Vocabulary

apotheek noun

ah-poh-TAKE pharmacy

apotheker noun

ah-poh-TAY-kur pharmacist

eten noun

AY-tun eating; food

etiket noun

eh-ti-KET label

innemen verb

in-NAY-mun to take, especially medicine

instructie noun

in-STRUK-tsee instruction instructies

medicijn noun

may-dee-SAYN medicine

na prep

nah after

ophalen verb

op-HAH-lun to pick up opgehaald

staan verb

stahn to say; to stand staat

uitleggen verb

OYT-LEKH-un to explain uitgelegd

vóór prep

vohr before

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Did the pharmacist explain the instructions?

Show Answer

Heeft de apotheker de instructies uitgelegd?

That is safer than guessing.

Show Answer

Dat is veiliger dan raden.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to pick up

Show Answer

opgehaald

pharmacy

Show Answer

apotheek

medicine

Show Answer

medicijn

to say; to stand

Show Answer

staat