Rules for a shared kitchen | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ik ben nieuw in deze gedeelde keuken. Wat moet ik weten?

   I'm new to this shared kitchen. What should I know?

   Ik ben

   I am

   nieuw

   new

   deze

   this

   gedeelde

   shared

   keuken

   kitchen

   Wat moet ik

   what should I

   weten

   know

   More detail

   Ik ben means “I am.” Ik is the first-person singular pronoun, “I,” and ben is the present-tense form of zijn (“to be”) used with ik. Other present forms include je bent (“you are”) and hij/zij is (“he/she is”). nieuw means “new” here: the speaker is new in this setting. It is an adjective. In Dutch, an adjective used before a definite singular de-word generally takes -e: de nieuwe keuken (“the new kitchen”). After zijn, however, the adjective commonly appears without that ending: De keuken is nieuw (“The kitchen is new”). deze means “this” and is a demonstrative used with a nearby or otherwise specifically indicated noun. With a singular de-word such as keuken, the form is deze; with a singular het-word, Dutch uses dit instead. gedeelde means “shared” in this sentence. It is the attributive form of gedeeld, related to delen (“to share”); before the definite noun phrase deze gedeelde keuken, it has the ending -e. The form describes the kitchen as shared, rather than stating who shares it. keuken means “kitchen.” Its plural is keukens (“kitchens”). It is a de-word: de keuken, which is why the phrase uses deze and the adjective form gedeelde. Wat moet ik is a question pattern meaning “what should I …?” Here wat asks for the thing or information, moet is the ik-form of the modal verb moeten (“must/should”), and ik is the subject. The modal expresses what is necessary or advisable; it does not itself mean “know.” For example, Wat moet ik doen? means “What should I do?” weten means “to know,” especially to know information or a fact. It is the infinitive after the modal moet; Dutch places this infinitive at the end of the question clause. Compare Ik weet het (“I know it”) with Ik moet het weten (“I must/need to know it”). Together, Ik ben nieuw in deze gedeelde keuken says “I’m new to/in this shared kitchen”: in introduces the setting, and deze gedeelde keuken means “this shared kitchen.” Wat moet ik weten? literally asks “What must I know?” and naturally means “What should I know?” The complete utterance is therefore: “I’m new to this shared kitchen. What should I know?”

2. Houd de aanrechten leeg en ruim meteen na het koken op.

   Keep the counters clear and clean up right after cooking.

   Houd

   keep

   de aanrechten

   the counters

   leeg

   clear; empty

   ruim … op

   clean up

   meteen

   right away

   na het koken

   after cooking

   More detail

   Houd is the imperative of houden (“to keep” or “to hold”). Here it gives a direct instruction: “keep …”. The present-tense form for “you keep” is also houdt with -t, but the imperative singular is houd without that -t. Example: Houd de deur dicht. — “Keep the door closed.” de aanrechten means “the counters” in this kitchen context. Aanrecht is the singular noun; aanrechten is its plural. Dutch uses de with both this singular noun and its plural: het aanrecht, but de aanrechten. leeg means “empty” or, here, “clear of items.” It is an adjective describing the condition the counters should remain in. In this sentence it is predicative, after the object: de aanrechten leeg — “the counters clear/empty.” Example: Laat de tafel leeg. — “Leave the table clear.” ruim ... op comes from the separable verb opruimen, “to tidy up” or “to put away.” In the imperative, the verb part is ruim and the particle op appears separately: Ruim de keuken op. — “Tidy up the kitchen.” The two parts are therefore kept as separate phrases here; op is not an independent meaning of “up” in this instruction. meteen means “right away” or “immediately.” It modifies the cleanup instruction, telling the listener when to do it. Example: Ik doe het meteen. — “I’ll do it right away.” na het koken means “after cooking.” Na means “after,” and koken is the infinitive “to cook,” used here as a noun-like activity after het: literally, “after the cooking.” Dutch can use an infinitive with het this way to refer to an activity. Compare na het eten — “after eating.” Together, Houd de aanrechten leeg instructs the listener to keep the counters clear. En ruim meteen na het koken op adds a second instruction: tidy up immediately after cooking. The whole utterance is therefore: “Keep the counters clear and clean up right after cooking.”

3. Waar moet ik een pan neerzetten nadat ik hem heb afgewassen?

   Where should I put a pan after I wash it?

   Waar moet ik

   Where should I

   pan

   pan

   neerzetten

   put down

   nadat

   after

   hem

   it

   afgewassen

   washed

   More detail

   Waar moet ik asks for the location where the speaker is expected or advised to act. moet is the singular present form of moeten (“must/should”); with ik, it is ik moet. In a question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Waar moet ik ...? (“Where should I ...?”). The infinitive comes later in the clause. pan means “pan.” It is a common-gender noun; the indefinite form is een pan (“a pan”), and the definite form is de pan (“the pan”). In this utterance, een pan introduces the item whose storage place is being asked about. neerzetten means “to put down” or “to place.” It is a separable verb: in a regular main-clause statement, Ik zet de pan neer means “I put the pan down,” while after moet the infinitive remains together: Ik moet de pan neerzetten (“I must put the pan down”). The prefix neer- contributes the idea of placing something down. nadat introduces a subordinate time clause meaning “after.” Dutch normally places the finite verb toward the end of this clause: nadat ik ... heb afgewassen (“after I have washed ...”). This clause expresses the condition in time for the placing action; it does not itself identify the exact location. hem is the masculine singular object pronoun “him/it.” Here the fixed translation identifies it as referring to the pan, so hem means “it” in the English translation. Dutch object pronouns differ by grammatical form; hem is used for a masculine singular referent, while haar is used for a feminine singular referent and het for a neuter singular referent. The pronoun is the object of afgewassen. afgewassen is the past participle of afwassen, “to wash” or, in this context, “to wash the dishes/pan.” The prefix remains attached in the participle: afwassen → afgewassen. With the auxiliary hebben, it forms the perfect: ik heb afgewassen (“I have washed”). In the subordinate clause, heb and the participle occur at the end: nadat ik hem heb afgewassen. Putting the parts together: Waar moet ik asks for the place, een pan neerzetten describes placing a pan down, and nadat ik hem heb afgewassen specifies that this should happen after the speaker has washed it. The whole utterance therefore means: “Where should I put a pan after I wash it?”

4. Gebruik de onderste plank naast de gootsteen als de pan droog is.

   Use the lower shelf beside the sink, after the pan is dry.

   Gebruik

   use

   onderste

   lowest; bottom

   plank

   shelf

   naast

   beside; next to

   gootsteen

   sink

   als

   when; once

   pan

   pan

   droog

   dry

   More detail

   Gebruik is the imperative of gebruiken (“to use”). It addresses one person here, with the subject “you” understood rather than written. A reusable pattern is Gebruik + object (“Use + object”): Gebruik deze stoel. — “Use this chair.” onderste describes plank as the bottommost or lowest one. It is related to onder (“under/below”) and contrasts usefully with bovenste (“topmost”). The ending -ste marks the superlative form of this adjective; it agrees here with the singular definite noun plank. plank means “shelf” in this sentence. It is a common-gender noun with the article de; its plural is planken. Example: De plank is leeg. — “The shelf is empty.” naast is a preposition meaning “beside” or “next to.” It introduces the location of one thing in relation to another: De stoel staat naast de tafel. — “The chair is next to the table.” gootsteen means “sink.” It is a de-noun; de gootsteen means “the sink.” In de plank naast de gootsteen, the prepositional phrase specifies which shelf: the shelf beside the sink. als introduces the condition or time at which the instruction applies. With the fixed translation, its meaning here is temporal: “when” or “once,” not a hypothetical “if.” In a subordinate clause introduced by als, the finite verb comes at the end: als de pan droog is — “when the pan is dry.” pan means “pan” and is a de-noun. Its plural is pannen. In this sentence it is the noun whose condition is described by droog is; the sentence does not specify a particular type of pan beyond the context. droog means “dry.” It is an adjective describing the pan’s state. The combination de pan is droog means “the pan is dry”; in the als clause, the order changes to als de pan droog is, with is at the end. Together, Gebruik de onderste plank naast de gootsteen gives the instruction “Use the lowest shelf beside the sink.” The following temporal clause, als de pan droog is, says when to apply it: “once the pan is dry.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Use the lower shelf beside the sink, after the pan is dry.”

5. Moet ik het aanrecht afnemen voordat ik wegga?

   Should I wipe the counter before I go?

   Moet ik

   should I?

   aanrecht

   counter

   afnemen

   wipe

   voordat

   before

   wegga

   go away

   More detail

   Moet ik combines the present-tense form moet of moeten with the subject ik. In a yes/no question, Dutch places the finite verb before the subject: Moet ik ...? means “Should I ...?” or, depending on context, “Do I have to ...?” Here it asks whether wiping is required or expected. After a modal such as moeten, the other verb stays in the infinitive. Example: Moet ik wachten? — “Should I wait?” aanrecht is the noun for a kitchen counter or worktop. The article het marks this noun as a neuter noun; it is the noun’s grammatical gender, not a count of how many counters there are. In this sentence, het aanrecht is the object affected by the wiping. afnemen means “to wipe” when used for removing dirt or moisture from a surface. It is a separable verb: in a finite main clause, the parts separate, as in Ik neem het aanrecht af — “I wipe the counter.” After moet, the infinitive remains together: Ik moet het aanrecht afnemen — “I have to wipe the counter.” voordat introduces a time clause meaning “before.” The verb in this subordinate clause comes at the end. The pattern is voordat + subject + ... + verb. Example: Was je je handen voordat je eet. — “Wash your hands before you eat.” wegga is the first-person singular present form of weggaan, “to go away” or “to leave.” The verb is irregular because its base verb is gaan: ik ga, while the combined verb is ik ga weg in a main clause and voordat ik wegga in this subordinate clause. The ending and position here show that the subject is ik; wegga is not an infinitive. Together, Moet ik het aanrecht afnemen asks whether the speaker should wipe the counter, and voordat ik wegga places that action earlier than the speaker’s leaving. The complete meaning is: “Should I wipe the counter before I go?”

6. Veeg het aanrecht schoon en berg alles op wat je hebt gebruikt.

   Wipe it down and put away anything you used.

   Veeg

   wipe

   het aanrecht

   the counter

   schoon

   clean

   berg … op

   put away

   alles

   everything

   gebruikt

   used

   More detail

   Veeg is the imperative of vegen (“to wipe/sweep”). Dutch commonly forms this singular informal imperative from the verb stem: vegen → veeg. Here it is a direct instruction to wipe the counter. Example: Veeg de tafel. — “Wipe the table.” het aanrecht means “the counter” or “worktop.” Aanrecht is a neuter noun, which is why it takes het; the article belongs to this noun and does not itself express a numerical count. schoon describes the result of the wiping: make the counter clean. Dutch often places an adjective after a verb such as vegen to show the resulting condition. The pattern iets schoon vegen means “wipe something clean,” not merely “wipe something.” Schoon is the base form; its comparative is schoner (“cleaner”) and its superlative is het schoonst (“the cleanest”), when comparison is actually intended. berg ... op is the separable verb opbergen, meaning “to put away” or “store.” In this imperative, the verb parts are separated: berg comes first and op comes later. The base form remains written together: opbergen. Example: Berg je jas op. — “Put your coat away.” alles is the pronoun “everything” or, in this context, “all the things.” It is the object of berg ... op, so the instruction is to put everything away. The next clause specifies which things are meant rather than adding a new participant. wat je hebt gebruikt means “that you used” or “what you used.” Wat introduces a relative clause referring generally to the things included in alles; its exact grammatical form does not identify a particular noun by itself. Inside the clause, je is the subject and hebt gebruikt is the perfect construction of gebruiken (“to use”): present-tense hebben (hebt) plus the past participle gebruikt. The clause therefore refers to things already used. Example: Ik berg op wat ik heb gebruikt. — “I put away what I used.” Together, Veeg het aanrecht schoon gives the first instruction: wipe the counter clean. En berg alles op wat je hebt gebruikt adds a second instruction: put away anything you used. The whole utterance is therefore: “Wipe it down and put away anything you used.”

7. Moet ik nog iets controleren?

   Anything else I should check?

   Moet ik

   do I have to

   nog

   else; additionally

   iets

   anything; something

   controleren

   check

   More detail

   Moet ik contains the finite form moet of the modal verb moeten (to have to, to need to) followed by the subject ik (I). In a yes/no question, Dutch places the finite verb before the subject: Moet ik ...? In this sentence, the fixed translation gives the practical sense “Should I ...?” or “Do I need to ...?”, asking whether the action is necessary. Useful forms include ik moet (“I must/need to”) and wij moeten (“we must/need to”). nog adds the idea of something further or additional here. Although it can also mean “still” in other contexts, nog iets can mean “something else” or “anything more,” depending on the sentence. Example: Wil je nog koffie? means “Would you like more coffee?” iets is the indefinite pronoun “something.” In this question, nog combines with it to ask about any additional thing, which is why the natural English meaning is “anything else.” The word iets itself does not mean “else”; that additional sense comes from the combination with nog. controleren is the infinitive “to check” or “to inspect.” After a modal such as moeten, Dutch uses the infinitive for the other verb: Ik moet dit controleren. means “I need to check this.” Together, Moet ik asks whether an action is needed, nog iets asks whether there is anything additional, and controleren names the action. The whole question therefore means “Anything else I should check?” or, more literally, “Do I still need to check anything else?”

8. Zorg dat de ruimte klaar is voor de volgende persoon.

   Leave the space ready for the next person.

   Zorg dat

   make sure that

   ruimte

   space

   klaar

   ready

   is

   is

   volgende

   next

   persoon

   person

   More detail

   Zorg dat is an imperative construction meaning “make sure that …”. The verb is zorgen; in this use, zorgen dat + clause introduces the result or condition you want to ensure. Example: Zorg dat je op tijd bent. — “Make sure you are on time.” ruimte means “space” here, referring to the space that should be left ready. It is a de-word noun, so the definite phrase is de ruimte (“the space”). Depending on context, ruimte can also mean a room or physical room/area, but the fixed translation supports “space” here. klaar means “ready”. It is a descriptive adjective used after the noun with the linking verb is: de ruimte is klaar — “the space is ready.” The adjective itself does not show the noun’s number or gender here; is is the singular present form of zijn (“to be”) for de ruimte. volgende means “next” in de volgende persoon (“the next person”). It is the adjective form used before a singular de-word noun; the related uninflected form is volgend, while volgende has the usual -e ending in this noun phrase. Example: de volgende halte — “the next stop.” persoon means “person”. Its plural is personen (“people/persons”), but the phrase here uses the singular because de volgende persoon refers to one next person. The noun is modified by volgende, which identifies that person by their position in an order. The structure is Zorg dat [de ruimte klaar is] [voor de volgende persoon]: “Make sure that the space is ready for the next person.” Dutch places is at the end of this dat-clause, whereas the English translation places “is” before “ready.” voor introduces the person who is intended to use or benefit from the ready space. Together, the sentence is an instruction to leave the space ready for that next person.