Using Shared Gym Equipment Politely | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Using Shared Gym Equipment Politely to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Gebruikt iemand deze loopband nu?

guh-BROYKT EE-mant DAY-zuh LOOP-bant NOO? Is anyone using this treadmill now?

Hij lijkt vrij, maar let op de tijd.

HAY LIKE-t VRAY, mahr LET AWP duh TAYT. It looks free, but keep an eye on the time.

Hoe lang moet ik hem gebruiken als anderen wachten?

Hoo lahng MOOT ik hum guh-BROY-kuhn ahls AHN-duh-run VAKH-tun? How long should I use it if others are waiting?

Beperk je tijd tot ongeveer tien minuten als het druk is in de sportschool.

buh-PERK yuh TAYT tawt ong-uh-VAIR TEEN mee-NOO-tun ahls hut DROOK iss in duh SPORT-skhohl. Limit your time to around ten minutes when the gym is busy.

Moet ik hem afnemen als ik klaar ben?

MOOT ik hum AF-nay-mun ahls ik KLAHR ben? Should I wipe it down after I finish?

Gebruik de spray en een papieren doekje van het rek.

guh-BROYK duh spray en uhn pah-PEER-un DOOK-yuh vahn hut REK. Use the spray and a paper towel from the rack.

Ik maak hem schoon voordat ik wegga.

ik MAHK hum skhohn voohr-DAHT ik VEKH-ah. I'll clean it before I leave.

Zo blijft het apparaat klaar voor de volgende persoon.

zoh BLAYFT hut ahp-ah-RAHT KLAHR vohr duh VOL-gun-duh puh-SOHN. That keeps the equipment ready for the next person.

Word by Word

Gebruikt “Gebruikt” means “uses” in “Gebruikt iemand deze loopband nu?”. It is placed before “iemand” because this is a yes-or-no question; the infinitive form is “gebruiken”.

iemand “Iemand” means “anyone” in the question “Gebruikt iemand deze loopband nu?”. It refers to an unspecified person and can be used as the subject of a question such as “Kent iemand dit?”.

deze “Deze” means “this” in “deze loopband” and points to the treadmill nearby or being discussed. It is placed directly before the noun it identifies.

loopband “Loopband” means “treadmill” in “deze loopband”. In the gym context, it names the shared equipment that someone may use.

nu “Nu” means “now” in “Gebruikt iemand deze loopband nu?”. It places the question in the present moment and commonly appears at the end of a short question.

Hij “Hij” means “it” in “Hij lijkt vrij”, referring back to “deze loopband”. Dutch uses this pronoun here for the treadmill, not for a male person.

lijkt “Lijkt” means “seems” or “looks” in “Hij lijkt vrij”. It connects the subject with an impression or appearance, as in “Het lijkt goed” in a new example.

vrij “Vrij” means “free” or “available” in “Hij lijkt vrij”, describing a treadmill that is not currently occupied. It follows “lijkt” to describe how the equipment appears.

maar “Maar” means “but” in “Hij lijkt vrij, maar let op de tijd”. It introduces a contrasting point after the treadmill appears to be available.

let “Let” is the command form used in “let op de tijd” to tell someone to pay attention. Together with “op”, the expression “let op” means “pay attention” or “watch out”; “let” is not the whole meaning by itself.

op “Op” is part of the expression “let op de tijd”, where it helps form the instruction to pay attention to the time. In this sentence, it is not being used as the separate meaning “on”.

de “De” is the definite article in “de tijd”, meaning “the”. It introduces the specific time that the speaker says to watch.

tijd “Tijd” means “time” in “let op de tijd”. The phrase uses it as the thing someone should monitor while using the treadmill.

Hoe “Hoe” means “how” in “Hoe lang moet ik hem gebruiken?”. Together with “lang”, it asks about duration.

lang “Lang” means “long” in “Hoe lang”, which asks how much time something should take. The pattern “Hoe lang ...?” is used to ask about duration.

moet “Moet” expresses “should” or “must” in “Moet ik hem gebruiken?”. It is followed by the subject “ik” and the infinitive “gebruiken” to ask what the speaker is expected to do.

ik “Ik” means “I” in “Moet ik hem gebruiken?” and “Ik maak hem schoon”. It identifies the speaker as the person who will use and clean the treadmill.

hem “Hem” means “it” in “Moet ik hem gebruiken?” and “hem” refers to the treadmill. It is the object of the actions “gebruiken” and “schoonmaken” expressed by “maak hem schoon”.

gebruiken “Gebruiken” means “use” in “Moet ik hem gebruiken?”. It is the infinitive that follows “moet” and keeps the object position after it: “hem gebruiken”.

als “Als” means “if” or “when” in “als anderen wachten”. It introduces the condition under which the speaker asks about using the treadmill.

anderen “Anderen” means “others” in “als anderen wachten”. It refers to other gym users and functions as the people who are waiting.

wachten “Wachten” means “wait” or “are waiting” in “als anderen wachten”. It describes what the other gym users are doing in the condition introduced by “als”.

Beperk “Beperk” is the command form meaning “limit” in “Beperk je tijd tot ongeveer tien minuten”. It directly tells the listener what to do and is followed by the thing being limited, “je tijd”.

je “Je” means “your” in “je tijd”. It identifies the listener’s time, while the exact form “je” can also represent “you” in other contexts.

tot “Tot” marks the upper limit in “Beperk je tijd tot ongeveer tien minuten”. It shows the amount that the time should not exceed.

ongeveer “Ongeveer” means “about” or “approximately” in “ongeveer tien minuten”. It makes the stated duration an estimate rather than an exact limit.

minuten “Minuten” means “minutes” in “ongeveer tien minuten”. It names the unit used to measure the recommended time on the treadmill.

het “Het” is the subject form in “het druk is”, the expression used here to say that the gym is busy. Its contribution is understood together with “druk” and “is”, not as a separate translation of the whole expression.

druk “Druk” means “busy” in “als het druk is in de sportschool”. It describes the gym as having many people or much activity.

is “Is” means “is” in “het druk is in de sportschool”. It links the subject “het” with the description “druk”.

in “In” means “in” in “in de sportschool”. It introduces the place where the busy situation occurs.

sportschool “Sportschool” means “gym” in “in de sportschool”. It names the place where the treadmill and the other shared equipment are located.

afnemen “Afnemen” means “wipe down” in “Moet ik hem afnemen?”. It is an infinitive after “moet” and describes cleaning the treadmill’s surface.

klaar “Klaar” means “finished” in “als ik klaar ben”. It describes the speaker’s state after finishing the activity; together with “ben”, the phrase means “when I am finished”.

ben “Ben” means “am” in “als ik klaar ben”. It is used with the subject “ik” to complete the expression “klaar ben”, meaning that the speaker has finished.

Gebruik “Gebruik” is the command form meaning “use” in “Gebruik de spray en een papieren doekje”. It tells the listener which cleaning materials to use.

spray “Spray” means “spray” in “de spray”. It names the cleaning liquid or spray used with the paper wipe.

en “En” means “and” in “de spray en een papieren doekje”. It joins the two items that the listener should use.

een “Een” means “a” in “een papieren doekje”. It introduces one unspecified paper wipe.

papieren “Papieren” means “paper” in “een papieren doekje”. It describes what the wipe is made of and appears directly before “doekje”.

doekje “Doekje” means “cloth” or “wipe” in “een papieren doekje”. In this gym context, it refers to the paper item used for wiping the treadmill.

van “Van” means “from” in “van het rek”. It shows where the spray and paper wipe can be obtained.

rek “Rek” means “rack” in “van het rek”. It names the storage place from which the cleaning materials are taken.

maak “Maak” is the verb form used with “ik” in “Ik maak hem schoon”. Together with “schoon”, “maak ... schoon” means “clean”; “maak” alone does not carry the entire meaning of the construction.

schoon “Schoon” means “clean” in “Ik maak hem schoon”. It completes the expression “maak ... schoon”, which describes making the treadmill clean.

voordat “Voordat” means “before” in “voordat ik wegga”. It introduces the action that must happen before the speaker leaves.

wegga “Wegga” means “leave” or “go away” in “voordat ik wegga”. It is used with “ik” in the clause introduced by “voordat”.

Zo “Zo” means “that way” in “Zo blijft het apparaat klaar voor de volgende persoon”. It refers to the cleaning action just described and states its result.

blijft “Blijft” means “stays” or “remains” in “blijft het apparaat klaar”. It describes the equipment continuing to be ready for someone else.

apparaat “Apparaat” means “equipment” or “device” in “het apparaat”. Here it refers to the treadmill as a piece of gym equipment.

voor “Voor” means “for” in “voor de volgende persoon”. It introduces the person who will use the equipment after the current user.

volgende “Volgende” means “next” in “de volgende persoon”. It identifies the person who comes after the current user.

persoon “Persoon” means “person” in “de volgende persoon”. It refers to the next gym user who may use the equipment.

Grammar Points

Scheidbare werkwoorden in de gebiedende wijs

Maak ... schoon.

MAHK ... SKHOHN.

Clean it.

Bij een scheidbaar werkwoord staat het eerste deel vooraan en het tweede deel achteraan: schoonmaken → maak ... schoon.

De gebiedende wijs zonder onderwerp

Let op!

LET AWP!

Pay attention!

De gebiedende wijs heeft geen onderwerp. Bij opletten wordt dat: let op.

Dutch Vocabulary

anderen pron

AHN-duh-run others

deze det

DAY-zuh this

gebruiken verb

guh-BROY-kuhn to use Gebruikt

hem pron

hum him; it

iemand pron

EE-mant someone

lijken verb

LIKE-un to seem lijkt

loopband noun

LOOP-bant treadmill

nu adv

NOO now

opletten phrase

AWP-let-un to pay attention let op

Let op de tijd.

tijd noun

TAYT time

vrij adj

VRAY free; available

wachten verb

VAKH-tun to wait

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Is anyone using this treadmill now?

Show Answer

Gebruikt iemand deze loopband nu?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to use

Show Answer

Gebruikt

free; available

Show Answer

vrij

this

Show Answer

deze

treadmill

Show Answer

loopband