Borrowing and caring for a suitcase | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Mag ik je middelgrote koffer lenen voor mijn reis volgende week?

   Could I borrow your medium suitcase for my trip next week?

   Mag ik

   May I / could I

   je

   your

   middelgrote

   medium-sized

   koffer

   suitcase

   lenen

   borrow

   mijn

   my

   reis

   trip

   volgende

   next / following

   week

   week

   More detail

   Mag ik is a reusable Dutch way to ask permission: literally, “may I?” Mag is the present-tense form of mogen used here with first-person singular ik; the subject follows the verb because this is a yes/no question. Compare Ik mag... (“I may...”) in a statement. Example: Mag ik binnenkomen? — “May I come in?” je means “your” here. In this possessive use, je is an unstressed form that does not change for the gender or number of the noun: je koffer can mean “your suitcase,” while je koffers means “your suitcases.” The same form can also mean “you” in other sentence positions, so its function comes from the surrounding grammar. middelgrote describes koffer as medium-sized. Its base form is middelgroot; before this noun it has the ending -e, giving middelgrote. This adjective is a size description, not a comparison such as “larger.” Example: een middelgrote tas — “a medium-sized bag.” koffer means “suitcase.” Its plural is koffers. In this sentence, je middelgrote koffer is the noun phrase “your medium-sized suitcase.” lenen means “to borrow” here: to receive something temporarily and later return it. It is the infinitive after the modal verb mag: Mag ik ... lenen? — “May I borrow ...?” Do not confuse this with uitlenen, which means “to lend something to someone.” Example: Mag ik je boek lenen? — “May I borrow your book?” mijn means “my.” Like je, this possessive form stays the same with singular and plural nouns: mijn reis (“my trip”), mijn reizen (“my trips”). reis means “trip” or “journey.” Its plural is reizen. Here it refers to the speaker’s trip, as explicitly shown by mijn. Example: De reis duurt twee dagen. — “The journey takes two days.” volgende means “next” or “following” here. Its base form is volgend; before week, it has the adjective ending -e. In volgende week, the phrase means “next week.” Example: volgende maand — “next month.” week means “week”; its plural is weken. Together, volgende week gives the time reference “next week.” The full structure is Mag ik + object je middelgrote koffer + infinitive lenen + purpose phrase voor mijn reis + time phrase volgende week. The question therefore asks, “Could I borrow your medium suitcase for my trip next week?” The following context confirms that the requested item is available to borrow and refers to its handle, so koffer is understood in that concrete suitcase sense.

2. Dat kan, maar wees voorzichtig met het handvat, want het is een beetje kwetsbaar.

   You can, but be careful with the handle because it's a little fragile.

   Dat kan

   You can

   wees

   be

   voorzichtig

   careful

   met

   with

   handvat

   handle

   want

   because

   een beetje

   a little

   kwetsbaar

   fragile

   More detail

   Dat kan means “that is possible” or, in this context, “you can.” Dat is the demonstrative pronoun functioning as the subject; the fixed translation supports the permission/possibility reading without identifying a more specific referent. Kan is the present form of kunnen for ik, jij/je, and hij/zij/het; here it forms a short response meaning that the requested action is allowed or possible. Wees is the imperative of zijn (“to be”). The pattern wees + adjective gives a direct instruction: Wees stil means “Be quiet.” Voorzichtig means “careful” or “cautious.” In wees voorzichtig, it is a predicative adjective describing the state the addressed person should have. It does not take an -e ending here. An example is Wees voorzichtig op de trap. — “Be careful on the stairs.” Met is the preposition “with.” In this sentence, voorzichtig met + noun means “careful with + noun,” describing how to handle or treat something: Wees voorzichtig met het glas. — “Be careful with the glass.” Handvat is the noun “handle.” The full noun phrase in the sentence is het handvat: handvat is a neuter noun, so its definite singular article is het. The selected word itself names the object; the article belongs to the surrounding noun phrase. Want means “because” here and introduces the reason for the warning. Dutch want connects two main-clause-like parts, so the clause after it keeps ordinary main-clause word order. This differs from omdat, which normally sends the finite verb to the end of its clause. Een beetje means “a little” and makes the following description less strong. It is a reusable degree expression: een beetje moe means “a little tired.” The article in this expression is part of the fixed quantity expression; it does not by itself assert a count of objects. Kwetsbaar means “fragile” or “vulnerable.” Here it describes the handle as easy to damage. As a predicative adjective after is, it appears without an -e ending: Het handvat is kwetsbaar. — “The handle is fragile.” Together, wees voorzichtig met het handvat says “be careful with the handle.” Want het is een beetje kwetsbaar gives the reason: “because it is a little fragile.” Thus the whole utterance is: “You can, but be careful with the handle because it’s a little fragile.”

3. Daar zal ik rekening mee houden en ik zal hem niet te vol pakken.

   I'll keep that in mind and avoid overpacking it.

   Daar

   that

   zal ik

   I will

   rekening mee houden

   keep that in mind

   hem

   it

   niet

   not

   te vol

   too full

   pakken

   pack

   More detail

   Daar means “that” here and points back to the preceding warning or information. Dutch daar can refer to something already mentioned; its exact referent is supplied by the context rather than by the word alone. zal ik uses zal, the singular present form of zullen, to express “will” with ik (“I”). In a main-clause question, Dutch often places the finite verb before the subject, but here this is a statement with an initial element, so the same inversion gives Daar zal ik ...: literally, “That will I ...”. The subject is still ik. rekening mee houden is the reusable Dutch construction rekening houden met iets (“to take something into account”). In this sentence, mee refers back to daar, so daar rekening mee houden means “keep that in mind” or “take that into account.” The base form is houden; after zal, the infinitive houden is used. The construction is separate from the literal meaning of houden (“hold”): its meaning here is idiomatic. hem is the object pronoun “him” or “it” in a masculine/common-gender object use. The fixed translation identifies it as “it,” referring to the item being packed; the pronoun itself does not identify the item by name. Dutch object pronouns include hem for this grammatical class, while haar and het are other forms used under different grammatical conditions. niet negates the following action or description. Here it makes the intended action “not pack it too full,” rather than “pack it too full.” te vol combines te (“too”) with vol (“full”). The adjective vol describes the resulting state of the item, and te vol means that the degree of fullness is excessive for the intended purpose. This is different from simply vol (“full”), which does not by itself express excess. pakken is the infinitive “pack” or, in this context, “load.” After the finite auxiliary zal, Dutch uses the infinitive: zal ... pakken. The phrase hem te vol pakken means “pack/load it too full”; te vol describes the result of the packing. The infinitive pakken is also used in other contexts with a more general sense such as “take” or “grab,” but the packing context selects the loading sense here. Together, Daar zal ik rekening mee houden means “I’ll keep that in mind.” Then en ik zal hem niet te vol pakken means “and I will not pack/load it too full.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I’ll keep that in mind and avoid overpacking it.”

4. Er zit ook een kras aan de zijkant.

   It also has a scratch on the side.

   Er zit

   there is

   ook

   also

   een kras

   a scratch

   aan

   on / at

   de zijkant

   the side

   More detail

   Er zit: This is a Dutch construction for saying that something is located somewhere. zit is the third-person singular present form of zitten (“to sit”); with an object in a location, it can describe that object as being there rather than literally sitting. In this sentence, the fixed translation presents the item as having the scratch. Pattern: Er zit + [thing] + [location]. Example: Er zit een vlek op de tafel. — “There is a stain on the table.” ook: This means “also” or “too”. It adds this observation to information already being considered. Its position here, before the noun phrase, gives the sense “there is also a scratch.” een kras: kras means “scratch”, a narrow mark or surface damage. Its base form is kras; the plural is krassen. een is an indefinite article: it introduces an unspecified scratch and does not by itself assert a numerical count. Example: Ik zie een kras. — “I see a scratch.” aan: In aan de zijkant, this preposition helps express the location at or on the side of something. The complete location expression is more useful to learn than translating aan alone in isolation. de zijkant: This means “the side” or “the side section” of an object. zijkant is a noun, and its plural is zijkanten. The definite article de presents the side as a specific part relevant to the object being discussed. Example: De knop zit aan de zijkant. — “The button is on the side.” Together, Er zit een kras aan de zijkant says that a scratch is located at the side. Adding ook makes it Er zit ook een kras aan de zijkant: “It also has a scratch on the side.” The Dutch wording uses the location construction er zit ... rather than a separate possessive verb.

5. Wil je dat ik een foto maak voordat ik hem gebruik?

   Would you like me to take a photo before I use it?

   Wil je dat

   would you like ...?

   ik

   I

   foto

   photo

   maak

   make; take

   voordat

   before

   hem

   it

   gebruik

   use

   More detail

   Wil je dat introduces a request about another action. wil is the present-tense form of willen with je; in a yes/no question, wil je places the verb before the subject. The following dat starts a subordinate clause. Together, Wil je dat ...? is a reusable way to ask “Would you like ...?” or “Do you want ...?” ik means “I” and is the subject of both actions in the sentence. In the subordinate clause, it identifies the person who will perform the actions; it does not mean that the listener will do them. foto means “photo.” Its ordinary countable form is een foto (“a photo”); the noun is a common-gender de-word: de foto. Example: Ik stuur een foto. — “I am sending a photo.” maak is the first-person singular present form of maken (“to make”). With een foto, Dutch commonly uses een foto maken, literally “make a photo,” for “take a photo.” The observed form is maak, not the infinitive maken. Example: Ik maak een foto. — “I am taking a photo.” voordat means “before” and introduces an event that must happen earlier than the event in the main clause. It is a subordinating conjunction, so the verb in its clause comes at the end: voordat ik hem gebruik — “before I use it.” Example: Was je je handen voordat je eet. — “Wash your hands before you eat.” hem is an object pronoun. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies its intended meaning as “it.” The form hem is used for a singular masculine referent in the relevant grammatical system; here it is the object of gebruik, not the subject. Its exact referent is not named in this sentence. gebruik is the first-person singular present form of gebruiken (“to use”), matching the subject ik: ik gebruik. In the subordinate clause, Dutch places this finite verb at the end. Example: Ik gebruik hem elke dag. — “I use it every day.” The sentence assembles as Wil je dat + ik een foto maak + voordat ik hem gebruik? The speaker asks whether the listener would like the speaker to take a photo before the speaker uses it. The question is polite and directly reusable with another action after dat, such as Wil je dat ik bel? — “Would you like me to call?”

6. Een foto zou de staat ervan voor ons allebei duidelijk maken.

   A photo would make the condition clear for both of us.

   Een foto

   a photo

   zou

   would

   de staat

   the condition

   ervan

   of it

   voor ons allebei

   for both of us

   duidelijk

   clear

   maken

   make

   More detail

   Een foto means “a photo.” Een is the Dutch indefinite article used here with the singular noun foto; it does not by itself add a separate numerical claim beyond introducing one unspecified photo. The noun is foto, whose plural is foto’s. Example: Ik maak een foto. — “I take a photo.” zou is the singular form of zullen used here to express a hypothetical or conditional result: “would.” In this sentence it combines with the infinitive maken, not with a past-tense verb. Example: Dat zou helpen. — “That would help.” de staat means “the condition” here. The noun staat can also mean “state” in other contexts; the surrounding phrase identifies the relevant sense as the condition of something. Staat is the noun’s singular form; its plural is staten. Example: De staat van het apparaat is goed. — “The condition of the device is good.” ervan means “of it” and links the condition to the item already under discussion. It is formed from er plus van; Dutch commonly uses this compact form instead of repeating the item after van. Example: Ik weet de naam ervan. — “I know its name.” voor ons allebei means “for both of us.” ons is the form of wij (“we”) used after voor, and allebei specifies that the two members of that group are both included. Example: Dit is duidelijk voor ons allebei. — “This is clear to both of us.” duidelijk means “clear.” Here it describes the resulting status of the condition: the photo would make the condition clear. It can also describe something that is easy to understand, as in De uitleg is duidelijk. — “The explanation is clear.” maken means “make.” It is the infinitive selected after zou; together with duidelijk, the pattern iets duidelijk maken means “make something clear.” Dutch keeps duidelijk before the infinitive maken in this construction. Example: Een diagram kan het verschil duidelijk maken. — “A diagram can make the difference clear.” Putting the parts together, Een foto is the possible means, zou ... maken gives the hypothetical result, de staat ervan identifies what would be clarified, and voor ons allebei identifies for whom. The complete meaning is: “A photo would make its condition clear for both of us.”

7. Ik breng hem terug op de dag nadat ik terugkom.

   I'll return it the day after I get back.

   Ik

   I

   breng

   return / bring

   hem

   it

   terug

   back

   op de dag nadat

   on the day after

   terugkom

   get back / return

   More detail

   Ik means “I” here and is the first-person singular subject. Dutch subject pronouns include ik (“I”), jij/je (“you”), and hij/zij/het (“he/she/it”); the verb form must agree with the subject. breng is the present-tense first-person singular form of brengen, “to bring” or, with an object and terug, “to return.” The same form can describe a present action or a planned action in a context like this. Compare: Ik breng het morgen terug. — “I’ll return it tomorrow.” hem is the object pronoun “him” or, as fixed by the translation here, “it.” It refers to the thing being returned, and it is the direct object of breng. Dutch object forms are distinct from subject forms: hij is “he” as subject, while hem is “him/it” as object. terug means “back.” With brengen, the combination terugbrengen expresses returning something to its previous place or person. In this sentence, the separable parts appear apart: breng ... terug. In a main clause, the finite part is in the ordinary verb position and terug comes later. op de dag nadat introduces “on the day after.” op marks the relevant day, and nadat means “after” when introducing a clause. The phrase identifies the return day relative to the later clause; it does not itself state a numerical count beyond the meaning “the day after.” terugkom is the first-person singular present form of terugkomen, “to come back” or “to get back.” It is used with ik: ik kom terug means “I come back.” After the subordinating conjunction nadat, Dutch places the finite verb at the end of the subordinate clause: nadat ik terugkom — “after I get back.” The form here describes the speaker’s getting back, not the object’s being returned. Together, Ik breng hem terug means “I’ll return it,” and op de dag nadat ik terugkom specifies when: “on the day after I get back.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I’ll return it the day after I get back.”

8. Veeg de wielen af voordat je hem naar binnen brengt.

   Please wipe the wheels before bringing it inside.

   Veeg … af

   wipe off

   de wielen

   the wheels

   voordat

   before

   je

   you

   hem

   it

   naar binnen

   inside

   brengt

   bring

   More detail

   Veeg ... af is the imperative construction from the separable verb afvegen, “to wipe off.” Veeg is the bare imperative form used here to address someone directly, and af is separated from the verb and placed after the object: Veeg de tafel af. — “Wipe the table.” In a finite non-imperative clause, the same verb appears as je veegt de tafel af — “you wipe the table.” The English “please” reflects the polite translation of this command; it is not a separate Dutch word in the utterance. de wielen means “the wheels” here. wiel is singular and wielen is its plural; de is the article used with this plural noun. The noun phrase is the object being wiped. voordat introduces a time clause meaning “before.” In the clause it introduces, Dutch places the finite verb at the end: voordat je hem naar binnen brengt — “before you bring it inside.” This contrasts with the main command, where Veeg comes first. je is the informal singular subject pronoun “you” in this sentence. Its form does not mark gender. In je brengt, it is the subject of brengt. hem is the singular object pronoun “it” in the intended translation. The supplied texts do not identify the item more specifically. Dutch hem is the object form associated with a masculine singular or common-gender singular referent; its grammatical form contrasts with subject hij (“he/it” as subject). naar binnen is an adverbial phrase meaning “inside” or “inward.” naar marks direction, so the phrase describes where the object is brought rather than where it already is. Example: Breng de fiets naar binnen. — “Bring the bicycle inside.” brengt is the present-tense second-person singular form of brengen, “to bring”: brengen → je brengt. The same form can also occur with a third-person singular subject, such as hij brengt; the subject je here establishes the second-person reading. In the subordinate clause, brengt is placed at the end. Together, the command Veeg de wielen af says to wipe the wheels off. The time clause voordat je hem naar binnen brengt places this action before the act of bringing the object inside. The complete meaning is therefore “Please wipe the wheels before bringing it inside.”

9. Dat doe ik buiten voordat ik hem terugbreng.

   I'll do that outside before I bring it back.

   Dat

   that

   doe

   do

   ik

   I

   buiten

   outside

   voordat

   before

   hem

   it

   terugbreng

   bring back

   More detail

   Dat is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” It stands on its own here rather than modifying a noun, and the sentence does not identify exactly what it refers to. Dutch also has dit for “this” in the relevant demonstrative contrast. Example: Dat begrijp ik. — “I understand that.” doe is the present-tense first-person singular form of doen, “to do.” The subject ik (“I”) is stated after it because Dat has been placed first: Dutch main clauses normally keep the finite verb in second position. The useful form chain is doen → ik doe (“I do”). Example: Ik doe het morgen. — “I’ll do it tomorrow.” ik is the first-person singular subject pronoun, “I.” Unlike an object form, it identifies the person carrying out the action. Example: Ik werk buiten. — “I work outside.” buiten is an adverb meaning “outside.” It describes the place where the doing will happen and does not change for person or number. Example: De kinderen spelen buiten. — “The children are playing outside.” voordat is a conjunction meaning “before.” It introduces the event that must happen later in the time sequence relative to the action in the main clause. A clause after voordat is subordinate, so its finite verb goes to the end. Example: Ik bel je voordat ik vertrek. — “I’ll call you before I leave.” hem is the third-person singular object pronoun, used here with the intended meaning “it.” It is the object of terugbreng, the thing being brought back. Dutch contrasts subject hij (“he”) with object hem (“him/it” for a masculine or common-gender referent); the form alone does not identify the exact referent here. Example: Ik zie hem. — “I see him.” terugbreng is the present-tense first-person singular form of the separable verb terugbrengen, “to bring back” or “to return.” Its base form is terugbrengen; in a main clause, the prefix commonly separates, as in Ik breng het terug. In this subordinate clause, the finite verb appears at the end and the parts remain together: ik ... terugbreng. Example: Ik breng de sleutel terug. — “I bring the key back.” Together, Dat doe ik buiten means “I’ll do that outside” in the fixed translation. The fronted Dat occupies the first position, doe is the finite verb in second position, and ik follows it as the subject. voordat ik hem terugbreng adds the time relation “before I bring it back”: voordat begins the subordinate clause, ik performs the action, hem is its object, and terugbreng closes the clause. The complete meaning is “I’ll do that outside before I bring it back.”

10. Laat het me weten als het handvat je tijdens de reis problemen geeft.

    Let me know if the handle gives you trouble during the trip.

    Laat het me weten

    let me know

    als

    if

    handvat

    handle

    je

    you

    tijdens

    during

    reis

    trip

    problemen

    trouble

    geeft

    gives

    More detail

    Laat het me weten is a fixed Dutch way to say “let me know.” Laat is the imperative of laten (“to let”); the construction literally contains “let it be known to me,” but it is used naturally when asking someone to inform you. Example: Laat het me weten. — “Let me know.” als introduces a condition and means “if” here. It connects the request to the condition that follows. handvat means “handle.” The noun is used with the definite article het: het handvat. Its plural is handvatten. Here, het handvat is the thing that may cause the trouble. je means “you” here. In het handvat ... je problemen geeft, it is the unstressed object pronoun for the person who experiences the trouble; het handvat is the subject of geeft. The stressed form is jij. Dutch je can have other grammatical roles in other sentences, so its role comes from this clause structure. tijdens means “during” and is followed by a noun phrase. tijdens de reis therefore means “during the trip.” reis means “trip” or “journey.” It is a common-gender noun with the article de: de reis; its plural is reizen. problemen means “problems” and, in the expression iemand problemen geven, is naturally translated as “trouble.” It is the plural of probleem. The plural form is part of this common expression; it does not by itself specify a particular number of separate problems. geeft is the third-person singular present form of geven (“to give”). Its subject here is het handvat, while je is the person receiving or experiencing the trouble. Dutch commonly uses iemand problemen geven for “to give someone trouble.” The sentence begins with the request Laat het me weten. The condition introduced by als says what information should be reported: whether het handvat gives je problemen during de reis. Together, the utterance means: “Let me know if the handle gives you trouble during the trip.”