Renewing a Library Book When the Online Account Fails | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At a library, one adult plans how to renew a book after an online account fails and checks whether another hold prevents renewal..

EN → NL / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Renewing a Library Book When the Online Account Fails to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ik heb geprobeerd mijn boek online te verlengen, maar mijn account wilde niet laden.

ick hep khuh-proo-BROOT mine book ON-line, mahr mine uh-KOWNT WIL-duh noht LAH-dun. I tried to renew my book online, but my account wouldn't load.
B

Bel de bibliotheek voordat de inleverdatum voorbij is.

bell duh bee-blee-oh-TAKE vohr-DAHT duh IN-lay-vur-DAH-tum pahs. Call the library before the due date passes.
A

Ik maak me zorgen, omdat het boek vandaag ingeleverd moet worden.

ick MAHK muh ZOR-ghun, OHM-daht ut book van-DAHKH in-ghuh-LAY-vurt moot VOR-dun. I'm worried because the book is due today.
B

Ze kunnen de uitleentermijn misschien verlengen als ze kunnen zien dat er een inlogprobleem was.

zuh KUN-nuh duh OWT-layn-tur-MINE miss-KHUN vuh-LENG-un als zuh KUN-nuh zeen daht ur un IN-log-proh-BLAYM wuss. They may extend it if they can see there was a login problem.
A

Wat als iemand het gereserveerd heeft?

wuht als EE-munt ut kuh-ray-zur-VAIRT heft? What if someone has reserved it?
B

Dan kunnen ze het waarschijnlijk niet verlengen, zelfs niet telefonisch.

dahn KUN-nuh zuh ut vahr-SKHEIN-luk neet vuh-LENG-un, saylfs neet tay-luh-FOH-niss. Then they probably won't be able to renew it, even by phone.
A

Ik vraag naar reserveringen voordat ik ervan uitga dat ik het mag houden.

ick vrahkh nahr ray-zur-VAY-rin-ghun vohr-DAHT ick ur-vun OWT-khahn daht ick ut makh HOW-dun. I'll ask about holds before I assume I can keep it.
B

Als er een reservering is, lever het vandaag in en leen het later opnieuw.

als ur un ray-zur-VAY-ring iss, LAY-vur ut van-DAHKH in un LAYN ut LAH-tur awp-NEE-oo. If there is a hold, return it today and borrow it again later.
A

Terwijl ik daar ben, stel ik ook mijn wachtwoord opnieuw in.

tur-WILE ick dahr ben, STELL ick ohk mine WAHKH-twort awp-NEE-oo in. I'll reset my password while I'm there too.
B

Dat zou de volgende verlenging minder stressvol moeten maken.

daht zow duh VOL-ghun-duh vuh-LAYN-ing MIN-dur STRESS-fohl MOO-tun MAH-kun. That should make the next renewal less stressful.

Word by Word

Ik Ik means “I” here and is the subject of the speaker’s action. It is used before a verb when the speaker describes what they do, as in the exact sequence “Ik heb geprobeerd”.
heb heb means “have” here as the auxiliary in the completed-action phrase “Ik heb geprobeerd”. It is used with a completed-action form to say that an attempt has been made.
geprobeerd geprobeerd means “tried” here and says that the speaker made an attempt. It follows “heb” in “heb geprobeerd”; the citation form is proberen.
mijn mijn means “my” here and identifies the book as belonging to or being used by the speaker. It comes directly before the noun in “mijn boek”.
boek boek means “book” here, specifically the library book the speaker wants to renew. It is the object in “mijn boek online te verlengen” and can be used after a possessive such as “mijn”.
online online means “online” here and describes where the speaker tried to renew the book. It is used as a short modifier for an internet-based action, as in “boek online te verlengen”.
te te marks the infinitive in “te verlengen”, so the phrase means “to renew”. It commonly appears before an infinitive after a verb such as “geprobeerd”.
verlengen verlengen means “to renew” or “to extend” here, referring to extending the borrowing period of the book. It is the infinitive after “te” in “te verlengen”.
maar maar means “but” and introduces the problem that contrasts with the attempted renewal. It links the successful intention with the failure in “..., maar mijn account wilde niet laden”.
account account means “account” here, specifically the online library account that failed to load. It is used after the possessive in “mijn account”.
wilde wilde is used with “niet” and “laden” to say that the account would not load. The citation form is willen, and the pattern “wilde niet + action” can describe something that would not perform an action.
niet niet means “not” and negates the loading in “wilde niet laden”. It is placed before the infinitive when this construction says that an action did not occur.
laden laden means “load” here, referring to the online account becoming available. It is the infinitive after “wilde niet” in “wilde niet laden”.
Bel Bel means “call” here and gives a direct instruction to contact the library. It is the command form of bellen and is followed by the object in “Bel de bibliotheek”.
de de means “the” here and identifies the specific library being discussed. It appears before “bibliotheek” in “de bibliotheek”.
bibliotheek bibliotheek means “library” here, the place or organization the speaker should contact. It is the object of the instruction “Bel de bibliotheek”.
voordat voordat means “before” and introduces the deadline condition in “voordat de inleverdatum voorbij is”. It connects an action with something that must not happen first.
inleverdatum inleverdatum means “due date” here, specifically the date by which the book must be returned. It is the subject of “inleverdatum voorbij is”.
voorbij voorbij means “past” or “over” here, describing the due date after it has passed. In “de inleverdatum voorbij is”, it completes the idea that the deadline is over.
is is means “is” here and states the condition that the due date is past in “voorbij is”. It is the form used in this subordinate clause with the subject “de inleverdatum”.
maak maak contributes “make” to the expression “maak me zorgen”, which as a whole means “am worried” or “worry”. The citation form is maken, and this expression is used to describe personal concern.
me me refers to the speaker in the expression “maak me zorgen”. Together with “maak” and “zorgen”, it expresses that the speaker is worried rather than simply meaning “make me” on its own.
zorgen zorgen means “worries” or “concerns” in the expression “maak me zorgen”. The whole expression is a common way to describe being worried, especially about a problem or deadline.
omdat omdat means “because” and introduces the reason for the speaker’s concern. It connects “Ik maak me zorgen” with the reason in “omdat het boek vandaag ingeleverd moet worden”.
het het has two roles in this dialogue: in “het boek” it means “the”, while in “het mag houden” it refers to the book as “it”. Its meaning therefore depends on whether it comes before the noun or refers back to the book.
vandaag vandaag means “today” and specifies when the book must be returned. It is placed before “ingeleverd moet worden” in “vandaag ingeleverd moet worden”.
ingeleverd ingeleverd means “returned” or “handed in” here, referring to returning the library book. It is used with “moet worden” in “ingeleverd moet worden”; the citation form is inleveren.
moet moet means “must” or “has to” here and expresses the requirement to return the book. It combines with “worden” and “ingeleverd” in “ingeleverd moet worden”.
worden worden helps form the passive expression “ingeleverd moet worden”, meaning that the book must be handed in. It follows “moet” in this construction.
Ze Ze means “they” here and refers to the people at the library who may decide about the extension. It is used as the subject before “kunnen” in “Ze kunnen”.
kunnen kunnen means “can” or “may” here and expresses possibility or ability to extend the loan period. It is followed by an infinitive, as in “kunnen ... verlengen”.
uitleentermijn uitleentermijn means “loan period” here, the period for which the book may be borrowed. It is the thing that may be extended in the library context.
misschien misschien means “perhaps” or “maybe” and makes the possible extension uncertain. It appears between “kunnen” and “verlengen” in “kunnen de uitleentermijn misschien verlengen”.
als als means “if” here and introduces a condition for the possible extension. It is used before a clause such as “als ze kunnen zien dat er een inlogprobleem was”.
zien zien means “see” here, meaning that the library staff can recognize or verify the login problem. It is the infinitive after “kunnen” in “kunnen zien dat”.
dat In “kunnen zien dat er een inlogprobleem was”, dat means “that” and introduces the information they can see. In “Dat zou ...”, it means “that” and refers back to the password-reset plan.
er er has an existential function in “er een inlogprobleem was”, indicating that a login problem existed. It is used with “een” and the noun to introduce something that was present.
een een means “a” or “an” here and introduces one unspecified login problem in “een inlogprobleem”. It comes directly before the noun.
inlogprobleem inlogprobleem means “login problem” here, referring to the difficulty accessing the online account. It is introduced by “een” in “er een inlogprobleem was”.
was was means “was” here and says that the login problem existed at that time. The citation form is zijn, and the form appears in “dat er een inlogprobleem was”.
Wat Wat means “what” in the question “Wat als iemand het gereserveerd heeft?”. Together with “als”, it asks about a possible situation or consequence.
iemand iemand means “someone” here and refers to an unspecified person who may have reserved the book. It is the subject of “iemand het gereserveerd heeft”.
gereserveerd gereserveerd means “reserved” here, referring to another person placing a hold on the book. It follows “heeft” in “heeft gereserveerd”; the citation form is reserveren.
heeft heeft means “has” here as the auxiliary in “heeft gereserveerd”. It combines with the completed-action form to say that someone has reserved the book.
Dan Dan means “then” and introduces the consequence of the reservation described in the previous question. It appears at the beginning of “Dan kunnen ze het waarschijnlijk niet verlengen”.
waarschijnlijk waarschijnlijk means “probably” and expresses that the consequence is likely but not certain. It modifies the statement that the book cannot be renewed.
zelfs zelfs means “even” and emphasizes that renewal is impossible under the stated condition. In “zelfs niet telefonisch”, it highlights that calling by phone does not change the result.
telefonisch telefonisch means “by phone” here and describes the method of trying to renew the book. It is used after “niet” in “zelfs niet telefonisch” to say that even this method will not work.
vraag vraag means “ask” here, as in the speaker’s plan to ask about holds. The citation form is vragen, and it is used with “naar” in “vraag naar reserveringen”.
naar naar means “about” or “for” here and completes the pattern “vraag naar reserveringen”. This preposition introduces the information or subject the speaker wants to ask about.
reserveringen reserveringen means “reservations” or “holds” here, referring to other people’s claims on library books. It is the subject of the question in “vraag naar reserveringen”.
ervan uitga ervan uitga means “assume that” in “voordat ik ervan uitga dat ik het mag houden”. “Ervan” points to the matter being considered, while “uitga” is the form of uitgaan used in this clause; together they express making an assumption before checking. A reusable pattern is ervan uitgaan dat ..., meaning “to assume that ...”.
mag mag means “may” or “be allowed to” here and expresses permission to keep the book. It is followed by the infinitive “houden” in “mag houden”.
houden houden means “keep” here, referring to keeping the borrowed book instead of returning it. It is the infinitive after “mag” in “het mag houden”.
reservering reservering means “reservation” or “hold” here, referring to a claim that may prevent another renewal. It appears after “een” in the condition “als er een reservering is”.
lever lever contributes the meaning of returning or handing in within the expression “lever het vandaag in”. It is the command form of inleveren, whose parts separate around the object in this instruction.
in in is the separable particle that completes inleveren in “lever het vandaag in”. Together, the separated parts mean “hand it in” or “return it”, and the particle comes at the end of the command clause.
en en means “and” and links the two instructions to return the book and borrow it again. It connects “lever het vandaag in” with “leen het later opnieuw”.
leen leen means “borrow” here and gives the instruction to borrow the book again later. It is the command form of lenen and is followed by the object “het”.
later later means “later” and places the second borrowing after the return. It modifies the action in “leen het later opnieuw”.
opnieuw opnieuw means “again” and shows that the book should be borrowed another time. It modifies “leen” in “leen het later opnieuw”.
Terwijl Terwijl means “while” and introduces an action happening during the speaker’s visit. It begins the time clause “Terwijl ik daar ben”.
daar daar means “there” here and refers to the library or place the speaker will visit. It is used with “ben” in “ik daar ben”.
ben ben means “am” here in the phrase “ik daar ben”, stating where the speaker is. It is the form of zijn used with “ik” and can appear with a place expression such as “daar”.
stel stel contributes “set” or “reset” within “stel ik ook mijn wachtwoord opnieuw in”. It is part of the separable verb instellen, and the complete expression means that the speaker resets the password.
ook ook means “also” or “too” and adds the password reset to the other actions planned at the library. It appears before “mijn wachtwoord” in “stel ik ook mijn wachtwoord opnieuw in”.
wachtwoord wachtwoord means “password” here, specifically the password for the online account. It is the object of the reset action in “mijn wachtwoord opnieuw in”.
zou zou expresses “would” or “should” here and makes the predicted result tentative. It combines with “moeten maken” in “zou de volgende verlenging minder stressvol moeten maken”.
volgende volgende means “next” here and identifies the renewal that will happen after the password has been reset. It modifies “verlenging” in “de volgende verlenging”.
verlenging verlenging means “renewal” or “extension” here, referring to the next time the book’s loan period is extended. It is the noun modified by “volgende”.
minder minder means “less” here and reduces the degree of stress associated with the next renewal. It appears before “stressvol” in “minder stressvol”.
stressvol stressvol means “stressful” here and describes the expected experience of the next renewal. With “minder”, it means “less stressful” in “minder stressvol moeten maken”.
moeten moeten means “should” or “must” here, but in “zou ... moeten maken” it expresses an expected result rather than a direct command. It combines with “maken” to say that the reset should make the next renewal less stressful.
maken maken means “make” here in the construction that causes the next renewal to become less stressful. It is the infinitive after “zou ... moeten” in “zou de volgende verlenging minder stressvol moeten maken”.

Grammar Points

zich zorgen maken

maak me zorgen

MAHK muh ZOR-ghun

I worry

The reflexive pronoun changes with the subject: zich becomes me with ik. Together, the phrase means “to worry”.

Dutch Vocabulary

bibliotheek noun
bee-blee-oh-TAKE library
boek noun
book book
inleverdatum noun
IN-lay-vur-DAH-tum due date; return date
inleveren verb
in-LAY-vur-un to return; to hand in ingeleverd
laden verb
LAH-dun to load
online adv
ON-line online
proberen verb
pruh-BAY-run to try geprobeerd
uitleentermijn noun
OWT-layn-tur-MINE loan period
verlengen verb
vuh-LENG-un to extend; to renew te verlengen
voorbij adv
vohr-BYE past; over
voordat conj
vohr-DAHT before
zich zorgen maken phrase
zikh ZOR-ghun MAH-kun to worry maak me zorgen

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What if someone has reserved it?

Show AnswerWat als iemand het gereserveerd heeft?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

due date; return date

Show Answerinleverdatum

before

Show Answervoordat

past; over

Show Answervoorbij

to try

Show Answergeprobeerd