Borrowing a Drill Safely | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Mag ik je boormachine lenen om een kleine plank op te hangen?

   Could I borrow your drill to put up a small shelf?

   Mag ik

   Could I…?

   je

   your

   boormachine

   drill

   lenen

   borrow

   kleine

   small

   plank

   shelf

   op te hangen

   put up

   More detail

   Mag ik is a reusable Dutch way to ask for permission: literally “may I,” naturally “could I” or “may I?” Here mag is the present-tense form of mogen for ik; it is not a past-tense form. A useful pattern is Mag ik + infinitive?, as in Mag ik binnenkomen? — “May I come in?” je means “your” before boormachine. In this possessive use, je is an unstressed form and does not change for the gender or number of the possessed noun. The same written form can also be an object pronoun in other sentences, but it is possessive here because it accompanies a noun. boormachine means “drill,” the machine used for drilling. It is a Dutch compound noun, formed from boor (“drill”) and machine (“machine”); the compound is learned as one noun. Its relevant form here is singular, supported by een and by the intended meaning “your drill.” lenen is the infinitive “to borrow.” After the modal verb in Mag ik, Dutch uses the infinitive: Mag ik je fiets lenen? — “May I borrow your bicycle?” The borrower is the subject of lenen; the owner is expressed by je here. kleine means “small” and describes plank. Its base form is klein; before this noun it appears as kleine. Dutch commonly adds -e to an attributive adjective before a singular noun with de-gender, and plank is a de-word. This form is not an inflection of plank. plank means “shelf” in the supplied translation. Depending on context, the same noun can also refer to a plank or board, but “shelf” is the intended meaning here. The noun is singular: een plank means “a shelf” or “a board,” with the exact English choice supplied by context. op te hangen expresses “to put up.” It comes from the separable verb ophangen, whose base form contains op plus hangen. In a construction with te, the parts are separated: op te hangen. In a main clause, the same verb can separate differently, for example Ik hang de plank op. — “I put up the shelf.” The pattern om ... te + infinitive introduces a purpose. Here om een kleine plank op te hangen means “to put up a small shelf”; it explains the purpose of borrowing the drill. The infinitive phrase has the same understood actor as the request: the speaker is asking to borrow the drill in order to put up the shelf. een is an indefinite article here; it presents one unspecified shelf, rather than functioning by itself as an explicit numerical statement. Together, Mag ik je boormachine lenen asks permission to borrow the listener’s drill, and om een kleine plank op te hangen gives the purpose. The complete utterance therefore means: “Could I borrow your drill to put up a small shelf?”

2. Dat kan. Heb je al eens met een boormachine gewerkt?

   You can. Have you used a drill before?

   Dat kan

   You can.

   Heb je

   Have you …?

   al eens

   ever; before

   boormachine

   drill

   gewerkt

   worked

   More detail

   Dat kan means “That is possible” or, in this context, “You can.” Dat is a neuter demonstrative pronoun used here for the proposed action; the sentence does not identify a more specific noun as its referent. Kan is the present-tense form of kunnen for a singular subject such as hij, zij, or het; Dutch also uses kan in this fixed expression when the understood subject is the listener. The related form kun je ...? asks “can you ...?” Heb je forms an informal singular yes/no question. Heb is the second-person singular present form of hebben, and je is the informal “you” subject. Dutch places the finite verb before the subject in this type of question: Je hebt ... becomes Heb je ...? In this sentence, heb is the auxiliary that helps form the perfect construction with gewerkt; it does not itself mean “used.” Al eens means “ever” or “before” in this question. Al contributes the idea that the experience may have occurred at some time up to now, while eens makes the time reference indefinite. Together they are a reusable way to ask whether someone has done something previously: Heb je dat al eens gedaan? means “Have you done that before?” Boormachine is the noun “drill.” It is a compound noun: boor relates to drilling and machine means “machine,” but boormachine functions as one noun. Its ordinary article is de: de boormachine. In the fixed sentence it appears after met een, because met een boormachine means “with a drill.” The indefinite article een identifies a non-specific drill here; it does not by itself assert a numeric count. Gewerkt is the past participle of werken, “to work.” The perfect pattern is hebben + past participle: ik heb gewerkt means “I have worked” or “I worked,” depending on context. Dutch uses werken met for working with or using equipment, so met een boormachine gewerkt means “worked with a drill,” naturally rendered here as “used a drill.” Do not treat gewerkt as the past participle of another verb meaning “use”; the verb remains werken. The whole question combines the inverted question pattern Heb je ...? with the perfect construction heb ... gewerkt, the previous-experience expression al eens, and the equipment phrase met een boormachine: Heb je al eens met een boormachine gewerkt? Thus it asks whether the listener has previously worked with or used a drill. Together with the opening Dat kan, the utterance first grants the proposed possibility and then asks about the listener’s prior experience.

3. Een keer, dus wat basisinstructies zouden helpen.

   Only once, so basic instructions would help.

   Een keer

   once

   dus

   so

   wat

   some

   basisinstructies

   basic instructions

   zouden

   would

   helpen

   help

   More detail

   Een keer means “one time.” In this utterance, the fixed translation conveys the intended emphasis “only once.” Een is the Dutch indefinite article, and keer is the noun “time” in the sense of an occurrence. The phrase can be reused for a count of occurrences, for example: Ik heb het een keer gedaan. — “I did it once.” dus links this statement to what comes before it and means “so” or “therefore.” It introduces a consequence or conclusion here; it is not part of the meaning of the neighboring noun phrase. wat before a plural noun can mean “some” or “a few,” without stating an exact number. Here it introduces the basic instructions being discussed. This use is different from question-word wat, meaning “what,” as in Wat doe je? — “What are you doing?” basisinstructies means “basic instructions.” It is a plural compound noun: basis contributes the idea “basic” or “fundamental,” and instructies is the plural of instructie (“instruction”). The plural form presents multiple instructions; een basisinstructie would mean “a basic instruction.” zouden is the plural form of the conditional/past form of zullen, used here for “would.” It combines with the infinitive helpen to express a hypothetical or softly stated result. The plural form matches the plural subject wat basisinstructies; the relevant agreement is carried by zouden, not by helpen. helpen is the infinitive “to help.” After a modal or auxiliary such as zouden, Dutch keeps the following lexical verb in the infinitive: zou helpen — “would help” for a singular subject, and zouden helpen — “would help” for a plural subject. In this sentence, helpen means being useful or providing help, rather than necessarily assisting a person directly. Together, Een keer, dus gives the intended setting “Only once, so …” and wat basisinstructies zouden helpen says that some basic instructions would be useful. The complete intended meaning is: “Only once, so basic instructions would help.”

4. Controleer eerst wat voor soort muur het is en draag een veiligheidsbril.

   Check what kind of wall it is first, and wear safety glasses.

   Controleer

   check

   eerst

   first

   wat voor soort

   what kind of

   muur

   wall

   het is

   it is

   draag

   wear

   veiligheidsbril

   safety glasses

   More detail

   Controleer is the imperative of controleren (“to check”): it gives a direct instruction to one or more listeners, without stating the subject. For a less direct instruction, Dutch can use je moet controleren (“you must check”). eerst means “first” or “before doing the other action.” Its position here places this checking step before the instruction that follows. wat voor soort is a reusable question pattern meaning “what kind of.” It asks for a type or category, rather than simply asking which individual object. For example: Wat voor soort film is dit? — “What kind of film is this?” muur means “wall.” Its plural is muren (“walls”). In the pattern wat voor soort muur, it names the object whose type is being asked about. het is means “it is” here. is is the present-tense form of zijn (“to be”) for het and several other subjects. In the embedded question wat voor soort muur het is, Dutch places the finite verb after the subject, unlike a direct question such as Wat voor soort muur is het? (“What kind of wall is it?”). draag is the imperative of dragen (“to wear” or “to carry”); here it means “wear.” The same form can also be the first-person singular present form, “I wear,” but in this sentence its position and the instructional context make it an imperative. A related instruction is Draag een jas. — “Wear a coat.” veiligheidsbril is a compound noun meaning “safety glasses” or “protective eyewear.” The observed form is singular in Dutch, although English commonly uses the plural expression “safety glasses.” The compound combines veiligheid (“safety”) with bril (“glasses” or “spectacles”); its plural is veiligheidsbrillen. Together, Controleer eerst gives the first instruction: “Check first.” The embedded question wat voor soort muur het is specifies what must be checked: the type of wall. After en (“and”), draag een veiligheidsbril adds the second instruction: wear safety glasses. The whole utterance is therefore: “Check what kind of wall it is first, and wear safety glasses.”

5. Ik ben ook bang dat ik elektrische draden raak.

   I'm also worried about hitting electrical wires.

   Ik ben

   I am

   ook

   also

   bang

   afraid; worried

   dat

   that

   elektrische

   electrical

   draden

   wires

   raak

   hit; touch

   More detail

   Ik ben means “I am.” ben is the present-tense form of zijn (“to be”) used with ik; other present forms include je bent and hij is. This combination introduces the speaker’s current state. ook means “also” or “too.” Here it adds this concern to another concern or consideration without changing who is concerned. bang means “afraid” or, in this sentence, “worried.” The reusable pattern bang zijn voor ... means “to be afraid of ...”; bang zijn dat ... introduces a feared or worrying situation with a clause. The adjective stays bang here; ben carries the verb inflection. dat introduces the content of the fear or worry: “that ...”. In the pattern bang zijn dat + clause, the clause states what the person fears may happen. elektrische means “electrical.” It is the form of the adjective elektrisch used before the plural noun draden; the -e ending is visible here because of this noun phrase. For example, elektrische kabel means “electrical cable.” draden means “wires.” Its singular is draad, and its plural is draden. The plural form identifies more than one wire, while een draad means “a wire.” raak means “hit” or “touch” in this context. It is the first-person singular present form of raken (“to hit; to touch”): ik raak. In the subordinate clause after dat, the subject ik comes before the verb: dat ik ... raak. Together, Ik ben ook bang says “I am also worried,” and dat ik elektrische draden raak says “that I hit/touch electrical wires.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I’m also worried about hitting electrical wires.”

6. Gebruik deze detector voordat je ergens gaat boren.

   Use this detector before you drill anywhere.

   Gebruik

   use

   deze

   this

   detector

   detector

   voordat

   before

   je

   you

   ergens

   anywhere

   gaat

   goes / is going

   boren

   drill

   More detail

   Gebruik is the imperative of gebruiken (“to use”). It tells the listener to use something; the subject is understood rather than stated with the imperative. Compare the ordinary present-tense form je gebruikt (“you use”). Example: Gebruik deze sleutel. — “Use this key.” deze means “this” and points to one nearby or contextually current item. It is used with a singular common-gender noun such as de detector; with a singular neuter noun, Dutch uses dit instead. The same form deze is also used with plural nouns. Example: Deze kabel is lang. — “This cable is long.” detector is a noun meaning “detector,” a device that detects something. In this utterance, it is the object being used, without specifying a more particular type of detector. It is a singular de-word: de detector; its plural is detectoren. voordat introduces an action that happens earlier than another action: “before.” It joins the main clause to a subordinate clause. In voordat je ergens gaat boren, the finite verb gaat and the infinitive boren occur at the end of the subordinate clause. Example: Kijk goed voordat je begint. — “Look carefully before you begin.” je is the unstressed second-person pronoun “you.” Depending on context, it can address one person informally or function as a general “you”; the fixed translation supports “you” but does not specify which use is intended. Here it is the subject of the verb phrase gaat boren. ergens means “somewhere.” In this affirmative clause, the English “anywhere” presents the location as unspecified, so the instruction applies regardless of where the drilling takes place. Compare hier (“here”) and daar (“there”), which identify a location. Example: Ik heb het ergens gezien. — “I saw it somewhere.” gaat is a present-tense form of gaan. With the subject je, the form is gaat; the same form is also used with singular hij, zij, and het. With an infinitive, gaan + infinitive presents an intended, imminent, or prospective action: je gaat boren means “you are going to drill.” The infinitive boren stays unchanged after gaat; the finite verb carries the person and tense. Example: Je gaat morgen werken. — “You are going to work tomorrow.” boren is the infinitive meaning “to drill.” After gaat, it names the action that is intended or expected. Other forms include ik boor (“I drill”) and ik boorde (“I drilled”). Together, voordat je ergens gaat boren means “before you drill anywhere”: the detector should be used earlier than the drilling. The full utterance is the imperative Gebruik deze detector, followed by that time clause. Thus it means: “Use this detector before you drill anywhere.” This is a direct practical instruction. Gaan + infinitive is a common way to present an intended or prospective action, while voordat marks the earlier action in relation to it.

7. Ik scan de plek voordat ik de gaten afteken.

   I'll scan the spot before I mark the holes.

   scan

   scan

   plek

   spot

   voordat

   before

   gaten

   holes

   afteken

   mark out

   More detail

   scan means “scan” here. It is the present-tense form of the borrowed verb scannen with ik (“I”): ik scan. Dutch present tense can describe a planned or immediate action, so the fixed translation uses “I’ll scan”; the form itself is not a separate future tense. plek means “spot” or “place.” Its plural is plekken. In this sentence, de plek is the specific spot being scanned; de is the Dutch definite article used with this noun. voordat means “before” and introduces a subordinate clause. A useful pattern is voordat + subject + ... + verb, with the finite verb at the end of the subordinate clause. For example: Was je je handen voordat je eet. — “Wash your hands before you eat.” gaten means “holes.” The singular is gat; gaten is its plural. Dutch uses de with plural nouns, so de gaten means “the holes.” The plural ending here is part of the noun form, not an ending on the article. afteken means “mark out” in this sentence. The base verb is the separable verb aftekenen, “to mark out” or “to mark.” In a main clause, its parts normally separate: Ik teken de gaten af. — “I mark out the holes.” Inside this voordat clause, the verb stays together at the end: voordat ik de gaten afteken. Together, Ik scan de plek gives “I’ll scan the spot,” and voordat ik de gaten afteken gives “before I mark out the holes.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I’ll scan the spot before I mark the holes.”

8. Breng de boormachine alsjeblieft terug met de oplader en de boortjes erbij.

   Please bring the drill back with the charger and bits together.

   Breng … terug

   bring back

   boormachine

   drill

   alsjeblieft

   please

   met

   with

   oplader

   charger

   en

   and

   boortjes

   bits

   erbij

   along with it

   More detail

   Breng ... terug is the separable verb construction from terugbrengen, “to bring back” or “to return.” Here Breng is the imperative form of brengen, used for a request or instruction to one or more people; terug is separated and placed after the object. A reusable pattern is Breng [object] terug. — “Bring [object] back.” For example: Breng het boek terug. — “Bring the book back.” boormachine means “drill” here, specifically the machine rather than its accessories. It is a singular noun and appears with the definite article de in de boormachine. The article marks this as a particular drill in the situation; it does not itself express a numeric count. alsjeblieft is the polite word “please.” It can soften a request such as this imperative without changing the requested action. met introduces something accompanying or included with another thing: “with.” In this sentence it introduces the items that should come back together with the drill. For example: Neem de sleutel met je mee. — “Take the key with you.” oplader means “charger.” Its base form is oplader; the sentence uses the singular form with de: de oplader. The noun identifies one charger as part of what should be brought back. en joins equivalent elements and means “and.” Here it connects de oplader and de boortjes, so both kinds of accessory are included. boortjes means “bits” here, referring to drill bits. Its singular base form is boortje; boortjes is the plural form. The ending -je in boortje is a diminutive ending, and the plural keeps that ending before -s: boortje → boortjes. For example: Ik gebruik twee boortjes. — “I use two bits.” erbij adds the meaning “along with it” or “included with it.” It makes clear that the charger and bits are to accompany the drill, rather than being mentioned as unrelated objects. In this utterance, met ... erbij gathers those accessories into the return request. Together, Breng de boormachine ... terug means “Bring the drill back,” while met de oplader en de boortjes erbij specifies that the charger and bits should come along with it. With alsjeblieft, the complete utterance is: “Please bring the drill back with the charger and bits together.”

9. Ik veeg het stof eraf voordat ik hem terugbreng.

   I'll clean off the dust before I return it.

   veeg

   wipe

   het stof

   the dust

   eraf

   off

   voordat

   before

   hem

   it

   terugbreng

   bring back

   More detail

   veeg is the form of vegen used with ik in the present tense: ik veeg means “I wipe” or “I sweep.” Here the context selects “wipe,” because the action is removing dust. Example: Ik veeg de tafel. — “I wipe the table.” het stof means “the dust.” Stof is a mass noun here, so the sentence treats the dust as a substance rather than counting separate pieces. The article het belongs to this noun phrase. eraf means “off” in this construction. Dutch uses er with af to refer back to something understood from the situation while expressing removal from a surface or place. Thus het stof eraf vegen is a reusable pattern meaning “wipe the dust off.” voordat means “before” and introduces a subordinate clause. In that clause, the finite verb comes at the end: voordat ik hem terugbreng — “before I bring it back.” Example: Was je handen voordat je eet. — “Wash your hands before you eat.” hem is a singular object pronoun meaning “him” or, as in this translation, “it.” Here the fixed translation and the preceding context support the drill as the item being returned. Dutch uses hem for a singular common-gender noun or male person in this grammatical role; it does not by itself mean that the referent is human. terugbreng is the first-person singular present-tense form of terugbrengen, “to bring back” or “to return.” The infinitive is terugbrengen; its separable parts can appear apart in a main clause: Ik breng hem terug. — “I bring it back.” After voordat, they appear together at the end: voordat ik hem terugbreng. Together, Ik veeg het stof eraf says “I wipe the dust off,” and voordat ik hem terugbreng says “before I return it.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I’ll clean off the dust before I return it.” The Dutch present tense can express this planned future action; the time relation is supplied by voordat.

10. Doe rustig aan; veiligheid is belangrijker dan snelheid.

    Take your time with it; safety matters more than speed.

    Doe rustig aan

    Take it easy; take your time

    veiligheid

    safety

    belangrijker

    more important

    snelheid

    speed

    More detail

    Doe rustig aan is a fixed Dutch expression meaning “take it easy” or, in this context, “take your time.” Doe is the imperative of doen (“to do”); the expression should be learned as a whole rather than translated word by word. Rustig means “calmly” here, and aan is part of the expression. Example: Doe rustig aan met die doos. — “Take your time with that box.” Veiligheid means “safety.” It is a noun referring to the condition of being safe. The related adjective is veilig (“safe”), while onveilig means “unsafe.” Example: Veiligheid komt eerst. — “Safety comes first.” Belangrijker means “more important.” It is the comparative form of the adjective belangrijk (“important”): belangrijk → belangrijker → het belangrijkst (“important” → “more important” → “most important”). Dutch commonly uses dan after a comparative when making the comparison: A is belangrijker dan B — “A is more important than B.” Snelheid means “speed.” It is a noun; the related adjective snel means “fast” or “quick.” Example: De snelheid is laag. — “The speed is low.” Together, veiligheid is belangrijker dan snelheid says that safety has greater importance than speed: “safety matters more than speed.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Take your time with it; safety matters more than speed.” The semicolon joins the practical instruction with the reason or priority behind it.