Borrowing a laptop adapter | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: In a shared workspace, one adult borrows a laptop adapter before a presentation and tests the projector before returning it..

EN → NL / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a laptop adapter to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Mijn laptopadapter is kwijt en mijn presentatie begint bijna.

Mayn LEP-top-ah-DAP-ter iss kwite ent mayn pray-zen-TAH-tsee buh-KHINT BAY-nah. My laptop adapter is missing, and my presentation starts soon.
B

Ik heb er een die je kunt gebruiken.

Ik hehp air uhn dee yuh kuhnt yoo-zuhn. I have one you can use.
B

Maar laten we controleren of hij met je laptop werkt.

Mahr LAH-tun wuh kon-troh-LAY-run off hay met yuh LEP-top vairkt. But let's check that it works with your laptop.
A

Hij past in de aansluiting. Ik moet de projector nog testen.

Hay pahst in duh AHN-sloy-ting. Ik moot duh proh-YEK-tor nokh TES-tun. It fits the port. I still need to test the projector.
B

Doe dat nu; kleine problemen worden onder druk lastiger.

Doo dat noo; KLAY-nuh proh-BLAY-mun VOR-dun ON-dur druhk LAS-tuh-khur. Do it now; small problems get harder under pressure.
A

Het beeld wordt goed weergegeven, dus we zijn klaar.

Het baylt vort khoot VAIR-khuh-VAY-vun, doos wuh zayn klahr. The screen is showing correctly, so we're set.
B

Bewaar voor de zekerheid een reservekopie van je dia's op een tweede apparaat.

Buh-VAHR vor duh ZAY-kur-HAYT uhn RAY-zair-vuh-koh-PEE van yuh DEE-ahs op uhn TVAY-duh ah-pah-RAHT. Keep a backup copy of your slides on a second device, just in case.
A

Ik zet een kopie op een ander apparaat voordat ik begin.

Ik zet uhn koh-PEE op uhn AN-dur ah-pah-RAHT vor-DAHT ik buh-KHINT. I'll put one on another device before I start.
B

Kun je de adapter na de sessie terugbrengen? Ik heb hem later nodig.

Kuhnt yuh duh ah-DAP-ter nah duh SESS-see tuh-RUKH-breng-un? Ik hehp um LAH-ter NOH-dikh. Could you bring the adapter back after the session? I need it later.
A

Ik breng hem terug zodra de sessie is afgelopen.

Ik breng um tuh-RUKH ZOH-drah duh SESS-see iss AHf-khuh-LOH-pun. I'll return it as soon as the session ends.
B

Dan heb je één ding minder om je zorgen over te maken.

Dan hehp yuh ayn ding MIN-dur om yuh ZOR-khun OH-vur tuh MAH-kun. That should give you one less thing to worry about.

Word by Word

Mijn “Mijn” means “my” here and shows that the laptop adapter belongs to the speaker. It appears directly before the noun in “Mijn laptopadapter”; the same word appears before “presentatie” in “mijn presentatie”.
laptopadapter “laptopadapter” means a laptop adapter, the device being borrowed in this dialogue. It is written as one compound noun and is used after a possessive in “Mijn laptopadapter”.
is “is” states that the laptop adapter has the condition described by “kwijt” in “is kwijt”. It is also used in “is afgelopen” to say that the session has ended.
kwijt “kwijt” means missing or lost in “Mijn laptopadapter is kwijt”. Together with “is”, it describes something that cannot currently be found; a useful pattern is “iets is kwijt” for a missing thing.
en “en” connects two pieces of information: the missing adapter and the presentation starting soon. It is used to join clauses or items, as in “kwijt en mijn presentatie”.
presentatie “presentatie” means presentation, the event that is about to begin. It appears after “mijn” in “mijn presentatie”; a common pattern is “een presentatie geven” for giving a presentation.
begint “begint” means starts in “mijn presentatie begint bijna”. The form is used with the singular subject “mijn presentatie”; it tells when the presentation starts.
bijna “bijna” means soon or almost in “begint bijna”, indicating that the presentation will start shortly. It commonly appears before the time or amount that is nearly reached.
Ik “Ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker as the subject. It begins “Ik heb er een” and also appears in “Ik moet de projector nog testen” and “Ik breng hem terug”.
heb “heb” means “have” in “Ik heb er een”, where the speaker says that one adapter is available. It follows the subject “Ik”; a reusable pattern is “Ik heb ...” followed by the thing someone has.
er “er” helps refer to one adapter already understood from the context in “Ik heb er een”. With “een”, the phrase means that the speaker has one of those items; it is useful when avoiding repetition of a mentioned noun.
een “een” means “one” in “Ik heb er een”, referring to one available adapter. In this sentence it identifies a single item without repeating “laptopadapter”.
die “die” introduces the description “die je kunt gebruiken”, meaning that the available item is one the listener can use. It links the item to a following clause; a common pattern is “iets die je kunt gebruiken” only when the noun requires this relative form, so follow the noun and sentence carefully.
je “je” means “you” in “die je kunt gebruiken”, identifying the person who can use the adapter. The same form means “your” in “je laptop”; its exact role comes from the surrounding words.
kunt “kunt” expresses ability or permission as “can” in “je kunt gebruiken”. It is followed by the infinitive “gebruiken”; a reusable pattern is “je kunt ...” plus an action.
gebruiken “gebruiken” means “use” in “die je kunt gebruiken”. It follows the modal form “kunt”; a common pattern is “iets gebruiken” for using an object.
Maar “Maar” means “but” and introduces a qualification to the offer of the adapter. In “Maar laten we controleren”, it signals that the adapter should first be checked.
laten “laten” contributes the suggestion “let” in “laten we controleren”. Together with “we” and an infinitive, “laten we ...” proposes that the speakers do something together.
we “we” means “we” and refers to both speakers in “laten we controleren”. It is the group being asked to perform the check together.
controleren “controleren” means “check” in “laten we controleren”. It follows “laten we” as the action being proposed; a useful pattern is “iets controleren” when checking an object or result.
of “of” introduces the question of whether the adapter works with the laptop in “of hij met je laptop werkt”. It connects the checking action to an indirect yes-or-no question.
hij “hij” refers to the adapter in “hij met je laptop werkt”, even though the pronoun literally has a masculine form. It acts as the subject of “werkt” and can refer to an object when the context makes the reference clear.
met “met” means “with” in “met je laptop”, describing the laptop that the adapter must work with. A common pattern is “werken met iets” for working with or functioning with something.
laptop “laptop” means laptop in “je laptop”. It is the device used with the adapter; it appears after the possessive “je”.
werkt “werkt” means works or functions in “hij met je laptop werkt”. It describes whether the adapter functions together with the laptop; the pattern is “iets werkt met iets”.
past “past” means fits in “Hij past in de aansluiting”. It says that the adapter physically fits the port; a common pattern is “iets past in iets” for a physical fit.
in “in” means “in” and shows the destination or position of the adapter in “in de aansluiting”. It commonly follows “passen” when describing what something fits into.
de “de” means “the” in “de aansluiting”, referring to a specific port already relevant to the laptop adapter. It is placed directly before the noun.
aansluiting “aansluiting” means the port or connection where the adapter fits. In “de aansluiting”, it identifies the specific connection on the device; it is useful for talking about a physical connection point.
moet “moet” means “must” or “need to” in “Ik moet de projector nog testen”. It expresses a necessary action and is followed by the infinitive “testen”.
projector “projector” means projector, the device that still needs to be tested. It appears after “de” in “de projector”; a common pattern is “een projector testen” before a presentation.
nog “nog” means “still” in “Ik moet de projector nog testen”, showing that the testing remains to be done. It commonly appears with an unfinished task before the action that is still pending.
testen “testen” means “test” in “de projector nog testen”. It follows “moet” as the action that is necessary; a reusable pattern is “iets testen” before using it.
Doe “Doe” tells the listener to do the action just mentioned in “Doe dat nu”. It is a direct instruction and refers back to testing the projector.
dat “dat” means “that” or “it” in “Doe dat nu”, referring to the testing action mentioned immediately before. It lets the speaker avoid repeating that action.
nu “nu” means “now” and makes the instruction in “Doe dat nu” immediate. It is used to specify that an action should happen at the present time.
kleine “kleine” means “small” in “kleine problemen”. It describes the plural noun “problemen” and appears before it as part of the noun phrase.
problemen “problemen” means “problems”, referring here to technical difficulties under pressure. It is the plural subject of “worden”; a common pattern is “problemen worden ...” when describing how problems change.
worden “worden” means “become” or “get” in “problemen worden ... lastiger”. It describes a change in the problems’ difficulty and is followed by the comparative “lastiger”.
onder “onder” means “under” in “onder druk”. Together with “druk”, it describes the circumstances in which problems become harder.
druk “druk” means “pressure” in the expression “onder druk”. The full expression refers to a stressful situation; it commonly follows “onder” in this use.
lastiger “lastiger” means “harder” or “more difficult” in “worden ... lastiger”. It compares the problems’ difficulty before and during pressure; it follows “worden” to describe the change.
Het “Het” means “the” in “Het beeld”, referring to the display shown by the projector. It appears directly before “beeld”.
beeld “beeld” means the image or screen display in “Het beeld wordt goed weergegeven”. It is the subject of the display statement and refers to what appears on the screen.
goed “goed” means “correctly” or “well” in “goed weergegeven”. It describes the quality of the display; it appears before the participle “weergegeven”.
weergegeven “weergegeven” means displayed or shown in “wordt goed weergegeven”. Together, the phrase says that the image is being shown correctly; it is useful for describing how information appears on a screen.
dus “dus” means “so” or “therefore” and connects the correctly displayed image with the conclusion “we zijn klaar”. It introduces a result or conclusion.
zijn “zijn” means “are” in “we zijn klaar”, describing the speakers’ current state. It links “we” with “klaar”; a common pattern is “we zijn ...” followed by a state or condition.
klaar “klaar” means ready or finished in “we zijn klaar”. Here it means the preparations are complete; it commonly follows “zijn” to describe readiness or completion.
Bewaar “Bewaar” tells the listener to keep or save something in “Bewaar ... een reservekopie”. It is a direct instruction, here about preserving a backup copy.
voor “voor” contributes “for” in the fixed expression “voor de zekerheid”. The full expression means “just in case”, so the action is taken as a precaution.
zekerheid “zekerheid” means certainty or security in “voor de zekerheid”. The phrase expresses a precaution rather than a reason to expect a problem; it is commonly used when taking an extra safety measure.
reservekopie “reservekopie” means backup copy, an extra copy kept in case the main copy fails. In “een reservekopie van je dia's”, it is followed by “van” and the material being copied.
van “van” means “of” in “een reservekopie van je dia's”, linking the backup copy to the slides it contains. A common pattern is “een kopie van iets”.
dia's “dia's” means slides, referring to the presentation slides. In “je dia's”, it follows the possessive “je”; the apostrophe is part of the exact plural form used here.
op “op” means “on” in “op een tweede apparaat”. It shows where the backup copy is stored; a common pattern is “iets opslaan op een apparaat”, while this dialogue uses “een kopie ... op”.
tweede “tweede” means “second” in “een tweede apparaat”. It identifies an additional device used for the backup; it appears directly before “apparaat”.
apparaat “apparaat” means device in “een tweede apparaat”. It is the place where the backup copy is kept; a common pattern is “een bestand op een apparaat zetten”.
zet “zet” means “put” or “place” in “Ik zet een kopie op een ander apparaat”. It describes placing or storing the copy on another device; the pattern is “iets op iets zetten”.
kopie “kopie” means copy in “een kopie”. Here it refers to a duplicate of the presentation slides; a common pattern is “een kopie op een apparaat zetten”.
ander “ander” means “another” or “different” in “een ander apparaat”. It distinguishes this device from the previously mentioned second device; it appears before the noun it describes.
voordat “voordat” means “before” and introduces the action that must happen before the speaker starts in “voordat ik begin”. It connects two events in time and is followed by a clause.
begin “begin” means “start” in “voordat ik begin”. It refers to the speaker starting the presentation or session; the phrase shows that the backup will be made first.
Kun “Kun” asks whether the listener can perform the requested action in “Kun je de adapter na de sessie terugbrengen?”. With “je”, it makes a direct but polite request.
na “na” means “after” in “na de sessie”. It places the return of the adapter later than the session; it commonly appears before a time or event.
sessie “sessie” means session, referring to the presentation-related period in “na de sessie”. It follows “de” and provides the time after which the adapter should be returned.
terugbrengen “terugbrengen” means bring back or return in “de adapter ... terugbrengen”. It combines the action of bringing with the idea of returning something; a useful pattern is “iets terugbrengen”.
hem “hem” refers to the adapter as the object in “Ik heb hem later nodig”. It is also used in “Ik breng hem terug”, where it means “it” and identifies what will be returned.
later “later” means “later” in “Ik heb hem later nodig”. It places the speaker’s need after the current session; it commonly appears with a verb describing a future need or action.
nodig “nodig” means needed in “Ik heb hem later nodig”. The pattern “iets nodig hebben” means to need something, so the object “hem” comes before “nodig” here.
breng “breng” means “bring” or “return” in “Ik breng hem terug”. Together with “terug”, it expresses returning the adapter; the subject “Ik” shows that the speaker will do it.
terug “terug” means “back” in “breng hem terug”. It adds the return direction to “breng”; the full expression “terugbrengen” means to bring something back.
zodra “zodra” means “as soon as” in “zodra de sessie is afgelopen”. It introduces the event that triggers the return and shows that the speaker will act immediately after it.
afgelopen “afgelopen” means ended or finished in “de sessie is afgelopen”. Together with “is”, it states that the session has come to an end; it is used here to mark the return time.
Dan “Dan” means “then” in “Dan heb je één ding minder”. It presents the result of returning the adapter after the session.
één “één” means “one” and is emphasized in “één ding minder”. It specifies exactly one thing, rather than an unspecified amount.
ding “ding” means “thing” in “één ding minder”. It refers generally to one concern or task; a common pattern is “één ding” when counting a single matter.
minder “minder” means “less” or “fewer” in “één ding minder”. With a countable noun such as “ding”, it expresses one fewer concern to deal with.
om “om” is part of the infinitive construction “om je zorgen over te maken”, which describes the thing that remains to worry about. It works together with “te” and the infinitive rather than expressing the whole meaning alone.
zorgen “zorgen” means worries or concerns in “je zorgen over te maken”. The full expression “je zorgen maken over iets” means to worry about something; here the adapter’s return removes one such concern.
over “over” means “about” in “je zorgen over te maken”. It links the worries to the matter being considered; a common pattern is “je zorgen maken over iets”.
te “te” marks the infinitive in “te maken” within “om je zorgen over te maken”. Together with “om”, it forms the construction describing something to worry about.
maken “maken” means “make” in the expression “je zorgen over te maken”. The complete construction “je zorgen maken over iets” means to worry about something, so its meaning should be learned as a whole.

Grammar Points

zodra + bijzin

Zodra de sessie afgelopen is, breng ik het apparaat terug.

ZOH-drah duh SESS-see AHf-khuh-LOH-pun iss, breng ik ut ah-pah-RAHT tuh-RUKH.

As soon as the session is over, I’ll bring the device back.

Zodra introduces a time clause. In the subordinate clause, the finite verb comes at the end: de sessie afgelopen is.

Dutch Vocabulary

aansluiting noun
AHN-sloy-ting connection; port
beginnen verb
buh-KHIN-un to begin; to start begint
bijna adv
BAY-nah almost; soon
controleren verb
kon-troh-LAY-run to check
gebruiken verb
buh-KHREW-kuhn to use
kwijt adj
kwite missing; lost
laptopadapter noun
LEP-top-ah-DAP-ter laptop adapter
passen verb
PAH-sun to fit past
presentatie noun
pray-zen-TAH-tsee presentation
projector noun
proh-YEK-tor projector
testen verb
TES-tun to test
werken verb
VAIR-kuhn to work; to function werkt

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to check

Show Answercontroleren

to fit

Show Answerpast

to work; to function

Show Answerwerkt

missing; lost

Show Answerkwijt