Borrowing a laptop adapter | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Mijn laptopadapter is kwijt en mijn presentatie begint bijna.

   My laptop adapter is missing, and my presentation starts soon.

   laptopadapter

   laptop adapter

   is kwijt

   is missing

   presentatie

   presentation

   begint

   starts

   bijna

   almost

   More detail

   laptopadapter means “laptop adapter.” It is a Dutch compound noun: laptop + adapter are written as one word. The plural is laptopadapters. In this sentence, it is the thing described as missing. is kwijt expresses that something is missing or has been lost and is currently unavailable. is is the present-tense form of zijn (“to be”) for a singular subject. Kwijt is a fixed predicative word in this construction; it is not the ordinary adjective for “lost” in every context. Example: Mijn sleutel is kwijt. — “My key is missing.” presentatie means “presentation.” Its plural is presentaties. The possessive mijn means “my” and does not show a numeric count; here it identifies the speaker’s presentation. begint means “starts” or “begins” here. It is the present-tense form of beginnen for a third-person singular subject. The same present form can describe a scheduled or imminent event, as it does here. Example: De les begint om negen uur. — “The lesson starts at nine o’clock.” bijna means “almost” or “nearly.” It indicates that the start is close but has not happened yet. Example: De film begint bijna. — “The film is about to start.” Together, Mijn laptopadapter is kwijt says that the speaker’s laptop adapter is currently missing. en connects this with mijn presentatie begint bijna, which says that the speaker’s presentation will start soon. The complete meaning is: “My laptop adapter is missing, and my presentation starts soon.”

2. Ik heb er een die je kunt gebruiken.

   I have one you can use.

   Ik heb

   I have

   er een

   one

   die

   that

   je kunt

   you can

   gebruiken

   use

   More detail

   Ik heb means “I have” here. heb is the present-tense first-person singular form of hebben (“to have”): ik heb, while jij hebt means “you have.” er een is a common Dutch way to say “one” when the noun is understood from the situation. er points to an understood item or category, and een replaces the repeated noun; it does not assert a numerical count by itself. Here, the item is understood from the context as the adapter. die introduces the clause that describes that item: “that/which.” In this use, die is the relative pronoun used with a singular de-word or with plural referents. The form is not chosen merely because the referent is singular; the noun’s grammatical class also matters. je kunt means “you can.” kunt is the present-tense form of the modal verb kunnen (“can, be able to”) with je as the subject. A modal such as kunnen normally places the other verb in the infinitive: je kunt komen = “you can come.” gebruiken is the infinitive “to use.” It follows kunt and supplies the action that is possible. The same verb can be used with objects, for example: Je kunt deze kabel gebruiken. — “You can use this cable.” Together, Ik heb er een says “I have one,” die connects the item to a description, and je kunt gebruiken says “you can use.” The complete meaning is: “I have one you can use.”

3. Maar laten we controleren of hij met je laptop werkt.

   But let's check that it works with your laptop.

   Maar

   but

   laten we

   let’s

   controleren

   check

   of

   that

   hij

   it

   met

   with

   je

   your

   laptop

   laptop

   werkt

   works

   More detail

   Maar means “but” here and links this sentence to what came before. It is also commonly used at the start of a sentence to mark a contrast or a step forward. laten we is the reusable Dutch pattern for “let’s”: laten is followed by we and an infinitive, as in Laten we beginnen. — “Let’s begin.” The construction invites a shared action; it does not itself name a quantity or a single person acting alone. controleren is the infinitive “to check” or “to verify.” After laten we, the infinitive stays in this form: Laten we het testen. — “Let’s test it.” of introduces the proposition being checked. In this sentence it corresponds to “whether/if,” while the fixed translation presents the natural English wording “that.” This is the Dutch form used in a yes-or-no embedded question, not the preposition meaning “of.” hij is a third-person singular pronoun. Here the fixed translation identifies it as “it,” referring to the device under discussion. Dutch hij can refer to a singular common-gender noun or to a male person; its use here does not mean that the device is biologically male. met is the preposition “with.” In met je laptop, it marks the laptop as the thing with which the device is to work. For example, Ik werk met deze computer. means “I work with this computer.” je means “your” before the noun laptop here. Dutch je can also be an unstressed form meaning “you,” so its function is determined by its position and relation to the noun: je laptop is “your laptop,” whereas Ik zie je is “I see you.” laptop is the noun “laptop.” Its plural is laptops: twee laptops — “two laptops.” werkt is the present-tense form of werken, “to work” or, for a device, “to function.” With the third-person singular subject hij, the form is werkt; compare ik werk — “I work” and wij werken — “we work.” In this sentence it describes the device functioning together with the laptop, rather than a person doing employment. Together, laten we controleren means “let’s check,” and of hij met je laptop werkt means “whether/if it works with your laptop.” The subordinate clause places werkt at its end, producing the complete meaning: “But let’s check that it works with your laptop.”

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

   It fits the port. I still need to test the projector.

   Hij

   it

   past

   fits

   aansluiting

   port

   moet

   must; need

   projector

   projector

   nog

   still

   testen

   test

   More detail

   Hij means “it” here. It is a third-person singular personal pronoun, and the fixed translation identifies its intended English role, but does not identify the item's specific referent. Dutch hij can refer to a singular masculine person or, in relevant contexts, to a singular common-gender noun or item; its use depends on the intended referent and grammatical role. past is the present-tense, third-person singular form of passen, “to fit.” The subject is hij, so the verb has the -t ending: ik pas, hij past. Example: Deze stekker past. — “This plug fits.” aansluiting means “port” here: a connection point for equipment. The noun is aansluiting; in the source, de aansluiting is a singular definite noun phrase. Example: De kabel zit in de aansluiting. — “The cable is in the port.” moet is the present-tense form of moeten with ik, expressing necessity: “must” or “need.” Compare ik moet — “I must/need to” and hij moet — “he must/needs to.” The following infinitive names the necessary action. projector means “projector.” In the source, de projector is a singular definite noun phrase; projector is a de-noun. Example: De projector staat daar. — “The projector is there.” nog means “still” in this sentence. It shows that the need to perform the action continues at this point. Its position before the infinitive is common in a pattern such as moet nog testen, “still need to test.” testen is the infinitive “to test.” After a modal verb such as moet, Dutch uses the infinitive: Ik moet de projector testen. — “I need to test the projector.” Together, Hij past in de aansluiting says that it fits in the port; in de aansluiting identifies where it fits. Ik moet de projector nog testen says that the speaker still needs to test the projector. The two sentences therefore mean: “It fits the port. I still need to test the projector.”

5. Doe dat nu; kleine problemen worden onder druk lastiger.

   Do it now; small problems get harder under pressure.

   Doe

   do

   dat

   it

   nu

   now

   kleine

   small

   problemen

   problems

   worden

   become; get

   onder druk

   under pressure

   lastiger

   harder

   More detail

   Doe is the imperative of doen (“to do”). It addresses the listener directly and gives the instruction “do it.” The present-tense forms include ik doe (“I do”) and wij doen (“we do”); the imperative singular is doe. Example: Doe de deur dicht. — “Close the door.” dat is a demonstrative pronoun used here as the object of doe, with the meaning “it.” The sentence and translation support this object meaning, but they do not identify what “it” specifically refers to. As a demonstrative, dat can also mean “that” when it points something out. Example: Dat begrijp ik. — “I understand that.” nu means “now” and places the instruction at the present time. Example: Bel me nu. — “Call me now.” kleine is the form of the adjective klein (“small”) used before the plural noun problemen. Dutch attributive adjectives generally take -e in this environment: kleine problemen. Example: kleine kamers — “small rooms.” problemen is the plural of the noun probleem (“problem”). The plural ending is -en: een probleem — “a problem”; problemen — “problems.” Example: We bespreken de problemen. — “We discuss the problems.” worden is the plural present form of worden, meaning “to become” or “to get” here. It agrees with the plural subject kleine problemen: het probleem wordt (“the problem gets/becomes”), but de problemen worden (“the problems get/become”). In this sentence it describes a change of state, not a passive construction. Example: De problemen worden groter. — “The problems get bigger.” onder druk is a fixed prepositional phrase meaning “under pressure.” Here it describes the circumstances in which the problems become harder. Example: Zij werkt goed onder druk. — “She works well under pressure.” lastiger is the comparative form of the adjective lastig (“difficult” or “troublesome”), so it means “harder” or “more difficult.” The comparison is lastig → lastiger → het lastigst (“difficult” → “harder/more difficult” → “the most difficult”). Example: Deze taak is lastiger. — “This task is harder.” Together, Doe dat nu means “Do it now.” Kleine problemen worden onder druk lastiger means “Small problems get harder under pressure”: the plural subject is kleine problemen, worden expresses the change, and lastiger compares their difficulty under the stated condition. The semicolon links the immediate instruction with this general observation.

6. Het beeld wordt goed weergegeven, dus we zijn klaar.

   The screen is showing correctly, so we're set.

   beeld

   screen; image

   goed

   well; correctly

   weergegeven

   shown; displayed

   dus

   so; therefore

   zijn

   are; be

   klaar

   ready; set

   More detail

   beeld means “screen” here, as fixed by the translation. Its common basic meaning is “image” or “picture,” so the exact sense comes from context. It is a neuter noun: het beeld. Example: Het beeld is duidelijk. — “The image is clear.” goed means “well” or “correctly” here. It is an adverb modifying how something is displayed. The adjective form can also mean “good” when it describes a noun, as in een goed beeld — “a good image.” weergegeven means “displayed” or “shown.” It is the past participle of weergeven (“to display,” “to show”), a separable verb whose parts are written together in this form. With wordt, the phrase wordt weergegeven forms a present passive: literally, “is being displayed” or “is displayed.” The displayed item is the grammatical subject, while the actor is not stated. dus means “so” or “therefore.” It connects the display statement to the result that follows. The clause before it gives the reason or basis for the conclusion. zijn is the present-tense plural form of zijn (“to be”) with subject we (“we”): we zijn — “we are.” The form zijn is also used with other plural subjects, while singular present forms include ben with ik and is with hij, zij, or het. klaar means “ready” or, in this context, “set.” It is a descriptive word used after zijn: we zijn klaar — “we are ready/set.” Example: De bestanden zijn klaar. — “The files are ready.” Together, Het beeld wordt goed weergegeven means “The screen is showing correctly” or more literally “The screen is being displayed correctly.” Dus then introduces the conclusion, and we zijn klaar means “we’re set.” The complete utterance is therefore: “The screen is showing correctly, so we’re set.”

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

   Keep a backup copy of your slides on a second device, just in case.

   Bewaar

   keep; save

   voor de zekerheid

   just in case

   reservekopie

   backup copy

   dia's

   slides

   tweede

   second

   apparaat

   device

   More detail

   Bewaar is the imperative of bewaren, meaning “to keep” or “to save.” The imperative gives a direct instruction; the person being addressed is understood from context rather than stated. Bewaar is also the first-person singular present form (“I keep/save”); in the imperative, it is the verb stem without an expressed subject. For example: Bewaar dit bestand. — “Save this file.” voor de zekerheid is a fixed expression meaning “just in case” or “as a precaution.” It presents the backup as a precaution without stating that a problem will occur. reservekopie is a compound noun: reserve indicates something kept as a backup, and kopie means “copy.” The whole word means “backup copy.” Dutch compounds are written as one word here. For example: Maak een reservekopie. — “Make a backup copy.” In je dia's, dia's is the plural of dia, “slide.” The apostrophe separates the plural ending from the final vowel: dia → dia's. je is the possessive form meaning “your” here. Thus je dia's means “your slides.” tweede is the ordinal form meaning “second,” not a statement that two devices are being counted in this sentence. It identifies the device as another one in an ordering or arrangement. The related cardinal form is twee (“two”): twee apparaten means “two devices,” while het tweede apparaat means “the second device.” apparaat is a noun meaning “device.” Its plural is apparaten. In een tweede apparaat, een is an indefinite article, and the phrase means “a second device”; the article itself does not independently assert a numerical count. The remaining linking words build the relationships between these units. van je dia's specifies what the backup copy contains: it is a copy of your slides. op een tweede apparaat specifies where the copy should be kept or stored: on a second device. The full utterance is therefore an instruction: “Keep a backup copy of your slides on a second device, just in case.”

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

   I'll put one on another device before I start.

   zet

   put; place

   kopie

   copy

   op

   on

   ander

   another; different

   apparaat

   device

   voordat

   before

   begin

   start; begin

   More detail

   zet is the first-person singular present form of zetten (“to put” or “to place”). Here it describes placing something on a destination; it is not necessarily the separable verb opzetten. Example: Ik zet de foto online. — “I put the photo online.” kopie means “copy.” In een kopie, it names the thing being placed. Dutch een can correspond to “a” or, in this fixed translation, “one”; the article by itself does not necessarily assert a numerical count. The plural is kopieën (“copies”). op means “on” here and marks the destination of the placement. Together, zet ... op een ander apparaat means “put ... on another device”; op is not being glossed as a complete phrase independently of its surrounding words. ander means “another” or “different.” In een ander apparaat, it describes apparaat. The form is ander because apparaat is a singular neuter noun and the adjective follows the indefinite article een; compare het andere apparaat (“the other device”), where the adjective has -e. apparaat means “device” or “apparatus.” Its plural is apparaten (“devices”). In this sentence, op een ander apparaat gives the destination of the copy. voordat means “before” and introduces the event that sets the time relation. It starts the subordinate clause voordat ik begin. In this clause, the finite verb comes at the end, after ik. begin is the first-person singular present form of beginnen (“to start” or “to begin”): ik begin. A useful contrast is hij begint (“he starts”), where the third-person singular form has -t; begin here is not the infinitive. Putting the parts together, Ik zet een kopie op een ander apparaat means “I put a copy on another device.” In the fixed English translation, the situation is understood as future, but the Dutch sentence uses the present form zet; there is no separate future marker in the observed wording. voordat ik begin adds “before I start.” The complete intended meaning is: “I’ll put one on another device before I start.”

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

   Could you bring the adapter back after the session? I need it later.

   Kun je

   could you

   adapter

   adapter

   na

   after

   sessie

   session

   terugbrengen

   bring back

   heb … nodig

   need

   hem

   it

   later

   later

   More detail

   Kun je is a polite request pattern meaning “could you/can you …?” Here kun is the second-person singular form of kunnen (“can, be able to”), and je is the subject “you”. Dutch commonly places the infinitive at the end of this kind of question: Kun je ... terugbrengen? = “Could you bring ... back?” adapter means “adapter”. It is a noun; the article in the sentence is de: de adapter. The word refers to the adapter identified in the fixed translation and surrounding context. na means “after” and introduces what follows: na de sessie = “after the session”. de is the definite article here, and sessie means “session”. The same preposition can be reused with another event or time expression, for example na het werk = “after work”. terugbrengen means “to bring back” or “to return”. It is the infinitive of the separable verb terugbrengen. After the modal verb kun, the infinitive appears as one word at the end of the question. In a finite present-tense sentence, the parts can separate: Ik breng hem terug. = “I bring him/it back.” heb ... nodig is the Dutch pattern for “need”. heb is the first-person singular present form of hebben (“to have”), while nodig means “needed/necessary” in this construction. The words are separated by the object: Ik heb hem nodig = “I need it.” This is not the same construction as English I need word-for-word; learn the reusable pattern iets nodig hebben (“to need something”). hem is the third-person singular object pronoun. Depending on the referent, it can mean “him” or “it”; here the fixed translation identifies it as the adapter: Ik heb hem ... nodig = “I need it ...”. In this use, hem is the object form associated with a singular common-gender referent; hij is the corresponding subject form (“he/it” where applicable). The form does not by itself identify a male person. later means “later”, referring to a time after the present reference point. It can be used independently, as in Ik bel later. = “I’ll call later.” Together, Kun je de adapter na de sessie terugbrengen? asks whether the listener can bring the adapter back after the session. Ik heb hem later nodig adds that the speaker needs the adapter later. The full utterance is therefore: “Could you bring the adapter back after the session? I need it later.”

10. Ik breng hem terug zodra de sessie is afgelopen.

    I'll return it as soon as the session ends.

    Ik

    I

    breng

    bring

    hem

    him; it

    terug

    back

    zodra

    as soon as

    sessie

    session

    is afgelopen

    is over; ends

    More detail

    Ik is the first-person singular subject: “I.” It identifies the speaker as the person carrying out the action. Dutch subject pronouns include ik “I,” jij/je “you,” and hij/zij “he/she.” breng is the present-tense form of brengen “to bring” with ik: ik breng. In this sentence, terug makes the meaning “bring back” or “return,” rather than simply “bring.” Example: Ik breng het boek morgen. — “I’ll bring the book tomorrow.” hem is the singular object pronoun used here for the thing being returned. In the supplied context and translation, it refers to the adapter: “it.” Its form is not a claim that the adapter is a male person; Dutch hem can also refer to a singular common-gender noun such as de adapter. Example: Ik zie hem. — “I see him/it,” with the exact referent supplied by context. terug means “back” and is also used with verbs to express returning something or bringing something back. With brengen, the reusable pattern is iets terugbrengen “to return/bring something back.” In this sentence, the verb and particle are separated: breng ... terug. zodra introduces a condition that happens immediately when another event is complete: “as soon as.” It begins the time clause zodra de sessie is afgelopen. Example: Bel me zodra je aankomt. — “Call me as soon as you arrive.” sessie is the noun “session.” With the definite article, Dutch uses de sessie for “the session.” Example: De sessie begint om negen uur. — “The session starts at nine o’clock.” is afgelopen means “is over” or “has ended” here. afgelopen is the past participle of aflopen “to end/come to an end,” used with zijn in this completed-state expression: de sessie is afgelopen. The auxiliary is agrees with singular de sessie; afgelopen itself does not show that singular agreement. Example: De vergadering is afgelopen. — “The meeting is over.” Together, Ik breng hem terug means “I’ll return it,” with breng ... terug expressing the act of bringing something back. zodra de sessie is afgelopen adds the time condition “as soon as the session ends.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I’ll return it as soon as the session ends.”

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

    That should give you one less thing to worry about.

    Dan

    then; in that case

    heb je

    you have

    één

    one

    ding

    thing

    minder

    less; fewer

    om je zorgen over te maken

    to worry about

    More detail

    Dan means “then” or, as here, “in that case”: it links the result to the situation just mentioned. A reusable example is: Dan ga ik naar huis. — “Then I’ll go home.” heb je contains heb, the present-tense form of hebben (“to have”) for je (“you”). In this sentence, je comes after the verb because Dan occupies the first position; this is a common Dutch inversion pattern: Dan heb je ... (“Then you have ...”). Compare the ordinary order Je hebt ... (“You have ...”). één explicitly means “one.” The accent marks distinguish this number from the unstressed word een, commonly used as an indefinite article. Here it states a count of one. ding means “thing” and is a common neuter noun: het ding (“the thing”). Its plural is dingen (“things”). Example: Dat is een belangrijk ding. — “That is an important thing.” minder means “less” or “fewer,” depending on what is being compared. Dutch uses this same form with both uncountable amounts and countable items. It is the comparative form related to weinig (“little; few”); the opposite comparative is meer (“more”). In één ding minder, it means one fewer thing. om je zorgen over te maken is an infinitive construction meaning “to worry about.” The expression zich zorgen maken over iets means “to worry about something”; je is the reflexive form used with je, and te maken marks the infinitive within this om ... te construction. Here, één ding is the thing that is the object of over: it is one less thing for you to worry about. Example: Er is niets om je zorgen over te maken. — “There is nothing to worry about.” Together, Dan heb je presents a consequence, één ding minder identifies a reduction by one in the number of things, and om je zorgen over te maken specifies that these are things you might worry about. The whole utterance therefore means: “That should give you one less thing to worry about.”