Dealing with a cracked phone screen | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ik heb mijn telefoon laten vallen en het scherm is gebarsten, maar het werkt nog.

   I dropped my phone, and the screen is cracked but still works.

   Ik heb

   I have

   telefoon

   phone

   laten vallen

   dropped

   scherm

   screen

   gebarsten

   cracked

   werkt

   works

   nog

   still

   More detail

   Ik heb begins a perfect-tense construction with hebben (“to have”). Here it combines with laten vallen to express a completed event: “I dropped …”. heb is the present-tense form used with the subject ik (“I”). telefoon means “phone”. Its base form is telefoon; with the definite article, Dutch uses de telefoon. The possessive mijn means “my”, so mijn telefoon identifies the speaker’s phone. laten vallen is a reusable Dutch construction meaning “to let fall” and, in this sentence, “to drop”. In the perfect construction heb ... laten vallen, laten and vallen remain infinitives after the auxiliary rather than being replaced by a regular single past participle. Example: Ik heb het glas laten vallen. — “I dropped the glass.” scherm means “screen”. Its base form is scherm; with the definite article, the phrase is het scherm. The verb is follows this singular noun phrase. The neuter pronoun het in the later clause refers here to het scherm, matching the intended meaning “the screen still works”. gebarsten means “cracked” here. It is the past participle of barsten (“to crack” or “to burst”), and is gebarsten presents the screen as having become cracked or as being in a cracked state. It is not a form of breken (“to break”). werkt means “works” here. Its base form is werken; werkt is the present-tense form for a singular third-person subject. Example: Mijn telefoon werkt nog. — “My phone still works.” nog means “still” in this sentence. It shows that the screen continues to work despite being cracked. In other contexts it can mean “yet”, but “still” is the supported meaning here. The sentence combines Ik heb mijn telefoon laten vallen (“I dropped my phone”) with het scherm is gebarsten (“the screen is cracked”) and maar het werkt nog (“but it still works”). Maar marks the contrast: the phone was dropped and its screen is cracked, yet the screen continues to function. Together, the utterance means: “I dropped my phone, and the screen is cracked but still works.”

2. Maak een back-up van je gegevens voordat de schade erger wordt.

   Back up your data before the damage gets worse.

   Maak

   make

   back-up

   backup

   gegevens

   data

   voordat

   before

   schade

   damage

   erger

   worse

   wordt

   gets; becomes

   More detail

   Maak is the imperative of maken (“to make”); here it gives a direct instruction. In the reusable pattern Maak ..., the speaker tells someone to make or do something. Dutch imperatives commonly use the verb stem, as in Maak de deur open. — “Open the door.” back-up is a noun meaning a saved copy of data. The hyphen is part of the form used here. In een back-up, een is an indefinite article; it introduces the noun but does not by itself assert a particular numeric count. Een back-up maken is the reusable Dutch expression “to make a backup.” gegevens is a plural noun meaning “data” or “information.” In van je gegevens, it is the complement of the preposition van, within een back-up van je gegevens (“a backup of your data”); the direct object of maken is the noun phrase een back-up. je means “your” here; this possessive form is used informally for one or more people, while the noun itself is plural. voordat is a conjunction meaning “before.” It introduces the time clause voordat de schade erger wordt. In standard Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb is placed at the end of this clause, so wordt comes after erger. schade means “damage” or “harm.” In this sentence, de schade refers to the damage established by the context, specifically the damage to the phone; de is the definite article used with this noun here. erger is the comparative form of erg, meaning “worse” in this context. The comparison is between the current state of the damage and a later, more severe state. A useful chain is erg (“bad/severe”) → erger (“worse/more severe”) → het ergst (“the worst”). wordt is the third-person singular present form of worden, “to become” or “to get.” Its subject here is de schade, so the form agrees with that singular noun. In erger wordt, worden expresses a change of state: the damage gets worse. This is different from is, the present form of zijn, which describes a state rather than the change into it. Together, Maak een back-up van je gegevens means “Make a backup of your data.” voordat de schade erger wordt adds the time limit “before the damage gets worse.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Back up your data before the damage gets worse.”

3. Dat ga ik nu doen. Door het gebroken glas word ik nerveus.

   I will do that now. The broken glass is making me nervous.

   Dat

   that

   ga ik

   I am going to

   nu

   now

   doen

   do

   Door

   because of

   gebroken

   broken

   glas

   glass

   word ik

   I become

   nerveus

   nervous

   More detail

   Dat means “that” here and refers to the action understood from the surrounding situation. Dutch uses dat for a singular neuter demonstrative pronoun; the form is different from die, used for many common-gender and plural nouns. Example: Dat begrijp ik. — “I understand that.” ga ik is the reusable Dutch pattern gaan + subject + infinitive for an intended or imminent action. ga is the first-person singular present form of gaan; ik is the subject. Because Dat comes first, Dutch places the finite verb before the subject: Dat ga ik ..., rather than Dat ik ga .... In this construction, gaan does not mean physical movement; it helps express “be going to.” Example: Morgen ga ik bellen. — “Tomorrow I am going to call.” nu means “now” and places the action at the present time. It can also appear elsewhere for emphasis, for example Ik doe het nu. — “I am doing it now.” doen is the infinitive “to do.” After the finite form of gaan, the second verb remains an infinitive: ga ik doen — “I am going to do.” Its base form is doen; the present first-person form is also doe, as in Ik doe dat. — “I do that.” Door introduces the cause here: “because of” or “as a result of.” In door het gebroken glas, it introduces the thing causing the speaker’s nervousness. This causal use differs from the movement-through meaning in a sentence such as We lopen door het park. — “We walk through the park.” gebroken means “broken” here and describes glas. It is the past participle of breken (“to break”), used adjectivally. The participle can also occur in a perfect construction, for example Het glas is gebroken. — “The glass is broken” or “The glass has broken,” depending on context. In the supplied sentence, it identifies the glass as broken; it does not itself say who broke it. glas is the noun “glass.” It can refer to the material or, in another context, a drinking glass; the phrase het gebroken glas and the translation establish the intended meaning here as broken glass. Its article is het, so the adjective appears as gebroken, without an additional -e ending in this definite neuter singular phrase. Example: Het glas ligt op de grond. — “The glass is on the floor.” word ik means “I become” in this sentence. word is the first-person singular present form of worden (“to become”); ik is the subject. The order is inverted because the prepositional phrase Door het gebroken glas comes first: the finite verb precedes the subject. Dutch worden can describe a change of state, as in Ik word moe. — “I become tired” or more naturally “I am getting tired.” nerveus is the adjective “nervous.” It follows worden to describe the state the speaker enters. In the fixed sentence it describes the speaker, not the glass. Example: Zij wordt nerveus voor een examen. — “She gets nervous before an exam.” Together, Dat ga ik nu doen says “I will do that now,” using the Dutch intention pattern gaan + infinitive. The second sentence places the cause first: Door het gebroken glas (“because of the broken glass”), followed by the inverted clause word ik nerveus (“I become nervous”). The complete meaning is: “I will do that now. The broken glass is making me nervous.”

4. Doe er tijdelijk een screenprotector op en druk er niet hard op.

   Put on a temporary screen protector and avoid pressing hard on it.

   Doe er … op

   put ... on it

   tijdelijk

   temporarily

   screenprotector

   screen protector

   druk

   press

   hard

   hard; firmly

   More detail

   Doe er ... op is a reusable Dutch pattern for putting one thing onto a relevant object or surface. Doe is the imperative of doen (“to do/put”); in this construction, op gives the meaning “onto/on.” The separable placement lets the object appear between the verb and op: Doe de hoes op de telefoon means “Put the case on the phone.” Here er means “on it,” referring to the relevant device or surface in the context. tijdelijk means that the action or result is only for a limited period. It is an adverb and does not change form. For example, Gebruik deze oplossing tijdelijk means “Use this solution temporarily.” screenprotector is a compound noun meaning a protector placed over a screen. Dutch commonly forms compounds by joining the parts into one word. The indefinite article een introduces one non-specific screen protector; it does not by itself assert a numerical count as the main point of the sentence. druk is the imperative form of drukken, “to press.” Dutch uses this same imperative form for a direct instruction such as Druk op de knop (“Press the button”). hard describes the force of the pressing here: “hard” or “firmly.” In this use it functions adverbially and modifies druk; it is not describing the protector as physically hard. The negative word niet makes the instruction “do not press.” Together, Doe er tijdelijk een screenprotector op means “Put a temporary screen protector on it.” Then druk er niet hard op means “do not press hard on it,” with er ... op again expressing “on it.” The complete utterance therefore gives two linked instructions: apply a screen protector for the time being, and avoid pressing forcefully on the relevant device or surface.

5. Moet ik hem blijven gebruiken totdat een reparatieservice hem nakijkt?

   Should I keep using it until a repair service checks it?

   Moet ik

   should I

   hem

   it

   blijven

   keep doing

   gebruiken

   use

   totdat

   until

   reparatieservice

   repair service

   nakijkt

   checks

   More detail

   Moet ik contains moeten (“must/should”) in the present-tense form moet, used with first-person singular ik. In a yes/no question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Moet ik ...? means “Should I ...?” here. The English choice “should” fits the request for advice; moeten can also express stronger necessity in other contexts. hem is the object pronoun meaning “it” here, matching the fixed translation. It refers to the thing being used and later checked; the sentence does not identify that thing more specifically. blijven is the infinitive of “to continue/stay.” With another activity verb, blijven + infinitive forms a reusable pattern meaning “keep doing something”: blijven lezen = “keep reading.” gebruiken is the infinitive “to use.” In blijven gebruiken, it names the activity that continues. After the modal moet, the infinitive chain remains at the end of the main clause: Moet ik hem blijven gebruiken? — “Should I keep using it?” totdat means “until” and introduces the time clause that sets the endpoint for the continued use. In a Dutch subordinate clause introduced by totdat, the finite verb normally comes at the end. reparatieservice is a compound noun meaning “repair service”: reparatie (“repair”) + service (“service”). The full subject in the time clause is een reparatieservice, “a repair service.” The indefinite article een does not by itself assert a numerical count; it presents an unspecified service. nakijkt is the third-person singular present form of the separable verb nakijken, “to check/inspect.” In a main clause, a separable form can split, as in De service kijkt het apparaat na (“The service checks the device”). In this subordinate clause, the parts stay together at the end: totdat een reparatieservice hem nakijkt (“until a repair service checks it”). Here the repair service is the subject and hem is the object. Together, Moet ik hem blijven gebruiken asks whether continued use is advisable, and totdat een reparatieservice hem nakijkt gives the endpoint: that use would continue until the repair service checks the item. The complete meaning is: “Should I keep using it until a repair service checks it?”

6. Gebruik hem alleen voor eenvoudige taken, want loszittend glas kan in je vinger snijden.

   Use it only for simple tasks, because loose glass can cut your finger.

   Gebruik

   use

   hem

   it

   alleen

   only

   eenvoudige

   simple

   taken

   tasks

   want

   because

   loszittend

   loose

   glas

   glass

   kan

   can

   je

   your

   vinger

   finger

   snijden

   cut

   More detail

   Gebruik is the imperative of gebruiken (“to use”). It addresses one or more people without stating the subject: Gebruik dit. means “Use this.” The imperative is useful for direct instructions. hem is a third-person singular object pronoun, meaning “it” here. The surrounding context identifies it as the same item being used, checked, and carried. Dutch object-pronoun choice depends on the referent’s grammatical gender; hem contrasts with het in relevant uses. Example: Ik zie hem. — “I see it/him.” alleen means “only” and limits the instruction: the item should be used for the specified tasks and not for other purposes. Example: Gebruik het alleen buiten. — “Use it only outside.” eenvoudige is the adjective eenvoudig (“simple”), with the attributive -e form before the plural noun taken. Its comparison is eenvoudig, eenvoudiger (“simpler”), het eenvoudigst (“the simplest”). Example: Dit is een eenvoudige oplossing. — “This is a simple solution.” taken is the plural of the noun taak (“task”): een taak → twee taken. The plural changes the vowel spelling as well as adding -en. Example: Ik heb vandaag twee taken. — “I have two tasks today.” want is a conjunction meaning “because” here. It links the instruction to its reason while keeping ordinary main-clause word order after it. Example: Neem een jas mee, want het is koud. — “Take a jacket, because it is cold.” loszittend describes something that is not firmly attached. It is the attributive form of the present participle loszitten (“to be loose”) and modifies glas here. Example: Controleer het loszittende onderdeel. — “Check the loose component.” glas is the noun “glass,” referring here to glass material or a piece of glass in a general sense. It is a mass-like material noun in this sentence, so no plural is needed. A countable piece can be expressed as een stuk glas (“a piece of glass”). kan is the third-person singular present form of kunnen (“can, be able to”). Because the subject is singular glas, the form is kan; with a plural subject, the form is kunnen. Here it expresses a possible harmful effect. Example: Scherp metaal kan snijden. — “Sharp metal can cut.” je is the unstressed possessive determiner meaning “your” before vinger. The stressed possessive form is jouw: je vinger and jouw vinger can both mean “your finger,” with jouw giving extra emphasis. Example: Was je handen. — “Wash your hands.” vinger is the singular noun “finger.” Its plural is vingers: een vinger → twee vingers. Example: Mijn vinger doet pijn. — “My finger hurts.” snijden is the infinitive “to cut.” After the modal kan, Dutch places this infinitive at the end of the clause: kan ... snijden. The verb can also be used independently in an imperative, as in Snijd het brood. — “Cut the bread.” Together, Gebruik hem alleen voor eenvoudige taken means “Use it only for simple tasks.” want loszittend glas kan in je vinger snijden gives the reason: “because loose glass can cut your finger.” The full utterance is therefore an instruction limited to simple tasks, followed by a safety-related reason.

7. Ik kan hem in een hoesje bewaren en voorzichtig meenemen.

   I can keep it in a case and carry it carefully.

   Ik kan

   I can

   hem

   it

   hoesje

   case

   bewaren

   keep

   voorzichtig

   carefully

   meenemen

   carry along

   More detail

   Ik kan means “I can.” kan is the present-tense form of kunnen for ik; kunnen expresses ability or possibility. In a main clause, a following lexical verb normally appears as an infinitive at the end of the clause: Ik kan ... bewaren = “I can keep ...”. hem means “it” here, matching the fixed translation. It is an object pronoun, not the subject: the speaker is the one who can do the actions. Dutch object pronouns include hem for a masculine referent or for certain references treated with this form; the specific object is not identified in the sentence itself. hoesje means “case” or “small protective cover” here. It is the diminutive form of hoes (“cover” or “case”): the ending -je commonly forms a diminutive and also makes the noun neuter. In the phrase in een hoesje, een is an indefinite article, while hoesje names the container; the phrase means “in a case.” bewaren means “to keep” or “store.” It is an infinitive, used after kan. The phrase in een hoesje bewaren describes keeping the object inside a case; the preposition in marks the location. voorzichtig means “carefully” in this sentence. Here it functions as an adverb modifying the carrying action. The same form can also describe something as “careful” when it modifies a person or thing, but its role here is shown by its position and meaning with meenemen. meenemen means “to take along” or “carry along.” It is an infinitive after kan. This is a separable Dutch verb: in a finite main clause, its parts can separate, as in Ik neem het mee (“I take it along”), while the infinitive remains meenemen after a modal such as kan. Together, Ik kan hem in een hoesje bewaren en voorzichtig meenemen means “I can keep it in a case and carry it carefully.” The shared Ik kan applies to both infinitives: keeping the object in the case and taking it along carefully. The conjunction en links these two coordinated actions.

8. Dat zou het risico moeten verlagen terwijl je de reparatie regelt.

   That should lower the risk while you arrange the repair.

   Dat

   that

   zou … moeten

   should

   risico

   risk

   verlagen

   lower; reduce

   terwijl

   while

   je

   you

   reparatie

   repair

   regelt

   arrange; handle

   More detail

   Dat is a standalone demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. Its specific referent is not identified by the sentence itself; grammatically, dat is the form used for a singular neuter referent. Example: Dat is handig. — “That is useful.” zou moeten is a useful Dutch modal construction. zou is the singular form of zullen used here in a non-past “would/should” construction, and moeten is the infinitive “to have to; must.” Together, in this context, they express an expectation or recommendation: “should.” The modal forms surround the main verb: zou ... moeten verlagen. risico means “risk.” In the sentence it occurs with het, forming het risico — “the risk.” The plural is risico’s. verlagen means “to lower” or “to reduce.” It is an infinitive because it follows the modal construction zou moeten; here the thing being reduced is the risk. A useful opposite is verhogen, “to raise; increase.” Example: Dit verlaagt de kosten. — “This reduces the costs.” Terwijl means “while” and introduces a subordinate clause. In a Dutch subordinate clause, the finite verb commonly comes at the end, as in terwijl je de reparatie regelt. Example: Terwijl ik kook, luister ik naar muziek. — “While I cook, I listen to music.” Je is the informal second-person singular subject pronoun “you” here. It is the subject of regelt; the sentence does not itself add a name or identify any other specific referent. Reparatie means “repair.” It is a noun; in the sentence, de reparatie means “the repair.” Its plural is reparaties. Regelt is the present-tense second-person singular form of regelen, “to arrange; handle.” The ending -t marks this form with singular informal je: je regelt. Here it means arranging the repair. Example: Je regelt een afspraak. — “You arrange an appointment.” The main clause is Dat zou het risico moeten verlagen: “That should lower the risk.” The subordinate clause terwijl je de reparatie regelt adds the simultaneous action “while you arrange the repair.” Together, the utterance means: “That should lower the risk while you arrange the repair.”

9. Ik maak een afspraak voor reparatie in plaats van te wachten.

   I will book a repair instead of waiting.

   maak

   book / arrange

   afspraak

   appointment

   reparatie

   repair

   in plaats van

   instead of

   wachten

   wait

   More detail

   maak is the first-person singular present form of maken, “to make.” In this sentence, maken is used in the practical sense “to arrange/book,” not simply to create something. The form chain is maken → ik maak (“I make / I arrange”). Example: Ik maak een afspraak. — “I’m making an appointment.” afspraak means an appointment or arranged meeting. Its plural is afspraken. In this sentence, it is the thing being arranged; een is an indefinite article and does not by itself state a numerical count. Example: De afspraak is morgen. — “The appointment is tomorrow.” reparatie means repair. The phrase een afspraak voor reparatie means “an appointment for a repair”: voor introduces the purpose of the appointment. Its plural is reparaties. Example: De reparatie duurt lang. — “The repair takes a long time.” in plaats van is a reusable construction meaning “instead of.” It contrasts the chosen action with the alternative action. With an action, it can be followed by te plus an infinitive: in plaats van te wachten — “instead of waiting.” Example: Zij loopt in plaats van te fietsen. — “She walks instead of cycling.” wachten is the infinitive “to wait.” After te in this construction, it remains the infinitive: te wachten. Example: Ik blijf wachten. — “I keep waiting.” Together, Ik maak een afspraak voor reparatie says “I arrange/book an appointment for a repair.” in plaats van te wachten contrasts that choice with waiting. The complete utterance therefore means: “I will book a repair instead of waiting.” Dutch uses the present form maak here; the intended future meaning is supplied by the context and translation, rather than by a separate future inflection.

10. Kleine barsten kunnen groter worden als je de telefoon blijft gebruiken.

    Small cracks can spread if you keep using the phone.

    Kleine

    small

    barsten

    cracks

    kunnen

    can

    groter

    bigger

    worden

    become; get

    als

    if

    je

    you

    de telefoon

    the phone

    blijft gebruiken

    keep using

    More detail

    Kleine describes the cracks as small. It is the attributive form of klein; in kleine barsten, the adjective has the plural -e form. For example, een kleine scheur means “a small crack.” barsten is the plural noun “cracks” here. Its singular is barst; for example, Er zit een barst in het scherm means “There is a crack in the screen.” kunnen is the finite present-tense form of kunnen, “can” or “be able to,” used here with the plural subject kleine barsten. The infinitive worden follows it. Compare De barst kan groter worden (“The crack can get bigger”) with De barsten kunnen groter worden (“The cracks can get bigger”). groter is the comparative form of groot, “big”: groot → groter → het grootst (“big” → “bigger” → “the biggest”). Here it describes an increase in size, without naming a separate object of comparison. worden means “become” or “get” in this use. After the modal kunnen, it remains in the infinitive. The pattern groter worden is reusable for “get bigger”: De opening wordt groter means “The opening is getting bigger.” als introduces the condition “if” here. It links the possible result to the condition that follows. je is an informal Dutch pronoun meaning “you.” It can refer to one person or to more than one person; this form alone does not identify the number. It is also used for a general “you.” In je gebruikt, the verb has the form used with je; that form does not by itself resolve whether je is singular or plural. de telefoon means “the phone.” Telefoon is a common-gender noun, so its definite article is de; its indefinite article is een: een telefoon, de telefoon. The article marks definiteness here, not a numerical count. blijft gebruiken expresses continuing to use something. Blijven means “remain” or “continue” and is followed by the infinitive gebruiken, “use.” In je de telefoon blijft gebruiken, blijft is the finite verb and gebruiken stays infinitive. For example, Als je blijft oefenen, word je beter means “If you keep practising, you get better.” Together, Kleine barsten kunnen groter worden says that small cracks can become bigger. als je de telefoon blijft gebruiken gives the condition: this can happen if you continue using the phone. The target wording describes becoming bigger; the fixed translation renders that change as “spread.” The reusable pattern X kan groter worden als Y blijft ... describes a possible change under continued activity.