Troubleshooting a Washing Machine Warning | Learn Dutch in English

About This Lesson

Use Troubleshooting a Washing Machine Warning to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

De wasmachine is halverwege het programma gestopt.

duh WAHSS-muh-SHEE-nuh iss HAHLL-vur-VAY-khuh ut proh-GRAHM-muh khuh-STOPT. The washing machine stopped halfway through the cycle.

Staat er een waarschuwing op het scherm?

STAHT ur uhn WAHR-skhoo-wing op ut SKHERM? Is there a warning on the screen?

Er staat dat het filter misschien verstopt is.

ur STAHT daht ut FIL-tur miss-KHEEN fur-STOPT iss. It says the filter may be blocked.

Bekijk de handleiding voordat je zomaar op knoppen drukt.

beh-VAYK duh HAHN-duh-LIGH-ding voo-DAHT yuh ZOH-mahr op KNOHP-uhn DRUHK(T). Check the manual before trying random buttons.

De handleiding zegt dat ik het filter voorzichtig moet schoonmaken.

duh HAHN-duh-LIGH-ding ZEHKHT daht ik ut FIL-tur VOOR-zikh-tikh moot SKHOHN-mah-kuhn. The manual says I should clean the filter carefully.

Haal daarna de stekker van de machine uit het stopcontact voordat je iets aanraakt.

HAHL DAHR-nah duh STEHK-ur vahn duh muh-SHEE-nuh owt ut STOP-kohn-tahkt voo-DAHT yuh eets AHN-raakt. Then unplug the machine before you touch anything.

Moet ik het programma daarna opnieuw starten?

MOOT ik ut proh-GRAHM-muh DAHR-nah ohp-NEE-oo START-uhn? After that, should I restart the cycle?

Start het programma één keer opnieuw, maar neem contact op met de onderhoudsdienst als de waarschuwing terugkomt.

START ut proh-GRAHM-muh ayn kayr ohp-NEE-oo, mahr NAYM kohn-TAHKT op met duh OHN-dur-howts-deenst ahls duh WAHR-skhoo-wing tuh-RUHK-kohmt. Restart it once, but contact maintenance if the warning returns.

Ik volg eerst de veilige stappen.

ik VOLKH ayrst duh VAY-luh-guh STAH-puhn. I will follow the safe steps first.

Eenvoudige problemen oplossen is nuttig, maar loop niet het risico de machine te beschadigen.

AYN-vow-duh-khuh proh-BLAY-muhn OP-loh-suhn iss NUH-tikh, mahr lohp neet ut ree-SEE-koh duh muh-SHEE-nuh tuh buh-SKHAH-di-khun. Simple troubleshooting is useful, but do not risk damaging the machine.

Word by Word

De 'De' means 'the' and appears before 'wasmachine' in 'De wasmachine'. The lowercase form 'de' is used in the same way before nouns such as 'de machine'.

wasmachine 'Wasmachine' means 'washing machine', the appliance discussed in the dialogue. It can be used with 'de' in the reusable phrase 'de wasmachine'.

is 'Is' helps express that the washing machine has stopped in 'is halverwege het programma gestopt'. It is a form of 'zijn' and is used here with 'gestopt' to describe a completed change of state.

halverwege 'Halverwege' means 'halfway through' in 'halverwege het programma'. It is useful for locating an event at a middle point in something, as in 'halverwege het programma'.

het 'Het' means 'the' before 'programma' in 'het programma'. It is the definite article used with this noun in the dialogue.

programma 'Programma' means the washing program or cycle here. The reusable phrase is 'het programma starten' or 'het programma opnieuw starten'.

gestopt 'Gestopt' describes the washing machine as having stopped in 'is halverwege het programma gestopt'. It is related to 'stoppen' and is used here after 'is' to report the completed stop.

Staat 'Staat' means 'is displayed' or 'appears' in the question 'Staat er een waarschuwing op het scherm?'. It is a sentence-initial form of 'staan'; 'Staat er ...?' is useful for asking whether something is present or displayed.

er 'Er' introduces the thing whose presence is being asked about in 'Staat er een waarschuwing op het scherm?'. The pattern 'Staat er ...?' asks whether something is present or shown.

een 'Een' means 'a' or 'an' before 'waarschuwing' in 'een waarschuwing'. It introduces one warning without identifying it as a specific known warning.

waarschuwing 'Waarschuwing' means 'warning', here a message from the washing machine. The phrase 'een waarschuwing op het scherm' identifies a warning by where it appears.

op 'Op' means 'on' in 'op het scherm', describing where the warning appears. It also occurs in the fixed expression 'neem contact op met' later in the dialogue, so its meaning depends on the construction.

scherm 'Scherm' means 'screen', the surface on which the warning appears. It is used with 'op' in the reusable phrase 'op het scherm'.

dat 'Dat' means 'that' and introduces the information reported in 'Er staat dat het filter misschien verstopt is'. A common reuse pattern is 'X zegt dat ...', as in 'De handleiding zegt dat ...'.

filter 'Filter' means 'filter', the part that may be blocked and should be cleaned. The reusable phrase is 'het filter schoonmaken'.

misschien 'Misschien' means 'maybe' or 'possibly' in 'het filter misschien verstopt is'. It marks the blocked condition as uncertain rather than definite.

verstopt 'Verstopt' describes the filter as blocked or clogged in 'het filter misschien verstopt is'. It can be reused to describe something that is blocked, as in 'het filter is verstopt'.

Bekijk 'Bekijk' means 'check' or 'look at' in the instruction 'Bekijk de handleiding'. It is the imperative form related to 'bekijken' and takes the thing being checked directly after it.

handleiding 'Handleiding' means 'manual' or 'instructions', here the document that explains what to do. The phrase 'de handleiding bekijken' is useful when consulting instructions.

voordat 'Voordat' means 'before' and places the action of pressing buttons after consulting the manual in 'voordat je zomaar op knoppen drukt'. It commonly introduces a clause describing what must happen first.

je 'Je' means 'you' in 'voordat je zomaar op knoppen drukt'. It is the subject of the action in this direct instruction and can be followed by the verb in a clause.

zomaar 'Zomaar' means 'randomly' or 'just like that' in 'zomaar op knoppen drukken'. It warns against acting without checking the instructions or having a clear reason.

knoppen 'Knoppen' means 'buttons', the controls that someone might press. It is the plural form related to 'knop' and appears in the phrase 'op knoppen drukken'.

drukt 'Drukt' means 'presses' in 'je zomaar op knoppen drukt'. It is a form of 'drukken'; the reusable pattern is 'op een knop drukken' or 'op knoppen drukken'.

zegt 'Zegt' means 'says' in 'De handleiding zegt dat ...'. It is a form of 'zeggen' and is commonly followed by 'dat' when reporting information.

ik 'Ik' means 'I' and is the speaker referring to themself in 'ik het filter voorzichtig moet schoonmaken'. At the beginning of a sentence, the same word appears as 'Ik' in 'Ik volg eerst de veilige stappen'.

voorzichtig 'Voorzichtig' means 'carefully' in 'het filter voorzichtig moet schoonmaken'. It describes how the cleaning should be done and can be used with an action such as 'iets voorzichtig schoonmaken'.

moet 'Moet' means 'must' or 'should' in 'ik ... moet schoonmaken' and 'Moet ik ... starten?'. It is related to 'moeten' and expresses obligation or asks about what is advisable.

schoonmaken 'Schoonmaken' means 'clean' in 'het filter voorzichtig moet schoonmaken'. It is the action placed after 'moet'; 'het filter schoonmaken' is a reusable phrase.

Haal 'Haal' means 'take out' in the safety instruction 'Haal ... de stekker ... uit het stopcontact'. It is the imperative form related to 'halen' and is used here in the construction for unplugging something.

daarna 'Daarna' means 'after that' or 'then' and orders unplugging after the earlier cleaning step. It can introduce the next action in a sequence, as in 'Daarna ...'.

stekker 'Stekker' means 'plug', specifically the plug of the machine in 'de stekker van de machine'. The full reusable phrase is 'de stekker uit het stopcontact halen'.

van 'Van' means 'of' or 'from' in 'de stekker van de machine', linking the plug to the machine. The pattern 'X van Y' identifies a relationship between two things.

machine 'Machine' means 'machine', here referring to the washing machine. It appears in 'de machine' and in 'de stekker van de machine'.

uit 'Uit' means 'out of' in 'uit het stopcontact'. Together with 'halen', it expresses removing the plug from the outlet rather than simply moving something outward.

stopcontact 'Stopcontact' means 'electrical outlet', the place from which the plug is removed. The reusable phrase is 'uit het stopcontact halen'.

iets 'Iets' means 'something' and, in 'voordat je iets aanraakt', refers broadly to anything that might be touched. It is commonly used before an action when the exact object is unspecified.

aanraakt 'Aanraakt' means 'touches' in 'voordat je iets aanraakt'. It is related to 'aanraken' and appears after the subject in the subordinate clause 'je iets aanraakt'.

opnieuw 'Opnieuw' means 'again' or 'once more' in 'het programma opnieuw starten'. It is useful for showing that an action is repeated after it has already happened.

starten 'Starten' means 'start' or 'restart' in 'het programma daarna opnieuw starten'. It is the infinitive used after 'moet'; the reusable pattern is 'iets opnieuw starten'.

Start 'Start' means 'start' or 'restart' in the instruction 'Start het programma één keer opnieuw'. It is the imperative form related to 'starten' and is followed by the program being started.

keer 'Keer' means 'time' or 'occasion' in 'één keer', which means 'once'. The reusable pattern is a number plus 'keer' to state how many times something happens.

maar 'Maar' means 'but' and contrasts restarting the program with contacting maintenance if the warning returns. It commonly links two instructions or ideas with different conditions or consequences.

neem 'Neem' means 'take' in the fixed expression 'neem contact op met'. It is related to 'nemen'; the whole expression means to contact a person or service.

contact 'Contact' means 'contact' in 'neem contact op met de onderhoudsdienst'. It is part of the reusable construction 'contact opnemen met' or, as here, 'neem contact op met'.

met 'Met' means 'with' after 'contact op' in 'neem contact op met de onderhoudsdienst'. The pattern 'contact opnemen met + person or service' identifies whom to contact.

onderhoudsdienst 'Onderhoudsdienst' means 'maintenance service', the service to contact if the warning returns. It is used after 'met' in 'contact op met de onderhoudsdienst'.

als 'Als' means 'if' and introduces the condition 'als de waarschuwing terugkomt'. It is useful for connecting an action with the situation in which it should happen.

terugkomt 'Terugkomt' means 'comes back' or 'returns' in 'als de waarschuwing terugkomt'. It is related to 'terugkomen'; the pattern 'als ... terugkomt' describes a problem appearing again.

volg 'Volg' means 'follow' in 'Ik volg eerst de veilige stappen'. It is related to 'volgen' and takes the steps being followed as its object.

eerst 'Eerst' means 'first' in 'Ik volg eerst de veilige stappen'. It places this action before later actions and is useful for ordering instructions.

veilige 'Veilige' means 'safe' in 'de veilige stappen'. It describes the steps as appropriate for avoiding danger or damage and modifies 'stappen' here.

stappen 'Stappen' means 'steps', referring to the sequence of actions to follow safely. It is the plural form related to 'stap' and appears in 'de veilige stappen volgen'.

Eenvoudige 'Eenvoudige' means 'simple' in 'Eenvoudige problemen oplossen'. It describes the problems being handled and is related to the base form 'eenvoudig'.

problemen 'Problemen' means 'problems', here the small machine problems being solved. It is the plural form related to 'probleem' and appears before 'oplossen' in 'problemen oplossen'.

oplossen 'Oplossen' means 'solve' or 'troubleshoot' in 'Eenvoudige problemen oplossen'. It names the action of dealing with the problems and is used here as part of the phrase that is described as useful.

nuttig 'Nuttig' means 'useful' in 'Eenvoudige problemen oplossen is nuttig'. It evaluates troubleshooting as helpful; a reusable pattern is 'iets is nuttig'.

loop 'Loop' means 'run' in the fixed expression 'loop het risico', where the meaning is 'run or take a risk', not move on foot. It is related to 'lopen' and is used with 'het risico' in this warning.

niet 'Niet' means 'not' and negates the instruction 'loop ... het risico'. Together, 'loop niet het risico ...' warns someone not to take the risk of causing damage.

risico 'Risico' means 'risk' in 'loop niet het risico de machine te beschadigen'. The reusable construction is 'het risico lopen te + infinitive' when warning about a possible harmful result.

te 'Te' marks the infinitive 'beschadigen' in 'het risico de machine te beschadigen'. In this construction, it connects the risk with the action that could cause harm.

beschadigen 'Beschadigen' means 'damage' in 'de machine te beschadigen'. It is the infinitive after 'te' and can be reused with an object, as in 'de machine beschadigen'.

Grammar Points

voordat + bijzin: het werkwoord staat achteraan

Voordat je de stekker aanraakt, maak je het stopcontact schoon.

voo-DAHT yuh duh STEHK-ur AHN-raakt, MAHK yuh ut STOP-kohn-tahkt SKHOHN.

Before you touch the plug, clean the wall socket.

After voordat, Dutch places the conjugated verb at the end of the subordinate clause.

Scheidbaar werkwoord: terugkomen → komt ... terug

De onderhoudsdienst komt daarna terug.

duh OHN-dur-howts-deenst kohmt DAHR-nah tuh-ROOK.

The maintenance department comes back afterward.

In a main clause, the prefix terug separates from the verb and moves to the end.

Dutch Vocabulary

filter noun

FIL-tur filter

halverwege adv

HAHLL-vur-VAY-khuh halfway through

handleiding noun

HAHN-duh-LIGH-ding manual; instruction guide

misschien adv

miss-KHEEN maybe; perhaps

programma noun

proh-GRAHM-muh cycle; program

scherm noun

SKHERM screen

staan verb

STAHN to say; to be displayed Staat

stoppen verb

STOHP-uhn to stop gestopt

verstopt adj

fur-STOPT blocked; clogged

voordat conj

voo-DAHT before

waarschuwing noun

WAHR-skhoo-wing warning

wasmachine noun

WAHSS-muh-SHEE-nuh washing machine

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I will follow the safe steps first.

Show Answer

Ik volg eerst de veilige stappen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to say; to be displayed

Show Answer

Staat

cycle; program

Show Answer

programma

warning

Show Answer

waarschuwing

maybe; perhaps

Show Answer

misschien