Troubleshooting a Washing Machine Warning | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. De wasmachine is halverwege het programma gestopt.

   The washing machine stopped halfway through the cycle.

   wasmachine

   washing machine

   halverwege

   halfway through

   programma

   cycle; program

   gestopt

   stopped

   More detail

   wasmachine means “washing machine” here. It is a compound noun, and the full noun takes the definite article de: de wasmachine. Its plural is wasmachines. halverwege means “halfway through” or “at the midpoint of” something. For example, halverwege de film means “halfway through the film.” In this sentence, it marks the point reached in the cycle. programma means “program” here, specifically a washing-machine cycle. The phrase het programma is the singular definite form, and the plural is programma’s. The noun uses the article het, not de. gestopt is the past participle of stoppen, “to stop.” The construction is gestopt uses zijn as its auxiliary and means that something has stopped; in this translation, English simply uses “stopped.” The participle gestopt does not change for the subject’s person or number. Example: De trein is gestopt. — “The train has stopped.” Together, De wasmachine is the subject, is ... gestopt says that it stopped, and halverwege het programma says that this happened halfway through the cycle. The whole utterance means: “The washing machine stopped halfway through the cycle.”

2. Staat er een waarschuwing op het scherm?

   Is there a warning on the screen?

   Staat er

   is there

   waarschuwing

   warning

   scherm

   screen

   More detail

   Staat er is a reusable Dutch question pattern built from staan (“to stand” or, in this kind of context, “to be displayed/located”) and er. Staat is the present-tense third-person singular form of staan; er is the existential element that presents something as being present. The noun comes after the verb: Staat er een bericht? — “Is there a message?” This pattern asks whether something is present or displayed; it is not the same as simply using zijn in every context. waarschuwing means “warning” here. It is a singular noun: de waarschuwing, plural waarschuwingen. The indefinite article een marks an unspecified warning, but by itself it does not assert a numerical count. Example: Ik zie een waarschuwing. — “I see a warning.” scherm means “screen.” It is a neuter noun: het scherm, plural schermen. In op het scherm, op expresses the screen as the surface or display where the warning appears, and het is the definite article because a particular screen is intended in this utterance. Example: De tekst staat op het scherm. — “The text is on the screen.” Together, Staat er een waarschuwing op het scherm? asks whether a warning is displayed on the screen: “Is there a warning on the screen?”

3. Er staat dat het filter misschien verstopt is.

   It says the filter may be blocked.

   Er staat

   it says

   filter

   filter

   misschien

   perhaps / maybe

   verstopt

   blocked

   More detail

   Er staat means “it says” here, literally using an impersonal construction with er and staan (“to stand”). Dutch uses this construction for information that is written or displayed somewhere: Er staat een waarschuwing op het scherm. — “There is a warning on the screen.” The form staat is the present-tense third-person singular form of staan; it is not the same as is, although English often translates both according to context. filter is the noun “filter.” In this sentence it appears with the neuter definite article het: het filter. Its plural is filters: de filters. Example: Het filter is schoon. — “The filter is clean.” misschien means “maybe” or “perhaps.” It introduces uncertainty about the statement that follows. Example: Misschien is het filter schoon. — “Maybe the filter is clean.” verstopt means “blocked” or “clogged” here. It is related to the verb verstoppen, “to block” or “to clog,” and functions here as a past participle used adjectivally after is. The form does not itself show the gender or number of filter; the singular neuter noun is marked by het, while verstopt remains in this form. Example: De afvoer is verstopt. — “The drain is blocked.” Together, Er staat dat ... introduces written information, het filter identifies what the information concerns, misschien marks uncertainty, and verstopt is says that the filter is in a blocked state. The complete utterance therefore means: “It says the filter may be blocked.”

4. Bekijk de handleiding voordat je zomaar op knoppen drukt.

   Check the manual before trying random buttons.

   Bekijk

   check

   handleiding

   manual

   voordat je

   before you

   zomaar

   randomly

   knoppen

   buttons

   drukt

   press

   More detail

   Bekijk is the imperative of bekijken, “to look at” or “to check.” Dutch commonly forms this imperative from the verb stem: bekijken → bekijk. The form addresses the listener, but the imperative itself does not establish whether the listener is singular or plural. Example: Bekijk deze foto. — “Look at this photo.” handleiding means “manual” or “instructions,” especially a document explaining how to use something. Its plural is handleidingen. Here, de identifies a specific manual; the noun is a de-word, so this article is used with it. voordat je introduces a subordinate clause meaning “before you …”. In this sentence, je is the informal form of “you”; Dutch je can refer to one person or more than one person, so the form alone does not establish the number. In a subordinate clause, the finite verb commonly comes at the end: voordat je vertrekt — “before you leave.” zomaar means “just like that” or “without thinking.” Here it adds the idea of pressing buttons indiscriminately, matching “random” in the translation. Example: Druk niet zomaar op deze knop. — “Don’t just press this button without thinking.” knoppen is the plural of knop, “button.” Dutch forms this plural with -en: knop → knoppen. The verb phrase op een knop drukken means “to press a button.” drukt is the present-tense second-person singular form of drukken, “to press.” In op iets drukken, op marks the thing being pressed. In the subordinate clause introduced by voordat, this finite verb appears at the end: voordat je op de knop drukt — “before you press the button.” Together, Bekijk de handleiding means “Check the manual,” while voordat je zomaar op knoppen drukt means “before you press buttons randomly” or, naturally here, “before trying random buttons.” The complete utterance means: “Check the manual before trying random buttons.”

5. De handleiding zegt dat ik het filter voorzichtig moet schoonmaken.

   The manual says I should clean the filter carefully.

   handleiding

   manual

   zegt

   says

   dat

   that

   ik

   I

   filter

   filter

   voorzichtig

   carefully

   moet

   must

   schoonmaken

   clean

   More detail

   handleiding means “manual” here. Its base form is handleiding, a common-gender noun, so it normally takes de: de handleiding. Example: De handleiding is duidelijk. — “The manual is clear.” zegt is the present-tense third-person singular form of zeggen, “to say.” The subject here is de handleiding, so Dutch uses zegt; with ik, the form is zeg: Ik zeg het. — “I say it.” dat introduces the content of what is said: “that …”. In the clause after dat, Dutch places the finite verb later than it would appear in a basic main clause. The content clause begins with ik and ends with the verb group moet schoonmaken. ik is the first-person singular pronoun, “I.” It is the person who is expected to perform the cleaning in this sentence. Example: Ik maak het filter schoon. — “I clean the filter.” filter means “filter.” It is a noun and appears here with the article het: het filter. Example: Het filter is vuil. — “The filter is dirty.” voorzichtig means “carefully” in this sentence. It is an adverb modifying the cleaning action, so it tells us how the filter should be cleaned. The same form can also describe something as careful in other contexts, but here it describes the manner of an action. moet is the singular present form used with ik of the modal verb moeten, “must” or “have to.” In this sentence, the fixed translation supports the obligation/expectation meaning “should.” The infinitive is moeten; compare ik moet with plural wij moeten. A modal verb is followed by an infinitive: Ik moet werken. — “I have to work.” schoonmaken means “to clean.” It is an infinitive, and after the modal moet it comes at the end of the subordinate clause. The separable verb schoonmaken can also appear as maak ... schoon in a main clause: Ik maak het filter schoon. — “I clean the filter.” Together, De handleiding zegt means “The manual says.” dat ik het filter voorzichtig moet schoonmaken gives the content of that statement: “that I should clean the filter carefully.” In the subordinate clause, ik is the person doing the cleaning, moet expresses the requirement, voorzichtig describes how the action is done, and schoonmaken names the action. The complete utterance therefore means: “The manual says I should clean the filter carefully.”

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

   Then unplug the machine before you touch anything.

   Haal … uit

   take ... out; unplug

   daarna

   after that

   stekker

   plug

   machine

   machine

   stopcontact

   electrical outlet

   voordat

   before

   je

   you

   iets

   something; anything

   aanraakt

   touches

   More detail

   Haal ... uit is a separable Dutch verb construction meaning “take out” or, with de stekker, “unplug.” Haal is the imperative of halen (“to take/get”); uit supplies the outward/removal meaning. In a main-clause command, the parts separate: Haal de stekker uit het stopcontact. Example: Haal het boek uit de tas. — “Take the book out of the bag.” daarna means “after that” and links this action to something mentioned earlier. It refers to the next step in sequence, not to a specific duration. stekker means “plug.” The phrase de stekker uit het stopcontact halen is a reusable way to say “unplug the plug/device from the outlet.” stekker is a common-gender noun, hence de in this sentence. machine means “machine.” Here it is the noun in the possessive-like relation de stekker van de machine: “the machine’s plug” or more naturally “the plug of the machine.” van marks the relation; it does not mean that the machine itself is being removed. stopcontact means “electrical outlet” or “socket.” The phrase uit het stopcontact identifies the source from which the plug is removed. het belongs to this neuter noun: het stopcontact. voordat means “before” and introduces an event that must happen later than the commanded action. It starts a subordinate clause, so the finite verb appears at the end of that clause. je is the second-person singular subject pronoun, “you,” in the subordinate clause. It is the informal subject form used with aanraakt; the sentence addresses one person directly. iets means “something.” In the negative-like or unrestricted context created by “before you touch …,” the natural English equivalent is “anything”: the instruction concerns any object, without specifying which one. aanraakt means “touches” here. Its base form is the separable verb aanraken (“to touch”): in a main clause, Je raakt iets aan. In the subordinate clause after voordat, the verb remains together at the end: voordat je iets aanraakt. The ending -t marks the present-tense form with the subject je here; it is not an ending on iets. Putting the parts together, Haal daarna de stekker van de machine uit het stopcontact gives the command “Then unplug the machine,” literally telling the listener to remove the machine’s plug from the outlet. voordat je iets aanraakt adds the time condition “before you touch anything.” The complete meaning is: “Then unplug the machine before you touch anything.”

7. Moet ik het programma daarna opnieuw starten?

   After that, should I restart the cycle?

   Moet ik

   should I

   het

   the

   programma

   program

   daarna

   after that

   opnieuw

   again

   starten

   start

   More detail

   Moet ik is the question pattern “should I …?” Here moet is the present-tense form of moeten for ik. In a yes/no question, the finite verb comes before the subject: Moet ik ...? The infinitive that completes this modal pattern appears at the end: Moet ik ... starten? het is the Dutch definite article used here with programma. It marks the noun as definite: “the …”. Its form is determined by the grammatical class of the noun, not by a numeric meaning. programma means “program”; in this operational context, the fixed translation presents it as “the cycle.” The noun is used with het: het programma. The same noun appears in the following instruction, Start het programma ..., confirming the same process or item is being discussed. daarna means “after that” or “afterwards.” It points back to an earlier action or event. In this context, it follows the unplugging instruction and places the possible restart afterward. opnieuw means “again” or “anew.” It indicates that the starting action is repeated. A useful contrast is opnieuw starten “restart” versus stoppen “stop”; the latter does not express repetition. starten is the infinitive “to start.” After a modal such as moeten, Dutch uses the infinitive: moet ... starten, not a finite form such as start in this position. The same verb appears as Start in the next sentence, where it is an imperative: Start het programma means “Start the program.” Together, the structure is Moet ik + het programma + daarna + opnieuw starten?: “Should I start the program again after that?” Following the fixed translation, the intended meaning is: “After that, should I restart the cycle?”

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

   Restart it once, but contact maintenance if the warning returns.

   Start

   start

   het programma

   the program

   één keer

   once

   opnieuw

   again

   maar

   but

   neem contact op

   get in touch

   de onderhoudsdienst

   the maintenance service

   als

   if

   de waarschuwing

   the warning

   terugkomt

   returns

   More detail

   Start is the imperative of starten (“to start”). It gives a direct instruction to one or more addressed people; the subject is understood rather than stated. For example: Start de machine. — “Start the machine.” het programma means “the program.” Het is the definite article used here with this noun. The noun is also the object of Start: the instruction is to start the program, not to start an unspecified item. één keer means “one time,” or “once.” Één emphasizes the count of one, while keer means “time” in the sense of an occurrence. It combines naturally with an action: Doe het één keer. — “Do it once.” opnieuw means “again” or “anew.” Together, één keer opnieuw specifies one restart: perform the action again one time. Opnieuw is separate from the verb here, rather than being part of the single word Start. maar connects the instruction to a contrasting condition: “but.” It introduces what should happen in a particular situation rather than cancelling the first instruction. neem contact op is a reusable form of contact opnemen, “to contact” or literally “to make contact.” Neem is the imperative form of nemen; op is the separated particle. In a non-imperative sentence, the parts can appear together around another element: Ik neem contact op. — “I get in touch.” de onderhoudsdienst means “the maintenance service” or “maintenance.” Onderhoud refers to maintenance, and dienst refers to a service or department. The definite article de belongs with this noun phrase; it does not itself state a numerical quantity. als introduces the condition “if” here. It starts the subordinate clause that specifies when the contact instruction applies. Dutch commonly places the finite verb later in such a clause, as in the following de waarschuwing terugkomt. de waarschuwing means “the warning.” Waarschuwing is a noun related to warning or alert information; the definite article de marks the specific warning intended in this fixed sentence. terugkomt means “returns” or “comes back” here. It is the third-person singular present form of the separable verb terugkomen (“to return”): komt ... terug in a main-clause order, but terugkomt at the end of this subordinate clause. The subject is de waarschuwing, so the singular form is used. For example: Als hij terugkomt, bel ik. — “If he returns, I will call.” Together, Start het programma één keer opnieuw gives the instruction “Restart the program once.” maar neem contact op met de onderhoudsdienst adds the contrasting action “but contact maintenance,” and als de waarschuwing terugkomt limits that action to the condition “if the warning returns.” The complete meaning is: “Restart it once, but contact maintenance if the warning returns.”

9. Ik volg eerst de veilige stappen.

   I will follow the safe steps first.

   Ik

   I

   volg

   follow

   eerst

   first

   veilige

   safe

   stappen

   steps

   More detail

   Ik means “I” and is the first-person singular subject pronoun. It identifies the speaker as the person carrying out the action. For comparison, jij means “you” when addressing one person. Example: Ik lees. — “I read.” volg is the first-person singular present form of volgen, “to follow.” The form agrees with Ik; volgen is the base form. In this sentence, the present form has the planned meaning given by the translation: “will follow.” Example: Ik volg de instructies. — “I follow the instructions.” eerst is an adverb meaning “first” or “before the other relevant actions.” It places the action in sequence. It does not itself mark the verb as future or past. Example: Lees eerst de handleiding. — “Read the manual first.” veilige is the form of the adjective veilig, “safe,” used before the definite plural noun stappen. Dutch adjectives commonly take -e in this position: de veilige stappen. The adjective describes the steps; it is not the noun’s base form. Example: een veilige methode — “a safe method”; de veilige methode — “the safe method.” stappen is the plural of the noun stap, “step.” Here it refers to multiple steps to be followed. The plural uses the ending -en; the doubled p in stappen preserves the short-vowel spelling and pronunciation: stap → stappen. Example: Volg deze stappen. — “Follow these steps.” Together, Ik volg gives the speaker as the subject and the action “follow.” eerst says this happens before the other relevant actions, while de veilige stappen means “the safe steps”: veilige describes the plural noun stappen, and de marks that the steps are definite. The complete utterance therefore means “I will follow the safe steps first.”

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

    Simple troubleshooting is useful, but do not risk damaging the machine.

    Eenvoudige

    simple

    problemen

    problems

    oplossen

    solve

    nuttig

    useful

    loop niet het risico

    do not risk

    machine

    machine

    beschadigen

    damage

    More detail

    Eenvoudige means “simple” here and modifies problemen. It is the adjective form used with this plural noun; the ending is not a marker of English-style comparative meaning. The comparative is eenvoudiger (“simpler”), and the superlative is het eenvoudigst (“the simplest”). problemen means “problems.” Its singular is probleem; the plural changes the ending to -en. In this sentence, it refers generally to problems that can be handled, not to a specifically identified set. oplossen means “solve” or, with problems, “resolve.” It is an infinitive. The sequence problemen oplossen is a reusable Dutch pattern meaning “solve problems,” with the object before the infinitive. Example: We moeten dit probleem oplossen. — “We have to solve this problem.” Eenvoudige problemen oplossen functions as the subject of the first clause: “Solving simple problems.” Dutch can use an infinitive phrase this way, without changing oplossen into a personal verb form. nuttig means “useful.” In is nuttig, it describes the whole activity eenvoudige problemen oplossen, rather than only problemen. is is the present-tense form of zijn (“to be”) used with this singular activity as subject. Example: Deze oefening is nuttig. — “This exercise is useful.” maar means “but” and links the useful activity to the warning that follows. loop niet het risico is a reusable negative imperative pattern meaning “do not risk.” loop is the imperative of lopen (“walk/go”); in the fixed expression het risico lopen, the verb means “run” a risk rather than physically walk. niet negates the instruction. Example: Loop niet het risico te laat te komen. — “Do not risk arriving late.” de machine means “the machine.” de is the definite article used here, and machine is a common-gender noun in Dutch. The article is part of the noun phrase; it does not itself express a number beyond the definite reference supplied by the sentence. te beschadigen means “damaging” or “to damage” in this construction. beschadigen is the infinitive “damage,” and te marks the infinitive after het risico lopen: het risico lopen iets te beschadigen means “risk damaging something.” The object de machine comes before this te-infinitive phrase. Together, Eenvoudige problemen oplossen is nuttig means “Solving simple problems is useful.” maar loop niet het risico de machine te beschadigen adds the contrastive warning “but do not risk damaging the machine.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Simple troubleshooting is useful, but do not risk damaging the machine.”