Choosing whether to keep waiting | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Pardon, deze rij gaat langzaam.

   Excuse me, this line has been moving slowly.

   Pardon

   excuse me

   deze

   this

   rij

   line

   gaat

   is moving

   langzaam

   slowly

   More detail

   Pardon is a polite way to get someone's attention or apologize briefly; here it corresponds to “Excuse me.” It can also be used as a request to repeat something, depending on context. deze means “this” and points to a nearby or contextually identified noun. It is the form used with a singular common-gender noun or with plural nouns. In this sentence it accompanies rij, and the fixed translation identifies the referent as “this line.” rij means “line” in the sense of a queue. Its useful fixed expression is in de rij staan (“to stand in line”). The article is de: de rij. gaat is the present-tense third-person singular form of gaan (“to go”). In de rij gaat ..., gaan describes the line’s movement or progress, so the natural meaning is that the line is moving slowly. The present tense can describe what is happening now. For example: De bus gaat vooruit. — “The bus is moving forward.” langzaam means “slowly” here and modifies the movement expressed by gaat. The same form can also be an adjective before a noun, as in een langzaam proces (“a slow process”); its role is determined by what it describes. Together, deze rij means “this line,” gaat langzaam means “is moving slowly,” and Pardon adds the polite attention-getting phrase. The whole utterance is therefore: “Excuse me, this line has been moving slowly.”

2. Probeer je te beslissen of het de moeite waard is om te blijven?

   Are you trying to decide whether it is worth staying?

   Probeer

   try

   te beslissen

   to decide

   de moeite waard

   worth it

   te blijven

   to stay

   More detail

   Probeer is the present-tense form of proberen (“to try”) with the subject je (“you”). In this question, the verb comes before je, which is normal subject–verb inversion in a Dutch yes/no question; it is not an imperative here. The pattern Probeer je ...? means “Are you trying ...?” te beslissen uses the infinitive beslissen (“to decide”) with te. Dutch commonly uses proberen + te + infinitive: Ik probeer te begrijpen. — “I am trying to understand.” The form te beslissen itself does not mark who is deciding; the understood subject comes from je. of introduces the embedded yes/no question: “whether” or “if.” Thus of het ... is means “whether it is ...,” rather than a condition such as “if it happens.” In de moeite waard, moeite is a noun meaning “effort” or “trouble,” and waard is an adjective meaning “worth.” Together, this is the fixed expression “worth it” or “worthwhile.” The article de belongs to the noun moeite; it does not itself state a number. A reusable pattern is iets is de moeite waard — “something is worth it.” het is the subject form corresponding to “it” in the fixed translation. Here it presents the situation under consideration, namely the question of staying, without naming a separate concrete object. is is the present form of zijn (“to be”): het is means “it is.” te blijven uses the infinitive blijven (“to stay” or “remain”) with te. The larger pattern om te blijven means “to stay” as the action being evaluated. For example, Het is fijn om hier te blijven. — “It is pleasant to stay here.” The pieces combine as follows: Probeer je asks whether you are trying; te beslissen supplies what you are trying to do; of introduces the decision question; and het de moeite waard is om te blijven says that the issue is whether staying is worth it. The complete meaning is: “Are you trying to decide whether it is worth staying?”

3. Ja, dat probeer ik. Weet je of de balie achterloopt?

   I am. Do you know if the service desk is running behind?

   Ja

   yes

   probeer

   try

   Weet je

   do you know

   de balie

   the service desk

   achterloopt

   is running behind

   More detail

   Ja means “yes” and confirms the preceding question. It is a complete, reusable answer word. probeer is the present-tense form of proberen, “to try.” In probeer ik, probeer is the first-person singular form: “I try” or, in this context, “I am trying.” Dutch present tense can describe an action that is in progress; it does not require a separate equivalent of English “-ing.” Example: Ik probeer het opnieuw. — “I am trying it again.” Weet je is a question pattern meaning “do you know?” weet is the second-person singular present form of weten, “to know,” and je is the informal singular “you.” Compare Ik weet het. — “I know it.” In a yes/no question, the verb comes before the subject: Weet je ...? de balie means “the service desk” here. balie is a noun, and de is its definite article. The article belongs to the noun phrase; it does not itself express a numeric count. The same noun can refer to a counter or desk in other contexts, but the fixed translation identifies the service-desk sense here. achterloopt comes from the separable verb achterlopen, literally “to run behind” and, for a service or process, “to be running behind.” Here it is the third-person singular present form agreeing with de balie. Because it appears in the subordinate clause introduced by of, the finite form stays at the end and the separable parts remain together: of de balie achterloopt. Compare the main-clause order De balie loopt achter. — “The service desk is running behind.” Together, dat probeer ik confirms that the speaker is trying to do the activity referred to in the preceding question. Then Weet je of ...? asks whether the listener knows the answer to an embedded yes/no question. The embedded clause says that the service desk is running behind, so the utterance as a whole is an affirmative confirmation followed by a question about that situation.

4. Verschillende verzoeken vragen extra aandacht, dus de rij gaat langzaam.

   Several requests need extra attention, so the line is moving slowly.

   Verschillende

   several

   verzoeken

   requests

   vragen

   need

   extra

   additional

   aandacht

   attention

   rij

   line

   gaat

   goes

   langzaam

   slowly

   More detail

   Verschillende means “several” here: it presents more than one item without stating an exact number. The same form can also mean “different” in other contexts, so the surrounding noun and meaning matter. As an adjective before a plural noun, it has the -e ending: verschillende verzoeken. verzoeken is the plural of verzoek, “request.” The singular/plural contrast is een verzoek / verzoeken; Dutch commonly forms this plural with -en here. In this sentence, the requests are the subject of vragen. vragen is the present-tense plural form of vragen. Its basic meaning is “to ask,” but in iets vraagt aandacht it means that something requires or needs attention. The subject is plural, so the form is vragen; compare singular een verzoek vraagt .... extra means “additional” or “extra.” It does not itself state a numerical quantity. In extra aandacht, it describes attention beyond what is already sufficient or expected. aandacht means “attention.” It is commonly used as a mass or uncounted noun: extra aandacht means “additional attention,” not necessarily a fixed number of units. A useful related contrast is aandacht geven (“give attention”) versus aandacht vragen (“require or call for attention”). rij means “line” in the sense of people or things waiting in sequence. Its plural is rijen. The definite form de rij refers to a particular line identified by the situation, while the word itself does not specify who or what is in it. gaat is the third-person singular present form of gaan, “to go.” In de rij gaat langzaam, Dutch uses gaan to describe the line’s movement or progress, so the natural meaning is “the line is moving slowly.” The subject de rij is singular, which gives gaat; with a plural subject, the present form is gaan. langzaam means “slowly” here because it describes how the line moves. The form is also used as the adjective “slow,” but in this position it functions adverbially. For example, De trein rijdt langzaam. means “The train is moving slowly.” Together, verschillende verzoeken vragen extra aandacht means “several requests need additional attention.” dus then marks the consequence, “so,” and de rij gaat langzaam says that the line is moving slowly. The complete utterance is: “Several requests need extra attention, so the line is moving slowly.”

5. Ik kan hier niet veel langer blijven.

   I cannot stay here much longer.

   Ik kan

   I can

   hier

   here

   niet

   not

   veel

   much

   langer

   longer

   blijven

   stay

   More detail

   Ik kan means “I can” here. Ik is the first-person singular pronoun, and kan is the present-tense form of kunnen (“can, be able to”) used with ik. In Dutch, a modal verb such as kan is followed by an infinitive: Ik kan blijven means “I can stay.” hier means “here,” referring to the place of speaking or the place established by the situation. It is an adverb, so it does not change for number or gender. Compare daar (“there”) when referring to a different place. niet makes the relevant statement negative. In this sentence, it helps negate the ability to continue staying: Ik kan ... blijven becomes Ik kan niet ... blijven, “I cannot ... stay.” veel means “much” in veel langer, where it strengthens the comparison. It can also mean “many” before a plural noun, as in veel verzoeken (“many requests”); that is a different use from the adverbial use here. langer means “longer.” It is the comparative form of the adjective/adverb lang (“long”): lang → langer (“longer”). Here it describes an additional duration, not a comparison between two physical objects. veel langer means “much longer.” blijven is the infinitive “to stay, remain.” Its form does not show the subject or tense here; kan carries the present-tense modal inflection, while blijven remains an infinitive. For example, Ik wil blijven means “I want to stay.” Together, Ik kan ... blijven provides the ability pattern, niet negates it, hier specifies the place, and veel langer limits the duration. The complete utterance means: “I cannot stay here much longer.”

6. Je kunt blijven wachten of je verzoek bij de balie achterlaten.

   You can keep waiting, or leave your request at the desk.

   Je kunt

   you can

   blijven

   keep; continue

   wachten

   wait

   verzoek

   request

   bij de balie

   at the desk

   achterlaten

   leave behind

   More detail

   Je kunt means “you can” here. kunt is the present-tense second-person singular form of kunnen; the subject is je. After a modal verb such as kunnen, the next verb normally remains in the infinitive. Dutch also uses je kan in many contexts, but je kunt is the form observed here. blijven means “continue” or “keep” when it is followed by another activity. Its infinitive form is used after kunt: kunt blijven. Example: Ik blijf lezen. — “I keep reading.” wachten means “to wait.” In this sentence it is the infinitive after blijven, so blijven wachten means “keep waiting.” Example: We wachten hier. — “We are waiting here.” verzoek means “request.” The observed noun is het verzoek; its plural is verzoeken. In je verzoek, je is the possessive word “your,” so the phrase means “your request.” bij de balie gives the location “at the desk” or “at the counter.” balie is a common-gender de noun, hence de balie. Here bij indicates the place where the request is left. achterlaten means “leave behind” or “leave somewhere.” It is an infinitive and a separable verb. In a finite clause, its parts separate: Ik laat het verzoek bij de balie achter. — “I leave the request at the desk.” After kunt, the complete infinitive achterlaten stays together. The connector of introduces the alternative. The sentence first gives je kunt blijven wachten (“you can keep waiting”), then of gives the other option: je verzoek bij de balie achterlaten (“leave your request at the desk”). In the second option, the repeated subject and modal are understood: “or [you can] leave your request at the desk.” Together, the utterance presents these two available options without asserting that either one has already happened.

7. Het zou helpen om het verzoek achter te laten als iemand het later kan beoordelen.

   Leaving the request would help if someone can review it later.

   Het zou

   it would

   helpen

   help

   verzoek

   request

   achter te laten

   leave behind

   iemand

   someone

   later

   later

   kan

   can

   beoordelen

   review

   More detail

   Het zou means “it would.” Here zou is the singular past-tense form of zullen, used with an infinitive to express a hypothetical or conditional result. Het functions as the subject of zou helpen; the sentence does not identify a separate concrete referent for this initial het. helpen means “to help.” It is an infinitive after zou: zou helpen = “would help.” Compare Dat helpt. = “That helps.” verzoek means “request.” In het verzoek, the noun has the definite article het; verzoek is a neuter noun, and its plural is verzoeken. The phrase refers to the request that is being left. achter te laten means “to leave behind.” It is the te-infinitive of the separable verb achterlaten, with te between its parts. In a main clause, the parts can separate: Ik laat het verzoek achter. = “I leave the request behind.” iemand means “someone” or “somebody.” It is an indefinite pronoun for an unspecified person and is the subject of the als clause. Niemand means “nobody” and would change the sentence’s polarity. later means “later,” at a subsequent time. Example: We bespreken het later. = “We will discuss it later.” kan means “can” and is the third-person singular present form of kunnen. Since iemand is grammatically singular, Dutch uses kan: iemand kan. The following verb remains an infinitive: kan beoordelen = “can review.” beoordelen means “to review” or “to assess.” It is an infinitive after the modal verb kan. The object het is the request referred to by “it” in the fixed translation. The full structure is Het zou helpen om ... als ...: “It would help to ... if ...”. Om ... achter te laten names the action that would be helpful, while the als clause gives the condition that someone can review the request later. Together, the utterance means: “Leaving the request would help if someone can review it later.”

8. De balie kan contact met je opnemen wanneer ze een update hebben.

   The desk can contact you when they have an update.

   balie

   desk; service counter

   kan

   can

   contact met je opnemen

   contact you; get in touch with you

   wanneer

   when

   ze

   they

   update

   update

   hebben

   have

   More detail

   balie means a desk or service counter here. It is a singular de-word noun. In institutional contexts, a desk can also stand for the staff or service represented by it; that is why the fixed translation uses “they” later. Example: De balie is open. — “The desk is open.” kan is the present-tense form of kunnen with a singular subject such as de balie. It expresses ability or possibility: De balie kan helpen. — “The desk can help.” With a plural subject, the form is kunnen, not kan. contact met je opnemen is the reusable Dutch construction for “to contact you” or “to get in touch with you.” Literally, it uses contact opnemen met iemand; the person contacted follows met. je is the informal singular “you” form here. Example: Ik neem contact met je op. — “I will contact you.” In a finite clause, the separable verb opnemen can appear as neem ... op; after the modal kan, its infinitive stays together at the end: kan ... contact met je opnemen. wanneer introduces a time condition meaning “when.” It can introduce a clause whose event is expected or relevant: Bel me wanneer je aankomt. — “Call me when you arrive.” In this sentence, the clause introduced by wanneer comes after the main clause. ze is the plural subject pronoun “they” in the intended reading given by the translation. It is the subject of hebben, so the following verb is plural. Dutch ze can have other grammatical uses in other contexts, but here it means “they,” not the singular feminine form “she.” update is a borrowed noun meaning an update or new piece of information. It is countable here and appears with the indefinite article een: een update. Example: Ik heb een update. — “I have an update.” hebben is the plural present form of hebben, “to have,” used with ze here. Its singular forms include ik heb and hij/zij heeft; the plural form is wij/jullie/zij hebben. Example: Ze hebben nieuws. — “They have news.” The main clause is De balie kan contact met je opnemen: “The desk can contact you.” The modal kan combines with the infinitive construction contact met je opnemen. The time clause is wanneer ze een update hebben: “when they have an update.” Together, the utterance means: “The desk can contact you when they have an update.”`

9. Dat geeft me een duidelijke keuze.

   That gives me a clear choice.

   Dat

   That

   geeft

   gives

   me

   me

   duidelijke

   clear

   keuze

   choice

   More detail

   Dat is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” Here it points to a contextually understood fact or situation; the supplied translation does not identify a more specific referent. In Dutch, dat is the neuter singular form; the other basic singular form is die, used with common-gender nouns and plural nouns. geeft comes from the verb geven, “to give.” The infinitive and dictionary form is geven; geef is the imperative form used for a command. Geef can also occur in other constructions, but it is not the infinitive. Geeft is the present-tense form for hij, zij, or het, and also for a singular noun subject. A useful pattern is iets geeft iemand ...: “something gives someone ...” or “something provides someone with ...”. me is the unstressed object pronoun “me.” It refers to the person receiving the choice in this sentence. The stressed form is mij, used when the pronoun is contrasted or emphasized; ordinary neutral speech commonly uses me. duidelijke comes from the adjective duidelijk, “clear.” Before a noun, the adjective takes the -e ending here: een duidelijke keuze. This is the attributive form used with the singular common-gender noun keuze; the ending belongs to the adjective, not to keuze. Example: een duidelijk plan — “a clear plan.” keuze is the noun “choice.” Its basic form is keuze; the plural is keuzes. The phrase een keuze means “a choice,” while de keuze means “the choice.” Together, Dat geeft me means “That gives me,” and een duidelijke keuze means “a clear choice.” The complete utterance therefore means “That gives me a clear choice.”

10. Dan is het misschien beter om het achter te laten als je volgende verplichting niet kan wachten.

    Then leaving it may be better if your next commitment cannot wait.

    Dan

    then

    misschien

    perhaps

    beter

    better

    achter te laten

    to leave behind

    volgende

    next

    verplichting

    commitment

    kan

    can

    wachten

    wait

    More detail

    Dan means “then” here, linking this suggestion to the situation already under discussion. It commonly introduces a consequence or next step. Example: Dan ga ik naar huis. — “Then I’m going home.” misschien means “perhaps” or “maybe”. It makes the statement tentative rather than certain. Example: Misschien komt zij morgen. — “Maybe she is coming tomorrow.” beter is the comparative form of goed (“good”): goed → beter (“better”) → het best (“the best”). In this sentence, beter evaluates one possible action as preferable. Example: Het is beter om nu te vertrekken. — “It is better to leave now.” achter te laten comes from the separable verb achterlaten, meaning “to leave behind” or “leave”. In an infinitive with te, the parts are written apart: achter te laten. The nearby het is a neuter singular object pronoun meaning “it”; the fixed sentence does not identify what het refers to. Example: Ik wil mijn tas achterlaten. — “I want to leave my bag behind.” volgende means “next” and describes what comes after the current one in an order or sequence. It does not itself state how soon that event is. Example: Mijn volgende afspraak is maandag. — “My next appointment is on Monday.” verplichting means “commitment” or “obligation”: something a person is required or expected to do. Its plural is verplichtingen. Example: Ik heb morgen een verplichting. — “I have a commitment tomorrow.” kan is the third-person singular present form of kunnen (“can; be able to”). Here its subject is the singular noun phrase je volgende verplichting, so the commitment is presented as being unable to wait. Kunnen has other present forms, such as ik kan and wij kunnen; the form is selected here by the singular third-person subject. Example: De trein kan niet wachten. — “The train cannot wait.” wachten is the infinitive “to wait”. After the modal verb kan, Dutch uses the infinitive: kan wachten, literally “can wait”. The negation niet makes this kan niet wachten, “cannot wait”. Example: Zij kan nog even wachten. — “She can wait a little longer.” Taken together, Dan sets this as a consequence or next option, while misschien softens it. het ... achter te laten names the action of leaving “it” behind, and beter says that this action may be preferable. The conditional clause als je volgende verplichting niet kan wachten means “if your next commitment cannot wait”: als introduces the condition, je volgende verplichting is its singular subject, and niet kan wachten expresses its inability to wait. The complete meaning is: “Then leaving it may be better if your next commitment cannot wait.”