Checking travel bags before leaving | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Onze reistassen moeten nog een laatste keer worden gecontroleerd voordat we vertrekken.

   Our travel bags need a final check before we go.

   Onze

   our

   reistassen

   travel bags

   moeten

   need to; must

   nog

   still; yet

   laatste

   last; final

   keer

   time; occasion

   worden gecontroleerd

   be checked

   voordat

   before

   vertrekken

   leave; depart

   More detail

   Onze means “our” here and identifies the bags as belonging to the speaker together with others. Dutch possessives depend partly on the possessed noun: onze is used with plural nouns such as reistassen, and also with singular common-gender nouns; ons is used with singular neuter nouns. Reistassen is the plural of reistas, “travel bag.” It is a compound of reis, “journey” or “trip,” and tas, “bag.” The plural ending is -en: tas becomes tassen, and reistas becomes reistassen. Moeten is the present form of moeten used with a plural subject, meaning “must” or “need to.” With onze reistassen as its subject, it expresses a requirement. The singular present form is moet. Example: Ik moet vertrekken. — “I need to leave.” Nog means “still” here: the checking remains to be done. It can mean “yet” in other contexts, but “still” is the useful sense in this sentence. Laatste means “last” or “final” here. It is the form of laat used before a noun for the superlative meaning “latest/last”: laat → later → laatst; before a noun, the form is laatste. Here it marks the final occasion, not merely a late occasion. Keer means “time” in the sense of an occasion or instance. Een laatste keer means “a final time”; with the checking action, it contributes to the meaning “a final check.” This differs from clock or duration time, for which Dutch commonly uses tijd. Worden gecontroleerd is a passive construction meaning “be checked.” Worden is the present plural form of worden, used here as the passive auxiliary, and gecontroleerd is the past participle of controleren, “to check.” The bags receive the checking rather than performing it. The reusable pattern is worden + past participle. Example: De documenten worden gecontroleerd. — “The documents are being checked.” Voordat introduces a subordinate clause meaning “before.” In voordat we vertrekken, it connects the checking with the later action. Dutch normally places the conjugated verb at the end of this subordinate clause. Vertrekken means “to leave” or “to depart.” Its spelling is identical to the infinitive, but in we vertrekken it is the finite present-tense form used with we, not an infinitive. Example: We vertrekken om acht uur. — “We leave at eight o’clock.” Together, Onze reistassen means “our travel bags,” and moeten ... worden gecontroleerd says that they need to be checked. Nog een laatste keer adds that this checking remains pending and is to happen for the final time. Voordat we vertrekken sets the time relationship: the check must happen before the speaker and others leave. The complete meaning is: “Our travel bags need a final check before we go.”

2. Begin met de spullen die je tijdens de reis nodig hebt.

   Start with the items you need during the journey.

   Begin met

   start with

   spullen

   things; items

   tijdens

   during

   reis

   journey; trip

   nodig hebt

   need

   More detail

   Begin met combines the imperative begin of beginnen (“to begin”) with met (“with”). It is a reusable pattern for telling someone where to start: Begin met de eerste vraag. — “Start with the first question.” spullen means “items” or “things,” especially the personal or practical things being gathered here. It is the plural of spul; spul can refer to an unspecified thing or collection of stuff, while spullen refers to items. Example: Ik pak mijn spullen. — “I pack my things.” die starts a relative clause and refers back here to de spullen, meaning “that” or “which.” The clause specifies the items meant. In Dutch, the relative clause has the order die je ... nodig hebt, with the conjugated verb at the end. tijdens is a preposition meaning “during.” It introduces the period in which something happens. Example: Tijdens de les maak ik aantekeningen. — “During the lesson, I take notes.” reis means “journey” or “trip.” Its plural is reizen. In de reis, de is the definite article used with this noun; the article does not itself express a numerical count. Example: De reis duurt lang. — “The journey takes a long time.” nodig hebt is part of the Dutch expression nodig hebben, “to need.” hebt is the second-person singular present form of hebben (“to have”), matching je. The full relative-clause sequence die je tijdens de reis nodig hebt means “that you need during the journey.” Compare: Ik heb tijd nodig. — “I need time.” Together, Begin met de spullen means “Start with the items,” and die je tijdens de reis nodig hebt identifies those items as the ones needed during the journey. The complete utterance is: “Start with the items you need during the journey.”

3. Ik heb mijn sleutels, medicijnen en een warme extra laag.

   I have my keys, medicine, and a warm layer.

   Ik heb

   I have

   mijn

   my

   sleutels

   keys

   medicijnen

   medicine

   een

   an indefinite article

   warme

   warm

   extra

   extra

   laag

   layer

   More detail

   Ik heb means “I have.” heb is the first-person singular present form of hebben (“to have”): ik heb, jij hebt, hij/zij heeft. Here it presents the listed things as items the speaker has. mijn means “my.” It is a possessive determiner before the noun and does not change for singular versus plural: mijn sleutel (“my key”) and mijn sleutels (“my keys”). sleutels means “keys.” Its singular base form is sleutel; sleutels is the plural, formed here with -s. medicijnen means “medicine” in this list, referring to medication. Its singular base form is medicijn; medicijnen is the plural form. The fixed translation renders this plural naturally as the uncounted word “medicine.” een is the Dutch indefinite article in een ... laag. It marks an indefinite noun phrase; by itself, it does not assert a numerical count. warme means “warm.” Its base form is warm. Here it has the -e form because laag is a singular common-gender noun (de laag), and the adjective comes before it: een warme laag (“a warm layer”). With an indefinite singular neuter noun, the adjective is typically uninflected: een warm vest (“a warm vest”). Thus singularity alone does not explain warme; the noun’s gender and the noun phrase’s form also matter. extra means “extra” or “additional.” It describes laag and remains unchanged here: een extra laag (“an extra layer”). laag means “layer.” It is singular here; its plural is lagen (“layers”). It is a common-gender noun, which helps account for the -e form in warme. Together, Ik heb mijn sleutels, medicijnen en een warme extra laag. means “I have my keys, medicine, and a warm layer.” The meaningful chunks are mijn sleutels (“my keys”), medicijnen (“medicine”), and een warme extra laag (“a warm layer”); en joins the final item to the earlier items.

4. Kun je makkelijk bij de snacks en het water?

   Are snacks and water easy to reach?

   Kun je

   can you

   makkelijk

   easily

   bij

   within reach of

   snacks

   snacks

   water

   water

   More detail

   Kun je is the inverted question form of je kunt (“you can”). The verb is kunnen (“to be able to, can”); with je, the present-tense form is kunt, but inversion places the verb before the subject and gives kun je. This asks about ability or practical possibility. Example: Kun je morgen komen? — “Can you come tomorrow?” makkelijk means “easily” here and describes how reachable the items are. The same word can also be an adjective meaning “easy”: Dat is makkelijk. — “That is easy.” bij means “at/near” in many contexts, but in bij iets kunnen it marks access to something: being able to get, reach, or use it. The pattern bij X kunnen is therefore useful for asking whether X is accessible. Example: Ik kan niet bij de bovenste plank. — “I can’t reach the top shelf.” snacks is the plural of snack, referring here to the snacks as available items. Dutch commonly uses the plural ending -s with this word: één snack, twee snacks — “one snack”, “two snacks”. water is a mass noun for water and normally does not take a plural when referring to the substance. In this sentence, het water means the relevant water supply or water that is available. It does not assert a particular quantity. The full pattern is Kun je makkelijk bij X? — “Can you easily reach/access X?” Here, X is coordinated as de snacks en het water: “the snacks and the water.” Thus Kun je makkelijk bij de snacks en het water? asks whether both supplies are easy to reach or access.

5. Ze zitten in het zijvak.

   They are in the side pocket.

   Ze

   they

   zitten

   are located; sit

   zijvak

   side pocket

   More detail

   Ze means “they” here: it is a third-person plural pronoun. Dutch also uses ze as an unstressed form of “she,” so the intended number comes from the sentence and translation; here it is plural. zitten is the present-tense form of zitten, “to sit” or, as here, “to be located.” Dutch often uses zitten for something being in a place, especially when it is contained or positioned there. The form zitten is used with a plural subject such as ze; with singular ik the form is zit. Example: De sleutels zitten in de tas. — “The keys are in the bag.” zijvak means “side pocket.” It is a compound noun: zij means “side” in this compound, and vak means “compartment” or “pocket.” Its plural is zijvakken. The noun appears with het in the sentence: het zijvak. Example: Het zijvak is klein. — “The side pocket is small.” The location is formed by in (“in”) plus het zijvak (“the side pocket”). Together, Ze zitten in het zijvak. says that the items referred to by ze are located inside the side pocket. The complete meaning is: “They are in the side pocket.”

6. En de opladers en kleine dingen voor extra comfort?

   What about chargers and small comfort items?

   En

   and

   opladers

   chargers

   kleine

   small

   dingen

   things

   voor extra comfort

   for extra comfort

   More detail

   En normally means “and.” At the start of this standalone question, it introduces another topic, giving the overall pattern “And what about …?” Dutch often leaves the verb understood in this kind of short topic question. opladers means “chargers.” Its base form is oplader (“charger”); the plural is formed with -s: oplader → opladers. The definite article de appears before this plural noun: de opladers means “the chargers.” kleine means “small” and describes dingen. The base adjective is klein. Before a plural noun, the attributive form is kleine: kleine dingen (“small things”). dingen means “things.” Its singular is ding, and its plural is the irregular form dingen, not dings. voor extra comfort means “for extra comfort.” voor introduces the purpose or intended benefit here. comfort is a noun meaning “comfort,” and extra adds the idea of more than the ordinary amount. Example: Dit kussen is voor extra comfort. — “This cushion is for extra comfort.” Together, de opladers and kleine dingen voor extra comfort name two groups being brought up for consideration: “the chargers” and “small things for extra comfort.” With the opening En, the whole question means: “And what about chargers and small comfort items?” The sentence is a compact conversational question rather than a full clause with an overt verb.

7. Ik heb ze bij elkaar ingepakt, zodat ze makkelijk te vinden zijn.

   I packed them together so they are easy to find.

   Ik heb

   I have

   ze

   them

   bij elkaar

   together

   ingepakt

   packed

   zodat

   so that

   makkelijk

   easy

   te vinden

   to find

   zijn

   are

   More detail

   Ik heb uses the present-tense form heb of hebben (“to have”) with the subject ik (“I”). Together with the following past participle, it forms the Dutch perfect: ik heb ... ingepakt = “I packed” / “I have packed.” The auxiliary agrees with the subject; heb is the first-person singular form. ze is the object pronoun meaning “them” here. It refers to the items being packed, as reflected by the fixed translation. In other contexts, ze can have other functions, but here it is the plural object of ingepakt. bij elkaar is a reusable expression meaning “together,” describing things as gathered with one another. Example: De boeken liggen bij elkaar. — “The books are together.” ingepakt is the past participle of inpakken, “to pack.” The useful chain is inpakken → pakt in (present separable form) → ingepakt (past participle). With hebben, the participle completes the perfect: Ik heb de spullen ingepakt. — “I packed the things.” zodat introduces a purpose or result clause meaning “so that.” It starts a subordinate clause, and Dutch places the finite verb at the end of that clause. The reusable pattern is ..., zodat ... + clause. makkelijk means “easy” here. In makkelijk te vinden, it is an adjective in a construction meaning “easy to find”; it is not the adverb “easily” modifying an action. Example: Deze knop is makkelijk te vinden. — “This button is easy to find.” te vinden is the infinitive construction “to find.” vinden is the base form, and te marks the infinitive in this pattern. In makkelijk te vinden, Dutch expresses the idea “easy to find.” zijn is the base form of “to be.” It is the finite verb of the subordinate clause introduced by zodat, and it appears at the end because of subordinate-clause word order. Its subject is ze, so the clause means “they are easy to find.” In a main clause, the corresponding order is ze zijn. Putting the parts together: Ik heb ze bij elkaar ingepakt means “I packed them together.” zodat ze makkelijk te vinden zijn adds the purpose or intended result: “so they are easy to find.” The complete utterance therefore means, “I packed them together so they are easy to find.”

8. Dat zou de reis rustiger moeten maken als de plannen veranderen.

   That should make the trip calmer if plans change.

   Dat

   that

   zou … moeten

   should

   reis

   trip

   rustiger

   calmer

   maken

   make

   plannen

   plans

   veranderen

   change

   More detail

   Dat is a standalone demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” It is the subject here, but the fixed sentence does not identify a more specific antecedent. A demonstrative used before a noun would be different in structure, as in dat plan (“that plan”). zou moeten expresses “should” in this sentence. zou is the past-tense form of zullen used here in a modal or conditional construction, while moeten is its infinitive; together they are followed by another infinitive. This construction presents the result as expected or appropriate rather than stating it as a simple present fact. For example: Dat zou moeten werken. — “That should work.” reis is the noun “trip” or “journey.” Its singular form is reis, and its plural is reizen; in the sentence it occurs with the article de: de reis (“the trip”). rustiger is the comparative form of rustig (“calm” or “quiet”). The comparison is carried by rustiger, so it means “calmer” here; the word being made calmer is de reis. Example: Deze route is rustiger. — “This route is calmer/quieter.” maken is the infinitive “make.” In the pattern iets ... maken, an object is described as becoming or being made a certain way: de reis rustiger maken means “make the trip calmer.” Example: Muziek maakt de kamer gezelliger. — “Music makes the room cozier.” After moeten, the infinitive remains at the end of the modal verb group, as in zou moeten maken. plannen is the plural of the noun plan (“plan”); with de, de plannen means “the plans.” The plural is important because it is the subject of the following clause. Example: De plannen zijn duidelijk. — “The plans are clear.” veranderen means “change” here. In de plannen veranderen, it is the present-tense form agreeing with the plural subject de plannen; it happens to have the same spelling as the infinitive. Example: De plannen veranderen. — “The plans change.” Together, Dat is the subject, and the separated modal sequence zou ... moeten maken gives “should make”; Dutch places de reis rustiger between the modal elements. This identifies the result as “the trip calmer.” The clause introduced by als (“if/when”) adds the condition de plannen veranderen (“the plans change”). Thus the whole utterance means: “That should make the trip calmer if plans change.”

9. Ik heb ook extra ruimte vrijgelaten voor alles wat we onderweg meenemen.

   I also left extra space for anything we pick up.

   Ik heb

   I have

   ook

   also

   extra

   extra

   ruimte

   space

   vrijgelaten

   left available

   voor

   for

   alles wat

   everything that; anything that

   onderweg

   on the way

   meenemen

   take along; pick up

   More detail

   Ik heb introduces a first-person singular perfect construction: heb is the present-tense form of hebben used as the auxiliary, and Ik is its subject. The lexical verb appears later as the past participle. Compare Ik heb ruimte vrijgelaten (“I have left space”) with a present-tense statement such as Ik laat ruimte vrij (“I leave space free”). ook means “also” and adds this action to something already under discussion. Its exact scope is supplied by the sentence: the speaker also left space. extra describes ruimte as additional space. This form is invariable here; it does not take a separate gender or number ending. The word can be reused before other nouns, for example extra tijd (“extra time”). ruimte is the noun “space” in this sentence, understood as available capacity rather than a physical room. Dutch can use it without an article when referring to space in this general, uncounted sense. A different context can use de ruimte for a particular room or space. vrijgelaten is the past participle of vrijlaten (“to leave free” or “to leave available”): vrijlaten → vrijgelaten. Together with heb in Ik heb ... vrijgelaten, it forms the perfect tense. In ruimte vrijlaten, the construction means to leave capacity unused or available, so extra ruimte vrijgelaten means “left extra space.” voor is the preposition “for.” Here it introduces what the reserved space is intended to accommodate: ruimte voor ... (“space for ...”). alles wat begins a relative construction. alles means “everything,” and wat links it to the following clause; after alles, this is the normal form for “that/which.” In this context, the natural English rendering is “anything that,” because the sentence refers to possible things taken along during the trip. The construction is reusable in examples such as alles wat ik nodig heb (“everything that I need”). onderweg is an adverb meaning “on the way” or “while travelling.” It describes when or where the action in the relative clause happens, without itself naming a particular destination. meenemen means “to take along” and, in this context, “to pick up” something during the journey. It is a separable verb: in a main clause, We nemen het mee means “We take it along,” while in the subordinate relative clause it is written together at the end: wat we onderweg meenemen. The form meenemen is also the present-tense form with plural subject we; here it is not merely an infinitive. Its base form is likewise meenemen. The sentence builds as Ik heb + ook + extra ruimte vrijgelaten + voor + alles wat we onderweg meenemen: “I have also left extra space for everything that we take along on the way.” With the fixed translation’s natural perspective, this means: “I also left extra space for anything we pick up.”

10. Dan zouden we moeten kunnen vertrekken zonder op het station opnieuw in te pakken.

    Then we should be able to leave without repacking at the station.

    Dan

    then

    zouden we

    we would

    moeten

    need to

    kunnen

    be able to

    vertrekken

    leave

    zonder

    without

    op

    at/on

    station

    station

    opnieuw

    again

    in te pakken

    to pack up

    More detail

    Dan means “then” here and links this expected result to the preceding situation. It is also commonly used to introduce a consequence: Dan gaan we. — “Then we’ll go.” zouden we contains we (“we”) and zouden, the first-person plural form of zullen used for a conditional or expectation. In this sentence, the combination presents the result as something expected under the circumstances: “we should/would.” The form agrees with we; zouden is not the past form of zijn (“to be”). moeten is the infinitive of moeten, “to have to” or “must.” In the chain zouden ... moeten kunnen, it remains an infinitive after the finite auxiliary zouden and contributes the idea that the expected ability ought to be available. The exact natural rendering here is “should.” kunnen is the infinitive of kunnen, “can” or “be able to.” It follows moeten in the auxiliary chain: moeten kunnen means “have to be able to” or, in this context, “should be able to.” vertrekken is the infinitive “to leave/depart.” After the modal verbs, Dutch uses the infinitive without te: We kunnen vertrekken. — “We can leave.” zonder means “without.” A useful pattern is zonder te + infinitive for doing something without doing another action, as in zonder te wachten — “without waiting.” op is the preposition used here for the location “at/on.” With the definite noun phrase het station, op het station means “at the station.” The preposition’s meaning is determined by the location phrase; it does not itself mean “station.” station is the noun “station.” In this phrase it is preceded by het, giving the definite noun phrase het station, “the station.” opnieuw means “again” or “anew.” Here it modifies the following packing action and makes it a repeated action: packing again, or repacking. in te pakken is the te-infinitive of the separable verb inpakken, “to pack up.” With a separable verb, te appears between the two parts in this construction: in te pakken. Together with opnieuw, it means “to pack up again,” hence “to repack.” For example, Zij probeert opnieuw in te pakken. — “She is trying to pack again.” The structure zonder ... in te pakken means “without packing up again.” The location phrase op het station specifies where that repeated packing would otherwise happen. Putting the parts together, Dan zouden we moeten kunnen vertrekken expresses the expected ability to leave, and zonder op het station opnieuw in te pakken adds the condition that this can happen without repacking at the station. The whole utterance therefore means: “Then we should be able to leave without repacking at the station.”