Checking presentation equipment | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. We moeten de presentatieapparatuur controleren voordat de klanten arriveren.

   We should check the presentation equipment before the clients arrive.

   We moeten

   we should / must

   presentatieapparatuur

   presentation equipment

   controleren

   check

   voordat

   before

   klanten

   clients

   arriveren

   arrive

   More detail

   We moeten means “we should” here, with moeten also able to express “must” when the obligation is stronger. moeten is the present-tense form used with we; the infinitive is also moeten. The next verb remains an infinitive after this modal: We moeten controleren = “We should check.” presentatieapparatuur is a compound noun: presentatie refers to a presentation, and apparatuur means equipment. Together, the compound means presentation equipment. Dutch compounds are written as one word, and the noun is not made plural here because the sentence treats the equipment as a mass or equipment category. controleren means “to check” or “to inspect.” It is an infinitive, and after moeten it appears without a separate infinitive marker. For example, We moeten de deur controleren. means “We should check the door.” voordat introduces a clause meaning “before.” It places the event in that clause before the event in the main clause. In Dutch, a subordinate clause introduced by voordat places its finite verb at the end: voordat de klanten arriveren. klanten means “clients” here. Its singular base form is klant; klanten is the regular plural. The definite article de is used with this noun: de klanten means “the clients.” arriveren means “arrive.” In de klanten arriveren, it is the finite present-tense form with the plural subject de klanten. For this verb, the plural present form is identical in spelling to the infinitive arriveren; the clause position and the subject show its role here. For example, De gasten arriveren om acht uur. means “The guests arrive at eight o’clock.” Together, We moeten de presentatieapparatuur controleren says that checking the presentation equipment is something the speakers should or must do. voordat de klanten arriveren adds the time condition: this check should happen before the clients arrive. The complete meaning is: “We should check the presentation equipment before the clients arrive.”

2. Ik kan de laptop eerst op de projector aansluiten.

   I can connect the laptop to the projector first.

   Ik kan

   I can

   de laptop

   the laptop

   eerst

   first

   op

   to

   de projector

   the projector

   aansluiten

   connect

   More detail

   Ik kan means “I can.” kan is the first-person singular present form of kunnen (“can, be able to”); with ik, the form is kan. A modal verb such as kunnen is followed by an infinitive: Ik kan komen means “I can come.” de laptop names the device being connected. laptop is a noun, and de is the definite article used with this noun. The article is not a count marker here; it presents a specific laptop as known in the situation. eerst is an adverb meaning “first.” It places the connecting action before another relevant action or step. For example, Ik controleer eerst de kabel means “I check the cable first.” op is the preposition used in the connection pattern aansluiten op: one device is connected to another device or system. Here, op de projector identifies the device receiving the connection. de projector names the receiving device. projector is a noun used with the definite article de, as in de projector staat aan (“the projector is on”). aansluiten means “to connect.” It is an infinitive here because it follows kan. In a main clause without a modal, this verb can appear in its separable form: Ik sluit de laptop op de projector aan means “I connect the laptop to the projector.” After kan, the infinitive stays together at the end: Ik kan de laptop op de projector aansluiten. Together, Ik kan expresses ability, de laptop ... op de projector aansluiten expresses connecting the laptop to the projector, and eerst places that action first. The complete meaning is: “I can connect the laptop to the projector first.”

3. Het beeld is zichtbaar, maar het lijkt een beetje uitgerekt.

   The image is showing, but it looks a little stretched.

   beeld

   image; picture

   zichtbaar

   visible; showing

   lijkt

   looks; seems

   een beetje

   a little

   uitgerekt

   stretched

   More detail

   beeld means “image” or “picture” here. The noun is neuter: het beeld; its plural is beelden. In this utterance, het beeld is the subject, and het is the definite article used with this neuter noun. zichtbaar means “visible” or “showing.” It is an adjective related to zien (“to see”), but it describes the image’s state here rather than an action by the image. Het beeld is zichtbaar uses zijn (is) plus the adjective to say that the image is visible/on display. Example: De tekst is zichtbaar. — “The text is visible.” lijkt is the present-tense third-person singular form of lijken, “to seem” or “to look.” The form matches the singular subject het beeld: het beeld lijkt .... A useful pattern is iets lijkt + adjective, meaning “something looks/seems + adjective.” Example: Het scherm lijkt donker. — “The screen looks dark.” een beetje softens the following description and means “a little” or “slightly.” It expresses a small degree here; it does not by itself identify a precise amount. Example: De foto is een beetje wazig. — “The photo is a little blurry.” uitgerekt means “stretched.” It is the past participle of uitrekken, “to stretch” or “to extend,” used adjectivally here. With lijkt, het lijkt ... uitgerekt says that the image appears stretched, rather than directly asserting that someone stretched it. Example: De afbeelding lijkt uitgerekt. — “The image looks stretched.” Together, Het beeld is zichtbaar says that the image is showing. maar means “but” and contrasts this with het lijkt een beetje uitgerekt: the image appears slightly stretched. The complete meaning is: “The image is showing, but it looks a little stretched.”

4. Ik kan de beeldscherminstellingen aanpassen en de dia's opnieuw testen.

   I can adjust the display settings and test the slides again.

   Ik kan

   I can

   beeldscherminstellingen

   display settings

   aanpassen

   adjust

   dia's

   slides

   opnieuw

   again

   testen

   test

   More detail

   Ik kan means “I can.” kan is the first-person singular present form of kunnen (“to be able to, can”). After a modal verb such as kan, the other verb normally stays in the infinitive: Ik kan ... aanpassen = “I can adjust ...”. beeldscherminstellingen means “display settings”. It is a compound noun: beeldscherm refers to a display or screen, and instellingen is the plural of instelling (“setting”). The plural form is appropriate because the sentence refers to settings in the plural. aanpassen means “to adjust” or “to modify”. In this sentence it is an infinitive after kan. Dutch also uses aanpassen as a separable verb in a finite clause: Ik pas de instellingen aan means “I adjust the settings.” With kan, the infinitive remains together: Ik kan de instellingen aanpassen. dia's means “slides”. It is the plural of dia; the apostrophe helps mark the plural form because the word ends in a vowel sound. For example, De dia's zijn klaar. means “The slides are ready.” opnieuw means “again” or “anew”. It modifies the following action here, so opnieuw testen means “test again”. It does not by itself indicate who performs the testing or when it will happen. testen means “to test”. It is another infinitive under the scope of kan. The modal applies to both coordinated actions: Ik kan A aanpassen en B testen = “I can adjust A and test B.” Putting the parts together, Ik kan de beeldscherminstellingen aanpassen says “I can adjust the display settings,” and en de dia's opnieuw testen adds “and test the slides again.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I can adjust the display settings and test the slides again.”

5. Kun je ook het volume van de microfoon controleren?

   Could you also check the microphone volume?

   Kun je

   Could you

   ook

   also

   volume

   volume

   microfoon

   microphone

   controleren

   check

   More detail

   Kun je is a compact Dutch way to ask an informal singular listener whether they can do something, often functioning as a polite request: “Could you…?” kun is the present-tense form of kunnen (“can, be able to”) used with je (“you”). Dutch also has kunt, especially in other word orders or with u; do not treat kun je as a past form. ook means “also” or “too”. It adds this action to something already mentioned or understood. In this sentence it connects the microphone check with the earlier task of adjusting the display settings and testing the slides. volume is the noun “volume”, here meaning the loudness level of the sound. The full noun phrase is het volume, because volume is a neuter noun in Dutch. A useful contrast is het volume verhogen (“increase the volume”) versus het volume verlagen (“lower the volume”). microfoon is the noun “microphone”. With the definite article, it is de microfoon. The sequence het volume van de microfoon means “the microphone’s volume” or, literally, “the volume of the microphone”; van introduces the thing to which the volume relates. controleren is the infinitive “to check” or “to verify”. After a modal verb such as kunnen, the other verb normally remains an infinitive: Kun je ... controleren? (“Could you check ...?”). Example: Kun je de instellingen controleren? — “Could you check the settings?” Together, Kun je ... controleren? forms a request. ook adds this request to the other task, and het volume van de microfoon specifies what should be checked. The whole utterance therefore means: “Could you also check the microphone volume?”

6. Het geluid klinkt helder, maar op de achterste rij is misschien meer volume nodig.

   It sounds clear, but the back row may need more volume.

   geluid

   sound

   klinkt

   sounds

   helder

   clear

   achterste

   backmost

   rij

   row

   meer

   more

   volume

   volume

   nodig

   needed

   More detail

   geluid is a neuter noun meaning “sound.” Its definite singular form is het geluid; the plural is geluiden. Here it is the sound being assessed. klinkt is the present-tense form of klinken for a third-person singular subject: het geluid klinkt. Here klinken means “sound” or “come across as.” Example: De stem klinkt rustig. — “The voice sounds calm.” helder is an adjective meaning “clear” here, describing how the sound comes across. It can also describe clear speech or a clear image, depending on context. In Het geluid klinkt helder, it follows klinken as a description. achterste means “backmost.” It is the attributive form used before rij in de achterste rij. It is related to achter (“behind/back”); voorste means “frontmost.” Example: Zij zit op de achterste stoel. — “She is sitting on the backmost chair.” rij is a common-gender noun meaning “row” here: de rij. Its plural is rijen. In this utterance, it identifies the back row in the location phrase op de achterste rij. meer means “more.” It is the comparative form associated with veel (“much/many”): veel → meer → meest. Here it modifies the amount of volume, so meer volume means “more volume.” Example: We hebben meer tijd nodig. — “We need more time.” volume is a noun meaning “volume,” especially the loudness level of audio in this context. It is commonly used with het: het volume. The previous question also uses this word in het volume van de microfoon, meaning “the microphone’s volume.” nodig is an adjective meaning “needed” or “necessary.” In the construction nodig zijn, it expresses that something is required: meer volume is nodig means “more volume is needed.” nodig is not the verb; the verb is is, a form of zijn. The sentence begins with Het geluid klinkt helder: “The sound sounds clear.” maar introduces a contrast. op de achterste rij means “in/on the back row,” and misschien means “perhaps/maybe.” The construction is ... nodig presents what is required; with meer volume as the required thing, is misschien meer volume nodig means “may need more volume.” Together, the utterance means: “It sounds clear, but the back row may need more volume.”

7. Ik heb de dia's op een back-upschijf meegenomen.

   I brought the slides on a backup drive.

   Ik heb

   I have

   dia's

   slides

   back-upschijf

   backup drive

   meegenomen

   brought along

   More detail

   Ik heb is the first-person singular present form of hebben, “to have.” Here it is the auxiliary in a completed-action construction: ik heb ... meegenomen = “I brought/took ... along.” The auxiliary agrees with the subject; the completed-action meaning comes from the combination, not from heb alone. dia's means “slides” here. Its singular is dia; the plural is dia's, with an apostrophe before the plural s. The article de before it belongs to the noun phrase and is not part of the quoted word. back-upschijf is a compound noun meaning “backup drive” or “backup disk.” Dutch compounds combine the elements into one word: back-up describes the function of the schijf. In the full phrase, op een back-upschijf means “on a backup drive”; een is the indefinite article, while op expresses the relevant location or medium. meegenomen is the past participle of meenemen, “to take along” or “to bring along.” The verb is separable in other forms: ik neem ... mee (“I take ... along”), but its participle is written as one word, meegenomen. With heb, it forms the completed-action construction heb meegenomen. Together, Ik heb de dia's op een back-upschijf meegenomen. says that the speaker brought the slides on a backup drive. The structure is ik heb + the object de dia's op een back-upschijf + the past participle meegenomen.

8. Laten we een korte repetitie doen met de openingsdia.

   Let's do a quick rehearsal with the opening slide.

   Laten we

   let’s

   korte

   short; brief

   repetitie

   rehearsal

   doen

   do

   met

   with

   openingsdia

   opening slide

   More detail

   Laten we is a reusable Dutch way to propose an action: “let’s …”. It combines laten (“let/allow”) with we (“we”), but together here it functions as a first-person plural suggestion. The following verb stays in the infinitive. Example: Laten we beginnen. — “Let’s begin.” korte means “short” or, in this context, “brief/quick.” Its base form is kort; the -e form appears before this noun in een korte repetitie. A useful contrast is kort — lange: “short” — “long.” Example: een korte pauze — “a short break.” The article een marks an indefinite noun phrase; it does not by itself assert a numerical count. repetitie means “rehearsal.” It is a noun for a practice run, especially before a performance or presentation. Its plural is repetities. Example: De repetitie begint om tien uur. — “The rehearsal starts at ten o’clock.” doen means “do.” Here it is the infinitive selected by Laten we, producing the suggestion “let’s do.” Its present-tense forms include ik doe (“I do”) and wij doen (“we do”); the form in the utterance is the infinitive, not a present-tense form. Example: Laten we dat morgen doen. — “Let’s do that tomorrow.” met means “with” and introduces what accompanies the activity. It is a preposition, so met is followed here by the noun phrase de openingsdia. Example: Ik oefen met mijn partner. — “I practise with my partner.” openingsdia means “opening slide.” It is a Dutch compound noun: opening identifies the slide’s role at the start, while dia means “slide.” The compound is written as one word, and its definite form is de openingsdia, as in the supplied context. Example: De openingsdia staat al klaar. — “The opening slide is already ready.” Together, Laten we proposes an action, een korte repetitie names that action as a brief rehearsal, doen supplies the infinitive after the proposal, and met de openingsdia specifies what the rehearsal is with. The complete utterance therefore means: “Let’s do a quick rehearsal with the opening slide.”

9. De openingsdia werkte, dus alles lijkt nu klaar.

   The opening slide worked, so everything seems ready now.

   openingsdia

   opening slide

   werkte

   worked

   dus

   so

   alles

   everything

   lijkt

   seems

   nu

   now

   klaar

   ready

   More detail

   openingsdia is a compound noun: opening describes the type of dia, so it means “opening slide.” Dutch compounds are written as one word. In the supplied context, it refers to the slide used in the rehearsal. werkte is the past-tense singular form of werken, “to work.” Here it describes successful functioning: the slide worked. The same verb can also describe a person’s job or an action that produces an effect, depending on context. Example: De lamp werkte. — “The lamp worked.” dus introduces the result or conclusion of what came before: “so” or “therefore.” It links the successful slide to the conclusion that follows. alles means “everything” and is grammatically singular in Dutch, so it takes the singular verb form lijkt here. It is an indefinite pronoun; the sentence does not specify each individual thing. lijkt is the present-tense singular form of lijken, “to seem” or “to appear.” The pattern iets lijkt + adjective means that something appears to have that quality. Example: Het plan lijkt eenvoudig. — “The plan seems simple.” nu means “now” and places the apparent state at the present time. klaar means “ready” here. In lijkt klaar, it is a predicative adjective after lijkt; predicative adjectives in this position do not take the attributive -e ending. Klaar can also mean “finished” in other contexts, but “ready” is the intended meaning here. Together, De openingsdia werkte says that the opening slide functioned successfully. dus marks the resulting conclusion, and alles lijkt nu klaar says that everything appears ready at this point. The complete meaning is: “The opening slide worked, so everything seems ready now.”

10. Deze technische controle geeft ons één ding minder om ons zorgen over te maken.

    This tech check gives us one less thing to worry about.

    Deze

    this

    technische

    technical

    controle

    check

    geeft

    gives

    ons

    us

    één

    one

    ding

    thing

    minder

    less

    om ons zorgen over te maken

    to worry about

    More detail

    Deze means “this” here. It is the demonstrative used with a singular common-gender noun or with plural nouns. For contrast, dit is used with a singular neuter noun: Deze controle werkt. = This check works; Dit plan werkt. = This plan works. The form is chosen by the noun’s grammatical class and number, not simply by physical proximity. technische means “technical” before controle. The adjective technische has the attributive -e form here because it precedes a noun phrase with de: de technische controle. In a predicate position, the form is commonly uninflected: De controle is technisch. = The check is technical. The adjective’s base form is technisch; technische is its attributive form in this phrase. controle means “check” here, specifically the technical check named in the translation. It is a common-gender noun: de controle; its plural is controles. Example: De controle duurt kort. = The check takes little time. geeft means “gives” here. Its base form is geven; geeft is the present-tense form for a singular subject, while geven is used with plural subjects and with wij/ze in the present: Deze controle geeft ons tijd. = This check gives us time. The subject is Deze technische controle, so the singular form geeft is appropriate. The first ons—the one after geeft—means “us” as the receiver or beneficiary of what the check gives. Dutch uses the same written form ons in other roles, but its role is determined by the construction. For example, Ze helpt ons. = She helps us. The later ons belongs to the reflexive expression explained below and has a different grammatical role. één explicitly means the number “one.” The accent distinguishes the numeral één from the unstressed indefinite article een, as in een ding = a thing. Here the translation and the sentence explicitly assert a count of one. ding means “thing.” Its base form is ding; the plural is dingen, as in twee dingen = two things. It is a neuter noun: het ding. In één ding minder, it is the counted item whose number is reduced by one. minder means “less” or “fewer” here. It is the comparative form associated with weinig (“little” or “few”): weinig → minder → minst (“least”). With a countable noun such as ding, English commonly translates this use as “fewer,” but the fixed translation naturally says “one less thing.” Example: We hebben één probleem minder. = We have one fewer problem. om ons zorgen over te maken is the reusable Dutch pattern zich zorgen maken over—“to worry about”—inside an om ... te infinitive construction. The second ons is the reflexive form for a plural subject (“ourselves/us”) in this expression; maken is the base verb, and te maken marks the infinitive. The preposition over introduces what the worry concerns. Example: Ik heb iets om me zorgen over te maken. = I have something to worry about. In the fixed sentence, the thing being worried about is één ding, placed before this construction. Putting the parts together: Deze technische controle is “this technical check,” geeft ons says that it gives us something, and één ding minder identifies a reduction of one thing. The final infinitive construction specifies that the reduced thing is something for us to worry about. The whole utterance therefore means: “This tech check gives us one less thing to worry about.”