Back pain and desk posture | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: At home after a desk-heavy day, two adults discuss back pain, screen position, gentle stretching, and when to seek professional help..

EN → NL / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Back pain and desk posture to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Mijn onderrug doet pijn nadat ik de hele dag aan mijn bureau heb gezeten.

mine AWN-der-rukh doot pine nah-DAHT ik duh HAY-luh dahkh ahn my byuh-ROH hept guh-ZAY-tun. My lower back hurts after sitting at my desk all day.
B

Je stoel geeft je misschien niet genoeg steun.

yuh stool khayft yuh mih-SKHEEN neet guh-NOOKH stuhn. Your chair might not be giving you enough support.
A

Ik leun ook naar voren omdat mijn scherm te ver weg staat.

ik luhn ohk nahk VOH-run om-DAHT mine skherm tuh vair waykh staht. I also lean forward because my monitor is too far away.
B

Als je het scherm dichterbij zet, kan dat de druk op je rug verminderen.

ahls yuh ut skherm DIKH-ter-bye zayt, kahn daht duh druk awp yuh rukh ver-MIN-der-un. Moving the screen closer could take some pressure off your back.
A

Ik dacht eraan om tijdens korte pauzes rekoefeningen te doen.

ik dahkht er-AHN om TIGH-duns KOR-tuh POW-zus RAY-koh-OO-fuh-ning-un tuh doon. I was thinking about stretching during short breaks.
B

Rustig rekken kan helpen, maar stop als de pijn erger wordt.

RUHS-tikh REK-un kahn HEL-pun, mahr stop ahls duh pine EHR-kher wort. Gentle stretching may help, but stop if it increases the pain.
A

Als het aanhoudt, moet ik waarschijnlijk een deskundige raadplegen.

ahls ut AHN-howt, moot ik vahr-SKHAIN-lik un duh-SKUHN-dikh-uh RAHDT-play-khun. If it continues, I should probably see a professional.
B

Vooral als de pijn zich verspreidt of je slaap begint te beïnvloeden.

VOO-rahl ahls duh pine zikh ver-SPRYT awf yuh slahp buh-KHAYNT tuh BAY-in-VLOO-dun. Especially if the pain spreads or starts affecting your sleep.
A

Deze week kan ik kleine aanpassingen maken en bijhouden of ze helpen.

DAY-zuh wayk kahn ik KLY-nuh AHN-pahs-ing-un MAH-kun en bye-HOW-dun awf zuh HEL-pun. This week, I can make small adjustments and track whether they help.
B

Veranderingen die je volhoudt, zijn meestal makkelijker te beoordelen dan één grote verandering.

ver-AN-der-ing-un dee yuh vol-HOWT, zain MAY-stahl MAK-kuh-lik-er tuh buh-OHR-day-lun dahn ayn GROH-tuh ver-AN-der-ing. Consistent changes are usually easier to judge than one big change.

Word by Word

Mijn Mijn means “my” in “Mijn onderrug” and shows that the lower back belongs to the speaker. It is used before the noun it describes, as in “Mijn onderrug” or “mijn bureau”.
onderrug Onderrug means “lower back”, the part of the back that hurts here. It is a compound noun used as the body-part name in “Mijn onderrug doet pijn”.
doet In “doet pijn”, doet is the verb form used with pijn to describe experiencing pain. The expression “doet pijn” is useful when saying that a body part hurts.
pijn Pijn means “pain” in “doet pijn”. It names the unpleasant physical sensation, and it can be used with a body part in expressions such as “Mijn onderrug doet pijn”.
nadat Nadat means “after” and introduces the event that happened before the back pain: “nadat ik de hele dag aan mijn bureau heb gezeten”. It introduces a clause describing a completed earlier event.
ik Ik means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person who sat at the desk. It is the subject in “ik de hele dag aan mijn bureau heb gezeten”.
de De is the definite article in “de hele dag”, meaning “the”. Here it introduces the specific time period described as the whole day.
hele Hele means “whole” or “entire” in “de hele dag”. It emphasizes that the activity continued throughout the day.
dag Dag means “day” in “de hele dag”. Together with “de hele”, it describes the full period during which the speaker sat at the desk.
aan Aan expresses the position “at” in “aan mijn bureau”. This preposition is used here to show where the speaker was sitting.
bureau Bureau means “desk” in “aan mijn bureau”. With aan, it identifies the place where the speaker sat and worked.
heb Heb is the auxiliary verb in “heb gezeten”, referring to the speaker’s completed sitting at the desk. It combines with “gezeten” to form this completed-event construction.
gezeten Gezeten means “sat” in “heb gezeten” and describes the completed sitting at the desk. It is the form used with “heb” in this dialogue; the related verb is zitten.
Je Je means “your” in “Je stoel” and shows that the chair belongs to or is used by the person being addressed. It comes directly before the noun it describes.
stoel Stoel means “chair” in “Je stoel”. Here it is the piece of furniture whose support may be insufficient.
geeft Geeft means “gives” or “provides” in “geeft je misschien niet genoeg steun”. It describes what the chair does for the person, with “je” indicating the recipient and “steun” what is provided.
misschien Misschien means “maybe” or “perhaps” and makes the statement less certain: “Je stoel geeft je misschien niet genoeg steun”. It is useful when suggesting a possible explanation without presenting it as a fact.
niet Niet means “not” and negates the idea that the chair provides enough support. In “niet genoeg”, it appears before the amount or degree being denied.
genoeg Genoeg means “enough” in “niet genoeg steun”. It describes the amount of support and commonly comes before the noun in this expression.
steun Steun means “support” in the context of support from a chair. In “genoeg steun”, it names what the chair should provide for the body.
leun Leun means “lean” in “Ik leun ook naar voren”. It describes the speaker’s body moving or being held forward; the related verb is leunen.
ook Ook means “also” and adds leaning forward to the other problem already mentioned. It can be placed before the added action, as in “Ik leun ook naar voren”.
naar Naar expresses direction in “naar voren”, meaning “forward”. It is used together with “voren” to describe the direction of the leaning.
voren Voren means “forward” in the directional expression “naar voren”. Together, “naar voren” describes movement or leaning toward the front.
omdat Omdat means “because” and introduces the reason for leaning forward: “omdat mijn scherm te ver weg staat”. It connects an action with its explanation.
scherm Scherm means “screen” or “monitor” in “mijn scherm”. Here it refers to the screen positioned too far away from the speaker.
te Te means “too” in “te ver weg”, marking an excessive distance. It comes before “ver” to say that the screen is farther away than is suitable.
ver Ver means “far” in “te ver weg”. Together with “weg”, it describes the screen’s distance from the speaker.
weg Weg contributes the meaning “away” in “te ver weg”. The full expression “te ver weg” describes something positioned excessively far away.
staat Staat means “is positioned” in “mijn scherm te ver weg staat”. It describes the screen’s location or position; the related verb is staan.
Als Als means “if” and introduces the condition “Als je het scherm dichterbij zet”. It is useful for presenting a possible action and its result.
het Het is the definite article in “het scherm”, meaning “the”. Here it introduces the screen as the object being repositioned.
dichterbij Dichterbij means “closer” in “het scherm dichterbij zet”. It describes moving the screen nearer to the person, and it commonly follows an action that changes position.
zet Zet means “puts” or “positions” in “het scherm dichterbij zet”. It describes changing the screen’s position; the related verb is zetten.
kan Kan means “can” or, in this suggestion, “could” in “kan dat de druk op je rug verminderen”. It expresses a possible result and is followed by the infinitive “verminderen”.
dat Dat refers to the action of moving the screen closer in “kan dat de druk op je rug verminderen”. It acts as the subject of the possible result described after it.
druk Druk means “pressure” in “de druk op je rug”. It names the physical pressure affecting the back.
op Op means “on” in “de druk op je rug”. It links the pressure to the body area receiving it.
rug Rug means “back” in “je rug”. It identifies the body area on which the pressure is felt.
verminderen Verminderen means “reduce” in “kan dat de druk op je rug verminderen”. It is the infinitive after “kan” and describes making the pressure less.
dacht Dacht means “thought” in “Ik dacht eraan om ...”. It introduces an idea the speaker was considering; the related verb is denken.
eraan Eraan means “about it” in “Ik dacht eraan om ...”, referring to the activity the speaker was considering. It is used with denken aan and can introduce an action with “om ... te”.
om Om introduces the intended activity in “om tijdens korte pauzes rekoefeningen te doen”. Together with “te doen”, it forms the infinitive construction for the action being considered.
tijdens Tijdens means “during” and places the activity within the time period “tijdens korte pauzes”. It is used before a noun phrase naming the time.
korte Korte means “short” in “korte pauzes”. It describes the breaks as brief periods.
pauzes Pauzes means “breaks” in “korte pauzes”. It refers to the brief pauses during which the speaker is considering doing stretching exercises.
rekoefeningen Rekoefeningen means “stretching exercises” in “rekoefeningen te doen”. It names the physical exercises the speaker wants to do during short breaks.
doen Doen means “do” in “rekoefeningen te doen”. It is the infinitive used after “te” to describe carrying out the stretching exercises.
Rustig Rustig means “gently” in “Rustig rekken”. It describes the stretching as controlled and not forceful, and it modifies the activity that follows.
rekken Rekken means “stretching” in “Rustig rekken kan helpen”. It names the activity being suggested as potentially helpful.
helpen Helpen means “help” in “kan helpen”. It is the infinitive after “kan” and describes the possible benefit of gentle stretching.
maar Maar means “but” and contrasts the possible benefit of stretching with the instruction to stop if the pain increases. It connects two parts of the advice.
stop Stop means “stop” in the direct instruction “stop als de pijn erger wordt”. It is used here to tell someone to end the activity under a particular condition.
erger Erger means “worse” in “de pijn erger wordt”. It describes an increase in the severity of the pain and is used with “wordt” to express that the pain becomes worse.
wordt Wordt means “becomes” or “gets” in “de pijn erger wordt”. It describes a change in the condition of the pain; the related verb is worden.
aanhoudt Aanhoudt means “continues” or “persists” in “Als het aanhoudt”. The subject “het” refers to the pain or problem, and the form is used in the condition clause.
moet Moet means “must” or “should” in “moet ik waarschijnlijk een deskundige raadplegen”. It expresses the speaker’s view that consulting a professional is probably necessary.
waarschijnlijk Waarschijnlijk means “probably” and shows that the speaker considers consulting a professional likely rather than completely certain. It appears with “moet” in the advice about what to do if the problem continues.
een Een means “a” or “an” in “een deskundige”. It introduces one professional without identifying a specific person.
deskundige Deskundige means “professional” or “expert” in “een deskundige”. Here it refers to a qualified person who can be consulted about the continuing problem.
raadplegen Raadplegen means “consult” in “een deskundige raadplegen”. It is the infinitive after “moet” and describes seeking advice from a professional.
Vooral Vooral means “especially” and gives extra importance to the conditions that follow: “Vooral als de pijn zich verspreidt of ...”. It is useful when highlighting a particularly important case.
zich Zich is the reflexive pronoun in “de pijn zich verspreidt”. It forms part of the reflexive verb expression “zich verspreiden”, describing the pain spreading.
verspreidt Verspreidt means “spreads” in “de pijn zich verspreidt”. It describes the pain extending to other areas; the related verb is zich verspreiden.
of Of means “or” in “zich verspreidt of je slaap begint te beïnvloeden”. It connects two possible signs that would make professional advice more important.
slaap Slaap means “sleep” in “je slaap”. It refers to the person’s sleep, which may be affected by the pain.
begint Begint means “begins” or “starts” in “begint te beïnvloeden”. It marks the point at which the pain starts having an effect; the related verb is beginnen.
beïnvloeden Beïnvloeden means “affect” in “je slaap begint te beïnvloeden”. It is the infinitive after “begint te” and describes the pain having an effect on sleep.
Deze Deze means “this” in “Deze week”. It points to the current or immediately relevant week and comes before the noun it specifies.
week Week means “week” in “Deze week”. It identifies the time period in which the speaker plans to make small adjustments.
kleine Kleine means “small” in “kleine aanpassingen”. It describes the adjustments as limited rather than large.
aanpassingen Aanpassingen means “adjustments” in “kleine aanpassingen”. It refers to the practical changes the speaker can make to improve the situation.
maken Maken means “make” in “kan ik kleine aanpassingen maken”. It is the infinitive after “kan” and describes carrying out or introducing the adjustments.
en En means “and” and joins the two actions “kleine aanpassingen maken” and “bijhouden of ze helpen”. It connects actions that the speaker plans to do together.
bijhouden Bijhouden means “track” or “keep track of” in “bijhouden of ze helpen”. It describes observing the results over time, with “of” introducing what is being checked.
ze Ze means “they” in “of ze helpen”, referring to the plural “aanpassingen”. It is the subject of the clause describing whether the adjustments help.
Veranderingen Veranderingen means “changes” in “Veranderingen die je volhoudt”. It introduces the changes being compared with one large change.
die Die means “that” or “which” in “Veranderingen die je volhoudt”. It introduces a relative clause describing the changes that the person continues to maintain.
volhoudt Volhoudt means “keeps up” or “maintains” in “die je volhoudt”. The subject is “je”, and the form describes continuing the changes over time; the related verb is volhouden.
zijn Zijn means “are” in “Veranderingen ... zijn meestal makkelijker”. It links the changes to the description that they are usually easier to evaluate.
meestal Meestal means “usually” and indicates that the comparison is generally true, not true in every case. It appears before “makkelijker” in “zijn meestal makkelijker te beoordelen”.
makkelijker Makkelijker means “easier” in “makkelijker te beoordelen”. It compares the practical difficulty of evaluating consistent changes with evaluating one large change.
beoordelen Beoordelen means “evaluate” or “judge” in “makkelijker te beoordelen”. It is the infinitive in the construction “te beoordelen”, describing how the changes can be assessed.
dan Dan means “than” in “makkelijker te beoordelen dan één grote verandering”. It introduces the second part of the comparison.
grote Grote means “big” or “large” in “één grote verandering”. It describes the single change as substantial.
verandering Verandering means “change” in “één grote verandering”. It refers to one substantial adjustment, contrasted with changes that the person continues to maintain.

Grammar Points

nadat + bijzin

Nadat je bij het bureau hebt gezeten, is de pijn erger.

nah-DAHT yuh bye ut byuh-ROH hept guh-ZAY-tun, is duh pine EHR-kher.

After you have sat at the desk, the pain is worse.

Na nadat staat de persoonsvorm achteraan in de bijzin: nadat je hebt gezeten.

separable verb: volhouden

Je houdt de rekoefeningen meestal vol.

yuh howt duh RAY-koh-OO-fuh-ning-un MAY-stahl vol.

You usually keep up the stretching exercises.

Bij een scheidbaar werkwoord staat het voorvoegsel aan het einde: je houdt ... vol.

Dutch Vocabulary

bureau noun
byuh-ROH desk
leunen verb
LUHN-un to lean leun
misschien adv
mih-SKHEEN perhaps
naar voren phrase
nahr VOH-run forward
nadat conj
nah-DAHT after
onderrug noun
AWN-der-rukh lower back
pijn noun
pine pain
scherm noun
skherm screen
steun noun
stuhn support
stoel noun
stool chair
ver weg adv
vair waykh far away
zitten verb
ZIT-un to sit gezeten

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

after

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lower back

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desk

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to sit

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