Borrowing a charger and confirming when to return it | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: In a shared workspace, one person borrows a laptop charger briefly while confirming when and where it should be returned..

EN → NL / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a charger and confirming when to return it to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ik heb mijn oplader ergens anders laten liggen en de batterij van mijn laptop is bijna leeg.

ICK huhp mine OH-plah-der ER-ghuns AHN-ders LAH-tun LIG-uh(n) un duh buh-tuh-RAY vahn mine LAP-top iss BYE-nah LAYKH. I left my charger elsewhere and my laptop battery is nearly empty.
B

Die van mij zou moeten passen, als jouw aansluiting de nieuwere connector gebruikt.

DEE vahn MAY ZOW MOO-tun PAH-sun, ahls YOW AHN-slow-ting duh NEE-wuh-ruh kuh-NEK-tor khuh-BROYKT. Mine should fit, provided your port uses the newer connector.
A

Dat klopt, hoewel ik hem alleen tijdens deze upload nodig heb.

DAHT KLOP(T), hoo-WALE ick HEM AH-layn TAY-duns DAY-zuh UP-loht NOH-dikh HEP. It does, although I only need it during this upload.
B

Dat is geen probleem, want mijn computer is al helemaal opgeladen.

DAHT iss khayn proh-BLAYM, vahnt mine kom-PYOOT-er iss ahl HAY-luh-MAHL OH-pkhuh-LAH-dun. That is manageable, since my computer is already fully charged.
A

Ik kan hem teruggeven zodra de bestanden klaar zijn met synchroniseren.

ICK kahn HEM tuh-REKH-gay-vun ZOH-drah duh buh-STAHN-dun KLAHR zayn met sing-khroh-nee-ZAY-run. I can give it back as soon as the files finish synchronizing.
B

Houd hem alsjeblieft in de buurt, want misschien heb ik hem later nodig.

HOWT HEM ahl-shuh-BLEEFT in duh BEURT, vahnt muh-SKHEEN HEP ick HEM LAH-ter NOH-dikh. Please keep it nearby, because I may need it later.
A

Ik kan in de buurt blijven, zodat je hem gemakkelijk terug kunt krijgen.

ICK kahn in duh BEURT BLY-vun, ZOH-daht yuh HEM khuh-MAH-kuh-lik tuh-REUKH kunt KRY-khun. I can stay close by so you can get it back easily.
B

Die afspraak werkt zonder dat een van ons wordt gestoord.

DEE AHF-spraahk WERKT ZOHN-der daht uhn vahn ons vort khuh-STOHRT. That arrangement works without interrupting either of us.

Word by Word

Ik “Ik” means “I” in this dialogue: the speaker is talking about their own charger and laptop. It is commonly used as the subject before a verb, as in the new example “Ik werk vandaag.”
heb In “Ik heb mijn oplader ergens anders laten liggen”, “heb” helps form the statement that the speaker left the charger elsewhere. It is used together with the following verb group “laten liggen”; a common pattern is “Ik heb ... gedaan” for something the speaker has done.
mijn “Mijn” means “my” and identifies the charger as belonging to the speaker in “mijn oplader”. It is placed before the object it describes, as in the new example “mijn laptop.”
oplader “Oplader” means “charger”, the item the speaker needs for the laptop. A common reuse pattern is “een oplader voor ...”, such as the new example “een oplader voor mijn telefoon.”
ergens “Ergens” means “somewhere” in “ergens anders”, referring to an unspecified place. It can be used for an unknown or unmentioned location, as in the new example “Ik heb het ergens gelegd.”
anders In “ergens anders”, “anders” means “else”, so the charger was left somewhere other than the current place. The reusable pattern is “ergens anders” for “somewhere else”; it can also describe doing something differently in another context.
laten In “heb ... laten liggen”, “laten” contributes the idea of leaving something in the position where it is. Together with “liggen”, it expresses that the speaker left the charger somewhere; a common pattern is “iets laten liggen.”
liggen In “laten liggen”, “liggen” describes the charger as being left in a lying or placed position. The full expression “laten liggen” is useful when saying that you left an object somewhere, as in the new example “Ik heb mijn boek thuis laten liggen.”
en “En” joins the two facts in “Ik heb mijn oplader ergens anders laten liggen en de batterij van mijn laptop is bijna leeg.” It connects words, phrases, or complete clauses, as in the new example “Ik kom en jij blijft.”
de “De” means “the” before “batterij” in “de batterij”. It is used with this noun in the dialogue; a common reuse pattern is “de + noun”, as in the new example “de computer.”
batterij “Batterij” means “battery”, specifically the laptop’s battery in “de batterij van mijn laptop”. A common pattern is “de batterij van ...” when identifying which device the battery belongs to.
van In “de batterij van mijn laptop”, “van” links the battery to the laptop and means “of” in the sense of belonging or association. The reusable pattern is “X van Y”, as in the new example “de oplader van mijn telefoon.”
laptop “Laptop” means “laptop”, the device whose battery is nearly empty. It can follow “mijn” or another determiner, as in the new example “mijn laptop werkt nog.”
is “Is” means “is” in “de batterij ... is bijna leeg” and describes the battery’s current condition. It is commonly followed by a description, as in the new example “De batterij is vol.”
bijna “Bijna” means “nearly” or “almost” and shows that the battery is close to being empty but not necessarily completely empty. It commonly comes before the word describing the degree or state, as in the new example “bijna klaar.”
leeg “Leeg” means “empty” in “bijna leeg”, describing the remaining charge of the battery. It can describe a container, space, or resource with nothing or very little left, as in the new example “De fles is leeg.”
Die In “Die van mij”, “Die” means “that one” and refers to the charger being offered. Together with “van mij”, the phrase means “mine”; the same pattern can identify one item among several, as in the new example “Die van jou is hier.”
mij In “Die van mij”, “mij” means “me” and identifies the owner, making the whole phrase mean “mine”. The reusable ownership pattern is “van mij”, as in the new example “Dat boek is van mij.”
zou In “zou moeten passen”, “zou” makes the prediction cautious: the charger should or would be expected to fit. A common reuse pattern is “zou moeten + infinitive”, as in the new example “Dat zou moeten werken.”
moeten In “zou moeten passen”, “moeten” contributes the idea that fitting is expected or required, together with “zou”. The reusable pattern is “moeten + infinitive”, while this dialogue uses the more cautious “zou moeten + infinitive.”
passen “Passen” means “fit” in “zou moeten passen”, referring to the charger fitting the port. A common pattern is “iets past bij/in ...” when saying that something fits a place or matches a situation.
als “Als” introduces the condition in “als jouw aansluiting de nieuwere connector gebruikt”: the charger should fit only under that condition. It commonly introduces a condition before a clause, as in the new example “Als je tijd hebt, bel me.”
jouw “Jouw” means “your” and identifies the port as belonging to the person being addressed in “jouw aansluiting”. It is placed before the noun it describes, as in the new example “jouw computer.”
aansluiting “Aansluiting” means “port” or “connection” here, specifically the laptop connection where the charger is inserted. A useful pattern is “de aansluiting van ...”, as in the new example “de aansluiting van de laptop.”
nieuwere “Nieuwere” means “newer” and describes the connector as newer than another connector being considered. It is placed before the noun in “de nieuwere connector”; a similar reuse pattern is “een nieuwere versie.”
connector “Connector” means “connector”, the part used by the port in the condition being checked. It can be used after a describing word, as in the new example “een passende connector.”
gebruikt “Gebruikt” means “uses” in “jouw aansluiting ... gebruikt”, describing what type of connector the port works with. A common pattern is “iets gebruiken” for using an object or method, as in the new example “Ik gebruik deze kabel.”
Dat In “Dat klopt”, “Dat” refers to the preceding statement and means “that” or “it”. The whole expression confirms that the statement is correct; a common pattern is “Dat klopt” when agreeing with information.
klopt “Klopt” means “is correct” in “Dat klopt”, confirming that the port does use the newer connector. The expression “Dat klopt” is useful when confirming someone’s statement; “kloppen” can also be used for information being correct.
hoewel “Hoewel” means “although” and introduces a qualification in “hoewel ik hem alleen tijdens deze upload nodig heb”. It connects a main statement with a point that limits or contrasts with it, as in the new example “Hoewel het regent, ga ik.”
hem “Hem” refers to the charger in “ik hem ... nodig heb” and means “it” as the object that is needed. It can refer back to a previously mentioned object, as in the new example “Ik leg hem op tafel.”
alleen “Alleen” means “only” in “ik hem alleen tijdens deze upload nodig heb”, limiting when the charger is needed. It commonly appears before the part being limited, as in the new example “Ik kom alleen morgen.”
tijdens “Tijdens” means “during” and places the need for the charger within the time of “deze upload”. It is used before a noun or noun phrase for an event or period, as in the new example “tijdens de vergadering.”
deze “Deze” means “this” and points to the particular upload currently being discussed in “deze upload”. It is placed before the noun it identifies, as in the new example “deze taak.”
upload “Upload” means “upload”, the file-transfer activity during which the charger is needed. It can follow a determiner such as “deze”, as in the new example “de upload duurt lang.”
nodig In “hem ... nodig heb”, “nodig” contributes the meaning “needed”, so the speaker needs the charger only during the upload. The common pattern is “iets nodig hebben”, as in the new example “Ik heb hulp nodig.”
geen “Geen” means “no” or “not any” in “geen probleem”, making the phrase mean “no problem”. It is used before a noun when denying or removing the existence of something, as in the new example “geen tijd.”
probleem “Probleem” means “problem” in the expression “geen probleem”, which reassures the other speaker that the short borrowing is acceptable. The phrase “geen probleem” is commonly used to respond positively to a request or inconvenience.
want “Want” means “because” or “for” and introduces the reason in “want mijn computer is al helemaal opgeladen”. It links a statement to its explanation, as in the new example “Ik blijf thuis, want ik ben moe.”
computer “Computer” means “computer”, the device whose battery is already fully charged. It can be described by a possessive or determiner, as in the new example “mijn computer.”
al “Al” means “already” in “is al helemaal opgeladen”, showing that the computer reached that state before this moment. It commonly appears with a description of an existing state, as in the new example “Het is al klaar.”
helemaal “Helemaal” means “completely” or “fully” and strengthens “opgeladen” in “helemaal opgeladen”. It can emphasize a complete state, as in the new example “helemaal vol.”
opgeladen “Opgeladen” means “charged” in “mijn computer is al helemaal opgeladen”, describing the computer’s battery as full. It is commonly used with “zijn” to describe the state of a device, as in the new example “De telefoon is opgeladen.”
kan “Kan” means “can” in “Ik kan hem teruggeven”, expressing the speaker’s ability or possibility to return the charger. A common pattern is “kan + infinitive”, as in the new example “Ik kan helpen.”
teruggeven “Teruggeven” means “give back” or “return”, referring to returning the borrowed charger to its owner. The reusable pattern is “iets aan iemand teruggeven”, as in the new example “Ik geef de sleutel aan haar terug.”
zodra “Zodra” means “as soon as” and sets the moment for returning the charger in “zodra de bestanden klaar zijn met synchroniseren”. It introduces an event that must finish before the main action happens, as in the new example “Bel me zodra je klaar bent.”
bestanden “Bestanden” means “files”, the items that are still synchronizing in the dialogue. It can be used with a process or action, as in the new example “De bestanden worden opgeslagen.”
klaar In “klaar zijn met synchroniseren”, “klaar” means “finished” with the synchronization process. The reusable pattern is “klaar zijn met + activity”, as in the new example “Ik ben klaar met werken.”
zijn In “de bestanden klaar zijn met synchroniseren”, “zijn” means “are” and links the files to the state “klaar”. It is also used in the pattern “klaar zijn met ...” to say that an activity is finished.
met In “klaar zijn met synchroniseren”, “met” introduces the activity that is being completed: synchronizing. The reusable pattern is “klaar zijn met + noun or activity”, as in the new example “klaar zijn met de taak.”
synchroniseren “Synchroniseren” means “synchronizing” in “klaar zijn met synchroniseren”, referring to the files being brought up to date across systems. It follows “met” in this construction; a new example is “De apparaten gaan synchroniseren.”
Houd “Houd” tells the other person to keep the charger nearby in “Houd hem alsjeblieft in de buurt”. It is useful for a direct request about maintaining an object or position, as in the new example “Houd de deur open.”
alsjeblieft “Alsjeblieft” means “please” in “Houd hem alsjeblieft in de buurt” and makes the request more polite. It can be placed with a request or offer, as in the new example “Kom alsjeblieft binnen.”
in In “in de buurt”, “in” helps express being within a nearby area. The reusable expression is “in de buurt”, as in the new example “Ik woon in de buurt.”
buurt In “in de buurt”, “buurt” means “vicinity” or “nearby area”. The full phrase is used when something is close to a person or place, as in the new example “De winkel is in de buurt.”
misschien “Misschien” means “maybe” in “misschien heb ik hem later nodig”, showing that the future need is possible but uncertain. It can introduce a possibility, as in the new example “Misschien kom ik morgen.”
later “Later” means “later” in “hem later nodig”, referring to a time after the current upload. It is commonly used for a future point that is not specified exactly, as in the new example “Ik bel je later.”
blijven In “in de buurt blijven”, “blijven” means “stay” or “remain”, so the speaker will continue to be nearby. A common pattern is “ergens blijven”, as in the new example “Ik blijf hier.”
zodat “Zodat” means “so that” and introduces the purpose or result in “zodat je hem gemakkelijk terug kunt krijgen”. It connects an action with what that action makes possible, as in the new example “Ik schrijf het op zodat ik het niet vergeet.”
je “Je” means “you” in “zodat je hem ... kunt krijgen”, referring to the person who may need the charger again. It commonly appears before the verb in a clause, as in the new example “zodat je het weet.”
gemakkelijk “Gemakkelijk” means “easily” in “hem gemakkelijk terug kunt krijgen”, describing how the charger can be retrieved. It can describe the ease of an action, as in the new example “Je kunt het gemakkelijk vinden.”
terug In “terug kunt krijgen”, “terug” contributes the idea of getting something back to its owner. The reusable pattern is “iets terug krijgen”, as in the new example “Je krijgt je boek terug.”
kunt “Kunt” means “can” in “je ... terug kunt krijgen”, expressing that the other person is able to get the charger back. It is commonly followed by an infinitive, as in the new example “Je kunt wachten.”
krijgen In “terug kunt krijgen”, “krijgen” means “get” or “receive”, referring to receiving the charger again. The reusable pattern is “iets terug krijgen” for getting something back, as in the new example “Ik wil mijn geld terug krijgen.”
afspraak “Afspraak” means “arrangement” or “agreement” in “Die afspraak”, referring to the agreed way of keeping and returning the charger. It can describe an arrangement between people, as in the new example “We maken een afspraak.”
werkt “Werkt” means “works” in “Die afspraak werkt”, saying that the arrangement is practical and acceptable. It is commonly used to evaluate whether a plan or solution is effective, as in the new example “Dat werkt goed.”
zonder “Zonder” means “without” and introduces what does not happen in “zonder dat een van ons wordt gestoord”. It commonly introduces a noun or a clause describing an absent condition, as in the new example “zonder problemen.”
een In “een van ons”, “een” means “one”, identifying one person from the group of us. The reusable pattern is “een van + group”, as in the new example “een van mijn vrienden.”
ons In “een van ons”, “ons” means “us” and identifies the group from which one person is meant. The pattern “een van ons” means “one of us”; a new example is “Een van ons blijft hier.”
wordt In “wordt gestoord”, “wordt” helps express that one of us is being interrupted. It is used with “gestoord” to describe what happens to the person, as in the new example “De vergadering wordt onderbroken.”
gestoord “Gestoord” means “interrupted” or “disturbed” in “wordt gestoord”, referring to either person being bothered while working. The reusable pattern is “iemand wordt gestoord”, as in the new example “Hij wordt gestoord door lawaai.”

Grammar Points

Hoewel + bijzin, hoofdzin

Hoewel de batterij bijna leeg is, heb ik de oplader nodig.

HOO-wale duh buh-tuh-RAY BYE-nah LAYKH iss, HEP ick duh OH-plah-der NOH-dikh.

Although the battery is nearly empty, I need the charger.

Na hoewel staat het werkwoord aan het einde van de bijzin: bijna leeg is.

Zodra + bijzin, hoofdzin

Zodra de batterij is opgeladen, kan ik synchroniseren.

ZOH-drah duh buh-tuh-RAY iss OH-pkhuh-LAH-dun, kahn ick sing-khroh-nee-ZAY-run.

As soon as the battery is charged, I can synchronize.

Zodra leidt een bijzin in; het vervoegde werkwoord staat achteraan: is opgeladen.

Dutch Vocabulary

aansluiting noun
AHN-slow-ting port; connection
batterij noun
buh-tuh-RAY battery
bijna adv
BYE-nah nearly; almost
connector noun
kuh-NEK-tor connector
ergens anders adv
ER-ghuns AHN-ders elsewhere
hoewel conj
hoo-WALE although
laten liggen phrase
LAH-tun LIG-uh to leave behind
leeg adj
LAYKH empty
nieuwere adj
NEE-wuh-ruh newer
oplader noun
OH-plah-der charger

mijn oplader

passen verb
PAH-sun to fit
tijdens prep
TAY-duns during

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

battery

Show Answerbatterij

charger

Show Answeroplader

to fit

Show Answerpassen

empty

Show Answerleeg