Verifying an unexpected maintenance visitor | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Eerder klopte iemand aan en zei dat die hier was om de ventilatie te inspecteren.

   Someone knocked earlier and said they were here to inspect the ventilation.

   Eerder

   earlier

   klopte … aan

   knocked (at a door)

   iemand

   someone

   zei

   said

   dat

   that

   die

   they

   hier

   here

   was

   was

   om … te

   in order to

   inspecteren

   inspect

   ventilatie

   ventilation

   More detail

   Eerder places the event earlier in time: “earlier.” It can also appear later in a sentence. Example: Ik kom eerder. — “I’m coming earlier.” klopte ... aan is the past-tense form of the separable verb aankloppen, “to knock at a door.” In the past tense, klopte carries the tense and aan appears separately. The base form is aankloppen; its present-tense form is klopt ... aan. Example: Zij klopt aan. — “She is knocking at the door.” iemand means “someone” or “somebody.” It introduces an unspecified person; it does not by itself state a particular numerical count beyond the singular reference built into this sentence. Example: Iemand wacht buiten. — “Someone is waiting outside.” zei is the singular past form of zeggen, “to say.” The useful chain is zeggen → zegt (present singular) → zei (past singular). Example: Hij zei de waarheid. — “He told the truth.” dat introduces the content of what was said, roughly “that.” The clause after it gives the statement’s content: zei dat ... means “said that ...” In Dutch, this kind of subordinate clause commonly places its finite verb later in the clause. die refers here to the person introduced by iemand, matching the fixed translation’s singular “they.” In this use it provides a gender-unspecified personal reference; the form itself does not identify the person’s gender. Example: Iemand belde, en die wacht buiten. — “Someone called, and they are waiting outside.” hier means “here,” referring to the relevant place from the speaker’s perspective. Example: Ik woon hier. — “I live here.” was is the singular past form of zijn, “to be.” The contrast is zijn → is (present singular) → was (past singular); plural past uses waren. Here it states the person’s location or presence in the past: “was here.” om ... te marks the purpose of an action, “in order to.” The infinitive after te is inspecteren, so om ... te inspecteren means “in order to inspect.” Example: Ik kom om te helpen. — “I’m coming to help.” inspecteren is an infinitive meaning “to inspect” or “to examine.” It is used after te in this purpose construction. Example: We inspecteren de installatie. — “We inspect the installation.” ventilatie means “ventilation,” the noun referring to the provision or movement of air. Example: De ventilatie werkt goed. — “The ventilation works well.” Together, Eerder klopte iemand aan says that someone knocked at the door earlier. en zei dat die hier was adds what that person said: they were here. Finally, om de ventilatie te inspecteren gives the purpose of being here: to inspect the ventilation. The complete meaning is: “Someone knocked earlier and said they were here to inspect the ventilation.”

2. Bezoeken van de onderhoudsdienst worden meestal via het gebouwsysteem aangekondigd.

   Maintenance visits are usually announced through the building system.

   Bezoeken

   visits

   onderhoudsdienst

   maintenance service

   meestal

   usually

   worden … aangekondigd

   are announced

   via

   through

   gebouwsysteem

   building system

   More detail

   Bezoeken means “visits” here. It is the plural of the noun bezoek (“visit”); the same spelling can also be a verb form in another sentence, so the surrounding van de onderhoudsdienst identifies it as a noun here. Example: De bezoeken zijn kort. — “The visits are short.” onderhoudsdienst is a compound noun meaning a maintenance service or department. Dutch commonly writes such compounds as one word. Its parts are onderhoud (“maintenance”) and dienst (“service”), with dienst as the head of the compound. Example: De onderhoudsdienst komt morgen. — “The maintenance service is coming tomorrow.” meestal is an adverb meaning “usually” or “most of the time.” It describes the frequency of the announcement, not the visits themselves as a noun property. Example: Ze werken meestal thuis. — “They usually work at home.” worden ... aangekondigd forms a present passive construction. worden is the present-tense plural form of worden (“to become/be”); aangekondigd is the past participle of aankondigen (“to announce”). Because bezoeken is plural, the auxiliary is worden; the passive presents the visits as receiving the action rather than naming the announcer. Example: De afspraken worden aangekondigd. — “The appointments are announced.” via means “through” or “by way of” and introduces the channel or route used for something. Example: We sturen het via e-mail. — “We send it by email.” gebouwsysteem is a compound meaning “building system.” It combines gebouw (“building”) and systeem (“system”), and the compound is written as one word. In the full sentence, het is the definite article used with this compound; the neuter gender comes from its head noun systeem, not from gebouw. The phrase bezoeken van de onderhoudsdienst means “visits by/from the maintenance service”: van links the visits to the service. worden meestal aangekondigd says that these visits are usually announced, using the plural passive construction. Finally, via het gebouwsysteem gives the channel, “through the building system.” Together, the utterance means: “Maintenance visits are usually announced through the building system.”

3. Dat maakte me voorzichtig, dus liet ik die persoon niet binnen.

   That made me cautious, so I did not let them in.

   Dat

   that

   maakte

   made

   me

   me

   voorzichtig

   cautious

   dus

   so

   liet

   let / allowed

   die … persoon

   that person

   binnen

   in

   More detail

   Dat means “that” here and is the subject of the first clause. It refers to an understood situation or fact; the sentence does not specify it more precisely. maakte is the singular past form of maken, “to make.” A reusable pattern is iets/iemand + adjective + maken: “make something/someone [adjective].” Here, maakte links Dat to the resulting state voorzichtig. me is the unstressed first-person singular object pronoun, “me.” The stressed form is mij, used for emphasis or contrast and commonly after a preposition. Here, the speaker is the person who became cautious. voorzichtig means “cautious” or “careful.” After maken, it describes the resulting state: Dat maakte me voorzichtig means “That made me cautious.” dus means “so” and links the first clause to the speaker’s resulting action. In this main clause, the finite verb comes before the subject: dus liet ik .... liet is the singular past form of laten, “to let” or “to allow.” With a plural subject, the corresponding past form is lieten. die persoon means “that person.” die is the demonstrative determiner used with the singular de-word persoon. This grammatical form does not specify the person’s gender; the translation’s singular “them” reflects that unspecified gender. binnen contributes the meaning “in.” Together with laten, it forms the separable construction iemand binnenlaten, “to let someone in.” In the sentence, the parts are separated: liet die persoon niet binnen. The subject ik is between liet and the object, niet negates the letting-in action, and binnen is the particle at the end. Together, Dat maakte me voorzichtig means “That made me cautious.” dus liet ik die persoon niet binnen means “so I did not let them in.” The complete utterance is: “That made me cautious, so I did not let them in.”

4. Dat was een goede beslissing. Eerst moet worden gecontroleerd of die persoon bevoegd is om binnen te komen.

   That was the right call. Their authorization to enter should be verified first.

   Dat

   That

   was

   was

   goede

   good; right

   beslissing

   decision

   Eerst

   first

   moet

   must; should

   worden gecontroleerd

   be checked

   of

   whether; if

   die

   that

   persoon

   person

   bevoegd

   authorized

   is

   is

   om binnen te komen

   to enter; to come in

   More detail

   Dat is the demonstrative pronoun “that.” Here it refers to the preceding decision or situation, so Dat was ... means “That was ...”. Because it refers to a situation or proposition rather than directly modifying beslissing, dat is appropriate here; the noun beslissing itself is a de-word and would take die when directly modified: die beslissing = “that decision.” was is the singular past form of zijn (“to be”): zijn → was for a singular subject in the past. Thus Dat was describes the assessment as applying in the past. goede means “good,” with the intended sense “right” in een goede beslissing, “a good/right decision.” The adjective is goed; before the indefinite article een with the de-word beslissing, it takes the ending -e: een goede beslissing. Example: een goed plan = “a good plan,” but een goede keuze = “a good choice.” beslissing is the noun “decision.” Its plural is beslissingen. In een goede beslissing, een presents the noun phrase without teaching a specific numerical count as the main point. Eerst means “first” or “first of all” and marks the order of the required action. Example: Eerst lees ik de brief. = “First I read the letter.” moet is the third-person singular present form of the modal verb moeten (“must; have to”). Here it presents the passive action as necessary, so “must be” or, depending on context, “should be” can translate it. Example: De brief moet vandaag worden verstuurd. = “The letter must be sent today.” worden gecontroleerd is a passive construction meaning “be checked.” worden is the passive auxiliary, and gecontroleerd is the past participle of controleren (“to check”). With moet, the infinitive remains at the end of the verb group: moet worden gecontroleerd = “must be checked.” The following of-clause identifies what is being checked. of introduces an embedded yes-or-no question here: “whether.” It is not the alternative conjunction “or” in this sentence. Example: Ik weet niet of hij komt. = “I do not know whether he is coming.” die means “that” and is a demonstrative determiner before the singular de-word persoon: die persoon = “that person.” Its form reflects the noun’s grammatical category and the demonstrative choice; it does not by itself identify the person. persoon is the noun “person.” Its plural is personen. In this sentence, it is the person whose authorization to enter is being assessed. bevoegd is the predicate adjective “authorized” or “having the authority.” It does not take the attributive -e ending here because it follows the linking verb is: die persoon is bevoegd. A useful pattern is bevoegd zijn om ... = “to be authorized to ...”. is is the third-person singular present form of zijn (“to be”). It links die persoon to the adjective bevoegd: die persoon is bevoegd = “that person is authorized.” om binnen te komen is an infinitive construction meaning “to enter” or “to come in.” The verb is the separable verb binnenkomen; with te, its parts appear as binnen te komen. The pattern bevoegd zijn om ... te ... expresses being authorized to perform an action. Example: Zij is bevoegd om het gebouw binnen te komen. = “She is authorized to enter the building.” Together, Eerst moet worden gecontroleerd means “First, it must be checked.” The of-clause states what must be checked: die persoon bevoegd is om binnen te komen, “whether that person is authorized to enter.” The whole utterance therefore means: “That was the right call. First, it should be verified whether that person is authorized to enter.”

5. Kun je controleren of er echt een inspectie gepland staat?

   Could you check whether an inspection is actually scheduled?

   Kun je

   can you

   controleren

   check

   echt

   actually

   inspectie

   inspection

   gepland staat

   is scheduled

   More detail

   Kun je combines kunnen (“can/be able to”) with the subject je (“you”). Kun is the present-tense form used with je in this inverted question order: the verb comes before the subject. In a request, Kun je ...? commonly means “Could you ...?” rather than asking only about physical ability. Example: Kun je me helpen? — “Could you help me?” controleren is the infinitive “to check” or “to verify.” It follows the modal verb kun and therefore remains in the infinitive. The same verb can be used for checking information or verifying a condition: Ik controleer de gegevens. — “I check the records.” echt is an adverb meaning “actually” or “really.” Here it emphasizes whether the scheduling is genuine or confirmed, rather than adding a separate action. Example: Is dat echt waar? — “Is that really true?” inspectie is the noun “inspection.” The phrase een inspectie uses the indefinite article een; here it introduces an inspection without stating a numeric count. The noun is commonly used with the definite article as de inspectie: De inspectie begint morgen. — “The inspection starts tomorrow.” gepland staat expresses a scheduled state. gepland is the past participle of plannen (“to plan”) and describes the inspection as scheduled. staat is the present-tense third-person singular form of staan (“to stand”); in this expression, staan helps describe something as being arranged or listed in a particular state. The words occur in the order gepland staat because this is a subordinate clause, introduced by of (“whether”), where the finite verb comes at the end. Example: De afspraak staat gepland. — “The appointment is scheduled.” Together, of er echt een inspectie gepland staat means “whether an inspection is actually scheduled.” Er is an existential subject-like word meaning roughly “there” in this construction, and een inspectie is the thing whose scheduled status is being checked. The full question asks someone to verify that status: “Could you check whether an inspection is actually scheduled?”

6. Ik controleer de gegevens en stuur je via het portaal een bericht.

   I will check the records and send you a message through the portal.

   controleer

   check

   gegevens

   records; data

   stuur

   send

   je

   you

   via

   through; via

   portaal

   portal

   bericht

   message

   More detail

   controleer is the first-person singular present form of controleren, “to check” or “to verify.” In this sentence, Ik controleer means “I check” and, in this context, naturally conveys a planned action: “I will check.” The same present form can also describe a current or habitual action; the surrounding meaning determines the time reference. gegevens means “data,” “details,” or “records.” It is the plural of gegeven (“piece of data,” “datum,” or “given fact”). Its plural form refers to multiple pieces or items of information; the exact number is not specified. For example: Ik controleer de gegevens. — “I check the data.” stuur is also a first-person singular present form, here from sturen, “to send.” It can mean “I send” or, with a planned action, “I will send.” Do not confuse this use with sturen meaning “to steer” in a driving or navigation context; the object een bericht makes the sending meaning clear. je is an informal object form meaning “you.” Here it is the recipient of the sending: Ik stuur je een bericht means “I send you a message.” This form does not by itself establish whether “you” is singular or plural; its grammatical role here comes from its position and relationship to stuur, not from a special object ending. via introduces the route or medium used to do something and means “through” or “via.” Here it identifies the channel through which the message is sent. For example: We sturen het via e-mail. — “We send it by email.” portaal means “portal.” With het, the phrase het portaal refers to the portal as a definite noun phrase. Dutch nouns with the article het are commonly called neuter nouns; that grammatical class is a property of the noun, not a statement about the portal itself. bericht means “message” or “notice.” In een bericht, the indefinite article presents it as a non-specified message; it does not by itself assert a numerical count as a teaching point. Een bericht sturen is a reusable pattern meaning “to send a message.” The sentence has the coordinated structure Ik controleer ... en stuur ...: “I check ... and send ...” The subject Ik applies to both verbs, so the second verb does not repeat it. de gegevens is what is checked, while je is the recipient and een bericht is what is sent. via het portaal gives the sending route. As a whole, the utterance means: “I will check the records and send you a message through the portal.”

7. Ik wil het liever weten voordat iemand terugkomt.

   I would rather know before anyone comes back.

   wil

   want

   liever

   rather

   weten

   know

   voordat

   before

   iemand

   anyone

   terugkomt

   comes back

   More detail

   wil is the first-person singular present form of willen (“to want”). With the subject Ik, Ik wil means “I want” and is followed here by the infinitive weten: Ik wil weten = “I want to know.” liever means “rather” or “preferably.” It expresses a preference, so Ik wil het liever weten means “I would rather know it.” The word liever is the comparative form associated with graag (“gladly”); it is used when one option is preferred over another, even when the alternative is not stated. weten is the infinitive “to know,” used for knowing information or a fact. Dutch also has kennen, used for being acquainted with a person or familiar with a place or work. For example: Ik weet het antwoord. — “I know the answer.” voordat is the conjunction “before.” It introduces the time clause voordat iemand terugkomt. In a Dutch subordinate clause introduced by voordat, the finite verb is placed at the end of the clause. iemand is an indefinite pronoun meaning “someone” or, in this context, “anyone.” It functions as the subject of the subordinate clause. Its grammatical number is singular, which is why the following verb has a third-person singular form. terugkomt comes from the verb terugkomen, “to come back” or “to return.” It is the present-tense third-person singular form used with iemand. In a main clause, the parts normally separate: Iemand komt terug. — “Someone comes back.” In the subordinate clause after voordat, the finite verb appears at the end and is written together here as terugkomt. Together, Ik wil het liever weten expresses the speaker’s preference to know the information, and voordat iemand terugkomt sets the time limit: “before anyone comes back.” The complete utterance means: “I would rather know before anyone comes back.”

8. Laat niemand binnen zolang het niet bevestigd is, tenzij je die persoon verwachtte.

   Until it is confirmed, do not let anyone in unless you were expecting them.

   Laat … binnen

   let ... in

   niemand

   no one

   zolang

   until / as long as

   niet

   not

   bevestigd

   confirmed

   tenzij

   unless

   die

   that

   persoon

   person

   verwachtte

   expected

   More detail

   Laat ... binnen is an imperative construction meaning “let ... in.” Laat is the imperative of laten; in this construction, the person or people being allowed in follows it, while binnen completes the separable verb phrase binnenlaten. The two parts are separated here by the object niemand. Example: Laat haar binnen. — “Let her in.” niemand means “no one” and functions as the object of laat. It is a negative pronoun, so the sentence prohibits letting any person in. It does not by itself state how many people are present. zolang introduces the condition or time span “as long as” and, in this context, is naturally rendered “until.” It connects the instruction to the subordinate clause het niet bevestigd is. Example: Blijf hier zolang ik weg ben. — “Stay here while I am away.” bevestigd is the past participle of bevestigen, “to confirm.” Here it appears with is in a passive construction: het is bevestigd means “it is confirmed.” The negation niet makes this “it is not confirmed.” The fixed sentence does not identify what het (“it”) refers to, so the explanation should retain that unspecified reference. tenzij introduces an exception and means “unless.” It sets a condition under which the preceding instruction does not apply. The clause after it is je die persoon verwachtte. die persoon means “that person.” Die is a demonstrative determiner agreeing with the singular common-gender noun persoon; it is not itself the verb or the source of the meaning “expected.” The particular person’s identity is supplied by the situation rather than by this sentence alone. Example: Ik ken die persoon. — “I know that person.” verwachtte is the past-tense singular form of verwachten, “to expect.” With the subject je, it means “you expected.” Dutch uses this past form for the expectation described in the exception; the fixed translation presents it as “you were expecting them.” Example: Je verwachtte een bezoeker. — “You were expecting a visitor.” Together, Laat niemand binnen gives the prohibition “do not let anyone in.” zolang het niet bevestigd is limits it to the period before the unspecified thing is confirmed, and tenzij je die persoon verwachtte adds the exception that the person you were expecting may be let in. The complete meaning is: “Until it is confirmed, do not let anyone in unless you were expecting them.”