Asking for clear information about dietary restrictions | Learn Dutch in English

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Use Asking for clear information about dietary restrictions to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Een van de gasten heeft een dieetbeperking, dus we hebben duidelijke informatie nodig voordat we bestellen.

ayn vahn duh KHAH-stun hayft uhn dee-AYT-buh-PAIR-king, doos vuh HAH-bun DOW-duh-luh in-for-MAH-tsi NOH-dikh vuh-DAHT vuh BESS-tuh-lun. One guest has a dietary restriction, so we need clear information before ordering.

We kunnen de ingrediënten opnoemen.

vuh KUN-nun duh ing-khreh-dee-ENT-un OP-noo-mun. We can list the ingredients.

Maar ik moet erbij zeggen dat de bereidingsruimtes gedeeld worden.

Mah-r ik moot er-BYE ZEGH-un daht duh buh-RY-dings-ROYM-tus khuh-DAYLT WOR-dun. But I should mention that the prep areas are shared.

Dat helpt; de gast kan zelf beslissen welk risiconiveau aanvaardbaar is.

Daht helpt; duh KHAHST kahn zelf buh-SLISS-un velk ree-see-khoh-nee-VOH ahn-VAHRT-bahr iss. That helps; the guest can decide what level of risk is acceptable.

Ik zal de keuken vragen om elk onderdeel te controleren in plaats van te gissen.

Ik zahl duh KUR-kun VRAH-khun om elk ON-dur-DAYL tuh khon-troh-LAY-run in PLAHTS vahn tuh KHISS-un. I'll ask the kitchen to check each component instead of guessing.

Noem de sauzen en toppings er ook bij, want die worden gemakkelijk over het hoofd gezien.

NOOM duh SOW-zun en TOP-pings er ook BYE, vahnt dee WOR-dun khuh-MAH-kuh-luk OH-vur ut HOHFT khuh-ZEEN. Please include sauces and toppings too, since those are easy to miss.

Ik zorg ervoor dat ze die afzonderlijk controleren.

Ik ZOR-kh er-VOOR daht zuh dee AHF-zon-dur-luk khon-troh-LAY-run. I'll make sure they check those separately.

Dan kan iedereen bestellen zonder druk op de gast uit te oefenen.

Dahn kahn EE-dur-ayn buh-SELL-un ZON-dur DRUHK op duh KHAHST OYT tuh OO-fuh-nun. Then everyone can order without putting pressure on the guest.

Zodra ik de details heb, kom ik terug om ze met jullie door te nemen.

ZOH-drah ik duh day-TAHYLS hep, kom ik tuh-RUKH om zuh met YUH-lee DOHR tuh NAY-mun. Once I have the details, I'll come back and walk you through them.

Word by Word

Een “Een” means “one” here, identifying one guest out of a larger group. In the reusable pattern “een van de gasten”, it means “one of the guests” and is followed by van.

van “van” means “of” in “Een van de gasten”, showing that the guest belongs to the larger group. A common pattern is “een van de” followed by a plural noun.

de “de” means “the” in “de gasten”, referring to the specific group of guests. It commonly comes before nouns such as “de gast” and “de keuken”.

gasten “gasten” means “guests” in this restaurant context. It is the plural form of “gast”; for example, “de gasten” refers to the guests as a group.

heeft “heeft” means “has” for the guest in “heeft een dieetbeperking”. It is used with a singular subject such as “de gast” or “een van de gasten”.

dieetbeperking “dieetbeperking” means “dietary restriction”, the restriction that affects what the guest can safely eat. It is useful when explaining food requirements to restaurant staff, as in “een dieetbeperking hebben”.

dus “dus” means “so” or “therefore”, linking the dietary restriction to the need for information. It can introduce a consequence, as in “..., dus we hebben ... nodig”.

we “we” means “we” and refers to the people arranging the order. It commonly appears as the subject before a verb, as in “we kunnen” or “we hebben”.

hebben In “we hebben duidelijke informatie nodig”, “hebben” helps express that the group needs clear information. The reusable pattern is “iets nodig hebben”, with the needed thing before “nodig”.

duidelijke “duidelijke” means “clear” and describes the information as easy to understand. It can be used before a noun, as in “duidelijke informatie” or “duidelijke afspraken” in a new example.

informatie “informatie” means “information” about the ingredients and preparation. A common pattern is “informatie over” followed by the topic, such as “informatie over ingrediënten” in a new example.

nodig “nodig” means “needed” in the expression “informatie nodig hebben”, which means “to need information”. It follows the object in this pattern: “we hebben informatie nodig”.

voordat “voordat” means “before” and introduces the action that must happen first in “voordat we bestellen”. It introduces a clause, commonly followed by a verb at the end of that clause, as in “voordat we vertrekken” in a new example.

bestellen “bestellen” means “to order” in the restaurant context. It can be used with a meal or item as its object, as in “een gerecht bestellen” in a new example.

kunnen “kunnen” means “can” or “be able to” and is followed here by the infinitive “opnoemen”. A common pattern is “we kunnen iets doen”, with the second verb at the end.

ingrediënten “ingrediënten” means “ingredients”, the individual substances used in the dishes. It is useful in questions such as “Welke ingrediënten zitten erin?” in a new example.

opnoemen “opnoemen” means “to list” or “to name one by one”, here referring to the ingredients. It can be used with a series of items, as in “de ingrediënten opnoemen”.

Maar “Maar” means “but” and introduces an important limitation about the shared preparation areas. It commonly connects two statements, as in “Maar ik moet ...”.

ik “ik” means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person who must mention the limitation. It is used as the subject before a finite verb, as in “ik moet” and “ik zorg”.

moet “moet” means “must” or “need to”, showing that the speaker considers the warning necessary. It is commonly followed by an infinitive, as in “ik moet zeggen”.

erbij In “erbij zeggen”, “erbij” means “in addition” or “along with it”, adding another point to what has already been said. The reusable expression “iets erbij zeggen” means to mention something additionally.

zeggen “zeggen” means “to say” or “to mention”; here it introduces the warning about the preparation areas. A common pattern is “zeggen dat ...”, followed by the information being stated.

dat “dat” means “that” and introduces the content of what the speaker must say. It commonly begins a clause after verbs such as “zeggen”, as in “Ik zeg dat ...” in a new example.

bereidingsruimtes “bereidingsruimtes” means “preparation areas”, the places where food is prepared. It is the plural of “bereidingsruimte” and can be used when discussing where food is made.

gedeeld “gedeeld” means “shared” in “gedeeld worden”, describing the preparation areas as used by more than one food-preparation process. The pattern “gedeeld worden” describes something that is shared.

worden In “gedeeld worden”, “worden” helps express that the preparation areas are shared. It is used with “gedeeld” in this passive construction, rather than carrying the full meaning alone.

helpt “helpt” means “helps” in “Dat helpt”, meaning that the information is useful to the guest. A common short response is “Dat helpt” when new information makes a decision easier.

gast “gast” means “guest”, here the person with the dietary restriction who must decide what risk is acceptable. It can be used with “de”, as in “de gast”.

kan “kan” means “can” and shows that the guest is able to make the decision personally. It is followed here by the infinitive “beslissen”, as in “kan beslissen”.

zelf “zelf” means “personally” or “themselves”, emphasizing that the guest makes the decision independently. It can be placed near the person being emphasized, as in “ik doe het zelf” in a new example.

beslissen “beslissen” means “to decide” about the acceptable level of risk. A common pattern is “beslissen over iets”, meaning to decide about something.

welk “welk” means “which” or “what” when selecting a particular option, here the acceptable risk level. It introduces the choice in “welk risiconiveau”.

risiconiveau “risiconiveau” means “level of risk”, referring to how much risk the guest considers acceptable. It is useful with words such as “aanvaardbaar”, as in “een aanvaardbaar risiconiveau” in a new example.

aanvaardbaar “aanvaardbaar” means “acceptable” in the guest’s assessment of the risk level. It describes something that can be accepted, as in “een aanvaardbaar niveau” in a new example.

is “is” means “is” and describes the risk level as acceptable in “aanvaardbaar is”. In this clause, it appears after the description and before the clause ends.

zal “zal” means “will” and presents the speaker’s intended future action in “Ik zal ...”. It commonly combines with an infinitive, as in “Ik zal het controleren” in a new example.

keuken “keuken” means “kitchen”; here it refers to the kitchen staff who will check the components. In a restaurant, “de keuken vragen” can mean asking the kitchen team to do something.

vragen “vragen” means “to ask”, here in the pattern of asking the kitchen to check something. A common structure is “iemand vragen om iets te doen”.

om In “vragen om elk onderdeel te controleren”, “om” introduces the requested action, meaning “to” or “in order to”. The reusable pattern is “iemand vragen om ... te + verb”.

elk “elk” means “each” or “every”, showing that the kitchen should check the components one by one. It is used before a singular noun, as in “elk onderdeel”.

onderdeel “onderdeel” means “component” or “part” of the dish. Here it identifies every individual element that needs checking, as in “elk onderdeel controleren”.

te “te” marks the infinitive in “te controleren”, completing the request after “vragen om”. A common pattern is “om iets te doen”, where te comes before the verb.

controleren “controleren” means “to check” or “to inspect” each component for relevant ingredients. It can take the item being checked directly, as in “een document controleren” in a new example.

in In “in plaats van te gissen”, “in” is part of the expression meaning “instead of”. The complete pattern is “in plaats van ...”, used to replace one action with another.

plaats In “in plaats van te gissen”, “plaats” is part of the fixed expression “in plaats van”, meaning “instead of”; it does not mean a physical place here. This expression is followed by a noun or an infinitive phrase, as in “in plaats van te wachten” in a new example.

gissen “gissen” means “to guess”, and here it is the action the kitchen should avoid. It appears in the pattern “in plaats van te gissen”, meaning “instead of guessing”.

Noem “Noem” means “name” or “list” as a direct request to include the sauces and toppings. It is the request form of “noemen”; a new example is “Noem alle ingrediënten.”

sauzen “sauzen” means “sauces”, including additional sauce ingredients that might affect the guest’s choice. It can be listed together with other food components, as in “sauzen en toppings”.

en “en” means “and” and joins “sauzen” with “toppings” in the list. It is used to connect items or clauses, as in “brood en salade” in a new example.

toppings “toppings” means “toppings”, the additional ingredients placed on top of a dish. It is useful when asking for every part of a meal, as in “de toppings controleren”.

er In “Noem de sauzen en toppings er ook bij”, “er” refers back to the sauces and toppings being added to the list. Together with “bij” in “erbij noemen”, it helps express including something additionally.

ook “ook” means “also” or “too”, adding sauces and toppings to the ingredients already being discussed. It can be placed before the additional item or expression, as in “ook de drank controleren” in a new example.

bij In “er ook bij”, “bij” contributes the idea of adding something along with what is already mentioned. The reusable expression “iets erbij noemen” means to mention or include something additionally.

want “want” means “because” or “since” and gives the reason for including sauces and toppings. It connects the reason directly to the statement, as in “Ik vraag het, want het is belangrijk” in a new example.

die “die” means “those” here and refers back to the sauces and toppings. It is used to avoid repeating those plural items, as in “Die worden apart gecontroleerd” in a new example.

gemakkelijk “gemakkelijk” means “easily” in “gemakkelijk over het hoofd gezien”, explaining that the sauces and toppings can be missed without much difficulty. It commonly modifies an action, as in “gemakkelijk vergeten” in a new example.

over het hoofd gezien The full expression “over het hoofd gezien” means “overlooked” or “missed”. In this expression, “over”, “het”, “hoofd”, and “gezien” are the exact components, but together they form an idiom rather than a literal description of seeing over a head. It is useful when something was unintentionally missed, as in “Een detail werd over het hoofd gezien” in a new example.

zorg In “Ik zorg ervoor dat ...”, “zorg” means “make sure” or “take care”, showing that the speaker will ensure the checking happens. The reusable pattern is “Ik zorg ervoor dat ...”, followed by the result being ensured.

ervoor In “Ik zorg ervoor dat ...”, “ervoor” refers to making sure that the stated result happens. Together with “zorg” and “dat”, it forms the common expression “ervoor zorgen dat ...”.

ze “ze” means “they” here and refers to the people who will check the sauces and toppings. It is used as the subject of “controleren”, as in “ze controleren het” in a new example.

afzonderlijk “afzonderlijk” means “separately”, indicating that the sauces and toppings will be checked apart from the other components. It can describe actions done one at a time or as separate items, as in “de documenten afzonderlijk controleren” in a new example.

Dan “Dan” means “then”, showing the result after the ingredients have been checked clearly. It can introduce the next consequence in a sequence, as in “Dan kunnen we beginnen” in a new example.

iedereen “iedereen” means “everyone”, referring to all members of the group. It can be used as the subject of a sentence, as in “Iedereen kan kiezen” in a new example.

zonder “zonder” means “without” and introduces the absence of pressure in “zonder druk ... uit te oefenen”. It can be followed by a noun or by “te” plus an infinitive, as in “zonder te wachten” in a new example.

druk “druk” means “pressure” in the expression “druk op de gast uitoefenen”. It is commonly used with “op” and a person who experiences the pressure.

op In “druk op de gast”, “op” links the pressure to the person affected by it. The reusable pattern is “druk op iemand uitoefenen”, meaning to put pressure on someone.

uit In “druk ... uit te oefenen”, “uit” is part of the separable verb “uitoefenen”, meaning “to exert”. Together with “oefenen”, it forms the expression “druk uitoefenen”.

oefenen In “uit te oefenen”, “oefenen” combines with “uit” to form “uitoefenen”, meaning “to exert”. The full pattern in this dialogue is “druk op iemand uitoefenen”, meaning to put pressure on someone.

Zodra “Zodra” means “once” or “as soon as” and introduces the condition that the details must be available first. A common pattern is “zodra ik ...”, followed by the action that happens immediately afterward.

details “details” means “details”, referring to the specific ingredient and preparation information. It can be used with “hebben”, as in “de details hebben” or “alle details kennen” in a new example.

heb “heb” means “have” in “ik de details heb”, referring to possessing or receiving the needed information. A common pattern is “ik heb de informatie” or “ik heb iets nodig”.

kom “kom” means “come” in “kom ik terug”, describing the speaker’s return to the group. It is commonly combined with “terug” in “terugkomen”, meaning to come back.

terug “terug” means “back” and completes “kom ... terug”, indicating a return to the people waiting. The reusable expression is “terugkomen”, as in “Ik kom later terug” in a new example.

met “met” means “with” in “ze met jullie door te nemen”, identifying the people who will review the details together. It commonly introduces the person or group involved in an activity.

jullie “jullie” means “you” or “you all”, referring to the group waiting for the details. It is used after “met” in “met jullie”, meaning “with you all”.

door In “door te nemen”, “door” is part of the expression meaning “to go through” or “review”. The reusable pattern is “iets met iemand doornemen”, meaning to review something with someone.

nemen In “door te nemen”, “nemen” combines with “door” to mean “go through” or “review”, not simply “take”. A common pattern is “iets met iemand doornemen”, as in reviewing information together.

Grammar Points

Scheidbare werkwoorden: terugkomen → kom ... terug

Ik kom terug.

ik KOM tuh-RUKH.

I come back.

Bij een gewone hoofdzin splitst het voorvoegsel zich af en staat het achteraan: kom ... terug.

te + scheidbaar werkwoord: doornemen → door te nemen

om details door te nemen

om day-TAHYLS DOHR tuh NAY-mun

to review details

Bij een te-infinitief komt te tussen het voorvoegsel en het werkwoord: door te nemen.

Dutch Vocabulary

bereidingsruimte noun

buh-RY-dings-ROYM-tuh preparation area bereidingsruimtes

De bereidingsruimtes gedeeld worden.

bestellen verb

buh-SELL-un to order

Voordat we bestellen.

delen verb

DAY-lun to share gedeeld

De bereidingsruimtes gedeeld worden.

dieetbeperking noun

dee-AYT-buh-PAIR-king dietary restriction

Een van de gasten heeft een dieetbeperking.

duidelijk adj

DOW-duh-luk clear duidelijke

We hebben duidelijke informatie nodig.

erbij zeggen phrase

er-BYE ZEGH-un to mention additionally

Ik moet erbij zeggen dat de bereidingsruimtes gedeeld worden.

gast noun

KHAHST guest gasten

Een van de gasten heeft een dieetbeperking.

helpen verb

HELP-un to help helpt

Dat helpt.

informatie noun

in-for-MAH-tsi information

We hebben duidelijke informatie nodig.

ingrediënt noun

ing-khreh-dee-ENT ingredient ingrediënten

We kunnen de ingrediënten opnoemen.

opnoemen verb

OP-noo-mun to list; to name

We kunnen de ingrediënten opnoemen.

zelf adv

ZELF oneself; personally

De gast kan zelf beslissen.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

We can list the ingredients.

Show Answer

We kunnen de ingrediënten opnoemen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

clear

Show Answer

duidelijke

ingredient

Show Answer

ingrediënten

guest

Show Answer

gasten

to order

Show Answer

bestellen