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

Sentence explanations

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

   One guest has a dietary restriction, so we need clear information before ordering.

   Een van de

   one of the

   gasten

   guests

   heeft

   has

   dieetbeperking

   dietary restriction

   dus

   so

   we hebben

   we have

   duidelijke

   clear

   informatie

   information

   nodig

   needed

   voordat

   before

   bestellen

   order

   More detail

   Een van de introduces one member of a larger group: een van de gasten means “one of the guests.” The noun after van de is plural (gasten), because the phrase refers to a group, but the selected member is singular. That is why the verb later is heeft, not a plural form. Reusable pattern: een van de + plural noun = “one of the …”. Example: Een van de kinderen slaapt. — “One of the children is sleeping.” gasten is the plural of gast, “guest.” The ending -en marks the plural here: een gast — “one guest”; twee gasten — “two guests.” heeft is the third-person singular present form of hebben, “to have.” In this sentence, the subject is the singular phrase een van de gasten, so heeft agrees with een, not with plural gasten. The useful present-tense contrast is ik heb, we hebben, hij/zij heeft. dieetbeperking is a compound noun meaning “dietary restriction.” It combines dieet (“diet”) and beperking (“restriction” or “limitation”), but it functions as one noun. Its plural is dieetbeperkingen. Example: Zij heeft een dieetbeperking. — “She has a dietary restriction.” dus links a reason or situation to its consequence and means “so” or “therefore.” Here it introduces the consequence of one guest having a dietary restriction. Example: Het regent, dus we blijven binnen. — “It is raining, so we are staying inside.” we hebben is the first-person plural present form of hebben. Together with nodig, it expresses “we need,” literally using the idea of having something necessary. The subject we is plural, so the form is hebben; compare ik heb — “I have” and zij hebben — “they have.” duidelijke is the form of the adjective duidelijk, “clear,” used before the noun informatie. In this position, the adjective takes -e: duidelijke informatie. The base form can stand after a linking verb: De informatie is duidelijk. — “The information is clear.” informatie means “information.” Dutch commonly uses it as a mass noun, so this sentence does not assert a number of separate pieces of information. A useful related expression is meer informatie — “more information.” Example: We zoeken informatie. — “We are looking for information.” nodig means “necessary” or “needed.” In the construction iets nodig hebben, it combines with hebben to mean “to need something”: We hebben duidelijke informatie nodig. — “We need clear information.” The object comes before nodig in this sentence, while nodig follows it. voordat is a conjunction meaning “before.” It introduces a clause, so the verb in that clause appears at the end: voordat we bestellen — “before we order.” This is different from using voor with a noun, as in voor het bestellen — “before the ordering.” bestellen is the infinitive “to order.” After voordat, the subject is we and the finite verb is placed at the end: voordat we bestellen. The same infinitive can be used in another context, for example We willen bestellen. — “We want to order.” Putting the parts together: Een van de gasten heeft een dieetbeperking says that one member of the guest group has a dietary restriction. dus introduces the result, we hebben duidelijke informatie nodig says that clear information is needed by the speaker’s group, and voordat we bestellen sets the time condition “before we order.” The complete meaning is: “One guest has a dietary restriction, so we need clear information before ordering.”

2. We kunnen de ingrediënten opnoemen.

   We can list the ingredients.

   We kunnen

   we can

   ingrediënten

   ingredients

   opnoemen

   list; name one by one

   More detail

   We kunnen means “we can.” We is the first-person plural subject: the speaker includes themself and at least one other person. Kunnen is the present-tense form used with we; here it is a modal verb, so the following verb stays in the infinitive. Compare ik kan (“I can”) and wij kunnen (“we can”). Example: We kunnen morgen komen. — “We can come tomorrow.” ingrediënten means “ingredients” here. Its singular base form is ingrediënt; ingrediënten is the plural. The diaeresis (trema) on ë shows that the vowel belongs to a separate syllable. In this sentence, the noun is the object of the action: it is what will be listed. Example: De ingrediënten staan op tafel. — “The ingredients are on the table.” opnoemen means “to list or name one by one.” It is an infinitive and follows the modal kunnen. This is a separable Dutch verb: in a finite clause, its parts can separate, as in We noemen de ingrediënten op. — “We list the ingredients.” The observed infinitive remains written as the single form opnoemen. Together, We kunnen + de ingrediënten + opnoemen gives “We can list the ingredients.” The sentence presents listing the ingredients as something the included group is able to do.

3. Maar ik moet erbij zeggen dat de bereidingsruimtes gedeeld worden.

   But I should mention that the prep areas are shared.

   Maar

   But

   moet

   must; should

   erbij zeggen

   mention; add

   bereidingsruimtes

   prep areas

   gedeeld worden

   be shared

   More detail

   Maar introduces a contrast with what came before: “but.” It connects this statement to the earlier information without changing the factual content of the clause that follows. moet is the present-tense singular form of moeten, used here with ik: ik moet. Although its basic meaning can be “must,” the fixed translation shows the softer intended sense “should” in this sentence. A useful contrast is ik moet gaan = “I must go” versus ik zou moeten gaan = “I should go.” erbij zeggen is a reusable Dutch expression meaning “to add” or “to mention” something in addition to what has already been said. Zeggen is the infinitive “to say”; erbij contributes the idea of adding it. In the finite clause, the modal is inflected and the expression remains at the end: ik moet erbij zeggen ... = “I should add ...”. bereidingsruimtes means “prep areas” here. It is the plural of bereidingsruimte; the plural ending is -s. The compound combines bereiding (“preparation”) with ruimte (“space” or “area”). The form refers to the areas themselves, not to a person preparing something. gedeeld worden forms a present passive construction. Gedeeld is the past participle of delen (“to share”); worden is the present-tense passive auxiliary. Dutch uses worden plus a past participle when the subject is affected by an ongoing or general action: De ruimtes worden gedeeld = “The areas are shared.” Because bereidingsruimtes is plural, the auxiliary is worden, not singular wordt. Together, ik moet erbij zeggen dat ... means “I should add that ...”. The dat clause supplies what is being added: de bereidingsruimtes gedeeld worden, “the prep areas are shared.” Thus the complete utterance is: “But I should mention that the prep areas are shared.”

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

   That helps; the guest can decide what level of risk is acceptable.

   Dat

   that

   helpt

   helps

   gast

   guest

   kan

   can

   zelf

   self; personally

   beslissen

   decide

   welk

   which

   risiconiveau

   risk level

   aanvaardbaar

   acceptable

   is

   is

   More detail

   Dat is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. In this exchange it points to the preceding situation that the preparation areas are shared, not to a newly named object. Dutch demonstratives also have forms such as dit (“this”) and die (“that/those”), but the choice depends on grammatical form and distance/context; do not treat dat as a general-purpose translation of every English “that.” helpt comes from helpen, “to help.” It is the present-tense form used with a singular third-person subject such as dat: dat helpt = “that helps.” The final -t is part of this present-tense form. Example: Deze uitleg helpt. — “This explanation helps.” gast means “guest.” Its useful base form is already gast; the plural is gasten. In this sentence it is the singular participant who has the ability to make the decision. Example: De gast wacht. — “The guest is waiting.” kan comes from the modal verb kunnen, “can; be able to.” With the singular subject de gast, the present form is kan; the infinitive that follows a modal remains unchanged: kan beslissen = “can decide.” Example: Zij kan helpen. — “She can help.” zelf adds emphasis to the participant: “personally,” “on their own,” or “themselves” in the sense of making the choice. Here it emphasizes that the guest is the one who decides, rather than someone else deciding for the guest. It is not the reflexive pronoun in this construction. Example: Hij kiest zelf. — “He chooses himself / He decides for himself,” with the exact English rendering depending on context. beslissen is the infinitive “to decide.” After the modal kan, Dutch uses this infinitive rather than a finite form: kan beslissen, not a second present-tense verb. The related noun beslissing means “decision,” but it is a different word and is not present in the fixed sentence. welk means “which” and introduces the selected option in welk risiconiveau ... is. It is the form used here because risiconiveau is a singular neuter het-word: het risiconiveau, so the matching form is welk. The related plural form is welke, as in welke opties (“which options”). Example: Welk niveau kies je? — “Which level do you choose?” risiconiveau is the compound noun “risk level.” Its parts are risico (“risk”) and niveau (“level”), but the complete compound is the noun used here. Its plural is risiconiveaus. Example: We bespreken het risiconiveau. — “We are discussing the risk level.” aanvaardbaar means “acceptable,” in the sense of meeting the relevant standard or being acceptable to the person making the decision. It is an adjective in the predicate aanvaardbaar is; it does not itself carry the tense here. The related verb aanvaarden means “to accept,” but that is a separate form. Example: Dat risico is aanvaardbaar. — “That risk is acceptable.” is is the present-tense singular form of zijn, “to be.” It links het risiconiveau to the predicate adjective aanvaardbaar: “the risk level is acceptable.” With a plural subject, the present form is zijn, as in De niveaus zijn aanvaardbaar — “The levels are acceptable.” Together, Dat helpt says “That helps.” After the semicolon, de gast kan zelf beslissen says that the guest personally has the ability to decide. The embedded question welk risiconiveau aanvaardbaar is specifies what the guest decides: which risk level is acceptable. The complete meaning is: “That helps; the guest can decide what level of risk is acceptable.”

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

   I'll ask the kitchen to check each component instead of guessing.

   Ik zal

   I will

   keuken

   kitchen

   vragen

   ask

   elk

   each

   onderdeel

   component

   te controleren

   to check

   in plaats van

   instead of

   te gissen

   to guess

   More detail

   Ik zal combines the first-person pronoun Ik (“I”) with zal, the first-person singular form of zullen (“will/shall”). In this sentence, zal marks a future action; the action itself appears later as the infinitive vragen. Example: Ik zal morgen bellen. — “I will call tomorrow.” keuken means “kitchen” here. The noun is a de-word: de keuken. Its plural is keukens (“kitchens”). In the fixed sentence, it is the entity the speaker will ask; the sentence does not require it to mean only a physical room. vragen is the infinitive “to ask.” After a form of zullen, Dutch uses the infinitive: Ik zal vragen — “I will ask.” A useful pattern is iemand vragen om iets te doen (“to ask someone or an entity to do something”); here, de keuken fills the entity being asked. elk means “each” or “every” in the sense of considering items individually. It normally modifies a singular countable noun, as in elk onderdeel; it does not by itself assert a particular numerical count. Compare alle onderdelen — “all components,” with the plural noun. onderdeel means “component,” “part,” or “item” here. Its plural is onderdelen: elk onderdeel — “each component”; alle onderdelen — “all components.” In this sentence, it is the object of the checking action. te controleren is te plus the infinitive controleren, “to check.” The construction om ... te controleren introduces what the kitchen is being asked to do: de keuken vragen om elk onderdeel te controleren — “to ask the kitchen to check each component.” Example: Zij probeert het formulier te controleren. — “She tries to check the form.” in plaats van is a reusable construction meaning “instead of.” It contrasts the chosen action with an alternative. When the alternative has the same understood subject, Dutch commonly uses in plaats van te plus an infinitive, as in in plaats van te wachten — “instead of waiting.” te gissen is te plus the infinitive gissen, “to guess” or “to speculate.” The infinitive is used because it follows in plaats van te. In this sentence, the alternative being rejected is guessing rather than checking. Example: Lees de instructies in plaats van te gissen. — “Read the instructions instead of guessing.” Together, Ik zal de keuken vragen says “I will ask the kitchen,” om elk onderdeel te controleren specifies the requested action, and in plaats van te gissen contrasts checking with guessing. The complete meaning is: “I’ll ask the kitchen to check each component instead of guessing.”

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

   Please include sauces and toppings too, since those are easy to miss.

   Noem

   mention; include

   sauzen

   sauces

   toppings

   toppings

   er ook bij

   too; as well

   die

   those

   gemakkelijk

   easily

   worden … over het hoofd gezien

   are overlooked

   More detail

   Noem is the imperative of noemen, “to name” or “to mention.” Here it is a direct request: “Mention/include ...”. The infinitive is noemen; the imperative singular uses the bare form noem. Example: Noem alle ingrediënten. — “Mention all the ingredients.” Sauzen means “sauces.” It is the plural of saus; the plural ending is -en. Example: De sauzen staan apart. — “The sauces are listed separately.” Toppings means “toppings.” This borrowed noun is used here in its plural form, referring to additions placed on food. The sentence treats sauzen and toppings as the items to be included. Er ... bij is a discontinuous Dutch pattern used with a verb such as noemen to add something to a list or mention it as included. In Noem ... er ook bij, ook adds the meaning “too/as well.” Example: Noem de drankjes er ook bij. — “Include the drinks too.” Die means “those” here and refers to the sauces and toppings just mentioned. Dutch die can function as a demonstrative or as a relative pronoun; in this sentence it introduces the clause describing those items. Its plural form matches the plural group, while the exact referents are supplied by the preceding noun phrase. Gemakkelijk means “easily” or, in this context, “easy to.” It is an adverb modifying the passive expression that follows. Example: Deze stap wordt gemakkelijk vergeten. — “This step is easily forgotten.” Worden ... over het hoofd gezien is a present passive construction. Worden is the plural present form of worden, used here as the passive auxiliary; gezien is the past participle of zien (“to see”). Iets over het hoofd zien is the idiomatic expression “to overlook something,” literally “to see something over the head.” With plural die, the passive auxiliary is worden: Die worden over het hoofd gezien — “Those are overlooked.” Taken together, Noem de sauzen en toppings er ook bij asks the listener to include sauces and toppings in the items being mentioned. Want means “because/since,” and die worden gemakkelijk over het hoofd gezien gives the reason: those items are easy to overlook. The complete meaning is: “Please include sauces and toppings too, since those are easy to miss.”

7. Ik zorg ervoor dat ze die afzonderlijk controleren.

   I'll make sure they check those separately.

   Ik zorg ervoor dat

   I make sure that

   ze

   they

   die

   those

   afzonderlijk

   separately

   controleren

   check

   More detail

   Ik zorg ervoor dat combines ik (“I”) with zorg, the first-person singular present form of zorgen, and ervoor dat, which introduces the content of what the speaker will ensure. In this utterance, the present-tense form expresses the speaker’s commitment about the checking, matching “I’ll make sure that.” This is a reusable pattern: Ik zorg ervoor dat ... = “I’ll make sure that ...”. ze is the third-person plural subject pronoun here, meaning “they.” Its position as the subject of controleren identifies the people doing that action. Dutch ze can also be an unstressed form meaning “them” in an object position, so its role depends on the sentence structure. die is a plural demonstrative pronoun meaning “those.” It is the object of controleren and refers to the plural items indicated by the fixed meaning and context. The form itself does not name those items. Dutch die is also used with singular common-gender nouns, but here the intended meaning “those” makes it plural. afzonderlijk is an adverb meaning “separately.” It describes how the checking is done. The same form can also function as an adjective in other contexts; here it modifies the action, not a noun. controleren means “check” here. In this subordinate clause, it is the present-tense finite form for the plural subject ze; it has the same spelling as the infinitive “to check.” After dat, the finite verb appears at the end of the subordinate clause: ze die afzonderlijk controleren (“they check those separately”). Together, Ik zorg ervoor dat introduces the action the speaker will ensure, ze identifies its subject, die its plural object, and afzonderlijk specifies the manner. The whole utterance means: “I’ll make sure they check those separately.”

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

   Then everyone can order without putting pressure on the guest.

   Dan

   then

   kan iedereen

   everyone can

   bestellen

   order

   zonder

   without

   druk

   pressure

   gast

   guest

   uit te oefenen

   exert

   More detail

   Dan means “then” here, linking this statement to the situation already under discussion. It can also refer to a later point in time; the fixed translation supports the linking “then” meaning here. kan iedereen expresses “everyone can.” Kan is the present-tense form of kunnen for singular subjects. Iedereen means “everyone” and is grammatically singular, so Dutch uses kan, not kunnen, even though the meaning refers to multiple people. The modal verb is followed by an infinitive: iedereen kan bestellen = “everyone can order.” bestellen is the infinitive “to order.” With a modal verb, the infinitive remains at the end of this clause. The sentence does not specify what is being ordered; the same verb can be used for food, products, or services when the context identifies the item. zonder means “without.” A useful Dutch pattern is zonder te + infinitive when the omitted action has the same understood subject as the main action. Here, everyone can order without that same group exerting pressure. druk means “pressure.” In druk op iemand uitoefenen, Dutch uses druk with op to express pressure directed at someone: literally, pressure “on” someone. De gast means “the guest”; gast is a common de-word, with plural gasten. uit te oefenen comes from the separable verb uitoefenen, “to exert” or “to exercise” an influence, pressure, or right. In the te-infinitive, the separable part and te appear as uit te oefenen. Compare the ordinary present form: Ze oefenen druk uit = “They exert pressure.” Together, zonder druk op de gast uit te oefenen means “without putting pressure on the guest.” The full structure is Dan + iedereen kan bestellen + zonder ... te oefenen: “Then everyone can order without exerting pressure on the guest.”

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

   Once I have the details, I'll come back and walk you through them.

   Zodra

   once; as soon as

   details

   details

   heb

   have

   kom ik terug

   come back

   ze

   them

   jullie

   you (plural)

   door te nemen

   to go through; to review

   More detail

   Zodra introduces a time condition: “once” or “as soon as.” It presents the next event as happening when the condition is fulfilled. Example: Zodra hij klaar is, beginnen we. — “As soon as he is ready, we’ll begin.” details is the plural noun “details.” The form is the same for singular and plural in this word; the article distinguishes them: het detail is “the detail,” while de details is “the details.” Here, de is outside the selected quote and marks the plural noun phrase. heb is the first-person singular present form of hebben, “to have”: ik heb — “I have.” In the subordinate clause introduced by zodra, the finite verb comes after the subject/object material, so Dutch places heb at the end of de details heb. This gives the reusable pattern zodra + clause — “once/as soon as …”. kom ik terug means “I come back” or, in this future-oriented context, “I’ll come back.” kom is the first-person singular present form of komen, “to come,” and terug adds the meaning “back.” After the initial zodra clause, the main clause begins with the verb: Zodra ..., kom ik ... This verb–subject order is normal when another clause comes first. Example: Na het werk kom ik terug. — “After work, I come back.” ze is the object pronoun “them” here. The fixed translation identifies its referent as the details, so it is plural in meaning and receives the action of reviewing. Dutch ze can also have other grammatical roles in other sentences, but here it is the unstressed plural object pronoun. jullie means “you” when addressing more than one person. It does not itself show whether the group is the subject or object; its role is clear here from met, which means “with”: the speaker will review the details with the people addressed. For one person, Dutch commonly uses jou in an informal object context or u in a formal context, but those are not replacements for plural jullie here. door te nemen is the infinitive construction “to go through” or “to review.” It comes from the verb doornemen, whose infinitive is split around te: door te nemen. In this sentence, ze met jullie door te nemen means “to go through them with you.” The construction om ... te expresses purpose after terugkomen: the speaker comes back in order to review the details. Example: Ik bel om het plan door te nemen. — “I’m calling to go through the plan.” Together, Zodra ik de details heb means “Once I have the details.” The main clause kom ik terug means “I’ll come back,” and om ze met jullie door te nemen gives the purpose: “to go through them with you.” The whole utterance therefore means: “Once I have the details, I’ll come back and walk you through them.”