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Lesson 14 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

The Future Tense - Word Order: Secondary Verbs, More Questions, Commands and Suggestions - Outdoors - The Neighborhood - The Metric System

Listen
The Future Tense
Word Order
Outdoors Vocabulary
The Neighborhood
The Metric System
more from Multatuli click to hear 2 Max Havelaar click to hear
Silly Mr Droogstoppel complaining about poetry and the theatre (previous Multatuli fragments: 3 - 2 - 1)
(The 'poetry' examples are not translated literally) (De voorbeelden van dichtkunst zijn niet erg letterlijk vertaald)
I have nothing against poetry in itself. If you want to organize your words, that's fine with me. But do not say anything that is not true. Ik heb niets tegen verzen op-zichzelf. Wil men de woorden in het gelid zetten, goed! Maar zeg niets wat niet waar is. click to hear
The weather is fine and the clock says nine. I can accept that if the weather is really fine and it's really nine o'clock. 'De lucht is guur, en 't is vier uur.' Dit laat ik gelden, als 't werkelyk guur en vier uur is. click to hear
But if it's a quarter to three, I, who doesn't have to order his words that carefully, can say: 'The weather is fine and it's a quarter to three.' Maar als 't kwartier voor drieën is, kan ik, die myn woorden niet in 't gelid zet, zeggen: 'de lucht is guur en 't is kwartier voor drieën.' click to hear 2
The fine weather forces the versifier to the hour of nine; any other hour the weather can't be fine. De verzenmaker is door de guurheid van de eerste regel aan een vol uur gebonden. Het moet voor hem juist een, twee uur, enz. wezen, of de lucht mag niet guur zijn. click to hear
Seven and eleven are not allowed because of the poem's metre. There he starts fiddling! Either the weather has to change, or the time. Then, one of them is a lie. Zeven en negen is verboden door de maat. Daar gaat hy dan aan 't knoeien! Of 't weêr moet veranderd, òf de tyd. Eén van beide is dan gelogen. click to hear 2

It's not only poetry that makes youth stray from truth. Go visit a theatre, and listen to the kind of lies told there. En niet alleen die verzen lokken de jeugd tot onwaarheid. Ga eens in de schouwburg, en luister dáár wat er voor leugens aan de man worden gebracht. click to hear
The hero of the piece falls into the water and is rescued by a person about to go bankrupt; he then gives him half his fortune. That cannot be true. De held van 't stuk wordt uit het water gehaald door iemand die op 't punt staat bankroet te maken. Dan geeft hy hem zyn halve vermogen. Dat kan niet waar zyn. click to hear
When my hat was blown - Frits says blowed - into the Prinsengracht sometime ago, I gave a dime to the man who brought it back to me, and he was content. Toen onlangs op de Prinsengracht myn hoed te-water woei - Frits zegt: waaide - heb ik de man die hem my terugbracht een dubbeltje gegeven, en hy was tevreden. click to hear
Of course I should have given a little more if he had picked up my person from the water, but certainly not half of my property. Ik weet wel dat ik iets meer had moeten geven als hy myzelf er uit gehaald had, maar zeker myn halve vermogen niet. click to hear
For it's clear that in that way you'll be a beggar when you fall into the water twice. 't Is immers duidelyk dat men op die wys maar tweemaal in 't water hoeft te vallen om doodarm te wezen. click to hear
And the worst thing with such spectacles on the stage is that the audience gets so used to those falsehoods that they're appreciated and applauded. Wat het ergste is by zulke vertoningen op het toneel, het publiek gewent zich zó aan al die onwaarheden, dat het ze mooi vindt en toejuicht. click to hear 2
I have felt the urge to throw a section of the theatre into the water, to see who was really serious about the applauding. Ik had wel eens lust zo'n heel parterre in 't water te gooien, om te zien wie dat toejuichen gemeend had. click to hear 2
As a truthful man, I want it to be known that I'm not going to pay such a high rescue fee for getting my person out of the water Ik, die van waarheid houd, waarschuw ieder dat ik voor 't opvissen van myn persoon geen zo hoog bergloon betalen wil. click to hear
If a small gratuity is not enough for you, leave me there. Only on Sundays I would give a little more, because I'm wearing my special watch-chain and formal suit. Wie met minder niet tevreden is, mag me laten liggen. Alleen zondags zou ik iets meer geven, omdat ik dan myn kantilje ketting draag, en een andere rok. click to hear

The Future Tense

The Future Tense
The Conditional Tense
Other 'Future' Verbs

The Future Tense

The future tense uses the auxiliary verb 'zullen' with a verb inifinive, for example: ik zal schrijven click to hear 2 "I'll write"

Simple Future Question Mode Conditional Tense ('Future Past')
ik zal
jij zult
hij zal
wij zullen
jullie zullen
zij zullen
U zult
click to hear
(I will/shall)
(you will)
(he will)
(we will/shall)
(you will)
(they will)
(you will)

zal ik?
zul jij?
zal hij?
zullen wij?
zullen jullie?
zullen zij?
zult U?
click to hear
(will/shall I?)
(will you?)
(will he?)
(will/shall we?)
(will you?)
(will they?)
(will you?)

ik zou
jij zou
hij zou
wij zouden
jullie zouden
zij zouden
U zou
click to hear
(I would)
(you would)
(he would)
(we would)
(you would)
(they would)
(you would)

(you - singular, informal)


(you - plural, informal)

(you - polite)
'Jij zal' click to hear 2 and 'zal jij?' click to hear are acceptable variations.
ik zal opschieten click to hear 2 I'll hurry, I'll try to be quick
we zullen wel zien click to hear 2 we'll see
zullen we gaan zwemmen? click to hear shall we go [swimming] for a swim?
zullen we naar de film gaan? click to hear slow shall we go [to the movie] see a movie?
't zal wel meevallen click to hear 2 3 it will not be as bad as could be
ik zal 't niet vergeten click to hear 2 3 I will not (won't) forget it
je zult er geen spijt van krijgen click to hear 2 you will not regret it
't zal niet gemakkelijk zijn click to hear 2 it will not be easy
wie zal dat betalen? click to hear 2 who's going to pay for that?

The Conditional Tense

The "past" tense of zullen is used for hypothetical situations, questions with an uncertain outcome, and in polite address.
English uses "wouldn't" and "shouldn't."
als ik jou was zou ik niet gaan click to hear if I were you I wouldn't go
ik zou niet gaan click to hear 2 (if I were you, in your situation) I wouldn't go
zou 't lukken? click to hear 2 will it succeed? (the outcome is questionable)
zou 't gaan regenen? click to hear will it rain? (is there a chance of rain?)
't zou kunnen zijn dat ... click to hear 2 it could be that ...
we zouden gaan fietsen, maar 't begon te regenen click to hear we were going to ride our bikes, but it started to rain
wat zou U aanraden? click to hear 2 what would you recommend? (asking a waiter or chef)
wat zou er gebeuren? click to hear 2 what would happen?
zou U dat nog eens willen zeggen? click to hear 2 would you mind saying that [once more] again?
niet wat je zou verwachten click to hear not what you would expect
Stel je voor dat er geen auto's zouden zijn! click to hear 2 Imagine that there would be no cars!
You could also say:
Stel je voor dat er geen auto's waren! click to hear 2 Imagine that there were no cars.

Other 'Future' Verbs

Like in English, verbs of motion, especially gaan click to hear >> ('to go') can also be used as an informal future tense:
ik ga naar huis click to hear I'm going home
hij gaat naar Rotterdam click to hear 2 he's going to Rotterdam
morgen gaat hij naar Den Haag click to hear 2 he'll go to The Hague tomorrow
ik ga een dutje doen click to hear slow I'm going to take a nap
als de dagen lengen, gaan de nachten strengen click to hear as the days get longer, the nights will get more severe (i.e. colder)
morgen gaan we lijnen click to hear tomorrow we'll start dieting
ze wilde gaan zwemmen click to hear 2 3 she [had wanted to] was planning to go swimming
hij vertrekt morgen naar Afrika click to hear he is leaving for Africa tomorrow

<< previous - verbs central - next >>

Word Order (3)

Verbs at The End of The Sentence
More Questions

Query Words
Commands, Orders and Suggestions
Specifying Time and Place
Negative Statements

Verbs at The End of The Sentence

Dutch is notorious for putting some of the verbs at the end of the sentence. It makes live translation difficult,
because the interpreter has to wait for the speaker to get to the end of the sentence.
Simple sentences have just one verb. It is called the 'working verb.' The 'working verb' changes with the subject: I am, you are, he is.
In Dutch, the verbs that are not the 'working verb,' like the past participle of the perfect tense, or other verb forms like infinitives
are usually put at the end of the sentence.

subject working verb (object) (complement) other verbs

Hij gaat het proberen. click to hear He's going to try [it.]
Ik had teveel gegeten. click to hear I had eaten too much. (I had had too much to eat.)
We hebben de oorlog gewonnen. click to hear We have won the war.
Ik heb het raam opengedaan. click to hear I [have] opened the window.
Ik heb een nieuwe fiets gekocht. click to hear I've bought a new bicycle.
Hij heeft veel prijzen gekregen. click to hear He has received many awards.
Je hebt gelijk gekregen. click to hear (It turned out) you were right.
ik was 't helemaal vergeten. click to hear I had forgotten all about it
Ik heb al m'n boeken verkocht. click to hear 2 I have sold all my books.
Ik heb al m'n gereedschap weggegeven. click to hear I have given away all my tools.
Het brood is niet goed gerezen. click to hear 2 The bread didn't rise properly.
Jan heeft Piet een boek gegeven. click to hear Jan has given Piet a book.
Jan heeft een boek aan Piet gegeven. click to hear 2 Jan has given a book to Piet.
Je kunt nog even blijven liggen. click to hear slow You can [remain lying down] stay in bed for a little longer.
Ik had willen blijven liggen. click to hear 2 3 I would have liked to [remain lying down] stay in bed.
't Had erger kunnen zijn. click to hear 2 It could have been worse.
Ik wil niks verloren laten gaan. click to hear 2 [I want nothing go to get lost] - I don't want anything to go to waste.
Ik heb een paar jaar pianoles gehad. click to hear I have had piano lessons for a [couple of] few years.
Maar ik had beter gitaar kunnen leren spelen. click to hear But it would have been better to have learned [how] to play the guitar.
Ik had geschiedenis moeten gaan studeren. click to hear I should have studied history (in college, at the university.)
Ik heb moeten leren improviseren. click to hear 2 I've had to learn [to improvise] improvisation.

Activities phrases: verbs with nouns or adverbs

Dutch and English have phrases consisting of a verb with a noun or an adverb that describe specific activities like brushing teeth, washing hands etc. In English the verb comes first, and it's often a present participle - in Dutch the verb comes last, and Dutch uses the verb infinitive. Maybe the English phrase figure is derived from the continuous ('I was brushing teeth, I am writing a letter.') The Dutch present participle is unusual.
the Dutch present participle - a Dutch Continuous

A few examples:

handen wassen click to hear washing hands
haar wassen click to hear washing hair
haar knippen click to hear cutting hair
tanden poetsen click to hear brushing teeth
schoenen poetsen click to hear 2 3 shining shoes
voeten vegen click to hear 2 3 4 wiping feet
woordjes leren click to hear learning words
'n brief schrijven click to hear writing a letter (mail)
brood snijden click to
  hear slicing bread
kaas schaven click to hear 2 slicing cheese
aardappels schillen click to hear 2 peeling potatoes
brood smeren click to hear 2 preparing sandwiches
haring eten click to hear eating herring ‑>>
snijbonen snijden click to hear cutting Italian beans
paprika's bakken click to hear sautéing bell peppers
koffie zetten click to hear 2 brewing coffee ‑>>

Also in Resolutions:

Aardig zijn click to hear Be kind
Minder vloeken click to hear Curse less
Nederlands leren click to hear Learn Dutch
Gezond eten click to hear Eat [healthily] wholesome food
Veel fietsen click to hear Bike often
Rustig rijden click to hear Drive calmly

More Questions

In questions, the working verb comes first, and second and third verbs go to the end of the line.

working verb subject (object) (complement) (other verbs)

Heb je genoeg gedronken? click to hear 2 Did you drink enough?
Heb je lekker gegeten? click to hear Did you eat well, did you enjoy your meal?
Heb je teveel gegeten? click to hear 2 Did you eat too much?
Heb je lekker geslapen? click to hear 2 Did you sleep well?
Heb je 't leuk gehad? click to hear Did you enjoy yourself, did you have a good time?
Gaat 't regenen? click to hear Is it going to rain?
Gaat 't hard regenen? click to hear Is it going to rain hard?
Gaat 't morgen regenen? click to hear 2 Is it going to rain tomorrow?
Gaat 't morgen hard regenen? click to hear Is it going to rain hard tomorrow?
Heeft 't gisteren geregend? click to hear Did it rain yesterday?
Heeft 't gisteren hard geregend? click to hear Did it rain hard yesterday?
Regende 't gisteren? click to hear Did it rain yesterday?
Regende 't gisteren hard? click to hear Did it rain hard yesterday?
Schijnt de zon of regent het? click to hear Does the sun shine or is it raining?
Ben je gek geworden? click to hear [Have you gone crazy?] Are you out of your mind?
Ben je helemaal gek geworden? click to hear [Have you gone completely crazy?] You must be out of your mind

Query Words

Query Words Wie
click to hear 2
(Who)
Wat
click to hear
(What)
Waar
click to hear
(Where)
Wanneer
click to hear
(When)
Hoe
click to hear
(How)
Waarom
click to hear 2
(Why)
wie - wat - waar click to hear 2 who - what - where wanneer - hoe - waarom click to hear 2 when - how - why

query word working verb subject (object) (complement) (other verbs)

Wie is de mooiste in het land? click to hear
Sneeuwwitje is de mooiste in het land. click to hear
Who is the prettiest in the land?
Snow White is the prettiest in the land.
Wie heeft de wedstrijd gewonnen? click to hear Who has won the match?
Wie heeft de verkiezingen gewonnen? click
to hear Who has won the elections?
You'll notice that Dutchmen often insert the almost meaningless er ('a less specific there'), for instance in short sentences with 'wie';
but it's not wrong to leave it out, my dear students.
Wie heeft gewonnen? click to hear
Wie heeft er gewonnen? click to hear
Who has won?
Who has won?
Wie heeft hier de leiding? click to hear
Wie heeft er hier de leiding? click to
  hear
De Vries is de baas. click to hear
Who's in charge here?
Who's in charge here?
DeVries is the boss.
Wat is dat? click to hear
Het is een bidsprinkhaan. click to hear
What's that?
It's a praying [grasshopper] mantis.
Wat zegt U? click to hear 2 What [do] did you say? (polite)
Wat wil je weten? click to hear What would you like to know? (What information do you need?)
Wat wil je horen? click to hear What would you like to hear? (Choose music)
Wat is er aan de hand? click to hear What's [~on hand] going on?
Wat is dat voor 'n auto? click to hear 2
Het is een Daf. click to hear
Het is een Spijker. click to hear
What [kind of] car is that?
It's a 'Daf.'
It's a 'Spijker.'
The 'Daf' click to hear 2 was a Dutch car brand of the 1950s and 60s, later bought by Volvo (the Volvo 343 would have been the Daf 77) - van Doorne's AutomobielFabriek click to hear 2.
The 'Spijker' click to hear (also written as 'Spyker') was a Dutch car of the early days of the automobile ('spijker' is a carpentry nail.).
Waar is de uitgang? click to hear
Hier is de ingang. click to hear
De uitgang is daar. click to hear
Where is the exit?
The entry is here.
The exit is (over) there.
Waar gaat 't regenen? click to hear Where is it going to rain?
Waar blijft de tijd? click to hear 2 3 Where does the time go?
Wanneer kom je thuis? click to hear When are you coming home?
Wanneer is hij jarig? click to hear When is his birthday? [Where is his birthday suit?]
Hoe lang ben je? click to hear How tall are you?
Hoe is het weer? click to hear 2 How is the weather?
Hoe heb je dat gedaan? click to hear How did you do that?
Hoe is 't afgelopen? click to hear
Hoe zal 't aflopen? click to hear
How did it end?
How will it end?
Waarom ben je boos? click to hear Why are you angry?
Waarom zijn de bananen krom? click to hear 2 Why are bananas not straight? (a rhetorical question)

Commands, Orders and Suggestions (The Imperative)

(De) gebiedende wijs click to hear 2 3 ('imperative')
In commands, orders, instructions and suggestions (the imperative mode), very much like in English, there is no subject, and these sentences usually start with the verb.
The verb stem is the imperative - it is only very rarely used in the plural.
the verb stem

working verb (time) (place) (object) (complement) (other verbs)

Zwijg! click to hear 2 Be silent! (Don't speak! Shut up!)
Vertel! click to hear Tell us! (or: me)
Luister! click to hear 2 Listen!
Hoor! click to hear Hear!
Beken! click to hear 2 3 Confess!
Kom terug! click to hear 2 Come back!
Haal diep adem. click to hear 2 Take a deep breath.
Verroer je niet! click to hear Don't move ('yourself')! Freeze!
Neem de tweede weg rechts. click to hear Take the second road to the right.
Zorg dat je op tijd bent. click to hear Take care [that you are] to be in time
Schrijf je naam op een papiertje. click to hear Write down your name on a piece of paper.
Vergeet je telefoonnummer niet. click to hear Don't forget (to write down) your phone number.
Kook de aardappels zeventien minuten. click to hear Boil the potatoes for 17 minutes.
Ga meteen je huiswerk maken. click to hear Do your homework right away.
(Je moet stil zijn. click to hear You have to be quiet.)
Moet je niet doen! click to hear [Don't do that!] Not a good idea to do that.
Moet kunnen! click to hear 2 It should be possible, it ought to be allowed.
Hou er onmiddelijk mee op! click to hear 2 Stop that right away!
Ga direct naar huis! click to hear 2 Go home immediately!
Doe alsjeblieft de deur dicht! click to hear 2 Please close the door!
Geef 't goede voorbeeld. click to hear [Give] Set the right example
Let maar niet op mij. click to hear 2 Now don't pay attention to me.
Zeg nooit nooit click to hear 2 3 Never say never
Zeg het voort click to hear 2 [Say it forth] - Pass it on (a message)
Zegt het voort click to hear 2 Pass it on (a message) - addressing a crowd
Gaat heen en vermenigvuldigt U click to hear 2 Go forth and multiply

Specifying Time and Place

Time and place are usually put right after the working verb, time usually before place. Occasionally, place is put after the secondary verbs: I'll give some examples of that but the regular sequence is just as good, don't see it as an extra rule.

subject working verb (time) (place) (object) (complement) (other verbs)

Het regende gisteren. click to hear Yesterday it rained.
Ik heb thuis gegeten. click to hear I [have eaten] had dinner at home.
Ik was gisteren ziek. click to hear I was sick yesterday.
Ik ga morgen bij m'n moeder eten. click to hear I'll have dinner at my mother's tomorrow.
Ik was gisteren bij de tandarts. click to hear I was at the dentist yesterday.
Ik ga morgen naar de kapper. click to hear I'm going to [the barber] get a haircut tomorrow.
We gaan morgen voetballen. click to hear We'll play soccer tomorrow.
We gaan overmorgen op reis. click to hear We will [go on a journey] travel the day after tomorrow.
Ik had je gisteren willen waarschuwen. click to hear 2 I had wanted to warn you yesterday
Ik ga morgen in Ede een huis verven. click to hear Tomorrow I'm going to paint a house in Ede.
Ik ga overmorgen in Barneveld een schuur bouwen. click to hear The day after tomorrow I'm going to build a shed in Barneveld.
Ik ga overmorgen een schuur bouwen in Barneveld. click to hear The day after tomorrow I'm going to build a shed in Barneveld.
Het heeft gisteren in Nederland geregend. click to hear Yesterday it rained in Holland.
Het heeft gisteren geregend in Nederland. click to hear 2 Yesterday it rained in Holland.
Het heeft gisteren in Nederland hard geregend. click to hear Yesterday it rained hard in Holland.
Hij heeft gisteren in Almelo een fiets gekocht. click to hear He's bought a bike in Almelo yesterday.
Ze heeft gisteren een auto gekocht in Hoenderloo. click to hear 2 3 She's bought a car in Hoenderloo yesterday.
Jan heeft gisteren op het voetbalveld z'n been gebroken. click to hear John has broken [his] a leg on the soccer field yesterday.

Time and/or place can also be the first words of a sentence - but then the working verb will come before the subject.

Negative Statements

It looks like the negative statements 'niet' click to hear 2 ('not') and 'geen' click to hear ('no') (also: 'nee' click to hear) behave just like adverbs and adjectives; actually more straightforward than English 'no' and 'not'. But do note that Dutch doesn't use the auxiliary verb 'to do,' and also note that you can't translate not and no as niet and geen every time, sometimes Dutch takes the other word, turns it around.
De zon schijnt niet. click to hear The sun is not shining.
't Regent niet. click to hear It is not raining.
Ik ben niet ziek. click to hear 2 3 I am not sick.
't Is niet waar! click to hear It's not true! (Usually ironic, like You don't say!)
niet echt click to hear 2 3 4 not really // not real
Er zijn geen bergen in Nederland. click to hear There are no mountains in Holland.
Ik heb geen hoofdpijn. click to hear I [have no headache] do not have a headache.
Ik heb geen ontbijt gehad. click to hear 2 I [had no breakfast] did not have breakfast.
Er zijn geen tomaten. click to hear 2 There are no tomatoes.
Er zijn groene tomaten. click to hear There are green tomatoes.
Er zijn geen aardappels click to hear 2 There are no potatoes
Er is wel rijst click to hear 2 3 But there is rice, we do have rice
Heeft U bananen? - Nee click to hear Do you have bananas? - No
Er zijn wel sinaasappels click to hear (But) [there are] we do have oranges
Ik heb niet geslapen click to hear 2 I did not sleep.
Ik heb goed geslapen click to hear 2 I did sleep well (thank you!)
Je kon niet ver zien. click to hear [You couldn't see far] Visibility was low.
Je kon heel ver zien. click to hear You could see [very far] for miles.
Ik heb het niet gedaan. click to hear I did not do it.
Je hebt het goed gedaan. click to hear You did it [well] right.
Hij heeft het verkeerd gedaan. click to hear He did it wrong.
We hebben 't niet gedaan. click to hear We did not do it.
Wij hebben 't niet gedaan. click to hear We did not do it.
Jullie hebben 't goed gedaan. click to hear You did it well/right.
Zij hebben 't verkeerd gedaan. click to hear They did it wrong.
Ik heb niet gegeten. click to hear I haven't eaten.
Ik heb nog niet gegeten. click to hear I haven't eaten yet.
Ik heb die film niet gezien. click to hear I have not seen that movie.
We hebben de oorlog nog niet gewonnen. click to hear We have not yet won the war.
Probeer niet te hoesten. click to hear 2 Try not to cough.
Probeer wakker te blijven. click to hear Try to stay awake.
Er zijn speciale molentjes voor maar ik heb er geen click to hear 2 There are specialized 'little mills' for it but I don't have one (talking about kitchen gadgets like a Romano beans slicer)
Ik heb er geen click to hear 2 3 [Ihave none of them] - I don't have one (of them)
English often uses 'to do' in negative statements, but in Dutch all verbs can take the negative, use 'not' straight.
Ik weet 't niet. click to hear I don't know [it].
Hij wilde niet naar de radio luisteren. click to hear He did not want to listen to the radio.
Ik heb nog niet gestemd. click to hear I didn't vote yet.
Ik hoorde 't signaal niet. click to hear 2 I didn't hear the signal.
Ik heb geen alcohol gedronken. click to hear I [have drank no alcohol] did not drink (any) alcohol.
Het heeft gisteren in Den Haag niet geregend. click to hear Yesterday it did not rain in The Hague.
Het heeft gisteren niet geregend in Den Haag. click to hear Yesterday it did not rain in The Hague.

Dutch often describes negatives differently from English, for instance:

Ik heb er geen tijd voor click to hear 2 3 [I have no time for it] - I do not have time for it English says 'don't have' time, the verb is negative, Dutch says 'have no' time, the amount of time is zero.
Hij heeft geen auto click to hear [He has no car] - He doesn't have (own) a car Ik hoor geen verschil click to hear [I hear no difference] - I don't hear a (the?) difference We mochten geen foto's maken click to hear 2 [We were allowed no pictures] - We were not allowed to [make] take pictures

See also: Niet, Geen en Wel and Square Brackets

<< previous - word order central - next >>

Outdoors

buiten click to
  hear 2 'outside' - buitenshuis click to hear 2 (outside the house) 'outdoors'
[tree]
(de) boom click to hear >>
[small tree]
(het) boompje click to hear
[trees]
(de) bomen click to hear
[forest]
(het) bos click to hear
[grass]
(het) gras click to hear 2
[lawn]
(het) grasveld click to hear
[park]
(het) park click to hear >>
[Klein Park]
klein park click to hear 2
[garden plant]
(de) plant click to hear
[bush]
(de) struik click to hear 2
[flower]
(de) bloem click to
  hear >>
Curiously, Dutch bloem click to
  hear also means both 'flower' and (white) flour.'
[bloom,  blossom]
(de) bloesem click to
  hear
[rose]
(de) roos click to hear 2 >>
[tulips]
(de) tulpen click to hear >>
[yard, garden]
(de) tuin click to hear 2 >>
['small garden,' flowerbed]
(het) tuintje click to hear 2
[patio]
(het) platje click to
  hear
[fence]
(het) hek click to hear
[wooden fence]
(de) schutting click to hear
[park bench]
(het) bankje click to hear 2
[playground]
(de) speeltuin click to
  hear 2

The Neighborhood

(de) buurt click to hear 2 ('neighborhood')
buren click to hear 2 ('neighbors') - buurman click to hear 2 ('male neighbor') - buurvrouw click to hear ('female neighbor')
buurjongen click to hear 2 ('neighbor boy') - buurmeisje click to hear ('neighbor girl')
overburen click to hear ('neighbors across the street') - achterburen click to hear 2 ('backyard neighbors')
benedenburen click to hear 2 ('downstairs neighbors') - bovenburen click to hear 2 ('upstairs neighbors')
Beter een goede buur dan een verre vriend. click to hear 2 'A good neighbor is better than a faraway friend.' We kennen onze buren niet goed click to hear 2 3 [We don't know our neighbors well] - We hardly know our neighbors Ik belde aan bij de buren click to hear 2 3 I rang the doorbell at the neighbors' Ik leende een fiets van de buren click to hear 2 3 I borrowed a bike from the neighbors Ik leende m'n fiets aan de buren click to hear 2 3 I lent my bike to the neighbors (Het) buurthuis click to hear 2 ('community center')
(het) burengerucht click to hear 'a loud noise that the neighbors complain about' - by itself, (het) gerucht click to hear 2 means 'rumor.'
(De) wijk click to hear ('city district, quarter, neighborhood') - (de) buitenwijk click to hear 2 ('suburb')
(De) medemens click to hear ('fellow man, fellow human') - the 'neighbor' of the Bible is usually given as (de) naaste click to hear 2
Heb Uw naaste lief als Uzelf click to hear 2 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (de) naastenliefde click to hear [love of the fellow man] - charity

The Metric System

The length of the basic unit, the meter, was kind-of arbitrarily chosen (one ten-thousandth of a quarter of the Paris meridian) - but all other units of the metric system flow from that meter in decimal fashion, multiples of ten or reductions to one-tenth. There are no difficult fractions like 5/12 or 15/16 and there is no complexity like twelve inches in a foot, three feet in a yard, or eight fluid ounces in a cup, but sixteen weight ounces in a pound.
length volume weight
millimeter (mm)1mm = 0.001m ~ milligram (mg)1mg = 0.001g
centimeter (cm)1cm = 0.01m milliliter (ml)1ml = 1cm3
= 0.001L
~ gram (g)1g = weight of
1cm3 water
decimeter (dm)1dm = 10cm = 0.1m liter (L)1L = 1dm3 = 1000cm3
(10cmx10cmx10cm)
~
meter (m)1m ~
kilometer (km)1km = 1000m ~ kilogram (kg)1 kg = 1000g
= weight of 1L water

Metric to Imperial conversion tables

(de) afmetingen click to hear 2 dimensions, measurements, size
(de) hoeveelheid click to hear amount
(het aantal click to hear number, quantity

(de) grootte click to hear 2 3 - size
groot click to hear (grote click to hear 2) large; big; tall; great // klein click to hear (kleine click to hear klein kleine click to hear) small, little
(de) maat click to hear 2 - size (clothes, shoes) ‑>> - plural: maten click to hear measurements

(de) lengte click to hear 2 - length
lang click to hear (lange click to hear) - long; tall // kort click to hear (korte click to hear 2) - short

(de) breedte click to hear - width, breadth
breed click to hear (breed brede click to hear 2) - wide // smal click to hear (smalle click to hear) - narrow
(wijd click to hear (wijde click to hear 2) - wide // nauw click to hear 2 (nauwe click to hear 2) - narrow)

(de) hoogte click to hear 2 - height
hoog click to hear (hoge click to hear) - high // laag click to hear (lage click to hear) - low
hoger click to hear higher // lager click to hear lower

(de) diepte click to hear 2 - depth (of water, spaces or thought)
diep click to hear 2 (diepe click to hear) - deep // ondiep click to hear 2 - shallow, not deep
(de) dikte click to hear 2 - [thickness] depth, girth (fatness)
dik click to hear (dik dikke click to hear 2 3) - fat, 'thick' // dun click to hear (dun dunne click to hear 2) - thin, skinny
'door dik en dun' click to hear 'through thick and thin'
De dikke en de dunne click to hear 2 'the fat one and the skinny one' - Laurel & Hardy
mager click to hear - skinny

(de) afstand click to hear - distance ‑>>
ver click to hear (ver verre click to hear) - far
ver weg click to hear - far away // dichtbij click to hear - close by, nearby
nabij click to hear 2 (nabij nabije click to hear 2) - near, nearby (in time)

(de) millimeter click to hear   (de) centimeter click to hear   ((de) decimeter click to hear)   (de) meter click to hear   (de) kilometer click to hear

(het) volume click to hear - volume, contents
(de) inhoud click to hear - contents, volume
vol click to hear (volle click to hear 2) - full // leeg click to hear (lege click to hear 2) - empty

(de) liter click to hear   (de) milliliter click to hear = cc click to hear = cm³ (de) 'kubieke centimeter' click to hear
(de) kuub click to hear 2 3 - m³, cubic meter (informal)

(het) gewicht click to hear - weight
zwaar click to hear (zware click to hear) - heavy // licht click to hear (licht lichte click to hear) - light ‑>>
(de) massa click to hear 2 - mass

(de) milligram click to hear 2   (de) gram click to hear   (de) kilogram click to hear 2 = (de) kilo click to hear 2   (de) ton click to hear (1000 kg)

(het) oppervlak click to hear 2 / (de) oppervlakte click to hear 2 - surface, surface area   (de) vierkante meter click to hear - square meter, m²

(de) temperatuur click to hear 2 - temperature / graden click to hear - degrees ‑>>
warm click to hear (warm warme click to hear 2) - warm // koud click to hear (koude click to hear koud koude click to hear) - cold
koel click to hear 2 3 (koele click to hear 2) - cool / lauw click to hear 2 (lauw lauwe click to hear 2) - tepid
heet click to hear 2 3 (hete click to hear 2 3 heet hete click to hear 2) - hot
Dutch 'koel' is about temperature only; Dutch 'warm' and 'hete' are not exactly equivalent to English 'warm' and 'hot' - English 'hot' starts at a lower temperature

Money:  (het) bedrag click to hear 2 3 4 sum, amount of money - more about Money
bedragen click to hear 2 - 1. to amount to, add up to 2. sums, amounts of money
een aanzienlijk bedrag click to hear 2 3 a considerable sum of money

gewoon click to hear (gewoon gewone click to hear 2) - common, usual ‑>> / normaal click to hear (normale click to hear) - normal
gemiddeld click to hear 2 (gemiddelde click to hear 2) - average

Compare Imperial and Metric Measurements

Before the adoption of the Metric system, Dutch had old measurements like (de) mijl click to hear ('mile') which is still found in a word like (de) mijlpaal click to hear 2 ('milestone' - an important event or achievement in a development)
een belangrijke mijlpaal click to hear 2 an important milestone By contrast, (de) kilometerpaal click to hear 2 3 ('kilometer pole') is just a distance marker on a real road
Another old Dutch unit of measurement is (de) el click to hear (69 centimeters, about 28 inches) like the English 'ell' (though that is considerable longer at 45 inches, 122 centimeters)
ellenlang click to hear 'very long' - usually about time
Dutch (de) el and English 'ell' come from (de) elleboog click to hear 2 / 'elbow'

'Meten'   click to hear 'to measure' is a strong verb:

meten
to measure
- mat
measured
- gemeten
measured
click to hear
Like almost all strong verbs with an A in the past tense, that A is 'short' in the singular, but 'long' in the plural
Wij maten click to hear we measured
See also: Tools

meten
to measure
- ik meet
I measure
- wij meten
we measure
- ik mat
I measured
- wij maten
we measured
- ik heb gemeten
I have measured
click to hear

'Wegen'   click to hear 2 'to weigh' is a strong verb:

wegen
to weigh
- woog
weighed
- gewogen
weighed
click to hear

wegen
to weigh
- ik weeg
I weigh
- wij wegen
we weigh
- ik woog
I weighed
- wij wogen
we weighed
- ik heb gewogen
I have weighed
click to hear 2
(de) weegschaal click to hear 'scale'
'Wegen'   click to hear 2 is also the plural of (de) weg click to hear 'way, road, street' ‑>>

'Tellen'   click to hear 2 'to count' (determine the number of items) is a weak verb

tellen
to count
- ik tel
I count
- wij tellen
we count
- ik telde
I counted
- wij telden
we counted
- ik heb geteld
I have counted
click to hear 2 3
Ik ben één meter tachtig click to hear I'm 1 meter 80 tall
Hoe zwaar? click to hear How heavy? What's the weight?
Ik was toen tweeënvijftig kilo click to hear I weighed 52 kilos at the time
Ik ben vijf kilo afgevallen click to hear 2 I've lost 5 kilos (in weight)
Met twee maten meten click to hear 2 'Using two measuring systems (yardsticks)' - applying double standards, a biased approach
De laatste loodjes wegen het zwaarst click to hear (saying) ['the final weights are the heaviest'] the final stage of a job is often the most difficult
Gewogen en te licht bevonden click to hear 2 3 Weighed and found too light' - Judged and found wanting ('Mene Tekel' click to hear - Daniel 5)
Leer ons alzo onze dagen tellen click to hear So teach us to number our days (Ps 90:12) ‑>>
Ik ben de tel kwijt click to hear 2 I lost count

<< - numbers, simple math and dimensions - >>
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Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2