Dutch Conversations: Communication, Communication Problems, Telephone - Advanced Page

These 'Phrases' pages are of course only a template suggestions model sentences you can use to fill in your own find words to create your own narrative
Additional words:

SOURCES
ik heb ergens gelezen dat ... 2 (3)	I read somewhere that ...
ik heb wel een gelezen dat ... 2	I have read [sometime] that ...
ik heb wel eens gehoord dat ... 2	I have heard [sometime] that ...
Ik herinner me vaag ... 2	['I remember vaguely ...'] 'I seem to remember ...'
Ik zag op het nieuws dat er ...	'I saw on the news that ...'
Heb je het nieuws al gehoord? 2 3	'Have you [already] heard the news?'
Volgens mij .. 2 3	["According to me ..."] I think ..., In my view ...
Zo te zien ... 2 3	'From what I see ...'
Zie je wel ... 2 Ziet U wel ...	'You see? (I was right, that's what I meant)' - informal 'You see? (I was right, that's what I meant)' - polite
Als je goed kijkt ... 2	'When you look [well] closely' (you'll see)
Wie heeft je dat verteld? 3	'Who told you that?'
De agent vertelde de rechter wat hij gezien had	'The policeman told the judge what he had seen'
De verkenner vertelde de kolonel snel wat hij gezien had 2	'The scout quickly told the colonel what he had seen'
Ik vertelde de kinderen een verhaaltje 2	'I told the children a (little) story'
Er zijn mensen die zeggen dat ... 2	['There are people who say that ...'] 'Some people say that ...'
Ik begrijp 't niet Ik begrijp niet hoe 't werkt 2 Ik kan 't niet verklaren 2 Ik kan 't niet uitleggen 2	I don't understand (it) I don't understand how it works? how it goes? I can't explain (I don't understand) I can't explain it (to other people) - but I think I understand it
Nou begrijp ik 't 2	'Now I understand (it)'
't Spreekt me niet aan	['It doesn't speak to me'] 'It doesn't appeal to me'
't Zegt me niks 2	['It says nothing to me'] 'It doesn't strike a chord, it's meaningless to me'
Ik kan er niet bij 2 slow	literally: 'I can't reach' - 'I don't understand (people)'
Daar was ik al bang voor 2	'I was already afraid of that' (expecting something less than ideal)
Daar had ik niet aan gedacht 2 3	'I had not thought of that, I did not take that in consideration'
Dat is een ander verhaal 2	'That's another story, something else'
Ik heb het zelf bedacht 2 3	'I thought it up myself'
Zeg 't in je eigen woorden 2	['Say it in your own words'] 'Use your own words'
Wat zeg jij d'r van 2 3	'What do you say (of it)?'
Maar gaat U verder - 2 3	'(But) Please continue (with what you were saying)'
Hoe doe je dat?	'How do you do that?'
Bij wijze van spreken 2 3	'As? a figure of speech'
Waarom doe je dat? 2 3	'Why do you do that?'
Iedereen maakt fouten	'Everybody makes mistakes'
Je bent er maar druk mee 2 3	'It keeps you busy, you're spending a lot of time on it'
Je hebt er een hoop werk aan 2 3	'It's a lot of work for you'
Maak 't niet te moeilijk	'Don't make it too difficult, too complicated'
Probeer 't eenvoudig te houden 2	'Try to keep it simple'
Hou je hoofd erbij 2 3 slow	['Keep your head at it'] - 'Stay focused, don't get distracted'
('n) sprekend voorbeeld	'(a) telling example'
Dat was niet de bedoeling 2	'That was not the plan, that was not the outcome I had in mind'
Ik vraag me af of ... 2	'I wonder if ...'
Ik vraag me wel eens af ... 2	'Sometimes I wonder ...'
liever niet 2	"rather not," 'I'd prefer not to'
't Verbaast me niks 2 't Zou me niet verbazen ... 2	'I'm not surprised (at all)' 'I wouldn't be surprised ...'
We waren van plan om weg te gaan 2 We zijn van plan om morgen weg te gaan	'We were planning to leave, to go away' 'We are planning to leave, go away tomorrow'
We waren van plan om ... We zijn van plan ...	'We were planning to ...'
Ik wil er nog even over nadenken 2 3	'I'd like to think about it for a little longer'
't Is echt zo 2 Zo is 't echt 2 3	'It's really like that' 'That's the way it is'
't Is een uitdaging 2 3	'It's a challenge'
't Is haast onmogelijk 2 3	'It's almost impossible'
't Is een aflopende zaak 2	'it's on its last legs, it's going downhill'
't Gaat te ver 2	'It goes too far'
Ik hoor geen verschil Ik zie 't verschil	'I don't hear a difference' 'I see the difference'
't Is niet logisch	'It's not logical, it doesn't make sense'
Niks aan te doen 2 3	['Nothing can be done about it'] 'It can't be helped'
Wat is er gebeurd? 2 3	'What happened?'
Wat is er aan de hand?	'What's going on?'
Er is wat aan de hand 2	'There's something (unusual, suspicious, fishy) going on'
Vraag niet waarom Waarom? Daarom. De lange vraag Het korte antwoord 2	"Ask not why," 'Do not ask why' 'Why? Because.' The long question The short answer
Hij weet er meer van 2	He knows more about it (but isn't telling)
Ik herinner me 't niet. 2	I don't remember [it.]
Nou herinner ik 't me weer. 2	Now I remember [it] [again.]
We hebben ons vergist. 2	We were mistaken, we were wrong.
Jullie hebben je in hem vergist. 2	You (guys) were wrong about him.
Hoe kan iemand zoiets doen?	'How can someone do something (horrible) like that?'
Wat bezielt die mensen? Wat bezielt die mensen om dat te doen? 2 3	'What's in the mind of those people?' 'What's in the mind of those people to do a thing like that?'
Ik vind 't zo zielig 2 3	'I think it's so sad' ('I pity those people')
't Is een beetje plat 2	'It's not standard Dutch but a bit vulgar or dialect'
Mochten er problemen zijn ...	'In case of problems ...'
Mochten er vragen zijn ...	'If you have any questions ...'
't gebeurt 't gebeurde 't betekent 't betekende 2	'it happens' ('things happen') 'it happened' 'it means' 'it meant'
't Kan wel waar zijn ... 2	'(Now) that may be true (but ...) '
tegen beter weten in 2 3	'against (my, his, her) better judgement'
Hoorde ik dat goed? 2	'Did I hear that correctly?'
Als ik het goed begrijp ... 2 3 4	'If I understand it correctly ...'
Ik zou wel eens willen weten ... 2	'I would like to know ...'
Leer me de regels.	Teach me the rules.

email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2012. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed, or hotlinked to.
Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2