Dutch Conversation-Grammar 1732 Studios

Dutch · Unit 25

Book II, Unit 4: Unit 4

Refresher Course, Books II and III

Unit 4

162 lines

Een Avondje Uit

A conversation to listen to

A spontaneous conversation between two educated Dutch speakers, recorded in 1961 without a script. The text keeps what they said as they said it: hesitations, repeated words, words left out.

Listen first with the text, then without it. The aim is to follow the whole conversation by ear.

  1. 1

    Say, Ankie, do you feel like going out tonight? What do you say about the “Doofpot” this evening?

    Zeg,say
    Ankie,Ankie
    hebdo you have
    jedo you have
    zinsense
    omsmile at
    vanavondtonight
    uitout of
    teto
    gaan?to go
    Watwhat
    zegto say
    jeyou; your
    vanof, from
    dethe
    DoofpotDoofpot
    vanavond?tonight
  2. 2

    Oh, is Max Tailleur still there?

  3. 3

    Yes, that's why.

  4. 4

    Oh, I'd like that. He just came back from the States.

  5. 5

    Yes, and I feel like going.

  6. 6

    Did you read about it?

  7. 7

    Yes, I heard about his latest program from one of my friends and he seems to have some new American jokes again.

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 22. Een Avondje Uit

This is a spontaneous conversation between educated and imaginative Dutch speakers. No scripts were used in recording. The result is natural spoken Dutch.

All the dialogs entitled Dialog for Listening have been reproduced in your text in such a way as to capture their spontaneity. This includes hesitation sounds, repetitions, omitted words and other features that are characteristic of unrehearsed, non-selfconscious, conversational-style speech.

The Dialog for Listening section is for oral comprehension. The student should follow this section in his text, as he listens to it on tape, until such time as he can dispense with the text and understand everything from the tape alone.
  1. 8

    That sounds very exciting. Yes, I'd love to go.

  2. 9

    Yes.

  3. 10

    What time do you want to go?

  4. 11

    Let's say . . . What do you think about going out for dinner first?

  5. 12

    Yes, that's nice, and after that, Max Tailleur.

  6. 13

    Then we go to Max Tailleur afterwards.

  7. 14

    Wonderful.

  1. 15

    That small, new restaurant. It's more the Italian type.

  2. 16

    Oh, that's nice. I'd love to go there.

  3. 17

    Some Italian music, that's nice.

  4. 18

    Yes. At what time do you want to pick me up?

  5. 19

    All right. Let's make it a quarter past six.

  6. 20

    A quarter past six.

Het Verkeer in de Stad

  1. 21

    We could talk about traffic in the city.

  2. 22

    That's very interesting . . . especially in a big city that has so many different streetcar and bus lines.

  3. 23

    Yes.

  4. 24

    A transfer costs five cents more and you can use that on two streetcars.

  5. 25

    You can't use it as a round-trip ticket.

  6. 26

    You're lucky, of course, when two different streetcars go to the place where you want to go.

  7. 27

    Yes.

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 23. Het Verkeer in de Stad

This is a spontaneous conversation between educated and imaginative Dutch speakers. No scripts were used in recording. The result is natural spoken Dutch.

All the dialogs entitled Dialog for Listening have been reproduced in your text in such a way as to capture their spontaneity. This includes hesitation sounds, repetitions, omitted words and other features that are characteristic of unrehearsed, non-selfconscious, conversational-style speech.

The Dialog for Listening section is for oral comprehension. The student should follow this section in his text, as he listens to it on tape, until such time as he can dispense with the text and understand everything from the tape alone.
  1. 28

    And that makes a difference.

  2. 29

    I thought they had a zone system in Rotterdam. That the conductor asked you how far you wanted to go and, according to the distance you traveled, you payed for one zone or two zones or three zones or something like that.

  3. 30

    Well, I don't know if that ever existed in Rotterdam.

  4. 31

    Oh, yes.

  5. 32

    I really can't say.

  6. 33

    Oh, I see.

  7. 34

    And . . . But I think they've already discontinued this in The Hague, too. You only have to pay more when you want to go from the station to Scheveningen, but that's all.

  1. 35

    Oh, yes, I see.

  2. 36

    But I don't know about Amsterdam.

  3. 37

    Another thing I think is very good in cities like Rotterdam is that at all the stops, the streetcars that pass there, are indicated by their [corresponding] numbers.

  4. 38

    That's very important, especially for people from out of town.

  5. 39

    Yes.

In de Bloemenzaak

  1. 40

    Good morning, sir, can I help you?

  2. 41

    I'm giving a party this evening, a party at home, and I want to brighten my house a little, and I want to buy some flowers.

  3. 42

    Well, then I'd have to ask, how is your room? Can you tell me? Is it light or dark?

  4. 43

    Eh, the two rooms in question, where I'm giving the party, are decorated rather darkly.

  5. 44

    Dark red asters, what do you think of that? Do they suit you, or would you rather have them more purple?

  6. 45

    Well, those dark red ones appeal to me, but a few yellow ones, a few other colors would perhaps look nice. Yes, those two, then, asters and chrysanthemums.

  7. 46

    And about how many of each kind?

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 24. In de Bloemenzaak

This is a spontaneous conversation between educated and imaginative Dutch speakers. No scripts were used in recording. The result is natural spoken Dutch.

All the dialogs entitled Dialog for Listening have been reproduced in your text in such a way as to capture their spontaneity. This includes hesitation sounds, repetitions, omitted words and other features that are characteristic of unrehearsed, non-selfconscious, conversational-style speech.

The Dialog for Listening section is for oral comprehension. The student should follow this section in his text, as he listens to it on tape, until such time as he can dispense with the text and understand everything from the tape alone.
  1. 47

    Well, I would say . . .

  2. 48

    Wait, let me make a suggestion. Let's say you take thirty asters and a dozen chrysanthemums. Would that be about right?

  3. 49

    That, that would be all right. Let's do that, then.

  4. 50

    Yes, excellent; then I'll have to figure the price out for you.

  5. 51

    Eh, can you settle it this evening when you deliver them?

  6. 52

    Yes, that's excellent.

  7. 53

    Fine.

  1. 54

    Then I'll give you the bill now.

  2. 55

    Good, until this evening, a little after six, then I'll have them.

  3. 56

    Excellent. Thank you very much for your patronage.

  4. 57

    Fine, thank you, sir.

De Stad Rotterdam

  1. 58

    I was in Rotterdam recently, a few months ago, and I hadn't been there in a long time.

  2. 59

    Well, I was in Rotterdam this last September and what impressed me most were the new buildings. Have you seen the new Shell building in Rotterdam?

  3. 60

    Yes I have. I've seen it, yes.

  4. 61

    It stands completely on pilings. Oh, they're building on almost every corner. Right across from the town hall, where the institute for the deaf-mutes used to be, they're building a Hilton Hotel, now.

  5. 62

    I've seen them building it. They're working on it now.

  6. 63

    Have you been through the “Lijnbaan” yet?

  7. 64

    Oh, yes. The window displays there are always so beautiful.

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 25. De Stad Rotterdam

This is a spontaneous conversation between educated and imaginative Dutch speakers. No scripts were used in recording. The result is natural spoken Dutch.

All the dialogs entitled Dialog for Listening have been reproduced in your text in such a way as to capture their spontaneity. This includes hesitation sounds, repetitions, omitted words and other features that are characteristic of unrehearsed, non-selfconscious, conversational-style speech.

The Dialog for Listening section is for oral comprehension. The student should follow this section in his text, as he listens to it on tape, until such time as he can dispense with the text and understand everything from the tape alone.
  1. 65

    Very beautiful. Do you know what they call it?

  2. 66

    No.

  3. 67

    Eh, Rotterdam, the Fifth Avenue of Rotterdam. And the new “Bijenkorf” - have you seen that?

  4. 68

    I have seen it, but I haven't been inside. And have you seen the monument by Zadkine of the “destroyed city”?

  5. 69

    Yes, I've seen that, too.

  6. 70

    I always find it so dramatic, when you see it right next to the harbor.

  7. 71

    With a little imagination you can really see Rotterdam in it.

In de Herenzaak

  1. 72

    Hello, miss. Can I help you?

  2. 73

    Yes, I would like to have a tie.

  3. 74

    Oh, a silk foulard or should it be more a tie . . .

  4. 75

    No, a regular necktie.

  5. 76

    What colors would you like to have?

  6. 77

    Well, it has to match the suits, of course.

  7. 78

    And what color?

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 26. In de Herenzaak

This is a spontaneous conversation between educated and imaginative Dutch speakers. No scripts were used in recording. The result is natural spoken Dutch.

All the dialogs entitled Dialog for Listening have been reproduced in your text in such a way as to capture their spontaneity. This includes hesitation sounds, repetitions, omitted words and other features that are characteristic of unrehearsed, non-selfconscious, conversational-style speech.

The Dialog for Listening section is for oral comprehension. The student should follow this section in his text, as he listens to it on tape, until such time as he can dispense with the text and understand everything from the tape alone.
  1. 79

    Usually grey and light brown and dark blue; so, something with brown or something with grey and blue or something like that . . .

  2. 80

    Look here, this one is plain dark green with a small design.

  3. 81

    This one is more for an elderly man, I think. Do you have something gayer?

  4. 82

    You mean a bit lighter green?

  5. 83

    Lighter green or something in a stripe.

  6. 84

    Sure, miss, but it would be daring with blue, but with grey it would be all right.

  7. 85

    Is it possible to change it?

  1. 86

    Sure, you could. Certainly.

  2. 87

    Would you mind putting it in a box?

  3. 88

    Certainly.

  4. 89

    It's nicer for a present.

  5. 90

    Fine, we shall wrap it nicely for you. Would you mind coming to the cashier? It will be ready in a minute.

  6. 91

    How much is it?

  7. 92

    That will be ten guilders. Here, f.10.-, exactly.

  8. 93

    Ten guilders exactly? Here you are, sir.

  9. 94

    Thank you.

Substitution drill 1, part 1

Substitution drills

A drill starts from one sentence of the dialogs. Each turn gives a new word or phrase to put in the sentence in place of one of its parts.

Say the whole sentence again with the new part in place. The shape of the sentence does not change. Only the one part does.

  1. 95

    Hoe laat wil je er naartoe gaan?

    At what time do you want to go there?

  2. 96

    Hoe laat wil je dat ik er ben?

    At what time do you want me to be there?

  3. 97

    Hoe laat wil je dat we dineren?

    At what time do you want us to dine?

  4. 98

    Hoe laat wil je opstaan morgenochtend?

    At what time do you want to get up tomorrow morning?

  5. 99

    Hoe laat wil je geroepen worden?

    At what time do you want to be called?

  6. 100

    Hoe laat wil je je ontbijt hebben?

    At what time do you want to have your breakfast?

  7. 101

    Hoe laat wil je me komen afhalen?

    At what time do you want to pick me up?

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 27. Substitution Drill 1.

Listen to and repeat the first sentence of the drill on tape. Your voice will be followed by a low voice on tape to correct any mistakes in your utterance. You will now immediately hear a word or phrase that you are to substitute into the original sentence. Without hesitating, say the entire sentence again, this time with the new element in place of an element in the original sentence. You will again be corrected. Then you will hear, as before, another element for substitution. Again you will repeat the entire sentence, dropping the old element and substituting the new element in its place.

They are based on the previous five dialogs. Their purpose is to give you fluency in controlling sentences of the dialogs with additional variations provided by the substitution elements. You will observe that the basic structure of the dialog sentences does not change in these drills.

Substitution drill 1, part 2

  1. 102

    Hoe laat wil je er naartoe gaan?

    At what time do you want to go there?

  2. 103

    Hoe laat wil je de trein halen?

    At what time do you want to catch the train?

  3. 104

    Hoe laat wil je dat wij je ontmoeten?

    At what time do you want us to meet you?

  4. 105

    Hoe laat wil je er naartoe gaan?

    At what time do you want to go there?

Substitution drill 2, part 1

  1. 106

    Je mag het niet als retour gebruiken.

    You cannot use it as a roundtrip ticket.

  2. 107

    Je mag het niet meenemen.

    You cannot take it with you.

  3. 108

    Je mag het niet laten vallen.

    You cannot drop it.

  4. 109

    Je mag het niet vergeten.

    You cannot forget it.

  5. 110

    Je mag het niet koken.

    You cannot cook it.

  6. 111

    Je mag het niet wild aanpakken.

    You cannot handle it roughly.

  7. 112

    Je mag het niet schudden.

    You cannot shake it.

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 27. Substitution Drill 2.

Listen to and repeat the first sentence of the drill on tape. Your voice will be followed by a low voice on tape to correct any mistakes in your utterance. You will now immediately hear a word or phrase that you are to substitute into the original sentence. Without hesitating, say the entire sentence again, this time with the new element in place of an element in the original sentence. You will again be corrected. Then you will hear, as before, another element for substitution. Again you will repeat the entire sentence, dropping the old element and substituting the new element in its place.

They are based on the previous five dialogs. Their purpose is to give you fluency in controlling sentences of the dialogs with additional variations provided by the substitution elements. You will observe that the basic structure of the dialog sentences does not change in these drills.

Substitution drill 2, part 2

  1. 113

    Je mag het niet als retour gebruiken.

    You cannot use it as a roundtrip ticket.

  2. 114

    Je mag het niet vooruit betalen.

    You cannot pay for it in advance.

  3. 115

    Je mag het niet aanraken.

    You cannot touch it.

  4. 116

    Je mag het niet als retour gebruiken.

    You cannot use it as a roundtrip ticket.

Substitution drill 3

  1. 117

    Wel, hoe ziet Uw kamer eruit?

    Well, how does your room look?

  2. 118

    Wel, hoe ziet de gang eruit?

    Well, how does the hall look?

  3. 119

    Wel, hoe ziet Uw studeervertrek eruit?

    Well, how does your study look?

  4. 120

    Wel, hoe ziet Uw keuken eruit?

    Well, how does your kitchen look?

  5. 121

    Wel, hoe ziet de zolder eruit?

    Well, how does the attic look?

  6. 122

    Wel, hoe ziet de kelder eruit?

    Well, how does the basement look?

  7. 123

    Wel, hoe ziet Uw woonkamer eruit?

    Well, how does your livingroom look?

  8. 124

    Wel, hoe ziet Uw salon eruit?

    Well, how does your drawing room look?

  9. 125

    Wel, hoe ziet Uw kamer eruit?

    Well, how does your room look?

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 27. Substitution Drill 3.

Listen to and repeat the first sentence of the drill on tape. Your voice will be followed by a low voice on tape to correct any mistakes in your utterance. You will now immediately hear a word or phrase that you are to substitute into the original sentence. Without hesitating, say the entire sentence again, this time with the new element in place of an element in the original sentence. You will again be corrected. Then you will hear, as before, another element for substitution. Again you will repeat the entire sentence, dropping the old element and substituting the new element in its place.

They are based on the previous five dialogs. Their purpose is to give you fluency in controlling sentences of the dialogs with additional variations provided by the substitution elements. You will observe that the basic structure of the dialog sentences does not change in these drills.

Substitution drill 4, part 1

  1. 126

    Dan zal ik U de rekening geven.

    Then I'll give you the bill.

  2. 127

    Dan zal ik U het pakje bezorgen.

    Then I'll deliver the package to you.

  3. 128

    Dan zal ik U niet lastig vallen.

    Then I'll not disturb you.

  4. 129

    Dan zal ik U een lift naar huis geven.

    Then I'll give you a ride home.

  5. 130

    Dan zal ik U ook uitnodigen.

    Then I'll invite you also.

  6. 131

    Dan zal ik U ook een gratis pak kaarten sturen.

    Then I'll send you also a free deck of cards.

  7. 132

    Dan zal ik U de waarheid eens vertellen.

    Then I'll tell you the truth.

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 27. Substitution Drill 4.

Listen to and repeat the first sentence of the drill on tape. Your voice will be followed by a low voice on tape to correct any mistakes in your utterance. You will now immediately hear a word or phrase that you are to substitute into the original sentence. Without hesitating, say the entire sentence again, this time with the new element in place of an element in the original sentence. You will again be corrected. Then you will hear, as before, another element for substitution. Again you will repeat the entire sentence, dropping the old element and substituting the new element in its place.

They are based on the previous five dialogs. Their purpose is to give you fluency in controlling sentences of the dialogs with additional variations provided by the substitution elements. You will observe that the basic structure of the dialog sentences does not change in these drills.

Substitution drill 4, part 2

  1. 133

    Dan zal ik U de rekening geven.

    Then I'll give you the bill.

  2. 134

    Dan zal ik U alles uitleggen.

    Then I'll explain everything to you.

  3. 135

    Dan zal ik U de bloemen brengen.

    Then I'll bring you the flowers.

  4. 136

    Dan zal ik U de rekening geven.

    Then I'll give you the bill.

Substitution drill 5, part 1

  1. 137

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat die tram aankomt!

    How long it takes before that streetcar comes!

  2. 138

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat die bus aankomt!

    How long it takes before that bus comes!

  3. 139

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat de trein vertrekt!

    How long it takes before the train leaves!

  4. 140

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat het vliegtuig vertrekt!

    How long it takes before the airplane leaves!

  5. 141

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat het licht groen wordt!

    How long it takes before the light turns green!

  6. 142

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat het eten opgediend wordt!

    How long it takes before the food is served!

  7. 143

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat we bediend worden!

    How long it takes before they take our order!

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 27. Substitution Drill 5.

Listen to and repeat the first sentence of the drill on tape. Your voice will be followed by a low voice on tape to correct any mistakes in your utterance. You will now immediately hear a word or phrase that you are to substitute into the original sentence. Without hesitating, say the entire sentence again, this time with the new element in place of an element in the original sentence. You will again be corrected. Then you will hear, as before, another element for substitution. Again you will repeat the entire sentence, dropping the old element and substituting the new element in its place.

They are based on the previous five dialogs. Their purpose is to give you fluency in controlling sentences of the dialogs with additional variations provided by the substitution elements. You will observe that the basic structure of the dialog sentences does not change in these drills.

Substitution drill 5, part 2

  1. 144

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat die tram aankomt!

    How long it takes before that streetcar comes!

  2. 145

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat ik betaald wordt!

    How long it takes before I'm payed!

  3. 146

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat de uitslag bekend gemaakt wordt!

    How long it takes before the outcome is made public!

  4. 147

    Wat duurt het toch lang voordat die tram aankomt!

    How long it takes before that streetcar comes!

Unit 4 test, part 1

The unit's test

Fifteen sentences from the unit's dialogs, heard once each.

Write the English for each. Any English that says the same thing is right. The test asks only whether the sentence was understood.

  1. 148

    Say, Ankie, do you feel like going out tonight?

  2. 149

    That sounds very exciting. Yes, I'd love to go.

  3. 150

    What do you think about going out for dinner first?

  4. 151

    That's very important, especially for people from out of town.

  5. 152

    Yes, at what time do you want to call on me?

  6. 153

    Do they suit you, or do you have them rather somewhat purple?

  7. 154

    Wait, let me make a proposal.

Test on the Unit

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book II, Lesson 28. Test on Unit 4.

The test tape consists of a translation drill containing fifteen sentences taken from the dialogs of the unit. This is a test for comprehension.

Have pencil and paper ready. Listen to the sentences and write an English equivalent in the time allotted.

The test tape tests only your comprehension of dialog sentences. The English provided in these answers is an equivalent and not a literal translation. Any parallel English sentence would be acceptable.

Unit 4 test, part 2

  1. 155

    Can you settle it this evening when you deliver them?

  2. 156

    Until this evening, a little after six, then.

  3. 157

    Have you ever been through the “Lijnbaan”?

  4. 158

    The window displays there are always so beautiful.

  5. 159

    With a little imagination you really can see Rotterdam in it.

  6. 160

    Is it possible to change it?

  7. 161

    Would you mind putting it in a box?

  8. 162

    Certainly, we shall wrap it nicely for you.

The particulars

The course
Valette, Dutch Conversation-Grammar (1913) and its Key (1893); Defense Language Institute, Dutch Refresher Course, Books I to III (1961). Public domain. The teaching pages, the readings' English, the answers to the conversations and the narration are ours.
Reading aloud
Digital narration, directed by 1732 Studios.
The book
Max Havelaar, the work this course leads to, free to read here.
Data
JSON · Markdown · A guide for agents
Two whoopie pies and a pine. An inside joke.