Dutch Conversation-Grammar 1732 Studios

Dutch · Unit 29

Book III, Unit 2: Unit 2

Refresher Course, Books II and III

Unit 2

153 lines

De Herenzaak

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

    Good afternoon, sir, can I help you?

    Goedemiddaggood afternoon
    mijnheer,sir!; Mr. (as a title before a name)
    kanto be able (can)
    ikI
    Uyou (polite)
    helpen?to help
  2. 2

    Good day, miss, I'm looking for a suit.

  3. 3

    Do you have any special preference for color, sir?

  4. 4

    Eh . . . well, I like dark brown a lot.

  5. 5

    Dark brown?

  6. 6

    Yes and . . . it's only for work.

  7. 7

    Yes . . . for about seventy-five guilders you can have a good suit.

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 8. 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. 8

    Yes, I had one last time with two pairs of pants, do you have that?

  2. 9

    We have those, yes . . . yes, but they are 89.50 guilders, sir.

  3. 10

    Yes, well, it's probably worth it.

  4. 11

    One second, what's your size, sir?

  5. 12

    42.

  6. 13

    42? I'll go and see for you, I don't think we have anything in brown, but we do in dark gray.

  7. 14

    Yes, please.

  1. 15

    Look here, sir.

  2. 16

    That's perhaps a little too dull.

  3. 17

    It's very dull, yes . . .

  4. 18

    Is there something lighter? Yes, I think that that's better.

  5. 19

    I think so, too.

  6. 20

    What do you think of the sleeves?

  7. 21

    The sleeves are all right, although they could be shortened a little, I think . . . yes, and perhaps the shoulders could be filled up a little more because on your back it comes together a little and that doesn't look right.

  8. 22

    Yes. Can we ask for the tailor or can you write it all up?

Schaatsplannen

  1. 23

    I've been waiting a year for this.

  2. 24

    Yes, have you also taken the grease off your skates?

  3. 25

    Yes, I have also taken them down from the attic and shined them up nicely.

  4. 26

    Oh, that's fine.

  5. 27

    I still have those old Frisian skates, I always find them the best.

  6. 28

    Do you have any plans to go anywhere, make a big trip?

  7. 29

    Eh, of course, I'm not of such a caliber that I join the "Elf Steden Tocht" in Friesland, that trip through Friesland which visits eleven cities on skates, but I am planning to skate over the canals of Holland with a few friends.

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 9. Schaatsplannen

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. 30

    This "Elf Steden Tocht", does it stay open all winter or just on certain days?

  2. 31

    There's only one race.

  3. 32

    Is it a race for endurance or speed?

  4. 33

    Well, really both at the same time.

  5. 34

    Well, I for one, I don't think I'll go far from home. I think that I'll go and skate a little with my children here and there in the woods of The Hague, on the pond and that will be about all, I think.

  6. 35

    You have a family, of course, to think about. That's not my problem yet, fortunately.

De Keukenhof

  1. 36

    Good morning, miss. Can you give me some information about the bulb fields?

  2. 37

    And do you know the way . . . are you from here, from the West?

  3. 38

    No, no, I come from the North of Groningen.

  4. 39

    From the North of Groningen? We have several tours that go to that area. They leave from the Central Station and . . . that's close by, as you know.

  5. 40

    Yes, but are those the usual tours where a man is talking through a big loud speaker?

  6. 41

    Ah, we have different tours, we have one with a guide and then you will pass all the cities, but we also have a tour that doesn't include such a large area and only goes to the "Keukenhof".

  7. 42

    Yes, that is exactly what I would prefer.

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 10. De Keukenhof

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. 43

    That is one of our "V.V.V." (Association for Tourism) tours.

  2. 44

    Oh, yes.

  3. 45

    Yes, then tommorrow you have to, eh, you can buy your ticket now, but you can buy it on the bus, too.

  4. 46

    Well, where do I go then?

  5. 47

    You will ride from the Central Station here through Delft to The Hague and then, in The Hague, you will have coffee near Madurodam.

  6. 48

    Yes . . . ?

  7. 49

    And from there the busses go mostly via Leiden to the "Keukenhof".

  1. 50

    Oh, I see. Is there anything to see between Amsterdam and Delft, regarding the bulbs?

  2. 51

    Oh, yes, the bus will go to all the bulb fields, through the whole bulb area there, Hillegom, Lisse and Sassenheim.

  3. 52

    Yes, yes.

De Bloembolleneters

  1. 53

    Where were you during the war?

  2. 54

    In The Hague.

  3. 55

    So you were one of the famous bulb eaters?

  4. 56

    Yes, indeed you laugh about that, but there are a lot of people who died at that time.

  5. 57

    Yes, immediately after the war they made a very nice radio program about that.

  6. 58

    Oh, yes?

  7. 59

    Bulb soup, several verses about the bulbs.

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 11. De Bloembolleneters

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. 60

    Yes, I'll tell you, I myself had to pick them up on a bike without tires, so you can imagine the situation and, eh . . .

  2. 61

    What exactly did you prefer? Tulip bulbs or . . .

  3. 62

    Well, we had hyacinth bulbs . . .

  4. 63

    Hyacinths!

  5. 64

    But it seems that there is a kind of poison in them because the whole family ate them and, eh . . . the next day everybody was slightly ill.

  6. 65

    Is there a difference in the taste?

  7. 66

    Well, it's a kind of onion.

  1. 67

    If I am right then, there are different kinds of bulb dishes. There is bulb soup, then there was dough made from the bulbs and, then you could fry them, too, if I'm right.

  2. 68

    Cookies! Bulb cookies!

  3. 69

    The famous bulb cookies, right?

  4. 70

    Yes. It really couldn't have lasted any longer, because then I would probably have become a tulip bulb myself.

  5. 71

    Perhaps you would have been blooming by now?

Waterskien

  1. 72

    Hey, are those skis you have there?

  2. 73

    Those, these things that are in the back of the car?

  3. 74

    Is that possible at this time of the year?

  4. 75

    Yes. No, no, that is true, those are skis, but they are water skis.

  5. 76

    Yes, water skis, of course. Yes, now I see.

  6. 77

    Yes, it's getting fashionable these days in the Netherlands. Have you ever done it before?

  7. 78

    I haven't done it. I never even saw it in Holland.

I. Dialog for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 12. Waterskien

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

    You don't see it very often, because of certain reasons. Eh, it's a pretty expensive sport for Holland. It doesn't have to be expensive.

  2. 80

    What do you need for that, except skis, a pair of skis and the boat?

  3. 81

    Actually, you don't need those things. You can become a member of a club that has these things and then you only pay the membership fee. And so, it's possible to ski and to use the club's boat.

  4. 82

    Oh, yes.

  5. 83

    It's cheaper that way. But when you're a real fan like me, then you need your own skis and then you have to try to get a boat, preferably a second-hand one, because they are pretty expensive.

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. 84

    Ik zal eens even voor U kijken.

    I'll go and see if I can help you.

  2. 85

    Hij zal eens even voor U kijken.

    He'll go and see if he can help you.

  3. 86

    Wij zullen eens even voor U kijken.

    We'll go and see if we can help you.

  4. 87

    Zij zullen eens even voor U kijken.

    They'll go and see if they can help you.

  5. 88

    Mijn secretaresse zal eens even voor U kijken.

    My secretary will go and see if she can help you.

  6. 89

    Mijn assistent zal eens even voor U kijken.

    My assistant will go and see if he can help you.

  7. 90

    Zijn secretaresse zal eens even voor U kijken.

    His secretary will go and see if she can help you.

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 13. 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. 91

    Ik zal eens even voor U kijken.

    I'll go and see if I can help you.

  2. 92

    De portier zal eens even voor U kijken.

    The doorman will go and see if he can help you.

  3. 93

    Zij zal eens even voor U kijken.

    She'll go and see if she can help you.

  4. 94

    Ik zal eens even voor U kijken.

    I'll go and see if I can help you.

Substitution drill 2, part 1

  1. 95

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over de bloembollenvelden?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the tulip fields?

  2. 96

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven omtrent de treinverbindingen?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the train connections?

  3. 97

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over het weer?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the weather?

  4. 98

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over de windsnelheid?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the wind velocity?

  5. 99

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over de hotelaccomodatie in deze stad?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the hotel accomodations in this city?

  6. 100

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over de sportuitslagen?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the sport results?

  7. 101

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over deze landstreek?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about this region?

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 13. 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. 102

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over de bloembollenvelden?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the tulip fields?

  2. 103

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over het verkeer in de stad?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the traffic in the city?

  3. 104

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over het vliegtuigongeluk?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the plane accident?

  4. 105

    Kunt U mij misschien enige inlichtingen geven over de bloembollenvelden?

    Could you perhaps give me some information about the tulip fields?

Substitution drill 3, part 1

  1. 106

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik meer om zou geven.

    That is really something for which I'd care more.

  2. 107

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik niets om zou geven.

    That is really something for which I wouldn't give anything.

  3. 108

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik graag naartoe zou willen.

    That is really something to which I'd love to go.

  4. 109

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik niets aanvind.

    That is really something that doesn't appeal to me at all.

  5. 110

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik niets vanaf weet.

    That is really something of which I know nothing.

  6. 111

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik een hekel aan heb.

    That is really something that I detest.

  7. 112

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik niet tegen kan.

    That is really something that I can't stand.

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 13. 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 3, part 2

  1. 113

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik meer om zou geven.

    That is really something for which I'd care more.

  2. 114

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik alles voor zou overhebben.

    That is really something for which I'd give anything.

  3. 115

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik geen geld voor heb.

    That is really something for which I have no money.

  4. 116

    Dat is nou eigenlijk iets waar ik meer om zou geven.

    That is really something for which I'd care more.

Substitution drill 4, part 1

  1. 117

    Dus jij was één van de beroemde bloembolleneters.

    So you were one of the famous flower bulb eaters?

  2. 118

    Dus jij was één van de soldaten.

    So you were one of the soldiers?

  3. 119

    Dus jij was één van de eerste die aankwam.

    So you were one of the first who arrived?

  4. 120

    Dus jij was één van de laatste die vertrok.

    So you were one of the last to leave?

  5. 121

    Dus jij was één van de vrijwilligers.

    So you were one of the volunteers?

  6. 122

    Dus jij was één van de Rode Kruis soldaten.

    So you were one of the medics.

  7. 123

    Dus jij was één van de stakers.

    So you were one of the strikers.

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 13. 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. 124

    Dus jij was één van de beroemde bloembolleneters.

    So you were one of the famous flower bulb eaters?

  2. 125

    Dus jij was één van de oproerkraaiers.

    So you were one of the rebels.

  3. 126

    Dus jij was één van de verdedigers.

    So you were one of the defenders.

  4. 127

    Dus jij was één van de beroemde bloembolleneters.

    So you were one of the famous flower bulb eaters.

Substitution drill 5, part 1

  1. 128

    Dat kan toch niet op deze tijd van het jaar.

    But that can't happen at this time of the year.

  2. 129

    Dat kan toch niet zonder toelating van de direktie.

    But that can't happen without the permission of the administration.

  3. 130

    Dat kan toch niet onder deze omstandigheden.

    But that can't happen under these circumstances.

  4. 131

    Dat kan toch niet, met of zonder hulp.

    But that can't happen with or without aid.

  5. 132

    Dat kan toch niet zonder een grotere beurs.

    But that can't happen without a larger allowance.

  6. 133

    Dat kan toch niet op tijd klaar komen.

    But that can't be finished on time.

  7. 134

    Dat kan toch niet zonder geweld gebeuren.

    But that can't happen without using violence.

Substitution Drills

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 13. 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. 135

    Dat kan toch niet op deze tijd van het jaar.

    But that can't happen at this time of the year.

  2. 136

    Dat kan toch niet gebeuren zonder moeilijkheden.

    But that can't happen without difficulties.

  3. 137

    Dat kan toch niet zonder beraadslagen gebeuren.

    But that can't happen without deliberation.

  4. 138

    Dat kan toch niet op deze tijd van het jaar.

    But that can't happen at this time of the year.

Unit 2 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. 139

    But perhaps it really is a little too gloomy.

  2. 140

    Can we just call the tailor or could you write it down?

  3. 141

    Do you have any preference for a certain color, sir?

  4. 142

    Is it a contest in endurance or speed?

  5. 143

    I've been waiting a year for this.

  6. 144

    I still have those old Frisian skates.

  7. 145

    Do you have any plans for going anywhere?

Test on the Unit

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book III, Lesson 14. Test on Unit 2.

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 2 test, part 2

  1. 146

    Could you, perhaps, give me some information about the flower bulb districts?

  2. 147

    Is there anything interesting to see between Amsterdam and Delft?

  3. 148

    Where were you during the war?

  4. 149

    Immediately after the war they made a very nice radio program about that.

  5. 150

    Is that possible at this time of year?

  6. 151

    It doesn't have to be expensive.

  7. 152

    Haven't you ever done it before?

  8. 153

    Actually, you don't really need those things.

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.