Dutch Conversation-Grammar 1732 Studios

Dutch · Unit 6

Lessons 22 to 25

Parts of Speech II

Fabricius en Pyrrhus; Fabricius en Pyrrhus (vervolg); Fabricius en Pyrrhus (vervolg); Fabricius en Pyrrhus (slot)

338 lines

Lesson 22: Separable and inseparable compound verbs (and 4 more)

Verbs built from two parts

A compound verb is a verb made of two parts joined into one word. Opstaan and herhalen are compound verbs.

Some compound verbs are separable. The two parts come apart in a sentence. Opstaan is separable. Ik sta op.

Others are inseparable. The two parts never come apart. Herhalen is inseparable.

The combination of parts or the meaning decides which kind a verb is.

A noun, adjective or adverb joined to a verb

Some verbs join a noun, an adjective or an adverb to a verb. Waarschuwen and raadplegen are of this kind. These verbs are inseparable.

All of them are weak, even when the simple verb is strong. The past tense and the past participle follow the weak pattern.

Most of them take ge in the past participle: ik heb hem gewaarschuwd. Zij heeft het kind geliefkoosd.

The exception with vol

Every compound with vol is inseparable too. These verbs take no ge in the past participle.

Voldoen becomes voldaan. Volmaken becomes volmaakt.

The verb list gives the past participle of each verb. Learn the participle with the verb.

Two parts that keep their own meaning

A compound verb is separable when each part still has its own meaning. Paardrijden, to ride on horseback, is one.

The verb keeps its ordinary conjugation. The first part stands apart: ik rijd paard, ik reed paard.

In the past participle, ge goes before the verb, after the first part: ik heb paardgereden.

Verbs used only in the infinitive

A few separable verbs are used only in the infinitive. Schoonschrijven and snelschrijven are two. They have no other forms.

To say the same thing in another tense, choose a different expression.

Some expressions look like these verbs but are not compound verbs. Acht geven and plaats grijpen are expressions of two words.

How to tell a compound verb from an expression

An expression of two words is not a real compound verb. Two tests show the difference.

First, put an adjective or a numeral before the noun. An expression can take one: een hoge prijs stellen, geen acht geven.

Second, compare. The adjective or adverb of an expression can take a degree of comparison: hoger schatten, sneller schrijven.

A real compound verb can do neither. Nobody says geen wel doen or beter keuren.

Three kinds of prefix

A prefix is a short part placed before a verb to make a new verb.

Some prefixes are always inseparable. Others are always separable. For a few, the meaning decides.

  1. 1

    to get up (separable)

    opstaanto get up (separable)
  2. 2

    to repeat (inseparable)

  3. 3

    I have warned him

  4. 4

    she caressed the child

  5. 5

    I have ridden on horseback

Separable and inseparable compound verbs

A compound verb may be separable or inseparable according to the combination or the meaning.
Inseparable real compounds

Inseparable are the real combinations of a verb with a noun, adjective or adverb, such as: gekscheren to jest, logenstraffen to give the lie, pluimstrijken to flatter, raadplegen to consult, raaskallen to rave, dwarsdrijven to thwart, dwarsbomen to cross, vrijwaren to guarantee, beeldhouwen to sculpture, waarschuwen to warn, doodverven to designate one for (an employment), liefkozen to caress, and all compounds with vol: voldoen to satisfy, volmaken to perfect, and so on. These verbs are all weak, even where the simple verb is strong; they take the syllable ge in the past participle, except those with vol, as: gegekscheerd, gelogenstraft, gepluimstrijkt, geraadpleegd, geraaskald, gedwarsdrijfd, gedwarsboomd, gevrijwaard, gebeeldhouwd, gewaarschuwd, gedoodverfd, geliefkoosd, but voldaan, volmaakt, and so on.
Separable real compounds

Separable are compound verbs of which each part can still be used with its own meaning. The verb keeps its ordinary conjugation, and ge is put before the verb: weldoen to do good, ik doe wel, ik deed wel, ik heb welgedaan; rechtspreken to give a verdict, ik spreek recht, ik sprak recht, ik heb rechtgesproken; paardrijden to ride on horseback, ik rijd paard, ik reed paard, ik heb paardgereden; stuksnijden to cut into pieces, ik snijd stuk, ik sneed stuk, ik heb stukgesneden; gedag zeggen to greet, schaatsenrijden to skate, waarnemen to observe, aderlaten to bleed, gadeslaan to watch, kwijtraken to lose, to get rid of, gelijkstellen to equate, hoogachten to esteem, goedkeuren to approve of, goedvinden to approve, prijsgeven to abandon, goedmaken to repair, gevangennemen to take prisoner, doodslaan to slay, schoonschrijven (schoonschrijver calligrapher), snelschrijven (snelschrijver shorthand writer). Note 1. Schoonschrijven, snelschrijven, hardrijden and harddraven to run a race, hardzeilen to sail before the wind, kroeglopen to frequent public houses, buikspreken (de buikspreker the ventriloquist) and koorddansen to dance on a rope are used in the infinitive only; for the other forms another expression has to be chosen. Note 2. Different from these compound verbs are expressions such as: acht geven and acht slaan to pay attention to, plaats grijpen to take place, prijs stellen to appreciate, hoog schatten to value highly, snel schrijven to write quickly, and so on.
Compound verbs with an adjective or a numeral before the noun

Such expressions can easily be told apart from real compound verbs, because an adjective or a numeral can be put before the noun, and the adjective or adverb takes the degrees of comparison: geen acht geven or slaan, een hoge prijs stellen, hoger schatten, sneller schrijven; but we cannot say geen wel doen or beter keuren.
Compound verbs with prefixes

Of the compound verbs with prefixes, some are always inseparable, others are always separable; a few are separable or inseparable according to their meaning.
Inseparable prefixes: be-, er-, ge-, her-, ont-, ver-

Inseparable compound verbs with prefixes take the accent on the verb; the past participle never has ge. Such are verbs with be- (originally bij): bewenen to mourn over, behandelen to treat, bespotten to mock at, bevriezen to freeze; er-: erlangen to get, erkennen to acknowledge, ervaren to experience, erbarmen over (= ontfermen) to have pity on; ge-: gevoelen to feel, gebruiken to use, zich getroosten to put up with, gelukken to succeed, geraken to attain, to arrive; her-: herroepen to recall, herkrijgen to recover, herleven to revive, hernieuwen to renew, herzien to revise; ont-: ontmoeten to meet, ontkomen to escape, ontgaan to escape one's notice, ontknopen to unravel, ontleden to analyse, ontspannen to unbend, zich ontspannen to relax; ver-: verdrijven to drive away, verjagen to expel, verdragen to bear, verbedden to change beds, verzetten to remove, verlenen to grant, verschenken to pour out, vertellen to tell, verdwalen to lose one's way, vergaan to perish.
Separable prefixes

Separable compound verbs take ge between the prefix and the verb in the past participle; the main stress is on the separable prefix, a lighter stress on the root vowel of the verb. Separable prefixes are: aan at, to; achter behind; af off; bij by; door through; heen away; in in; mee with; om on, about; onder under; op on, upon; over over; samen together; tegen against; terug back; toe to, up; uit out; voor before; weer again; weg away, and so on.
Prefixes that are sometimes separable, sometimes inseparable: door, om, onder, voor, mis

Compound verbs with the prefixes door, om, onder, voor and mis are either separable or inseparable. When the prefix and the simple verb are used with their full, original meaning, the compound is separable; when the prefix has lost its original meaning (and with it its stress), the compound is inseparable. Examples: doorreizen to travel through: de vorst reist hier door, doorreizen to travel all over: de vorst doorreist het land; doorsteken to cut open: de vijand stak de dijken door, doorsteken to pierce: de soldaat doorstak zijn vijand; omspannen to change horses: de koetsier spande de paarden om, omspannen to span: de jongens konden de boom niet omspannen; ondergaan to set: de zon gaat onder, ondergaan to undergo, to suffer: straf ondergaan; onderhouden to hold under: hij hield de hond onder water, onderhouden to support: de koning heeft die arme familie onderhouden; voorspellen to spell first: de onderwijzer spelt voor, de kinderen spellen na, voorspellen to predict: de sterrenwichelaar (de astroloog) voorspelt de toekomst uit de sterren; voorzeggen to prompt: deze leerling heeft zijn vriend alles voorgezegd, voorzeggen to foretell: niemand kan voorzeggen wat de toekomst brengen zal; misdoen to do wrong: wij hebben dit misgedaan, misdoen to offend: wat heeft die man misdaan? Misrekenen to miscount: hij heeft misgerekend, misrekenen to miscalculate: hij heeft zich misrekend. Note. Aan in aanbidden to adore may be separated or not, though today aanbidden is usually treated as inseparable: ik aanbid, ik aanbad, ik heb aanbeden.
Verbs of this lesson, with their principal parts

aanspreken     to address                            ik spreek aan, ik sprak aan, ik heb aangesproken
aanstoten      to push                               ik stoot aan, ik stootte aan, ik heb aangestoten
aantonen       to show                               ik toon aan, ik toonde aan, ik heb aangetoond
achterblijven  to remain behind                      ik blijf achter, ik bleef achter, ik ben achtergebleven
achterhouden   to keep back                          ik houd achter, ik hield achter, ik heb achtergehouden
achterstaan    to be inferior                        ik sta achter, ik stond achter, ik heb achtergestaan
afdoen         to settle                             ik doe af, ik deed af, ik heb afgedaan
afdanken       to dismiss                            ik dank af, ik dankte af, ik heb afgedankt
afkeren        to turn off                           ik keer af, ik keerde af, ik heb afgekeerd
bijdragen      to contribute                         ik draag bij, ik droeg bij, ik heb bijgedragen
bijmengen      to mix in                             ik meng bij, ik mengde bij, ik heb bijgemengd
bijspringen    to assist                             ik spring bij, ik sprong bij, ik heb bijgesprongen
doorbrengen    to pass (time)                        ik breng door, ik bracht door, ik heb doorgebracht
doorscheuren   to tear                               ik scheur door, ik scheurde door, ik heb doorgescheurd
doorspringen   to leap through                       ik spring door, ik sprong door, ik ben doorgesprongen
heengaan       to go away                            ik ga heen, ik ging heen, ik ben heengegaan
inbinden       to bind                               ik bind in, ik bond in, ik heb ingebonden
indienen       to submit                             ik dien in, ik diende in, ik heb ingediend
innemen        to take in                            ik neem in, ik nam in, ik heb ingenomen
meelopen       to walk along with                    ik loop mee, ik liep mee, ik ben meegelopen
meepraten      to have one's say                     ik praat mee, ik praatte mee, ik heb meegepraat
meewerken      to cooperate                          ik werk mee, ik werkte mee, ik heb meegewerkt
ombrengen      to kill                               ik breng om, ik bracht om, ik heb omgebracht
omkomen        to perish                             ik kom om, ik kwam om, ik ben omgekomen
omlopen        to run about                          ik loop om, ik liep om, ik ben omgelopen
onderliggen    to be defeated                        ik lig onder, ik lag onder, ik heb ondergelegen
onderregenen   to be rained on                       het regent onder, het regende onder, het heeft ondergeregend
ondersneeuwen  to be snowed under                    het sneeuwt onder, het sneeuwde onder, het is ondergesneeuwd
opdagen        to appear                             ik daag op, ik daagde op, ik ben opgedaagd
opeisen        to demand, to claim                   ik eis op, ik eiste op, ik heb opgeëist
opgaren        to lay up, to save                    ik gaar op, ik gaarde op, ik heb opgegaard
overblijven    to remain                             ik blijf over, ik bleef over, ik ben overgebleven
overboeken     to enter in another book              ik boek over, ik boekte over, ik heb overgeboekt
overmaken      to transmit                           ik maak over, ik maakte over, ik heb overgemaakt
samengaan      to go together                        ik ga samen, ik ging samen, ik ben samengegaan
tegengaan      to prevent                            ik ga tegen, ik ging tegen, ik heb tegengegaan
tegenhouden    to arrest, to stop                    ik houd tegen, ik hield tegen, ik heb tegengehouden
tegenwerken    to thwart                             ik werk tegen, ik werkte tegen, ik heb tegengewerkt
teruggaan      to go back                            ik ga terug, ik ging terug, ik ben teruggegaan
terugeisen     to claim back                         ik eis terug, ik eiste terug, ik heb teruggeëist
terugwijzen    to refer                              ik wijs terug, ik wees terug, ik heb teruggewezen
toelopen       to run towards                        ik loop toe, ik liep toe, ik ben toegelopen
toespreken     to address                            ik spreek toe, ik sprak toe, ik heb toegesproken
toetreden      to agree to, to join                  ik treed toe, ik trad toe, ik ben toegetreden
uitcijferen    to calculate                          ik cijfer uit, ik cijferde uit, ik heb uitgecijferd
uitdelen       to distribute                         ik deel uit, ik deelde uit, ik heb uitgedeeld
uitlachen      to laugh at                           ik lach uit, ik lachte uit, ik heb uitgelachen
voorbidden     to say grace                          ik bid voor, ik bad voor, ik heb voorgebeden
voorgaan       to go in front, to lead               ik ga voor, ik ging voor, ik ben voorgegaan
voorlezen      to read aloud                         ik lees voor, ik las voor, ik heb voorgelezen
weerkomen      to return                             ik kom weer, ik kwam weer, ik ben weergekomen
weervinden     to find again                         ik vind weer, ik vond weer, ik heb weergevonden
weerzien       to see again                          ik zie weer, ik zag weer, ik heb weergezien
wegblijven     to stay away                          ik blijf weg, ik bleef weg, ik ben weggebleven
wegjagen       to drive away                         ik jaag weg, ik joeg weg, ik heb weggejaagd
wegwaaien      to be blown away                      ik waai weg, ik woei weg, ik ben weggewaaid
gekscheren     to jest                               ik gekscheer, ik gekscheerde, ik heb gegekscheerd
logenstraffen  to give the lie to                    ik logenstraf, ik logenstrafte, ik heb gelogenstraft
pluimstrijken  to flatter                            ik pluimstrijk, ik pluimstrijkte, ik heb gepluimstrijkt
raadplegen     to consult                            ik raadpleeg, ik raadpleegde, ik heb geraadpleegd
raaskallen     to rave                               ik raaskal, ik raaskalde, ik heb geraaskald
dwarsdrijven   to thwart                             ik dwarsdrijf, ik dwarsdrijfde, ik heb gedwarsdrijfd
dwarsbomen     to cross, to thwart                   ik dwarsboom, ik dwarsboomde, ik heb gedwarsboomd
vrijwaren      to guarantee                          ik vrijwaar, ik vrijwaarde, ik heb gevrijwaard
beeldhouwen    to sculpture                          ik beeldhouw, ik beeldhouwde, ik heb gebeeldhouwd
waarschuwen    to warn                               ik waarschuw, ik waarschuwde, ik heb gewaarschuwd
doodverven     to designate one for (an employment)  ik doodverf, ik doodverfde, ik heb gedoodverfd
liefkozen      to caress                             ik liefkoos, ik liefkoosde, ik heb geliefkoosd
voldoen        to satisfy                            ik voldoe, ik voldeed, ik heb voldaan
volmaken       to perfect                            ik volmaak, ik volmaakte, ik heb volmaakt
  1. 6

    he took the prisoner captive

  2. 7

    he sets a high value on silence

Lesson 22: Inseparable prefixes: be-, er-, ge-, her-, ont-, ver- (and 2 more)

Six prefixes that never come apart

Six prefixes are inseparable: be-, er-, ge-, her-, ont- and ver-. A verb with one of them never comes apart.

Stress is the part of a word you say louder. In these verbs the stress falls on the verb, not on the prefix.

The past participle never takes ge. Verdwalen gives verdwaald.

Examples are bewenen, erkennen, herzien, ontmoeten and vertellen.

Prefixes that come apart

Many prefixes are separable. They include aan, af, bij, in, mee, op, terug, uit and weg.

The main stress falls on the prefix. A lighter stress falls on the verb.

In the past participle, ge goes between the prefix and the verb: ik heb het boek opgezocht. Wij zijn teruggegaan.

The prefix moves in the sentence

In the present tense and the past tense, the prefix stands apart from the verb. Ik breng door. Ik bracht door.

The verb list gives three forms of each verb: the present, the past and the past participle. Ik spreek aan, ik sprak aan, ik heb aangesproken.

One prefix, two kinds of verb

Five prefixes work both ways: door, om, onder, voor and mis. The meaning decides.

When the prefix keeps its full, original meaning, the verb is separable. The stress is on the prefix: de vorst reist hier door.

When the prefix has lost its original meaning, the verb is inseparable. The stress is on the verb: de vorst doorreist het land.

The same spelling, two meanings

The same written verb can be both kinds. Ondergaan means to set: de zon gaat onder. It also means to undergo: straf ondergaan.

Voorspellen has two meanings too. It means to spell first in the separable use, and to predict in the inseparable use.

Look at the meaning first. Then you know where the stress falls and whether ge appears in the participle.

Verbs of this lesson, with their principal parts

  1. 8

    I have never escaped him

  2. 9

    he lost his way

  3. 10

    I have looked up the book

  4. 11

    we went back

  5. 12

    the ruler is travelling through here (separable)

  1. 13

    the ruler travels all over the country (inseparable)

  2. 14

    the sun sets

Fabricius en Pyrrhus

  1. 15

    Fabricius and Pyrrhus

  2. 16

    About 280 B.C. a mighty king went out from Epirus, a province of North Greece, across the sea: his name was Pyrrhus, and he wanted to make war on the Romans.

  3. 17

    In the first battle he was victorious chiefly with the help of certain animals, which the Romans regarded with the greatest astonishment, for they had never yet seen such animals.

gewest
province
Noord-Griekenland
North Greece
zee
sea
oorlog
war
verbazing
astonishment, surprise
zulke
such
Omstreeks
about, around
hoofdzakelijk
chiefly
van
with the aid of (met behulp van)
van
in spite of (in weerwil van)
nooit
never
aandoen
to make war against (de oorlog aandoen)
(voor
it seems to me (het komt mij voor)
  1. 18

    They were elephants.

  2. 19

    On the backs of these monstrous animals wooden turrets were fastened, out of which sixteen soldiers shot lances and arrows.

  3. 20

    The elephants themselves too, especially when they had first been maddened by wounds, seized enemy soldiers with their trunk, threw them on the ground, and crushed them with their feet.

rug
back
slurf
trunk (of an elephant)
grond
ground, earth
houten
wooden
voornamelijk
especially
  1. 21

    In spite of the unfamiliar sight and the secret fear of this unknown enemy, the Romans had offered resistance with great bravery, and Pyrrhus cried out in admiration: “With such soldiers I could conquer the whole world.”

  2. 22

    Yet with such an enemy he wished to have peace, and he entered into negotiations.

  3. 23

    But the Romans, though defeated, demanded proudly that he should evacuate Italy; otherwise there could be no talk of peace.

  4. 24

    And when Pyrrhus asked his envoy how he had found Rome, the envoy answered: “Truly, Rome seemed to me like a great temple, and the senate like an assembly of gods!”

gezicht
sight
schrik
fright, terror
vijand
enemy
dapperheid
bravery
wereld
world
vrede
peace
trots
pride
Italië
Italy
gezant
his ambassador, the ambassador (zijn gezant)
tempel
temple
verzameling
collection; gathering
senaat
senate
vol
full
ofschoon
though
tegenstand
to resist, to oppose (tegenstand bieden)
veroveren
to conquer
ontruimen
to leave, to evacuate
zijn
there could be no question (er kon geen sprake zijn)

Lesson 22: conversation

  1. 25

    Is your departure already fixed?

  2. 26

    Are you going by an ordinary train or by an express train?

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    Yes, I am leaving next Monday.

  4. 28

    By the express train, I have no wish to be a long time on the way.

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    How long will you stay away?

  2. 30

    Will you do me a favor?

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    About a fortnight.

  4. 32

    Very gladly, if I am able to.

  1. 33

    Then take this parcel with you for me; it is for our friend N.

  2. 34

    You know, of course, in which street he now lives.

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    Farewell! Pleasant journey.

  4. 36

    Very gladly, I will also give him your regards.

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    Yes, in the Kalverstraat, near the beginning.

  6. 38

    Thank you. Until we meet again!

Lesson 23: Adverbs: what they modify (and 3 more)

What an adverb does

Adverbs work on three kinds of word: a verb, an adjective or another adverb.

They tell how, where, when, how much and in what order. They also say yes, no, perhaps, or ask a question.

In zij zingt mooi, the word mooi tells how she sings. In hij is thuis, the word thuis tells where he is.

Adjectives that work as adverbs

Qualifying adverbs come in two kinds.

The first kind is an adjective used as an adverb with no change. Zij is mooi uses mooi as an adjective. Zij zingt mooi uses the same word as an adverb.

These adverbs take degrees of comparison, as adjectives do.

Some words ending in -lijk are real adjectives. They also work as adverbs with no change: eerlijk, honest, and gevaarlijk, dangerous.

Endings that make adverbs

The second kind is made from a noun or an adjective with an ending: -lijk, -lijks, -lings, -ens, -s, -pjes, -jes, -tjes or -kens.

Dag, day, gives dagelijks, daily. Blind gives blindelings, blindly. Hoogst, highest, gives hoogstens, at most. Zacht, soft, gives zachtjes, softly.

In each entry of the list, look at the plain word first, then the adverb made from it.

One spelling for two jobs

An adverb like dagelijks and the matching adjective are written the same way. The sentence shows which job the word does.

Dagelijks werk is daily work. Here dagelijks describes the noun werk, so it is an adjective.

Hij komt dagelijks is he comes daily. Here dagelijks describes the verb komt, so it is an adverb.

The -lijk form adds force

A word that adds to an adjective can be strengthened. For this job Dutch always uses the form ending in -lijk.

Waar means true. Waarlijk means truly. Een waarlijk mooi gezegde is a truly beautiful saying.

Waarlijk adds force to mooi. Without an adjective to strengthen, the plain form serves: hij spreekt waar, he speaks the truth.

  1. 39

    she sings beautifully

  2. 40

    he comes weekly

  3. 41

    daily work (adjective)

  4. 42

    he comes daily (adverb)

  5. 43

    he speaks the truth

  6. 44

    a truly beautiful saying

Adverbs: what they modify

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs: they denote manner, place, time, order, motion, number, quantity, quality, affirmation, doubt, negation or interrogation.
Qualifying adverbs

Qualifying adverbs are: a) adjectives used as adverbs, compare: zij is mooi, zij zingt mooi; b) forms derived from nouns or adjectives ending in -lijk, -lijks, -lings, -ens, -s, -pjes, -jes, -tjes, -kens. Examples. eigen own, eigenlijk properly; krachtig powerful, krachtiglijk powerfully; open open, openlijk openly; oprecht sincere, oprecht sincerely; strikt strict, strikt strictly; waar true, waarlijk truly; zeker sure, zeker surely; dag day, dagelijks daily; jaar year, jaarlijks yearly; maand month, maandelijks monthly; week week, wekelijks weekly; blind blind, blindelings blindly; kort short, kortelings shortly; mond mouth, mondeling verbally; rug back, ruggelings backwards; zijde side, zijdelings sideways; hoogst highest, hoogstens at (the) most; minst least, minstens at (the) least; recht straight, rechts to the right; links left, links to the left; ander other, anders otherwise; lang long, langs along; warm warm, warmpjes warmly; zoet sweet, gentle, zoetjes gently; stil silent, stilletjes silently; zacht soft, zachtjes softly. Note 1. Adjectives used as qualifying adverbs take degrees of comparison, see Lesson 13. Note 2. Some words ending in -lijk are real adjectives and are used as adverbs without changing their form, such as: eerlijk honest, gevaarlijk dangerous, goddelijk divine, heerlijk delightful, lichamelijk physical, ziekelijk sickly.
-lijks versus -lijksch: a spelling gone

Note 3. An adverb like dagelijks and the matching adjective are written the same way. Dagelijks werk is daily work (adjective), and hij komt dagelijks is he comes daily (adverb).
Strengthening an adverb with -lijk

Note 4. To strengthen the adverbial meaning of a word modifying an adjective, we always use the form ending in -lijk: hij spreekt waar; een waarlijk mooi gezegde.
Word order: the adverb follows the verb

Note 5. Adverbs of manner or of indefinite time are often placed before the verb in English; in Dutch they always follow it: My friend gladly accepted the offer. Mijn vriend nam het aanbod graag aan. He never reads newspapers. Hij leest nooit kranten.
Adverbs of place

Adverbs of place: achter behind, af downwards, beneden below, downstairs, binnen inside, buiten outside, out of doors, boven above, over, daar there, dichtbij near, ergens somewhere, ginder or ginds yonder, heen, henen away, heinde en ver far and near, heen en weer to and fro, hier here, links to the left, na, nabij near, close to, nergens nowhere, omhoog aloft, on high, onder below, under, op upwards, up, overal everywhere, rondom all around, thuis at home, ver far off, waar where, wijd en zijd far and wide.
Adverbs of time

Adverbs of time: aanstonds directly, af en toe now and then, allengs, allengskens gradually, altijd, altoos, steeds always, dadelijk, terstond immediately, dan then, dikwijls, dikwerf, vaak, vaker often, doorgaans generally, eergisteren the day before yesterday, gedurig continually, gisteren yesterday, heden today, immer always, laat, later late(r), lang long, op zijn laatst at the latest, naderhand afterwards, nimmer never, nog still, yet, nooit never, nu, thans now, nu en dan now and then, occasionally, onlangs the other day, ooit ever, overmorgen the day after tomorrow, sedert since, soms, somtijds sometimes, spoedig soon, straks, strakjes by and by, telkens again and again, tegelijk, tevens at the same time, toen, toenmaals then, uiterlijk outwardly, vervolgens further, voorheen, vroeger formerly, voortdurend continually, wanneer? when?, weldra, dra soon, weleer formerly, zelden seldom, zo-even just now.
Adverbs of quantity, comparison, negation

Adverbs of quantity, comparison, negation, and so on: al te too, in het algemeen in general, als, gelijk as, als het ware as it were, althans, ten minste at least, anders else, bijna, bijkans nearly, enigszins somewhat, enkel, louter only, evenzo so, thus, fluks quickly, gaarne willingly, geenszins not at all, geheel en al, helemaal entirely, in het geheel niet not at all, grotelijks greatly, hoe? how?, hoe ... hoe, hoe ... des te the ... the, hoogstens at most, immers, ja indeed, nay, maar, slechts only, misschien perhaps, nauwelijks scarcely, nee no, niet not, om niet, tevergeefs in vain, ronduit plainly, ruggelings backwards, soms perhaps, tamelijk, vrij rather, terloops by the way, verreweg by far, volstrekt absolutely, volstrekt niet by no means, wel is waar it is true, welzeker surely, zeer, ten zeerste much, zelfs even, zo (mogelijk) if (possible), zo (niet) if (not), zodanig so, in such a manner. Hoe langer hoe beter the longer the better. Hoe eer hoe liever the sooner the better. Hoe langer hoe erger worse and worse. Hoe langer hoe meer more and more. Hoe rijker hoe gieriger avarice increases with riches.
Verbs of this lesson, with their principal parts

verwerven  to gain, to acquire  ik verwerf, ik verwierf, ik heb verworven
toestaan   to grant, to allow   ik sta toe, ik stond toe, ik heb toegestaan

Lesson 23: Word order: the adverb follows the verb (and 2 more)

Where the adverb goes

English often puts an adverb of manner or of indefinite time before the verb: he never reads newspapers.

Dutch puts it after the verb. Hij leest nooit kranten. The verb leest comes first, then nooit.

The same holds for graag, gladly. Mijn vriend nam het aanbod graag aan. The adverb graag follows the verb nam.

Adverbs that answer where

An adverb of place says where something is or where it goes. The rule is a list. It is for reference.

Each item is one Dutch word followed by its English meaning. Hier means here. Daar means there. Thuis means at home. Overal means everywhere.

Some items pair two words. Heen en weer means to and fro. Wijd en zijd means far and wide. Read each pair as one unit.

Adverbs that answer when

An adverb of time says when something happens or how often. The rule is a list. It is for reference.

Each item is a Dutch word and its English meaning. Gisteren means yesterday. Overmorgen means the day after tomorrow. Soms means sometimes. Nooit means never.

Some items give several Dutch words for one meaning. Altijd, altoos and steeds all mean always.

  1. 45

    my friend gladly accepted the offer

  2. 46

    he never reads newspapers

  3. 47

    he is at home

  4. 48

    we are looking everywhere

  5. 49

    he is coming the day after tomorrow

  6. 50

    we sometimes see him

Lesson 23: Adverbs of quantity, comparison, negation

Adverbs of degree, doubt and denial

These adverbs say how much, how alike, or whether something holds. The rule is a list. It is for reference.

Each item is a Dutch word or phrase and its English meaning. Misschien means perhaps. Niet means not. Nee means no.

Some items are phrases. Volstrekt niet means by no means. In het geheel niet means not at all.

Hoe, hoe: the more, the more

Dutch has a pattern that pairs two comparisons. Hoe langer hoe beter means the longer the better.

The pattern repeats hoe before each part. Hoe langer hoe meer is more and more. Hoe eer hoe liever is the sooner the better.

  1. 51

    he will by no means succeed

  2. 52

    the sooner the better

Fabricius en Pyrrhus (vervolg)

  1. 53

    Fabricius and Pyrrhus (continued)

  2. 54

    In these negotiations there also came a Roman as envoy into Pyrrhus's camp, Fabricius by name, who had won general esteem by his honesty.

  3. 55

    Since the king knew what respect he enjoyed in Rome, he sought to win him over, so as to bring about the desired peace through him.

rechtschapenheid
honesty
achting
esteem
aanzien
respect, standing
bewerken
to effect, to bring about
aanzien
to be highly respected (aanzien genieten)
  1. 56

    He therefore had him come to him alone and said to him: “I know, dear Fabricius, that you are a man experienced in war and virtuous, and yet poor; that grieves me.

  2. 57

    Allow me therefore to give you so much of my treasures that you will be richer than the other senators.

  3. 58

    For that is the best use that princes can make of their riches, that they come to the aid of great men with them.

krijg
war (= oorlog)
hulp
help
daarom
therefore
mij
I am sorry (het spijt mij)
komen
to assist, to come to the aid of (te hulp komen)
  1. 59

    I ask nothing dishonorable of you for it, but only that you advise your people toward peace.

  2. 60

    I need a virtuous and faithful friend, and you need a king who, by his generosity, enables you to do more good than you have done up to now.”

  3. 61

    Was that not nicely said, and pleasant to hear?

mildheid
generosity, liberality
aangenaam
agreeable, pleasant
keurig
nice, exquisite
nodig
to need, to want (nodig hebben)
staat
to enable (in staat stellen)
stichten
to cause; to do good
  1. 62

    And had the king not well hidden his purpose of bribing Fabricius?

  2. 63

    And what did Fabricius say to that?

  3. 64

    He answered: “I thank you, dear king, for the good opinion you hold of me, but I also wish that you keep it.

  4. 65

    Take your money back for that reason.

  5. 66

    You are quite right that I am poor.”

doel
aim, purpose
mening
opinion

Lesson 23: conversation

  1. 67

    Here we are in Amsterdam.

  2. 68

    No, Sir. Shall we look for a hotel together?

  3. 69

    Is it an expensive hotel?

  4. 70

    Are you familiar with it here?

  5. 71

    Very gladly. I have been recommended hotel X.

  6. 72

    I don't think so.

  1. 73

    Do you have trunks with you?

  2. 74

    Very good, I will order a carriage.

  3. 75

    Coachman, take us to hotel X.

  4. 76

    Yes, if you don't mind, we'll take a carriage.

  5. 77

    Meanwhile I will see to the trunks.

  6. 78

    Very good, Sir!

  1. 79

    Drive on briskly! Is it far, where we have to be?

  2. 80

    Coachman, put those trunks on the carriage!

  3. 81

    Is this the hotel?

  4. 82

    How much do we have to pay?

  5. 83

    No, Sir, it is not ten minutes' drive.

  6. 84

    Do you want to keep the small trunk with you?

  7. 85

    Yes, gentlemen.

  8. 86

    One guilder, please.

Lesson 23: exercise 49

  1. 87

    We come tomorrow.

  2. 88

    You are always welcome.

  3. 89

    Come down, please!

  4. 90

    Where is our dog?

  5. 91

    It is outside; I can find it nowhere.

  6. 92

    This letter is beautifully written.

  7. 93

    I never go out.

  1. 94

    The horse goes slowly.

  2. 95

    I was not at home.

  3. 96

    Have you searched everywhere?

  4. 97

    Make yourself at home.

  5. 98

    Did you know him before?

  6. 99

    Yes, I have known him long.

  7. 100

    My brother will be here directly.

  1. 101

    He was often in the Netherlands.

  2. 102

    They have arrived sooner than I.

  3. 103

    My sister is today better than yesterday.

  4. 104

    Go away directly!

  5. 105

    My uncle will always be glad to see you.

  6. 106

    Could you not come earlier?

  7. 107

    No, the train was too late.

  1. 108

    Next time I shall be here in time.

  2. 109

    Have you seen our friend lately?

  3. 110

    Yes, I saw him the other day.

  4. 111

    I hope I shall see him again very soon.

  5. 112

    I see him now and then.

  6. 113

    The sooner you come the better it is for the children.

  7. 114

    The longer you stay with us the better it will be for our affairs.

  1. 115

    He gets worse and worse every day.

  2. 116

    The longer here, the later there.

  3. 117

    Go softly into the bedroom.

  4. 118

    Speak low, every one can hear us.

  1. 119

    Knock gently at his door, for he sleeps lightly.

  2. 120

    I go to Germany every year.

  3. 121

    He visits us every day.

  4. 122

    He notes the daily expenses.

Lesson 23: exercise 50

  1. 123

    Are you going upstairs already?

  2. 124

    My brother comes downstairs.

  3. 125

    In winter the sun rises late and sets early.

  4. 126

    My letter is written better than yours.

  5. 127

    Where is my stick?

  6. 128

    I can find it nowhere.

  7. 129

    You will find it there, in the corner.

  1. 130

    He comes the day after tomorrow.

  2. 131

    I like playing.

  3. 132

    Do you like dancing better?

  4. 133

    I like walking best.

  5. 134

    When will you come?

  6. 135

    Today or tomorrow.

  7. 136

    He has been here at least three times.

  1. 137

    This house is beautiful indeed.

  2. 138

    He will by no means succeed.

  3. 139

    How much do you charge for it?

  4. 140

    It will cost you fifty guilders at the utmost.

  5. 141

    The next village is about ten miles off.

  6. 142

    It is not otherwise.

  7. 143

    Do you want anything else?

  1. 144

    No, Sir, I thank you, at present I want nothing else.

  2. 145

    At first I thought I knew him.

  3. 146

    I think he will not like to do it.

  4. 147

    Perhaps you had better not reject his proposal.

  5. 148

    He writes less correctly than his cousin.

  6. 149

    It is quite in vain to talk to such a fool.

  1. 150

    We were scarcely out of doors when it began to rain.

  2. 151

    He told me by the way that he had lost his purse.

  3. 152

    He declared plainly that he knew nothing about it.

Lesson 24: Prepositions: the most usual ones

The common prepositions

This list gives the prepositions Dutch uses most. It is for reference.

Each entry is one Dutch preposition and its English meanings. Many words have more than one meaning, because English needs a different word in different places.

Aan means at, on, close to or to. Behalve means except or besides. Tijdens means during.

Each example sentence shows one meaning in use. Hij stond aan de deur means he stood at the door.

Place and time

Many of these words tell where. Achter is behind: de jongen stond achter een boom. Op is on: het boek ligt op de tafel.

Other words tell when. Na is after. Gedurende and tijdens are during. Sedert and sinds are since.

In can mean in or into. Bent u in de kamer? means are you in the room. Ga in de kamer means go into the room.

Prepositions: the most usual ones

tussen between; uit out of, from; van of; volgens according to; voor for, vóór before; wegens on account of; zonder without.

  1. 153

    he stood at the door, at the window

  2. 154

    to be under twenty

  3. 155

    within a year

  4. 156

    we walked through the town

  5. 157

    go into the room

Prepositions: the most usual ones

The most usual prepositions are: aan at, on, close to, to; achter behind; behalve except, besides; beneden under; benevens together with; bij near, with, by; binnen within; boven over, above, across; buiten except, without, outside; door through, by; gedurende during; in in, into; ingevolge on account of; jegens towards, against, to; krachtens in virtue of; langs along; met with; na after; naar to, according to; naast near, by the side of; om at, for, about, round, since; omstreeks about; omtrent about; onder under, among; op on, upon; over over, above, across; rondom round about; sedert or sinds since; tegen against; te to, at, on; tot till, to; tijdens during; trots or ondanks, in weerwil van in spite of; tussen between; uit out of, from; van of; volgens according to; voor for, vóór before; wegens on account of; zonder without.

A few from the list
Hij stond aan de deur, aan het raam.  he stood at the door, at the window
De jongen stond achter een boom.      the boy stood behind a tree
Ik heb alle boeken behalve dit.       I have all the books except this one
Beneden de twintig jaar zijn.         to be under twenty
De vader benevens zijn kinderen.      the father together with his children
Hij stond bij u.                      he stood near you
Binnen een jaar.                      within a year
Boven het huis.                       over the house
Het is koud buiten de kamer.          it is cold outside the room
Wij wandelden door de stad.           we walked through the town
Prepositions used as adverbs

Almost all original prepositions are used in the same form as adverbs. Met, naar, te or tot, and van correspond to the adverbs mee, nader, toe and af.
Prepositions govern the accusative, except te

A preposition is followed by the noun in its plain form, without case endings, with the one exception of te, which is still followed by a handful of fixed dative expressions.
Verbs of this lesson, with their principal parts

bijstaan      to help         ik sta bij, ik stond bij, ik heb bijgestaan
zich omkeren  to turn around  ik keer mij om, ik keerde mij om, ik heb mij omgekeerd
  1. 158

    in virtue of the new laws

  2. 159

    after dinner we go out

  3. 160

    all were already seated round the table

  4. 161

    we stood under a tree

  5. 162

    the armies were round about the fortress

  1. 163

    he is not at home

  2. 164

    at the house of

  3. 165

    during the revolt

  4. 166

    to drink out of a glass

Lesson 24: Prepositions used as adverbs (and 1 more)

Prepositions without a noun

Almost every preposition can also be an adverb. It keeps the same form, but no noun follows it.

Four prepositions take a different form as adverbs. Met becomes mee. Naar becomes nader. Te or tot becomes toe. Van becomes af.

The plain noun after a preposition

After a preposition, the noun takes no case ending. It keeps its plain form: aan de deur, achter een boom, tussen deze twee huizen.

Te is the one exception. A few fixed expressions with te still keep the old dative form. Ter zee means at sea. Ten huize van means at the house of.

Learn each of these expressions as one whole phrase.

  1. 167

    at sea

  2. 168

    at the house of

Fabricius en Pyrrhus (vervolg)

  1. 169

    Fabricius and Pyrrhus (continued)

  2. 170

    “I have a small field and a cottage and do not live on rents and the labor of slaves; but still I am happy, for I am esteemed by my fellow citizens and associate with the richest and most distinguished as my equals.

  3. 171

    My field gives me what is necessary.

akker
field
slavenarbeid
the labor of slaves
medeburgers
fellow citizens
  1. 172

    Every dish tastes good to me, because hunger has seasoned it, and after work a peaceful sleep rewards me.

  2. 173

    It is true I cannot help the needy; but I gladly give as much as I am able of the little that I have.

  3. 174

    I have often had the opportunity, as consul, to gather riches without acting criminally; but I preferred to make my soldiers rich and to remain poor myself, because that made me feel happy.

spijs
food, dish
slaap
sleep
gelegenheid
opportunity
consul
consul
misdadig
criminal
bijstaan
to help
verzamelen
to gather, to collect
  1. 175

    Keep your money, then, and I wish to keep my poverty and my good name.”

  2. 176

    The king heard the manly and proud answer not without quiet annoyance, yet also not without admiration.

  3. 177

    He decided to try whether fear had as little power over this Roman character as the lure of gold.

armoede
poverty
ergernis
vexation, annoyance
vrees
fear
karakter
character
prikkel
stimulus, lure
behouden
to keep, to preserve
proberen
to try
  1. 178

    The next day he therefore had his largest elephant placed behind a curtain and arranged for Fabricius to have his seat just in front of it.

  2. 179

    Pyrrhus spoke loudly and peevishly; then the curtain quickly went up, and roaring, the elephant thrust its enormous head with its great trunk over Fabricius's leg.

  3. 180

    But Fabricius turned around undaunted, looked the animal up and down, and then said calmly: “Just as little as your money tempted me yesterday, does your elephant frighten me today.”

gordijn
curtain
slurf
trunk
vlak
just (in front of it)
luid
loud(ly)
wrevelig
peevish(ly)
onverschrokken
undaunted
zich
to feel (zich voelen)
zich
to turn around (zich omkeren)

Lesson 24: conversation

  1. 181

    Let us now have a look at the city!

  2. 182

    I think we should go to the Rijksmuseum first.

  3. 183

    Where do you want to go first?

  4. 184

    Very good, as long as you don't stay too long there.

  1. 185

    Not longer than you think fit yourself, it must always remain a recreation.

  2. 186

    Where shall we go afterwards?

  3. 187

    We must see that we are back within an hour.

  4. 188

    Have you then already forgotten our agreement of yesterday?

  5. 189

    That's how I see it too, and I find nothing so tiring as visiting museums.

  6. 190

    Preferably to the zoo, it's cool there.

  7. 191

    I did not know we were tied to any particular time.

  8. 192

    Oh yes, now I remember. N. was to be at our hotel at one o'clock.

Lesson 24: exercise 51

  1. 193

    He laid his finger upon her mouth.

  2. 194

    The king travelled through the Netherlands to Hanover.

  3. 195

    He wished an egg for his breakfast.

  4. 196

    He put all upon one bill.

  5. 197

    The cricket applied to the ant.

  6. 198

    What have you done during the summer?

  7. 199

    The miser found a stone instead of his treasure.

  1. 200

    They quarrelled with a young nobleman.

  2. 201

    Go with me out of the house.

  3. 202

    The dog swam across a river.

  4. 203

    He saw the other dog without the meat.

  5. 204

    This book is for your brother.

  6. 205

    Do not swim against the stream.

  7. 206

    Who has taken my purse out of my pocket?

  1. 207

    I should like to go to France.

  2. 208

    He will depart within the next week.

  3. 209

    Take your umbrella instead of your stick.

  4. 210

    I went to Germany on account of my health.

  5. 211

    The Botanical gardens are outside the town.

  6. 212

    We obtained the permission by means of the influence of a general.

  7. 213

    He takes a walk notwithstanding the bad weather.

  1. 214

    He is still rich in spite of his great loss.

  2. 215

    Who knocks at the door?

  3. 216

    Put the flower-pot before my window.

  4. 217

    To whom did you write a letter?

  5. 218

    Who laid this book on my table?

  6. 219

    The boys stood at the door of the school and looked after the birds.

  7. 220

    This old man is above eighty years old.

  1. 221

    According to the emperor's command the troops must march.

  2. 222

    There is a footpath along the river.

Lesson 24: exercise 52

  1. 223

    Amsterdam, July 1st, 1911.

  2. 224

    My dear boy,

  3. 225

    I am extremely glad that you are happy in your new school, for I must confess it was not without much hesitation that I indulged you in your wish to leave the other school.

  1. 226

    I hope you will reward my kindness by constant attention to your studies, and by good behaviour.

  2. 227

    Recollect that it is necessary to submit to restraint, and we are all, both young and old, obliged to conform to many things that are disagreeable.

  3. 228

    It gives me great pleasure to hear that you are getting on well with the languages, and I hope soon to hear your account confirmed by Dr. Z.

  1. 229

    With regard to the increase of your pocket money, I must, for the present, decline acceding to your wishes.

  2. 230

    When I arranged with Dr. Z. what sum you were to have, he informed me that some older boys had more, but that many had less, and this latter fact you did not think proper to mention.

  3. 231

    Now, I am sure that it is equally wrong to attempt to mislead any one by concealing a part of the truth.

  1. 232

    I trust, however, that you had no serious intention of misleading me in this affair.

  2. 233

    Nor is it at all necessary that you should do exactly as the others do.

  3. 234

    You will have to earn your own living, and a good education is all that I can give you; it is, therefore, necessary that you should learn the value of money early in life.

  1. 235

    But I do not wish to weary you, my dear boy, with a long sermon, and being willing to indulge you in all reasonable pleasures, I will allow you to have the fishing-rod at once, and if I continue to hear a favourable account of your diligence and good conduct, your pocket-money shall be raised from the 1st of January.

  2. 236

    Mamma, sister, and Charley, all send best love.

  3. 237

    Your affectionate father, N. N.

Lesson 25: Conjunctions: co-ordinate and subordinate (and 3 more)

Two kinds of joining word

A conjunction is a word that joins two clauses: and, but, because. A clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb.

A co-ordinate conjunction joins two clauses that can each stand alone. En and maar are of this kind.

A subordinate conjunction joins a clause to another clause it depends on. Als, dat and wanneer are of this kind.

The kind of conjunction decides where the verb goes. The conjunctions in this lesson are grouped by that effect.

Words that leave the order alone

Some conjunctions join two clauses and change nothing in either one. Each clause keeps the order it has alone: subject first, then the verb.

These are en, echter, maar, of, want and the pair zowel / als.

Ik moet thuis blijven, want ik ben ziek. After want, the clause ik ben ziek is the same as it is alone.

Echter can also stand after the subject or after the verb, with the same sense: wij mogen echter niet wanhopen.

Joining words that put the verb first

Some joining words act like an adverb. When one opens a clause, the verb comes next and the subject after it.

Ik ben ziek, dus kan ik niet uitgaan. After dus, the verb kan comes before the subject ik.

Zeg het hem duidelijk, anders begrijpt hij het niet. After anders, the verb begrijpt comes before hij.

The list of these words

The list gives each word with its English meaning: dus, thus or so. Daarom, therefore. Toch, yet or still.

Some come in pairs, such as niet alleen / maar, not only / but also. The two parts stand in two places in the sentence.

Every word in the list puts the verb before the subject when it opens a sentence.

The verb moves to the end

A subordinate conjunction opens a dependent clause. The verb of that clause goes to the end of it.

Haast u, opdat u niet te laat komt. The clause opens with opdat, and its verb komt stands last.

This is true of every subordinate conjunction, of one word or of several.

  1. 238

    I must stay at home, for I am ill

  2. 239

    I shall tell it to you, but you must keep silent

  3. 240

    I am ill, so I cannot go out

  4. 241

    scarcely had he seen us when he ran away

  5. 242

    tell it to him plainly, else he does not understand it

  6. 243

    he always gives alms, yet he is not rich himself

Conjunctions: co-ordinate and subordinate

Conjunctions fall into two classes: co-ordinate (nevenschikkend) and subordinate (onderschikkend). Co-ordinate conjunctions join statements that are independent of each other: en, ook, maar, doch, evenwel, and so on. Subordinate conjunctions join statements one of which depends on the other: als, daar, dat, indien, wanneer, and so on. Because conjunctions have a great influence on the position of the verb, they are grouped below by that effect.
Co-ordinate conjunctions that do not change the word order

Co-ordinate conjunctions that do not change the word order: en and; echter but, however; maar but; of or; want for; zowel / als both … and. Note. Echter is sometimes placed after the subject or even after the verb, without changing the sense: De zaken gaan slecht, echter mogen wij niet wanhopen. The affairs are in a bad way, but we must not despair. De zaken gaan slecht, wij mogen echter niet wanhopen.
Adverbial conjunctions that require inversion

The following adverbial conjunctions are treated like adverbs and require inversion (verb before subject) after them when they open a sentence: anders else, otherwise; behalve besides; bijgevolg consequently; bovendien or buitendien besides, moreover; daarenboven moreover; daarentegen on the contrary; daarom therefore; deels / deels partly / partly; desalniettemin or niettemin nevertheless; dientengevolge accordingly; dus thus, so; echter however; evenwel however; nauwelijks scarcely; niet alleen / maar (ook) not only / but also; niet slechts / maar not only / but also; noch nor; noch / noch neither / nor; nochtans yet, still; nu now, then; of / of either / or; ook also, too; ook / niet nor; ondertussen meanwhile; overigens as for the rest; toch yet, still; veeleer rather; verder further; weliswaar it is true; zo so, thus.
Subordinate conjunctions send the verb to the end

All subordinate conjunctions, simple as well as compound, send the verb to the end of the clause.
Simple subordinate conjunctions

Simple subordinate conjunctions: aangezien or daar as, since; als as, when; alsof as if; dat that; eer or voordat before; hoe how; hoewel though; indien if; nadat after; of if, whether; ofschoon although; omdat because; opdat that, in order that; sedert or sinds since (time); terwijl while, whilst; tot or totdat until; zodra (als) as soon as; zolang (als) as long as.
Word order after a subordinate clause: inversion in the main clause

When the first clause of a compound sentence begins with one of the subordinate conjunctions above, the second (main) clause opens with the verb, and the subject follows it.
Compound subordinate conjunctions

Compound subordinate conjunctions: aangenomen, gesteld or verondersteld / dat supposing (that); al / nog even if; als / maar provided (that); behalve / dat besides; hoe / hoe the / the (with a comparative); hoe / ook however (with an adjective); indien / al (ook) even if; indien / niet unless; ingeval in case; in plaats van instead of; in weerwil van or ondanks in spite of; om / te in order to; opdat / niet lest; zelfs / als even if; zonder / dat without; zo / als just as; zo / dat so that.
Relative conjunctions send the verb to the end

Relative conjunctions. Every interrogative adverb has, in an indirect question, the force of a relative conjunction, and so it sends the verb to the end of the clause: hoe how; hoelang how long; hoeveel how much; waar where; waarom why; wanneer when; weshalve wherefore; waaraan at what; waardoor what, by what; waarheen where, whither; waarin in what; waarmee with what; waarop on what, and so on.
Doch, toch, nog and noch: four words not to confuse

Do not confuse doch (but) and toch (all the same, nevertheless); nor nog (still, an adverb) and noch (neither, nor). Examples: Hij zegt het wel, doch meent het niet he says so, but does not mean it. Laat mij toch gaan pray, let me go; ik ben niet wel, toch wil ik uitgaan I am unwell, yet I will go out. Hoe lang blijft hij nog how long will he still stay? Ik heb geld noch vrienden I have neither money nor friends.
Interjections

Interjections fall into: imitations of sounds: bom! plomp! krik! krek! pief! paf! poef! miauw! bimbam! holderdebolder! Words of feeling and emotion: a) of pleasure: ha! hoezee! hoera! leve! b) of pain or grief: ach! au! o! och! helaas! o wee! c) of disgust: bah! foei! d) of doubt: ei! ei ei! hm! e) of desire: ach toe! Exclamations and calls: he! hei! hm! hee daar! holla! pst! st! Note. Expressions such as God helpe mij! Goede hemel! O God! weg! mars! hoor eens! stil! and so on are not interjections; they are shortened sentences or nouns in the vocative.
Verbs of this lesson, with their principal parts

wijken              to deviate, to give way  ik wijk, ik week, ik ben geweken
verwerpen           to reject                ik verwerp, ik verwierp, ik heb verworpen
vluchten            to flee                  ik vlucht, ik vluchtte, ik ben gevlucht
zich onderscheiden  to distinguish oneself   ik onderscheid mij, ik onderscheidde mij, ik heb mij onderscheiden

Lesson 25: Simple subordinate conjunctions (and 1 more)

One word, verb last

A simple subordinate conjunction is a single word. The list holds als, dat, omdat, hoewel, nadat, terwijl, zodra and more.

Wacht, totdat ik de deur heb gesloten. Totdat opens the clause, and the verbs heb gesloten stand at its end.

Read each entry as a word and its English meaning. Some meanings have two words: eer or voordat, before. Sedert or sinds, since in time.

When the dependent clause comes first

A sentence can open with a dependent clause. Then the main clause opens with its verb, and the subject follows the verb.

A main clause is the clause that can stand alone.

Toen hij binnenkwam, stonden alle officieren op. The first clause ends with its verb, binnenkwam. The main clause opens with the verb stonden. The subject alle officieren follows.

  1. 244

    it was raining when we entered the village

  2. 245

    wait till I have closed the door

  3. 246

    make haste that you do not come too late

  4. 247

    when he entered, all the officers rose from their seats

  5. 248

    before the battle began, the soldiers sang merrily

  6. 249

    though it is probable, it is not true

Lesson 25: Compound subordinate conjunctions (and 2 more)

Conjunctions of two parts

A compound conjunction is a conjunction made of two or more words. It sends the verb to the end, as a simple conjunction does.

Er gaat geen uur voorbij, zonder dat ik hem zie. Zonder dat opens the clause, and the verb zie stands last.

Some parts stand apart. Hoe meer u leert, hoe meer u weet. Each hoe opens a clause. The pair means the more this, the more that.

Each entry gives the parts and one English meaning for them together.

Questions inside sentences

A question word can open a clause inside a longer sentence. Then it acts as a subordinate conjunction and sends the verb to the end.

An interrogative adverb is a question word for how, where, why or when: hoe, waar, waarom, wanneer.

A direct question stands alone: Hoe heeft hij dat gedaan? An indirect question is reported inside a sentence: Ik vroeg hoe hij dat gedaan heeft. There heeft comes last.

Four words that look alike

Four short words look alike and have different meanings. Doch means but. Toch means all the same or nevertheless. Nog means still. Noch means neither or nor.

Hij zegt het wel, doch meent het niet: he says so, but does not mean it. Ik ben niet wel, toch wil ik uitgaan: I am unwell, yet I will go out.

Hoe lang blijft hij nog? How long will he still stay? Ik heb geld noch vrienden: I have neither money nor friends.

  1. 250

    though he has ever so many books, he never reads

  2. 251

    the more you learn, the more you know

  3. 252

    not an hour passes but I see him

  4. 253

    how did he do that? (direct)

  5. 254

    I asked how he had done that (indirect)

  6. 255

    do you know where he comes from

Lesson 25: Interjections

Words of sound and feeling

An interjection is a word that shows a sound, a feeling or a call.

Some copy a sound: bom, miauw. Some show a feeling: hoera for pleasure, ach for grief, foei for disgust. Some are calls: he, pst.

Words such as stil and weg are not interjections. They are shortened sentences.

  1. 256

    hurray, long live the queen

  2. 257

    shame, how can you say that

Fabricius en Pyrrhus (slot)

  1. 258

    Fabricius and Pyrrhus (the end)

  2. 259

    Fabricius had returned again.

  3. 260

    There he received one day a letter from Pyrrhus's physician, in which the latter offered to poison his master, if the Roman would give him a good reward for it.

  4. 261

    Fabricius shuddered at such a shameful deed.

lijfarts
physician in ordinary
daad
deed
zijn
to owe (verschuldigd zijn)
vergiftigen
to poison
  1. 262

    He therefore sent the letter to Pyrrhus himself, so that he might secure himself against such a villain.

  2. 263

    Who can depict Pyrrhus's astonishment?

  3. 264

    Such generosity from an enemy?

veiligheid
safety, security
booswicht
wretch, villain
edelmoedigheid
generosity
zich
to distinguish oneself (zich onderscheiden)
  1. 265

    “Truly!” he exclaimed, “the sun will sooner stray from its path than Fabricius from the path of virtue!”

  2. 266

    He had the physician put to death, but to the Romans he sent back, to show his gratitude, the prisoners without ransom, and once again made peace proposals.

  3. 267

    The Romans said: “We do not let ourselves be paid for the justice we owe the enemy,” and sent back just as many prisoners of war; the peace proposals were rejected.

baan
road, path
deugd
virtue
dankbaarheid
gratitude
losgeld
ransom
rechtvaardigheid
justice
evenveel
as much, as many
wijken
to deviate, to give way
betalen
to pay
  1. 268

    In a second battle Pyrrhus was victorious again through his elephants, but lost so many soldiers that he cried out: “One more such victory and I am lost!”

  2. 269

    In the third battle he was defeated and fled in dismay back to his own country.

  3. 270

    The Romans were now masters of the whole of Italy.

  4. 271

    Their finest glory, however, was the republican simplicity, the honesty and love of virtue by which precisely their highest officials distinguished themselves the most.

overwinning
victory
eenvoud
simplicity
liefde
love
juist
just, exactly
meest
most

Lesson 25: conversation

  1. 272

    How long have you already been studying Dutch?

  2. 273

    Do you find the language rather difficult; is the grammar hard?

  3. 274

    Could that not be said of all languages?

  4. 275

    I believe about two years.

  5. 276

    Yes, especially the correct use of some parts of speech and words.

  6. 277

    In a certain sense, yes!

  1. 278

    How do you study the language? Do you have a good grammar?

  2. 279

    Don't you have any novels for me?

  3. 280

    How long may I keep those books?

  4. 281

    I learn the rules of grammar from a language book; the idiom of the language I hope to learn mainly by reading a great deal.

  5. 282

    Yes, here are the novels of Van Lennep.

  6. 283

    As long as you like, there is absolutely no hurry about it.

Lesson 25: exercise 53

  1. 284

    Go home directly, or you will become wet; for it will soon rain.

  2. 285

    The reed bends, but it does not break.

  3. 286

    You ought to speak to your children, for they are very naughty.

  4. 287

    We wrote a long time ago, but we did not receive an answer.

  5. 288

    Did you see your friend today?

  6. 289

    Yes, but I could not speak to him.

  7. 290

    He wished to go to America, but his father would not let him go.

  1. 291

    Many soldiers are ill, consequently they cannot leave the fortress.

  2. 292

    Some one has done it, either you or your brother.

  3. 293

    This picture may be very beautiful, nevertheless it does not please me.

  4. 294

    I know neither him nor his wife.

  5. 295

    I did not expect to see you here, the greater is my pleasure to meet you.

  6. 296

    Not only the king was expected, but also the queen and the princess.

  7. 297

    When I arrived here, it was quite dark.

  1. 298

    As he does not work, I shall give him nothing.

  2. 299

    I want you to wait till I have written this letter.

  3. 300

    Since I have lost my parents, I am quite alone.

  4. 301

    After I had breakfasted, I took a walk, although it rained a little.

  5. 302

    As soon as the queen arrives, please to inform us.

Lesson 25: exercise 54

  1. 303

    I do not know, whether he is rich or poor.

  2. 304

    Ask him if he will sell his horse!

  3. 305

    Why did you sleep so long?

  4. 306

    I slept so long because I was very tired.

  5. 307

    I will go with you, if you promise me to be more punctual in future.

  6. 308

    If you are poor, do not wish to seem rich!

  7. 309

    The master will not pardon him, until he improves.

  1. 310

    I do not know how he will get it.

  2. 311

    It seems to me as if I had seen you somewhere.

  3. 312

    In case you want my assistance, call me!

  4. 313

    Read it twice, lest you forget it!

  5. 314

    The merchant will sell much or little, according as the price is high or low.

  1. 315

    We shall not go, unless they invite us.

  2. 316

    Romulus disappeared without any one knowing how he had perished.

  3. 317

    Though you should have the best books, if you do not study well, you will never know the Dutch language.

  4. 318

    Ask him when he will come!

  5. 319

    I do not know why he has not yet written to me.

  6. 320

    Alas, what a poor man he is!

  7. 321

    Hurrah, long live the queen!

  1. 322

    Hah, what a huge animal lies there!

  2. 323

    Hollo! come and fetch us.

  3. 324

    Adieu, my dear friend, I wish you much pleasure and hope to see you soon back!

  4. 325

    Hush, keep silent there!

Lesson 25: exercise 55

  1. 326

    G., May 1st, 1912.

  2. 327

    Dear William,

  3. 328

    I write to tell you that we start tomorrow at 2 o'clock, instead of 3, as at first proposed.

  1. 329

    Robert says that we shall not be there too soon; for the distance is great, and the road very hilly.

  2. 330

    Yesterday evening, about an hour after you left us, a man was nearly drowned at the ferry here.

  3. 331

    It was just getting dark and being in a great hurry, he sprang out of the boat, before it had reached the landing place.

  1. 332

    Deceived probably by the darkness, he did not spring quite far enough, and losing his balance, fell backwards into the water.

  2. 333

    Great efforts were made to save him, but the stream on the side being strong, it carried him out of sight.

  3. 334

    Just, when he reappeared, a lonely fisher who had cast out his nets, caught him with a long rope.

  1. 335

    It was a sad illustration of the proverb: “The more haste, the less speed.”

  2. 336

    Let it be a warning to us all, as we shall have to cross the river in the same boat, and in all probability shall not return, till it is quite dark.

  3. 337

    With kind regards to all at home, believe me,

  4. 338

    Yours sincerely, W. N.

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.