Watch the video again while reading the text. Check whether you understand more and pay attention to how the words are pronounced.
A: Hoe ziet jouw ochtend eruit?
B: Ik sta op om half zeven.
A: Zo vroeg! Wat doe je dan?
B: Ik douche en ik eet ontbijt. Meestal brood met kaas.
A: En koffie?
B: Ja, altijd koffie! En jij?
A: Ik sta op om acht uur. Ik ben geen ochtendmens.
B: Wat doe je na het ontbijt?
A: Ik ga naar school. De les begint om negen uur.
B: Ik ook. Hoe ga jij naar school?
A: Met de fiets. En jij?
B: Ik neem de bus. Fietsen is te ver voor mij.
A: Wat doe je na school?
B: Ik lunch, dan studeer ik een beetje.
A: En 's avonds?
B: Ik kijk tv of lees een boek. En jij?
A: Ik kook en bel soms met mijn familie.
B: Gezellig!
Read the English translation. Make sure you understand the Dutch conversation.
A: What is your morning like?
B: I get up at half past six.
A: So early! What do you do then?
B: I shower and I have breakfast. Usually bread with cheese.
A: And coffee?
B: Yes, always coffee! And you?
A: I get up at eight o’clock. I’m not a morning person.
B: What do you do after breakfast?
A: I go to school. Class starts at nine o’clock.
B: Me too. How do you go to school?
A: By bike. And you?
B: I take the bus. Cycling is too far for me.
A: What do you do after school?
B: I have lunch, then I study a little.
A: And in the evening?
B: I watch TV or read a book. And you?
A: I cook and sometimes call my family.
B: Nice!
Listen to the conversation and repeat each sentence.
Dutch | English |
Hoe ziet jouw ochtend eruit? | What is your morning like? |
Ik sta op. | I get up. |
vroeg | early |
douchen | to shower |
eten | to eat |
het ontbijt (-en) | breakfast |
het brood (-en) | bread |
de kaas (kazen) | cheese |
beginnen | to start |
de fiets (-en) | bicycle |
fietsen | to cycle |
Ik neem de bus. | I take the bus. |
ver | far |
lunchen | to have lunch |
’s avonds | in the evening |
tv kijken | to watch TV |
lezen | to read |
het boek (-en) | book |
koken | to cook |
bellen | to call / to phone |
gezellig | cosy / nice (depends on the situation) |
Present tense (ott) and verb endings
The Dutch present tense (called ott) is used when:
Most Dutch verbs are regular. In the present tense, the verb ending depends on the subject.
Example: werken (to work)
Subject | Verb form | Pattern |
ik | werk | stem |
jij / u | werkt | stem + t |
hij / zij | werkt | stem + t |
wij | werken | infinitive |
jullie | werken | infinitive |
zij | werken | infinitive |
Examples with different verbs:
Circle the correct verb form.
Example sentences
Useful routine verbs
Dutch | English |
Ik douche. | I shower. |
Ik was me. | I wash (myself). |
Ik ontbijt. | I have breakfast. |
Ik ga naar school. | I go to school. |
Ik werk. | I work. |
Ik lunch. | I have lunch. |
Ik kook. | I cook. |
Ik maak het avondeten. | I make dinner. |
Ik kijk tv. | I watch TV. |
Ik lees. | I read. |
Ik ga naar bed. | I go to bed. |
Ik slaap. | I sleep. |
Doing exercises is an essential part of the learning process. Don't worry about how many mistakes you make—mistakes are a normal and valuable part of learning.
When checking your answers, focus on understanding why an answer is correct. This will help you learn more effectively and avoid making the same mistakes in the future.