Dutch by the water

Harbour, boat, lock and beach: Dutch for a country that lives with the water.

32 sentences · 2 dialogues · 16 words

Why this field

Canals, lakes, harbours and the coast shape the Netherlands and Flanders. Whoever hires a boat, goes sailing, holidays on the beach or simply cycles along the dyke meets the same words again and again.

The sentences here are language for everyday life by the water. Rules for boats, licences and safety are set by the authorities in charge; how exactly they read is stated there.

What you will be able to do

Goals by level. Tick what you can already do — the tick stays in this browser only.

A1I can ask about the beach, the harbour and the ferry.
A1I can describe the weather by the sea.
A2I can hire a boat or a canoe for a few hours.
A2I can ask about the opening times of a lock and a bridge.
B1I can explain how a polder and a dyke work.
B1I can plan and agree a trip on the water.

Core vocabulary

16 words from the word lists, ordered by level. A coloured edge shows what you have already practised.

de zeeseaA1
het strandbeachA1
de windwindA1
de bootboat, ferryA2
het eilandislandA2
de havenport, harbourB1
het schipshipB1
varento sail; to go by boatB1
zeilento sail (with a sail)B1
de sluislockB1
de dijkdykeB1
de polderpolderB1
het kanaalcanalB1
de veerpontferry (small, for crossing a river)B1
de golfwaveB1
de oeverbank (of a river)B1

Practise as flashcards Card box Mixed round

Typical situations

Short dialogues to read along and repeat. Say one part first, then the other.

Hiring a boat

You want to hire a boat for an afternoon with friends.

Customer
Goedemiddag, kunnen we een bootje huren voor drie uur?Good afternoon, can we hire a boat for three hours?
Boat hire
Dat kan. Met hoeveel personen zijn jullie?That’s possible. How many of you are there?
Customer
Met vier. Hebben we een vaarbewijs nodig?Four. Do we need a boating licence?
Boat hire
Voor deze kleine boten niet. Ik leg jullie even uit hoe het werkt.Not for these small boats. I’ll explain to you how it works.
Customer
Mogen we ook onder de bruggen door naar het meer?Are we allowed to go under the bridges to the lake as well?
Boat hire
Ja, maar let op de andere boten en blijf rechts varen.Yes, but watch out for the other boats and keep to the right.
Customer
Duidelijk. Dank je wel!Clear. Thank you!

On the beach

A flag you do not know is flying on the beach. You ask a lifeguard.

Bather
Pardon, wat betekent die rode vlag?Excuse me, what does that red flag mean?
Lifeguard
Vandaag mag je niet zwemmen. De stroming is te sterk.You are not allowed to swim today. The current is too strong.
Bather
O, dat wist ik niet. Wanneer is het weer veilig?Oh, I didn’t know that. When will it be safe again?
Lifeguard
Dat hangt van het weer af. Als de wind gaat liggen, waarschijnlijk morgen.That depends on the weather. If the wind drops, probably tomorrow.
Bather
Mogen de kinderen wel pootjebaden?Can the children at least paddle?
Lifeguard
Ja, aan de rand kan dat, maar blijf erbij.Yes, at the edge that’s fine, but stay with them.
Bather
Natuurlijk. Bedankt voor de uitleg.Of course. Thanks for the explanation.

Sentences to say aloud

The label says where a sentence belongs. The speaker next to it reads it aloud.

Waar is het strand?Where is the beach?
A1neutral
Het water is koud.The water is cold.
A1neutral
Het waait hard aan zee.It is very windy by the sea.
A1neutral
Hoe laat gaat de bus naar het strand?What time does the bus to the beach go?
A1neutral
We gaan naar zee.We are going to the sea.
A1neutral
Mag ik hier zwemmen?May I swim here?
A1neutral
Kijk, een schip!Look, a ship!
A1casual
Het strand is erg mooi.The beach is very beautiful.
A1neutral
Is de zee hier ver?Is the sea far from here?
A1neutral
Ik zit graag aan het water.I like sitting by the water.
A1neutral
We willen een kano huren voor twee uur.We would like to hire a canoe for two hours.
A2neutral
Wanneer gaat de brug open?When does the bridge open?
A2neutral
Vandaag zijn de golven erg hoog.Today the waves are very high.
A2neutral
Bij eb kun je ver over het strand lopen.At low tide you can walk a long way across the beach.
A2neutral
Heb je ooit gezeild?Have you ever sailed?
A2casual
Neem een jas mee, op het water is het koud.Take a coat with you, it is cold on the water.
A2casual
Mogen honden op het strand?Are dogs allowed on the beach?
A2neutral
De veerpont vaart elk half uur.The ferry sails every half hour.
B1neutral
We varen door de sluis naar het meer.We sail through the lock to the lake.
B1neutral varen is for any trip on the water, rijden on land.
We fietsen over de dijk naar het volgende dorp.We cycle over the dyke to the next village.
B1neutral
In de haven liggen veel zeilboten.There are many sailing boats in the harbour.
B1neutral
Een groot deel van Nederland ligt onder zeeniveau.A large part of the Netherlands lies below sea level.
B1neutral
Het water in de polder wordt met gemalen weggepompt.The water in the polder is pumped away by pumping stations.
B1neutral
De dijken worden verhoogd omdat de zeespiegel stijgt.The dykes are being raised because the sea level is rising.
B1neutral
Vroeger pompten windmolens het water uit de polders.In the past windmills pumped the water out of the polders.
B1neutral
Als het morgen minder waait, gaan we zeilen op het meer.If it is less windy tomorrow, we are going sailing on the lake.
B1neutral
Voor een grotere boot heb je een vaarbewijs nodig.For a bigger boat you need a boating licence.
B1neutral Which boats need a licence is set by the authorities of the country, and the rules change.
Toen het stormde, bleven alle schepen in de haven.When it stormed, all the ships stayed in the harbour.
B1neutral
Op de Waddeneilanden kun je zeehonden zien.On the Wadden Islands you can see seals.
B1neutral
De kust wordt beschermd door duinen en dijken.The coast is protected by dunes and dykes.
B1neutral
Het kanaal is aangelegd om schepen naar de stad te brengen.The canal was built to bring ships to the city.
B1neutral
Het waterschap zorgt ervoor dat we droge voeten houden.The water board makes sure that we keep our feet dry.
B1neutral droge voeten houden is a set phrase for protection against flooding.

What matters here

varen is the verb for any trip on the water:
We varen naar de overkant. rijden is only for land.
varenWe varen naar de overkant.rijden
Many place names tell of water:
-dam (dam), -dijk (dyke), -sluis (lock), -veen (fen).
-dam-dijk-sluis-veen
On the beach and on the water, flags and signs show where swimming is allowed.
In an emergency the number 112 applies here too.

Quick quiz

6 questions on the words and sentences of this field. The word questions count in your progress like any other exercise.

Try it yourself

Read the meaning, say the sentence aloud in Dutch, then open it to compare.

Where is the beach?
Waar is het strand?
Is the sea far from here?
Is de zee hier ver?
Are dogs allowed on the beach?
Mogen honden op het strand?
In the past windmills pumped the water out of the polders.
Vroeger pompten windmolens het water uit de polders.

Keep learning

The grammar behind it

Word lists that go with it

Reading texts

Reading texts on this topic (2)

Practise

More fields

Dutch for your trip33 sentences · 16 words Dutch at work32 sentences · 15 words Dutch after the move32 sentences · 15 words

Every sentence on this page was written for EveryLingua. There are no quotations from films, series, books or songs here, and no titles or names of artists — the page shows how people talk in this field, not what somebody once said.