I can ask someone to repeat or speak more slowly, answer the phone and make a call myself, ask for someone on the phone, ask for a callback, and understand a short message with m'n, z'n, d'r.
Pardon? Asking again and making a call
Asking again, making a call, reading a message
Didn't understand? Say so: Ik begrijp het niet. (with het). To ask someone to repeat: Kunt u dat herhalen? To ask them to speak more slowly: Langzamer, alstublieft. A word you don't know: Wat betekent …? When you don't know what something is called: Hoe zeg je … in het Nederlands? With friends, with je: Kun je dat herhalen?
On the phone you give your name with met: “Met Anna” — “Anna speaking”. That's how you answer a call and how you start your own: Hallo, met Anna. Formally: U spreekt met … To ask for someone: Kan ik … spreken? If you don't know whom to ask for: Kan ik iemand spreken?
To call back is terugbellen. The prefix goes to the end: Ik bel de dokter later terug. After kunnen, willen, and moeten the verb goes at the end, as one word: Wil je Marta terugbellen?
In messages to friends people write short forms: m'n = mijn, z'n = zijn (“his”, not “to be”), d'r = haar (“her”), 't = het. On a form and in a letter, write the full form.
Common mistakes:
• ×Ik niet begrijp. → Ik begrijp het niet.
• ×Ik terugbel Daan. → Ik bel Daan terug.
• ×Wil je Marta terug bellen? → terugbellen is one word.
• ×Hij z'n ziek. → Hij is ziek.
• ×Hallo, dit is Anna. → Hallo, met Anna.
A phone call
Ten set phrases: what you need to do — what to say.
| What you need | In Dutch | In English |
|---|---|---|
| Answer the phone | Met … | … speaking |
| Say who you are when you call | Hallo, met … | Hello, this is … |
| Ask for someone | Kan ik … spreken? | Can I speak to …? |
| Ask for any staff member | Kan ik iemand spreken? | Can I speak to someone? |
| Ask someone to wait | Wilt u even wachten? | One moment, please |
| The person isn't there | … is nu niet hier. | … isn't here right now |
| Promise to call back | … belt je terug. | … will call you back |
| Ask for a callback | Kunt u … terugbellen? | Can you call … back? |
| You didn't catch it | Pardon? Kunt u dat herhalen? | Sorry? Could you repeat that, please? |
| Ask someone to spell | Kunt u uw naam spellen? | Please spell your name |
Lesson notes
Asking again, making a call, reading a message
Didn't understand? Say so: Ik begrijp het niet. (with het). To ask someone to repeat: Kunt u dat herhalen? To ask them to speak more slowly: Langzamer, alstublieft. A word you don't know: Wat betekent …? When you don't know what something is called: Hoe zeg je … in het Nederlands? With friends, with je: Kun je dat herhalen?
On the phone you give your name with met: “Met Anna” — “Anna speaking”. That's how you answer a call and how you start your own: Hallo, met Anna. Formally: U spreekt met … To ask for someone: Kan ik … spreken? If you don't know whom to ask for: Kan ik iemand spreken?
To call back is terugbellen. The prefix goes to the end: Ik bel de dokter later terug. After kunnen, willen, and moeten the verb goes at the end, as one word: Wil je Marta terugbellen?
In messages to friends people write short forms: m'n = mijn, z'n = zijn (“his”, not “to be”), d'r = haar (“her”), 't = het. On a form and in a letter, write the full form.
Common mistakes:
• ×Ik niet begrijp. → Ik begrijp het niet.
• ×Ik terugbel Daan. → Ik bel Daan terug.
• ×Wil je Marta terug bellen? → terugbellen is one word.
• ×Hij z'n ziek. → Hij is ziek.
• ×Hallo, dit is Anna. → Hallo, met Anna.