Dutch A1.1 Listening Practice: First Spine
Listen to a A1 Dutch dialogue about first spine, with audio, transcript, and grammar notes for language learning.
Podcast listening pages are in beta while chapter audio, transcripts, and discussion flows are still being completed.
Level
A1.1
Audio
1m 16s
Transcript
17 segments
A short Dutch listening chapter with transcript.
A1. Start speaking immediately with ik ben hier, then move the same pieces to make short true sentences.
Read while you listen.
1. Teacher
Welcome to ChickyTutor. Today we build your first Dutch 'spine.' This is the foundation of almost every sentence. Listen to our native speakers use the pattern: Subject, Verb, then the rest.
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2. Native Speaker 1
Ik ben hier.
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3. Native Speaker 2
Goed! Ik ben blij.
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4. Native Speaker 1
Jij bent daar.
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5. Native Speaker 2
Hij is niet hier.
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6. Native Speaker 1
Hij is goed.
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7. Teacher
Let's look at that first sentence: Ik ben hier. It means 'I am here.' It follows the English word order perfectly.
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8. Student
So 'ik' is 'I' and 'ben' is 'am'?
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9. Teacher
Exactly. 'Ik ben' is your starting point for everything. Next: Ik ben blij.
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10. Student
That sounded like 'I am happy.' Is 'blij' the most common way to say that?
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11. Teacher
Yes, 'blij' is very common for being happy or glad. Now, listen to: Jij bent daar.
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12. Student
Does 'jij bent' mean 'you are'?
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13. Teacher
Correct. And 'daar' is 'there.' Just swap the 'th' for a 'd.' Now for a negative: Hij is niet hier.
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14. Student
Where does the 'not' go in Dutch?
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15. Teacher
In this simple sentence, 'niet' comes right after the verb 'is.' Finally: Hij is goed.
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16. Student
Is 'goed' the same as 'good' in English?
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17. Teacher
It is! It's a very easy cognate to remember. You've just mastered the first Dutch spine.
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