Dutch A1.16 Listening Practice: Describe Before the Noun
Listen to a A1 Dutch dialogue about describe before the noun, with audio, transcript, and grammar notes for language learning.
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Level
A1.16
Audio
Segmented audio
Transcript
22 segments
A short Dutch listening chapter with transcript.
Distinguish a good book from a good table without treating the adjective ending as a gender label.
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1. Marieke · Teacher
Welcome back! Today, my name is Marieke, and I am your teacher. We are looking at how to use the word 'goed' before a noun in Dutch.
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2. Marieke · Teacher
Let's listen to a short conversation between Bram and Lotte.
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3. Bram · Native Speaker 1
Ik heb een goed boek.
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4. Lotte · Native Speaker 2
Hier is het goede boek.
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5. Bram · Native Speaker 1
Deze goede tafel is hier.
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6. Lotte · Native Speaker 2
Daar is een goede tafel.
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7. Bram · Native Speaker 1
Ik wil de goede tafel.
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8. Marieke · Teacher
Let's break that down line by line! Bram started with: 'Ik heb een goed boek.' This means 'I have a good book.' Because 'boek' is a het-word and comes after 'een', 'goed' stays plain without an -e.
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9. Daan · Student
So after 'een', a het-word never gets an -e on 'goed'?
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10. Marieke · Teacher
Correct! 'Een goed boek' is our special exception.
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11. Marieke · Teacher
Next, Lotte said: 'Hier is het goede boek.' Meaning: 'Here is the good book.' With 'het' or 'dit', we add an -e to get 'het goede boek'.
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12. Daan · Student
Does 'het' always trigger 'goede'?
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13. Marieke · Teacher
Yes, definite words like 'het' and 'dit' always take 'goede'.
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14. Marieke · Teacher
Then Bram said: 'Deze goede tafel is hier.' This means 'This good table is here.' 'Tafel' is a de-word, so we use 'goede'.
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15. Daan · Student
Do de-words always take 'goede'?
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16. Marieke · Teacher
Always! Whether it's 'de', 'deze', or 'een', de-words take 'goede'.
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17. Marieke · Teacher
Lotte then said: 'Daar is een goede tafel.' 'There is a good table.'
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18. Daan · Student
So 'een' + de-word still gets 'goede'?
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19. Marieke · Teacher
Yes, 'een goede tafel' keeps the -e because 'tafel' is a de-word.
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20. Marieke · Teacher
Finally, Bram said: 'Ik wil de goede tafel.' 'I want the good table.'
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21. Daan · Student
So the only bare form is 'een goed' with a het-word?
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22. Marieke · Teacher
Precisely! Remember 'een goed boek', but 'de goede tafel'. Great job today!
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