Dutch A2.6 Listening Practice: Split the Action
Listen to a A2 Dutch dialogue about split the action, with audio, transcript, and grammar notes for language learning.
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Level
A2.6
Audio
Segmented audio
Transcript
12 segments
A short Dutch listening chapter with transcript.
Tell someone that you get up at seven and that you telephone a familiar man.
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1. Marieke · Teacher
Welcome to today's lesson! Today, we are learning how to split Dutch separable verbs in simple main clauses, specifically opstaan and opbellen. Pay attention to how 'op' moves to the end of the clause while the conjugated verb stays near the front. Let me hand it over to Bram and Lotte.
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2. Bram · Native Speaker 1
Ik sta elke ochtend om zeven uur op.
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3. Lotte · Native Speaker 2
Dat is erg vroeg, ik sta pas om acht uur op.
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4. Bram · Native Speaker 1
Daarna drink ik koffie en bel ik Daan op.
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5. Lotte · Native Speaker 2
Bel je Daan altijd zo vroeg op?
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6. Bram · Native Speaker 1
Ja, ik bel hem op voor ons werk.
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7. Marieke · Teacher
Let's break down the key sentences. First, Bram said: 'Ik sta elke ochtend om zeven uur op.' This means 'I get up every morning at seven o'clock.' The verb here is opstaan, but in a finite main clause, 'sta' comes second and 'op' moves to the very end.
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8. Daan · Student
So does 'op' always go at the very end of a simple present-tense main clause when using opstaan?
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9. Marieke · Teacher
That's right! The finite verb 'sta' is in second position, and 'op' closes the clause.
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10. Marieke · Teacher
Next, Bram said: 'Daarna drink ik koffie en bel ik Daan op.' That means 'After that I drink coffee and call Daan up.' Here, the dictionary form is opbellen.
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11. Daan · Student
Why does 'op' stay at the end even when we include the person being called, like Daan?
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12. Marieke · Teacher
Because the separated prefix 'op' acts as the final boundary of the main clause, so the object 'Daan' goes between 'bel' and 'op'.
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