Dutch A2.14 Listening Practice: Say What Is Available
Dutch A2 listening practice with audio, transcript, key phrases, and a speaking challenge for say what is available.
Podcast listening is in beta while creation and discussion tools are refined. This published chapter includes its complete segmented audio and transcript.
Level
A2.14
Audio
Segmented audio
Transcript
17 segments
What to notice while you listen
What you'll understand
Ask whether a familiar item or place is available and report how many are present.
Use er is with one singular noun phrase and er zijn with a plural noun phrase, including the bounded availability question Is er ...?
New pattern
Presentational er is and er zijn for introducing existence or availability, bounded to singular and plural noun phrases.
Practice aloud after listening
Is er een tafel vrij? Er zijn twee tafels vrij.
Is there a table available? There are two tables available.
A short Dutch listening chapter with transcript.
Ask whether there is a free table and report that two tables or one problem are present.
Read while you listen.
1. Marieke · Teacher
Welcome back! I'm Marieke, your teacher. Today we're mastering how to point out that something exists or is available in Dutch using 'er is' and 'er zijn'.
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2. Marieke · Teacher
Let me introduce our native speakers, Bram and Lotte. Listen to their conversation at a busy café.
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3. Bram · Native Speaker 1
Hallo Lotte, er is een probleem bij het café.
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4. Lotte · Native Speaker 2
O jee Bram, is er een tafel vrij?
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5. Bram · Native Speaker 1
Jawel, er zijn twee tafels vrij achterin.
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6. Lotte · Native Speaker 2
Wat fijn, want er is vandaag erg veel drukte.
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7. Bram · Native Speaker 1
Kom, laten we snel een plekje nemen!
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8. Marieke · Teacher
Let me break that down line by line for you.
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9. Marieke · Teacher
First, Bram said: 'Hallo Lotte, er is een probleem bij het café.' He uses 'er is' to introduce a singular noun that wasn't mentioned before: 'een probleem'.
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10. Daan · Student
So we use 'er is' whenever we talk about one new thing being present?
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11. Marieke · Teacher
Exactly, Daan. 'Er is' introduces a singular indefinite noun phrase.
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12. Marieke · Teacher
Next, Lotte asked: 'O jee Bram, is er een tafel vrij?' Here, the verb and 'er' swap places to form a question: 'Is er...?' and 'vrij' means available.
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13. Daan · Student
Does 'vrij' always come at the end of that question pattern?
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14. Marieke · Teacher
Yes, when checking bounded availability, 'vrij' naturally settles at the end of the phrase, like 'Is er een tafel vrij?'
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15. Marieke · Teacher
Then Bram answered: 'Jawel, er zijn twee tafels vrij achterin.' Notice how he changes from 'er is' to 'er zijn'.
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16. Daan · Student
Because 'twee tafels' is plural, so we must use 'er zijn'?
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17. Marieke · Teacher
Spot on! Plural nouns always require 'er zijn'. Keep practicing these patterns and you'll be expressing availability naturally in Dutch!
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