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BetaDutchA2 listeningAug 9, 2026

Dutch A2.26 Listening Practice: Locate the Event in Time

Dutch A2 listening practice with audio, transcript, key phrases, and a speaking challenge for locate the event in time.

Podcast listening is in beta while creation and discussion tools are refined. This published chapter includes its complete segmented audio and transcript.

Level

A2.26

Audio

Segmented audio

Transcript

19 segments

Lesson guide

What to notice while you listen

What you'll understand

Place a completed or pending familiar event at a useful recent-past time.

Insert gisteren, al, nog niet, or net into the declared perfect frames without disturbing the finite auxiliary or right-edge participle.

New pattern

The bounded time expressions gisteren, al, nog niet, and net in established perfect clauses.

Ik heb gisteren gewerkt.Ik heb al gegeten.Ik heb nog niet gebeld.Anna is net gekomen.

Practice aloud after listening

Ik heb gisteren gewerkt. Ik heb nog niet gebeld. Anna is net gekomen.

I worked yesterday. I haven't called yet. Anna has just arrived.

Listen firstBeta

A short Dutch listening chapter with transcript.

Give an accurate progress update about familiar tasks and arrivals.

Transcript

Read while you listen.

1. Marieke · Teacher

Welcome to today's podcast! I am Marieke. Today we are learning how to insert time words like gisteren, al, nog niet, and net into Dutch perfect tense sentences without changing the position of the helping verb or the participle.

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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 gisteren gewerkt.

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4. Lotte · Native Speaker 2

Ah, ik heb al gegeten.

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5. Bram · Native Speaker 1

Jammer, ik heb nog niet gebeld voor eten.

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6. Lotte · Native Speaker 2

Geen probleem, Anna is net gekomen.

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7. Bram · Native Speaker 1

Mooi, dan zijn we nu compleet.

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8. Marieke · Teacher

Let's break down those sentences. First, Bram said: 'Ik heb gisteren gewerkt.' This means 'I worked yesterday.' Notice that 'gisteren' comes directly after the helping verb 'heb', while 'gewerkt' stays at the end.

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9. Daan · Student

So the time word goes in the middle, and the participle stays at the very end of the sentence?

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10. Marieke · Teacher

That is correct, Daan! The auxiliary verb stays in second position and the participle sits at the right edge.

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11. Marieke · Teacher

Next, Lotte said: 'Ik heb al gegeten.' Here, 'al' means 'already', giving us 'I have already eaten.'

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12. Daan · Student

Does 'al' take the exact same middle position as 'gisteren'?

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13. Marieke · Teacher

Yes, it sits right between the auxiliary verb 'heb' and the participle 'gegeten'.

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14. Marieke · Teacher

Then Bram said: 'Ik heb nog niet gebeld.' In this context, 'nog niet' means 'not yet'.

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15. Daan · Student

Do 'nog' and 'niet' stay together as one phrase in that middle spot?

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16. Marieke · Teacher

Yes, 'nog niet' functions as a single time unit placed between 'heb' and 'gebeld'.

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17. Marieke · Teacher

Finally, Lotte said: 'Anna is net gekomen.' 'Net' means 'just' or 'just now'.

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18. Daan · Student

Why does this sentence use 'is' instead of 'heeft'?

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19. Marieke · Teacher

Verbs of motion like 'komen' take 'zijn' as their auxiliary verb, so 'is' sits in second position while 'net' stays in the middle before 'gekomen'.

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