Latest / Learn Dutch with Fexingo / Dutch at the Doctor: Making an Appointment
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Dutch with Fexingo. I'm Lucas, and as always I'm here with Luna. How are you feeling today, Luna? Luna: Hey Lucas. Actually, I'm a bit under the weather today. I've got a headache. Lucas: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Well, this is perfect because today we're going to learn how to make a doctor's appointment in Dutch. You'll be able to get help right away. Luna: That's exactly what I need! Let's start. How do I say 'I want to make an appointment'? Lucas: In Dutch, that's 'Ik wil een afspraak maken.' Let's break it down: 'Ik wil' means 'I want', 'een afspraak' means 'an appointment', and 'maken' means 'to make'. Together: 'Ik wil een afspraak maken.' Luna: Ik wil een afspraak maken. Ik wil een afspraak maken. That's a mouthful but I think I got it. Lucas: You got it. Now, if you're at the doctor's office, after saying that, they'll likely ask 'Wanneer kan ik komen?' meaning 'When can I come?' So you need that phrase too: 'Wanneer kan ik komen?' Luna: Wanneer kan ik komen? So 'wanneer' is 'when'? Lucas: Exactly. 'Wanneer' means 'when', 'kan' means 'can', 'ik' is 'I', and 'komen' is 'come'. So 'Wanneer kan ik komen?' is a question. You can use it yourself to ask the doctor when you can come. Luna: Wanneer kan ik komen? I'll practice that. So I can say 'Ik wil een afspraak maken. Wanneer kan ik komen?' Lucas: Perfect. Now, before you get to that point, you'll likely need to explain how you feel. A useful phrase is 'Ik voel me niet goed.' That means 'I don't feel well.' Luna: Ik voel me niet goed. So 'niet goed' is 'not good'? Lucas: Yes. 'Voel' is from 'voelen' meaning 'to feel'. 'Me' is 'myself'. So 'Ik voel me niet goed' is a very common way to say you're unwell. Luna: Ok, I've got that. But I also need to say where it hurts. How about 'I have pain in my head'? Lucas: That's 'Ik heb pijn in mijn hoofd.' But since you said you have a headache, that's perfect. The structure is 'Ik heb pijn in mijn' plus the body part. We learned body parts before, so you can say 'hoofd' for head, 'rug' for back, or 'keel' for throat. Luna: Ok, so 'Ik heb pijn in mijn hoofd.' I'll remember that. And finally, if I need help, I can say 'Can you help me?'? Lucas: Yes, that's 'Kunt u mij helpen?' It's polite using 'u' for 'you'. 'Kunt' is the formal form of 'can'. So 'Kunt u mij helpen?' is very useful. Luna: Kunt u mij helpen? Got it. So my whole spiel could be: 'Ik voel me niet goed. Ik heb pijn in mijn hoofd. Ik wil een afspraak maken. Wanneer kan ik komen?' Lucas: That's excellent, Luna. You've basically made a full appointment request. And that brings us to something important. If Fexingo has been helping you make progress with Dutch, consider buying us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It really helps keep the show ad-free and going. Luna: Yeah, I love that we can do this without ads. And it's so easy to support. Alright, let's keep practicing. Can you quiz me on the phrases? Lucas: Sure. I'll say a scenario, and you respond in Dutch. You call the doctor's office and say you want an appointment. Luna: Ik wil een afspraak maken. Lucas: Then they ask when you can come. Luna: Wanneer kan ik komen? Lucas: You tell them you have a headache. Luna: Ik heb pijn in mijn hoofd. Lucas: And you don't feel well. Luna: Ik voel me niet goed. Lucas: Then you ask for help. Luna: Kunt u mij helpen? Lucas: Nailed it. You're ready for a real appointment. Remember, practice these phrases a few times: Ik wil een afspraak maken, Wanneer kan ik komen, Ik voel me niet goed, Ik heb pijn in mijn, Kunt u mij helpen. Luna: Thanks Lucas. I feel a lot better knowing how to say this. And listeners, practice with us! See you next time. Lucas: Tot ziens! This has been Learn Dutch with Fexingo. Keep practicing and we'll catch you in the next episode.