Furniture
Meubilair
- Describe the furniture in your house.
- Pronunciation of "sch", "ch", "g"
Learn common Dutch furniture vocabulary like de bank (sofa), de kast (cabinet), and de lamp (lamp), and practice prepositions to describe their locations clearly in different rooms.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (14) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Divide the words below into two groups: furniture for the living room and items for the bathroom.
Meubilair voor de woonkamer
Spullen voor de badkamer
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
De bank
The sofa
2
De deur
The door
3
De lamp
The lamp
4
Sluiten
To close
5
Het bureau
The desk
Oefening 5: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- What furniture is in each of the rooms? (What furniture is in each of the rooms?)
- Describe one room of your apartment/house. (Describe one room of your apartment/house. )
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Het toilet is vlakbij de gootsteen. The toilet is near the sink. |
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Het bed staat in de woonkamer. The bed is in the livingroom. |
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Het schilderij staat naast het raam. The painting is next to the window. |
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Er ligt een tapijt onder de bank. There is a carpet under the sofa. |
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De spiegel hangt aan de muur. The mirror is hanging on the wall. |
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De kledingkast staat tussen het bed en het bureau. The wardrobe is between the bed and the desk. |
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De deur is achter de stoel. The door is behind the chair. |
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De bank staat voor het raam. The sofa is in front of the window. |
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De lamp staat op de tafel in de woonkamer. The lamp is on the table in the living room. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Ik ____ altijd de deur voordat ik naar binnen ga.
(I ____ always open the door before I go inside.)2. Hij ____ het raam als het buiten koud is.
(He ____ the window when it is cold outside.)3. Wij ____ het bureau om er documenten op te leggen.
(We ____ the desk to put documents on it.)4. Jij ____ de kast nadat je de boeken hebt gepakt.
(You ____ the cabinet after you have taken the books.)Exercise 8: Furniture in the house
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Openen - Openen
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik open
- jij/u opent
- hij/zij/het opent
- wij openen
- jullie openen
- zij openen
Staan - Staan
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik sta
- jij/u staat
- hij/zij/het staat
- wij staan
- jullie staan
- zij staan
Sluiten - Sluiten
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik sluit
- jij/u sluit
- hij/zij/het sluit
- wij sluiten
- jullie sluiten
- zij sluiten
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Sluiten to close Share Copied!
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd (OTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) sluit | I close |
| (jij) sluit | you close |
| (hij/zij/het) sluit | he/she/it closes |
| (wij) sluiten | we close |
| (jullie) sluiten | you close |
| (zij) sluiten | they close |
Openen to open Share Copied!
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd (OTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) open | I open |
| (jij) opent | you open |
| (hij/zij/het) opent | he/she/it opens |
| (wij) openen | we open |
| (jullie) openen | you open |
| (zij) openen | they open |
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Lesson Overview: Furniture in Dutch
This lesson covers essential vocabulary and phrases related to furniture and household items, focusing on placement and location within different rooms of a house. You will learn common words for furniture pieces and bathroom items, how to describe their position using prepositions, and practice verbs connected to everyday actions around furniture.
Key Vocabulary: Furniture and Household Items
Furniture for the Living Room
- de bank – the sofa
- de kast – the cupboard/closet
- de stoel – the chair
- de tafel – the table
- de lamp – the lamp
Bathroom Items
- de douche – the shower
- het bad – the bathtub
- het toilet – the toilet
Describing Locations Using Prepositions
A major focus is on using prepositions of place to say where furniture is located, such as naast (next to), onder (under), boven (above), tegen (against), bij (by), rechts van (to the right of), and links van (to the left of). For example,
- De bank staat naast het raam. (The sofa is next to the window.)
- Het bureau staat tegen de muur naast het bed. (The desk is against the wall next to the bed.)
Useful Verbs Related to Furniture
You will practice key verbs like openen (to open), sluiten (to close), and staan (to stand/to be located) in the present tense. Understanding these verbs helps describe actions around furniture and doors:
- Ik open de deur altijd. (I always open the door.)
- Hij sluit het raam. (He closes the window.)
- De lamp staat op de tafel. (The lamp stands on the table.)
Practice Dialogues and Exercises
Engage with dialogues that help describe rooms like the living room, bedroom, and dining room using the new vocabulary and prepositions. For example, practicing conversations about where the furniture is placed enhances your speaking skills naturally.
Pronunciation Focus: "sch" , "ch" , and "g"
The lesson also highlights how to correctly pronounce the Dutch consonant combinations sch, ch, and the letter g, which can be challenging for learners.
Linguistic Notes on Dutch vs. English Furniture Vocabulary
Some furniture words have similar forms but different articles or genders in Dutch. For example, de bank means sofa (not a financial bank), and de kast refers to a closet or cupboard, which may differ from English usage. Note that Dutch uses definite articles like de and het, which must be memorized alongside nouns.
Many prepositions correspond closely to English, but word order and placement in sentences can differ, requiring practice. For instance, Dutch often places verbs in second position, and prepositions govern noun cases indirectly by position.
Useful phrases to describe location:
- De stoel staat bij de tafel. – The chair is by the table.
- De kast staat tegen de muur. – The cupboard is against the wall.
- Sluit alsjeblieft de douche na gebruik. – Please close the shower after use.
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