Emergency services
Hulpdiensten
- Know the names of emergency services of your new country.
- Calling and advising about situations.
- Simple past tense: strong verbs
Learn how to report emergencies like fires, accidents, or suspicious situations in Dutch, using key past tense verbs such as 'belde' (called), 'bleef' (stayed), and 'hielp' (helped) to describe events clearly and effectively.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (12) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
De brandweer bellen
Calling the fire brigade
2
De bescherming
The protection
3
De spoedeisende hulp
The accident and emergency department
4
Het noodnummer
The emergency number
5
De hulpdiensten
The emergency services
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Gisteren _____ ik de brandweer omdat er een grote brand was.
(Yesterday _____ I called the fire department because there was a large fire.)2. De ambulance kwam snel toen ik het noodnummer _____ gebeld.
(The ambulance arrived quickly when I _____ called the emergency number.)3. Hij _____ een gewonde persoon uit de auto na het ongeluk.
(He _____ an injured person out of the car after the accident.)4. We _____ rustig en volgden de instructies van de hulpdiensten op.
(We _____ calm and followed the instructions of the emergency services.)Exercise 4: An emergency during the weekend
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Blijven - Stay
OVT
- ik bleef
- jij bleef
- hij/zij/het bleef
- wij bleven
- jullie bleven
- zij bleven
Bellen - Call
OVT
- ik belde
- jij belde
- hij/zij/het belde
- wij belden
- jullie belden
- zij belden
Zien - See
OVT
- ik zag
- jij zag
- hij/zij/het zag
- wij zagen
- jullie zagen
- zij zagen
Gaan - Go
OVT
- ik ging
- jij ging
- hij/zij/het ging
- wij gingen
- jullie gingen
- zij gingen
Helpen - Help
OVT
- ik hielp
- jij hielp
- hij/zij/het hielp
- wij hielpen
- jullie hielpen
- zij hielpen
Komen - Come
OVT
- ik kwam
- jij kwam
- hij/zij/het kwam
- wij kwamen
- jullie kwamen
- zij kwamen
Blussen - Extinguish
OVT
- ik bluste
- jij bluste
- hij/zij/het bluste
- wij blusten
- jullie blusten
- zij blusten
Exercise 5: Onvoltooid verleden tijd: sterke werkwoorden
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Simple past tense: strong verbs
Show translation Show answersbleven, boden, hielp, reden, liet, lag, keek, sloot
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Helpen to help Share Copied!
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) hielp | I helped |
| (jij) hielp/hielpte | You helped |
| (hij/zij/het) hielp | he/she/it helped |
| (wij) hielpen | we helped |
| (jullie) hielpen | you helped |
| (zij) hielpen | they helped |
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Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) ging | I went |
| (jij) ging/ginge | you went/would go |
| (hij/zij/het) ging | he went/he she it went |
| (wij) gingen | we went |
| (jullie) gingen | you went |
| (zij) gingen | they went |
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Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) belde | I called |
| (jij) belde/beldetest | you called/you were calling |
| (hij/zij/het) belde | he/she/it called |
| (wij) belden | we called |
| (jullie) belden | you called |
| (zij) belden | they called |
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Lesson Overview: Emergency Services and Past Tense Verbs
This lesson focuses on how to report emergencies using Dutch emergency numbers and describes the past actions and situations using the onvoltooid verleden tijd (simple past tense) of strong verbs. It is designed for A2 level learners, providing practical dialogue examples to help you communicate clearly in real emergency situations.
Key Topics Covered
- Reporting emergencies: How to effectively call emergency services such as fire brigade, police, and ambulance.
- Dialogue practice: Sample conversations for reporting a fire, a car accident, or suspicious situations to authorities.
- Grammar focus: Using strong verbs in the simple past tense to describe past emergency events and actions.
Important Vocabulary and Expressions
You will encounter words like de brandweer (fire brigade), de ambulance (ambulance), de politie (police), and verbs such as bellen (to call), blijven (to stay), helpen (to help), zien (to see), gaan (to go).
Example sentence: "Hallo, ik wil de brandweer bellen." means "Hello, I want to call the fire brigade." This sentence sets the tone for urgent communication.
Focus on Simple Past Tense of Strong Verbs
The lesson highlights conjugation and use of strong verbs in the past simple tense (OVT). For example:
- bleef (from blijven) – I stayed
- belde (from bellen) – I called
- zag (from zien) – I saw
- ging (from gaan) – I went
- hielp (from helpen) – I helped
- kwam (from komen) – I came
- bluste (from blussen) – I extinguished
Contextual Practice
The dialogues simulate real emergency phone calls to build confidence. A short story about an emergency during the weekend includes these strong past tense verbs in context, reinforcing their practical use.
Comparing Dutch and English in Emergencies
In Dutch, the emergency number "112" is the same as in many European countries, simplifying cross-language understanding. Unlike English, where the simple past is often formed by adding "-ed," Dutch strong verbs change their stem vowel in the past tense (e.g., bellen – belde). Dutch sentences in emergency calls are often straightforward and imperative, emphasizing clear, calm communication.
Useful Dutch phrases:
- Ik wil de brandweer bellen. – I want to call the fire brigade.
- Blijf rustig. – Stay calm.
- Er is een ongeluk gebeurd. – An accident happened.
- Is iedereen veilig? – Is everyone safe?
Note how Dutch tends to use modal verbs like willen (to want) similarly to English to express intent in emergencies.
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