Bucket list
Bucketlist
- Talk about your bucket list and future plans
- Giving advice
This lesson focuses on giving advice (advies geven) about future plans and dreams, using useful expressions like 'Ik raad je aan' (I advise you) and conditional phrases such as 'Als ik jou was' (If I were you). You will practice discussing your bucket list and sharing practical recommendations.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (13) 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
Het einde
The end
2
Realiseren
To realise
3
De toekomst
The future
4
Het begin
The beginning
5
De wereldreis
The round-the-world trip
Oefening 2: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- What did you want to be when you were a child? (What did you want to be when you were a child?)
- What plans do you have for the future? Would you like to change your job anytime soon? (What plans do you have for the future? Would you like to change your job anytime soon?)
- How will you accomplish them? (How will you accomplish them?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Toen ik klein was, wilde ik brandweerman worden. When I was little I wanted to become a firefighter. |
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Als kind droomde ik ervan om dokter te worden. As a child I dreamed of becoming a doctor. |
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Ik wil in de toekomst meer verantwoordelijkheid in mijn werk hebben. I want to have more responsibility in my job in the future. |
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Ik wil over een paar jaar de baas van mijn bedrijf zijn. I want to be the boss of my company in a few years. |
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Ik wil binnenkort van beroep veranderen omdat ik niet tevreden ben met mijn huidige baan. I would like to change my profession soon because I am not happy with my current job. |
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Ik ga weer naar de universiteit om leraar te worden. I will go to university again to become a teacher. |
| ... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Als ik jou was, ___ ik mijn droom om een wereldreis te maken niet uitstellen.
(If I were you, ___ I would not postpone my dream of traveling around the world.)2. Ik adviseer je om binnenkort die wens ___ vervullen, zodat je het begin van iets moois ervaart.
(I advise you to ___ fulfill that wish soon, so that you experience the beginning of something beautiful.)3. In jouw plaats ___ ik ervoor zorgen dat ik genoeg tijd heb om over mijn toekomst te dromen.
(If I were in your place ___ I would make sure that I have enough time to dream about my future.)4. Ik ___ graag een beroep kiezen dat ik leuk vind, omdat dat erg belangrijk is voor mijn toekomst.
(I ___ like to choose a profession that I like, because that is very important for my future.)Exercise 5: Going on a world trip: dreams and plans
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Zijn - To Be
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd
- ik zou zijn
- jij zou zijn
- hij/zij/het zou zijn
- wij zouden zijn
- jullie zouden zijn
- zij zouden zijn
Dromen - To Dream
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd
- ik zou dromen
- jij zou dromen
- hij/zij/het zou dromen
- wij zouden dromen
- jullie zouden dromen
- zij zouden dromen
Wensen - To Wish
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd
- ik zou wensen
- jij zou wensen
- hij/zij/het zou wensen
- wij zouden wensen
- jullie zouden wensen
- zij zouden wensen
Willen - To Want
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd
- ik zou willen
- jij zou willen
- hij/zij/het zou willen
- wij zouden willen
- jullie zouden willen
- zij zouden willen
Exercise 6: Advies geven
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Giving advice
Show translation Show answersIn jouw plaats, Ik adviseer je, Als ik jou was, zou, Ik raad je aan om
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!
Zijn to be Share Copied!
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd (CTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) zou zijn | I would be |
| (jij) zou zijn | you would be |
| (hij/zij/het) zou zijn | he would be/she would be/it would be |
| (wij) zouden zijn | we would be |
| (jullie) zouden zijn | you would be |
| (zij) zouden zijn | they would be |
Dromen to dream Share Copied!
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd (CTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| ik zou dromen | I would dream |
| jij zou dromen | you would dream |
| hij/zij/het zou dromen | he/she/it would dream |
| wij zouden dromen | we would dream |
| jullie zouden dromen | You would dream |
| zij zouden dromen | they would dream |
Wensen to wish Share Copied!
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd (CTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| ik zou wensen | I would wish |
| jij zou wensen | You would wish |
| hij/zij/het zou wensen | he/she/it would wish |
| wij zouden wensen | we would wish |
| jullie zouden wensen | You would wish |
| zij zouden wensen | they would wish |
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Lesson Overview: Discussing Your Bucket List and Giving Advice
This A2-level lesson focuses on expressing future wishes and ambitions in Dutch, particularly by discussing one's bucket list. You will learn how to share your dreams and plans for the future, such as travel or personal goals, and how to give and receive advice in conversations.
Key Learning Points
- Expressing desires and plans: phrases like Wat staat er op jouw bucketlist? (What's on your bucket list?) and Ik wil graag... (I would like to...).
- Giving advice using conditional forms: constructions such as Ik raad je aan... (I advise you to...), Als ik jou was, zou ik... (If I were you, I would...), and In jouw plaats zou ik... (In your place, I would...).
- Talking about future goals: sharing ambitions like Ik wil mijn talen verbeteren (I want to improve my languages) or Mijn droom is... (My dream is...).
Important Vocabulary and Expressions
- Bucketlist: A list of things you want to do in your lifetime, e.g., traveling or learning new skills.
- Advies geven (Giving advice): Useful phrases are ik adviseer je, ik raad je aan, and als ik jou was, zou ik...
- Future tenses with modal verbs: The use of zou in conditional sentences to politely advise or recommend actions.
- Verbs studied in the conditional tense: zijn (to be), dromen (to dream), wensen (to wish), willen (to want).
Grammatical Focus: Conditional Present Tense
You will practice forming the conditional present tense to give polite advice or discuss hypothetical situations. For example, Als ik jou was, zou ik mijn droom niet uitstellen (If I were you, I wouldn’t postpone my dream). The lesson also includes gap-fill exercises to reinforce conjugation patterns.
Practical Conversation Topics
- Discussing bucket lists and future plans.
- Making travel plans and giving travel-related advice.
- Sharing future goals and exchanging recommendations to achieve them.
Key Differences and Useful Phrases
Dutch expresses advice and hypothetical actions frequently with the conditional form using zou, similar to English "would" but often placed differently in sentence structure. The phrase Als ik jou was corresponds to "If I were you," a common polite way to offer suggestions. Another frequently used phrase is Ik raad je aan, literally "I advise you to," used when recommending specific actions. Unlike English, Dutch often uses infinitives after advising verbs paired with "om" or "te," such as in ik adviseer je om te oefenen (I advise you to practice).
Useful phrases:
- Ik raad je aan om... – I advise you to...
- Als ik jou was, zou ik... – If I were you, I would...
- In jouw plaats zou ik... – In your place, I would...
- Ik wil graag... – I would like...
- Mijn droom is... – My dream is...
This lesson helps you express hopes and plans confidently while learning how to advise others politely in Dutch, all essential skills for everyday conversations about the future.
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