Family plans
Gezinsplannen
- Talk about plans and ambitions for the future
- Talk about your relationships and family plans
- Wishes, politeness and suggestions with onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd
This lesson focuses on the Dutch onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd to discuss family plans and wishes, teaching key expressions like 'Ik zou graag een gezin willen stichten' and polite suggestions such as 'Zou je willen...'.
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 relatie
The relationship
2
Scheiden
To divorce
3
Een gezin stichten
Starting a family
4
Samenwonen
To live together
5
Trouwen
To marry
Oefening 2: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- What is the next big step (your partner and) you want to take? (What is the next big step (your partner and) you want to take?)
- Would you like to start a family? (Would you like to start a family?)
- Would you like to have pets? Why or why not? (Would you like to have pets? Why or why not?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Mijn partner en ik gaan in juni trouwen. My partner and I are getting married in June. |
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Ik heb geen partner, maar mijn beste vriend en ik zijn net samen gaan wonen. I don't have a partner but my best friend and I just moved in together. |
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Ik wil binnenkort een gezin stichten. Ik zou graag 3 kinderen willen hebben. I would like to start a family soon. I would love to have 3 children. |
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Ik wil in de toekomst geen kinderen. Mijn partner en ik zijn heel gelukkig zonder hen. I don't want to have children in the future. My partner and I are very happy without them. |
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Ik zou later graag een hond en twee katten willen hebben. Ik ben opgegroeid met huisdieren en ik zou hetzelfde willen voor mijn kinderen. I would like to have a dog and two cats later. I grew up with pets and I would like the same for my children. |
|
Een huisdier is een grote verantwoordelijkheid en met ons werk en twee kinderen hebben we niet genoeg tijd om voor een huisdier te zorgen. A pet is a lot of responsibility and with our work and two children we do not have enough time to care for a pet. |
| ... |
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. Ik _____ graag binnenkort met mijn partner gaan samenwonen.
(I _____ would like to live together with my partner soon.)2. We _____ graag over een paar jaar een kind krijgen.
(We _____ would like to have a child in a few years.)3. _____ je aan de toekomst moeten denken voordat je trouwt?
(_____ you need to think about the future before you marry?)4. Ik _____ graag binnenkort een gezin willen stichten in Nederland.
(I _____ would like to start a family in the Netherlands soon.)Exercise 5: Family plans for the future
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Zouden - Would
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd
- ik zou
- jij zou
- hij/zij/het zou
- wij zouden
- jullie zouden
- zij zouden
Zijn - To Be
Verleden Tijd
- ik was
- jij was
- hij/zij/het was
- wij waren
- jullie waren
- zij waren
Krijgen - To Have
Verleden Tijd
- ik kreeg
- jij kreeg
- hij/zij/het kreeg
- wij kregen
- jullie kregen
- zij kregen
Nemen - To Take
Verleden Tijd
- ik nam
- jij nam
- hij/zij/het nam
- wij namen
- jullie namen
- zij namen
Exercise 6: Wensen, beleefdheid en suggesties met onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Wishes, politeness and suggestions with onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd
Show translation Show answerszou, Zou, zouden
Grammar Share Copied!
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A2.32.1 Grammatica
Wensen, beleefdheid en suggesties met onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd
Wishes, politeness and suggestions with onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Leven live Share Copied!
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd (CTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| ik zou leven | I would live |
| jij zou leven / zou jij leven | you would live / would you live |
| (hij/zij/het) hij zou leven / zij zou leven / het zou leven | he would live / she would live / it would live |
| wij zouden leven | we would live |
| jullie zouden leven | you would live |
| zij zouden leven | they would live |
Trouwen to marry Share Copied!
Conditionele Tegenwoordige Tijd (CTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) zou trouwen | I would marry |
| (jij) zou trouwen | You would marry |
| (hij/zij/het) zou trouwen | he/she/it would marry |
| (wij) zouden trouwen | we would marry |
| (jullie) zouden trouwen | You would marry |
| (zij) zouden trouwen | they would marry |
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Lesson Overview: Family Plans and Polite Expressions with the Imperfect Future Tense
This lesson focuses on expressing wishes, politeness, and suggestions in Dutch, using the onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd (imperfect future tense). This tense allows you to talk about plans, intentions, and polite requests regarding family and future situations.
Key Grammar Point: Imperfect Future Tense (Conditional Present)
The core grammatical structure used is the verb zouden (would), which helps you express desires or hypothetical situations politely and softly. For example:
- Ik zou graag binnenkort een gezin willen stichten. – I would like to start a family soon.
- We zouden over een jaar willen verhuizen. – We would like to move in a year.
The lesson also includes important verbs in the past tense, such as waren (were), kregen (got), and namen (took), all used to build context around realistic past situations connected to family plans.
Useful Expressions and Vocabulary
- Gezin stichten – to start a family
- Samenwonen – living together
- Verhuizen – to move (house)
- Plannen maken – to make plans
- Rustig dorp – quiet village
- Met veel natuur – with lots of nature
Practical Dialogues Included
The lesson provides authentic conversations for different settings:
- Informal dinner conversation: discussing family wishes and future plans.
- Chat with a good friend: sharing life goals and family aspirations.
- Workplace chat about private life: politely discussing family and future hopes.
Additional Learning Resources
Exercises such as multiple choice verb conjugations and a short story about family plans help reinforce your understanding of verb usage and sentence structure.
Important Notes on Language Differences
Unlike English, Dutch uses the onvoltooid verleden toekomende tijd to express future events that are tentative or polite. In English, we often use "would" for similar purposes. For example, "I would like" translates to Ik zou graag. The word order and verb forms differ, so it is important to practice these patterns in context.
Useful phrases to remember:
- Ik zou graag... – I would like...
- Zou je willen...? – Would you like to...?
- We zouden graag... – We would like to...
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