My own business
Mijn eigen bedrijf
- Discuss plans for starting a business.
- Talk about daily bookkeeping responsibilities.
- Adverbs: binnenkort, pas, misschien, graag, anders
Learn to discuss your plans for starting your own company using useful adverbs like binnenkort (soon), pas (just), misschien (maybe), graag (gladly), and anders (otherwise). Practice daily bookkeeping conversations and ask for advice about business startups to build practical Dutch skills in entrepreneurship.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (15) 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 collega
The colleague
2
De verantwoordelijkheid
The responsibility
3
Het bedrijf
The company
4
Investeren
To invest
5
De administratie
The administration
Oefening 2: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- Do you run your own business? Do you have a partner? (Do you run your own business? Do you have a partner?)
- Did you ever have an idea for your own business? (Did you ever have an idea for your own business?)
- What doubts did you have? (What doubts did you have?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Ik run mijn eigen bedrijf niet. Het is te veel verantwoordelijkheid voor mij. I don't run my own business. It is too much responsibility for me. |
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Ik run een kledingwinkel in de stad. Ik heb een partner en het gaat geweldig. I run a clothing shop in the city. I have a partner and it is going great. |
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Toen ik begin twintig was, wilde ik een koffiezaak openen. When I was in my early twenties I wanted to open a coffee shop. |
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Ik heb nooit een idee gehad voor mijn eigen bedrijf. Ik werk liever voor iemand anders. I never had an idea for my own business. I prefer to work for someone else. |
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Ik besloot tegen mijn eigen bedrijf omdat het minder vermoeiend is. I decided against my own business because it is less exhausting. |
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Ik denk er nog steeds over na om mijn eigen bedrijf te starten. Het is echter minder veilig, dat is de reden waarom ik het nog niet heb gedaan. It am still thinking about opening my own business. It is less secure though, that is the reason why I haven't done it yet. |
| ... |
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. Binnenkort ____ mijn eigen bedrijf beginnen.
(Soon ____ my own company.)2. Ik ____ samen met mijn collega’s om de administratie te regelen.
(I ____ together with my colleagues to manage the administration.)3. Misschien ____ volgende maand investeren in marketing.
(Maybe ____ invest in marketing next month.)4. Als ik extra kosten heb, ____ anders de boekhouding aanpakken.
(If I have extra costs, ____ will handle the bookkeeping differently.)Exercise 5: Plans for my own business
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Werken - Work
Onvoltooid toekomende tijd (OTTk)
- ik zal werken
- jij zult werken
- hij/zij/het zal werken
- wij zullen werken
- jullie zullen werken
- zij zullen werken
Beginnen - Start
Onvoltooid toekomende tijd (OTTk)
- ik zal beginnen
- jij zult beginnen
- hij/zij/het zal beginnen
- wij zullen beginnen
- jullie zullen beginnen
- zij zullen beginnen
Investeren - Invest
Onvoltooid toekomende tijd (OTTk)
- ik zal investeren
- jij zult investeren
- hij/zij/het zal investeren
- wij zullen investeren
- jullie zullen investeren
- zij zullen investeren
Zullen - Will
Onvoltooid toekomende tijd (OTTk)
- ik zal
- jij zult
- hij/zij/het zal
- wij zullen
- jullie zullen
- zij zullen
Exercise 6: Bijwoorden: binnenkort, pas, misschien, graag, anders
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Adverbs: binnenkort, pas, misschien, graag, anders
Show translation Show answersbinnenkort, graag, Misschien, Binnenkort, Pas
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A2.33.2 Grammatica
Bijwoorden: binnenkort, pas, misschien, graag, anders
Adverbs: binnenkort, pas, misschien, graag, anders
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Werken to work Share Copied!
Onvoltooid toekomende tijd (OTTk)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) zal gewerkt hebben / zal werken hebben | I will have worked / will work have |
| (jij) zult gewerkt hebben / zult werken hebben | you will have worked / will work |
| (hij/zij/het) zal gewerkt hebben / zal werken hebben | he/she/it will have worked / will work |
| (wij) zullen gewerkt hebben / zullen werken hebben | we will have worked / will work |
| (jullie) zullen gewerkt hebben / zullen werken hebben | you will have worked / you will work |
| (zij) zullen gewerkt hebben / zullen werken hebben | they will have worked / they will work |
Beginnen begin Share Copied!
Onvoltooid toekomende tijd (OTTk)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) zal begonnen zijn | I will have begun |
| (jij) zal/zult begonnen zijn | you will have begun |
| (hij/zij/het) zal begonnen zijn | he will have started/she will have started/it will have started |
| (wij) zullen begonnen zijn | we will have begun |
| (jullie) zullen begonnen zijn | you will have begun |
| (zij) zullen begonnen zijn | they will have begun |
Investeren to invest Share Copied!
Onvoltooid toekomende tijd (OTTk)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) zal investeren/zal gaan investeren | I will invest/will start to invest |
| (jij) zult investeren/zult gaan investeren | you will invest/you will be going to invest |
| (hij/zij/het) zal investeren/zal gaan investeren | he/she/it will invest |
| (wij) zullen investeren/zullen gaan investeren | we will invest/will start to invest |
| (jullie) zullen investeren/zullen gaan investeren | you will invest/will go to invest |
| (zij) zullen investeren/zullen gaan investeren | They will invest/will be going to invest |
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Overview of the Lesson: Starting Your Own Business in Dutch
This lesson is designed for A2 level Dutch learners focusing on practical language use around the theme of starting and managing your own business. It introduces key vocabulary and expressions related to entrepreneurship, especially for self-employed individuals (ZZP'er). The lesson also emphasizes everyday administrative tasks such as bookkeeping and discussing plans for a business.
Key Topics Covered
- Adverbs commonly used in business contexts: binnenkort (soon), pas (just/recently), misschien (maybe), graag (gladly), anders (otherwise)
- Dialogue practice that simulates real conversations about business plans, daily administration, and requesting advice.
- Verb conjugation exercises centered on the future tense (Onvoltooid toekomende tijd - OTTk) with verbs like werken (to work), beginnen (to start), investeren (to invest), and zullen (will/shall).
- A short story for contextual reading and comprehension focusing on planning and coordinating within a new business.
Important Language Highlights
The content prominently features the future tense using zullen, essential for talking about plans and intentions, e.g., "Binnenkort zal ik mijn eigen bedrijf beginnen." This tense helps express what will happen soon or in the near future in a business setting.
Adverbs like binnenkort and misschien provide nuance to future plans and possibilities, while graag expresses willingness or preference, useful in polite discussions.
Differences and Useful Phrases Compared to English
Unlike English, Dutch verbs use a specific auxiliary verb zullen for the simple future tense combined with the infinitive verb form. While English typically uses "will + verb," Dutch separates this into zullen + infinitive, such as ik zal werken (I will work). This lesson offers tables to conjugate these verbs correctly.
Some practical Dutch phrases you will learn include:
- Ik wil binnenkort mijn eigen bedrijf beginnen. (I want to start my own business soon.)
- Misschien een kleine winkel in de buurt. (Maybe a small shop nearby.)
- Ik werk graag nauwkeurig. (I like to work carefully.)
- Anders wordt het te veel werk alleen. (Otherwise, it becomes too much work alone.)
These expressions are valuable for communicating plans, preferences, and conditions in a natural, learner-friendly context relevant to entrepreneurship.
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