Emergency services
Hulpdiensten
- Know the names of emergency services of your new country.
- Calling and advising about situations.
- Simple past tense: strong verbs
Learn to report emergencies in Dutch using essential vocabulary and the simple past tense of strong verbs. This lesson covers practical dialogues for calling help, key verbs like 'blijven', 'bellen', 'helpen', and exercises to master past tense conjugations for effective communication in urgent situations.
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 |
Gaan go Share Copied!
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 |
Bellen to call Share Copied!
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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Understanding Emergency Situations and Past Tense Verbs in Dutch
This lesson focuses on essential Dutch vocabulary and communication skills for reporting emergencies via 112. You will learn to describe urgent situations such as fires, accidents, and suspicious activities using clear and practical language. Alongside emergency-related phrases, the lesson introduces the onvoltooid verleden tijd (simple past tense) of strong verbs, which is vital for narrating past events accurately in Dutch.
Key Topics Covered
- Reporting Emergencies: Practice dialogues for informing fire services, police, or ambulance about incidents like kitchen fires or traffic accidents.
- Strong Verbs in Past Tense: Conjugations of verbs like blijven (to stay), bellen (to call), helpen (to help), gaan (to go), and zien (to see) are detailed with examples.
- Practical Exercises: Multiple-choice conjugation tasks and a mini story with gaps to reinforce understanding of past tense forms.
Examples of Useful Words and Phrases
- belde – called
- bleef – stayed
- hielp – helped
- ging – went
- kwam – came
Language Tips
In Dutch, the instruction usually follows a direct and concise style similar to English, but be aware of punctuation differences like commas before conjunctions which are less frequent in Dutch. Reporting emergencies emphasizes clarity and calm language.
Some useful phrases include:
Hallo, ik wil de brandweer bellen. (Hello, I want to call the fire brigade.)
Is iedereen veilig buiten? (Is everyone safe outside?)
Note that Dutch uses the onvoltooid verleden tijd to narrate actions that have been completed in the past, similar to the English simple past, but with distinct verb forms that often differ among strong verbs.
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