Intermediate Dutch · Lesson G3.1 · Giving your opinion
What did you think of it?
- Level B1
- 40 minutes
After this lesson you can give your opinion about a film, a book or a show and say why. You can follow other people's opinions and disagree politely.
ReviewStep 1
Do you remember?
Three questions about module G2. Try first, then open the answer.
- Ask politely if the course is on Tuesday. Start with Kunt u me zeggen.
Answer
Kunt u me zeggen of de cursus op dinsdag is? - Say: "If the weather is nice, I'll cycle."
Answer
Als het mooi weer is, ga ik fietsen. - Make a suggestion at work: "We could organise an open day."
Answer
We zouden een open dag kunnen organiseren.
- Ask politely if the course is on Tuesday. Start with Kunt u me zeggen.
ReadStep 2
1. The situation
You have been to the cinema with Sanne and Karim. The film was De Overkant, a new Dutch film about two brothers. Afterwards you have a drink in a café. Everyone says what they thought of it, and not everyone agrees.
ListenStep 3
2. Words
Word list Dutch English de mening, de meningen the opinion de hoofdpersoon, de hoofdpersonen the main character de acteur, de acteurs the actor de scène, de scènes the scene het einde the ending, the end de smaak taste spannend exciting, tense saai boring ontroerend moving, touching voorspelbaar predictable overdreven over the top, exaggerated geloofwaardig believable, convincing zich vervelen to be bored tegenvallen (viel tegen, is tegengevallen) to be disappointing meevallen (viel mee, is meegevallen) to be better than expected indruk maken (op) to impress, to make an impression (on) volgens according to juist actually, on the contrary; exactly ReadStep 4
5. Giving your opinion
Ik vind dat ... and Ik denk dat ...
After ik vind dat and ik denk dat comes a clause. The verb goes to the end, as after omdat (lesson 5.4):
- Ik vind dat de hoofdpersoon heel goed speelde.
- Ik denk dat veel mensen hem mooi vinden.
With volgens mij there is no clause. Volgens mij takes the first place, so the verb comes next:
- Volgens mij maakte de laatste scène indruk.
Vinden or denken?
English often uses I think for both. Dutch has two verbs:
use it for example vinden your opinion, your taste Ik vind de film mooi. Ik vond het einde ontroerend. denken what you believe or expect Ik denk dat het morgen regent. Ik denk dat veel mensen hem mooi vinden. Ik vind dat ... is also an opinion: Ik vind dat hij goed speelde.
Niet goes with denken
To say you don't think so, put niet after denk, not in the clause:
- Ik denk niet dat het einde voorspelbaar was. (I don't think the ending was predictable.)
Ik denk dat het einde niet voorspelbaar was is also correct, but the first is what most people say.
The English trap
- I think it was good needs dat in Dutch, and the verb at the end: Ik denk dat het goed was, not Ik denk het was goed.
- De film is a de-word, so it is hem: Ik vond hem prachtig. You will also hear Ik vond het prachtig (the whole evening, the experience). Both are fine.
- I agree is not ik ben eens. Say Ik ben het met je eens or Dat vind ik ook.
Disagreeing politely
softer stronger Ik weet het niet, hoor. Daar ben ik het niet mee eens. Ik vond het einde juist mooi. Ik vind van niet. Dat is een kwestie van smaak. PractiseStep 5
Try it: vinden or denken?
Choose the right verb.
6. Practice
Exercise 1. Who thought what?
Think of the conversation. Is it true?
5 questions
Sanne found the ending moving.
Karim thinks the ending was predictable.
Sam was bored in the middle of the film.
Sanne found the girlfriend over the top.
In the end Karim admits the last scene was beautiful.
Exercise 2. The verb at the end
Type the missing verb. It goes to the end of the clause.
ReviewStep 6
Later you will practise this
- In lesson G3.2 you give your opinion at a meeting about the street, and say what you agree and disagree with.
- In lesson G3.4 you write your opinion in a response on a website.
- In lesson G3.5 you talk about the news in a café and give your opinion again.
- After a week you get three quick questions about vinden, denken and dat.
Do you remember?
One week after you mark this lesson as Understood, 3 quick questions will be ready for you here.
Intermediate Dutch
30 lessons · 6 modules · B1
You tell what happened, have a job interview, give your opinion, make a complaint, cancel a subscription and talk about what could be, in Dutch as you hear it in the Netherlands. The course helps you towards B1, the level of the Dutch integration exams.
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