Door de beveiliging op het vliegveld
Going through airport security · a free Dutch immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Goedemiddag, hier zijn mijn paspoort en instapkaart.
Good afternoon, here are my passport and boarding pass.
Literal Good afternoon, here are my passport and boarding card.
A polite greeting while handing over travel documents at the security checkpoint.
- 'hier zijn' means 'here are' — 'zijn' agrees with the plural subject 'paspoort en instapkaart'
- 'instapkaart' is a compound noun: 'instappen' (to board) + 'kaart' (card)
Doet u uw riem en schoenen in het bakje, alstublieft.
Please put your belt and shoes in the tray.
Literal Do you your belt and shoes in the tray, please.
A polite instruction from a security officer using the formal Dutch imperative — verb first, followed by 'u'.
- 'Doet u' is the formal polite imperative: finite verb 'doet' + formal pronoun 'u'
- 'alstublieft' (please) softens the command; used when speaking formally with 'u'
Mag ik mijn laptop apart in een bakje leggen?
May I place my laptop separately in a tray?
Literal May I my laptop separately in a tray lay?
A polite question using 'mag ik' (may I) to request permission from the officer before acting.
- 'mag ik' = 'may I' — modal verb 'mogen' in first-person singular present
- Infinitive 'leggen' goes to the very end of the sentence following Dutch word order
Heeft u vloeistoffen in uw handbagage?
Do you have any liquids in your carry-on luggage?
Literal Have you liquids in your hand luggage?
A standard security question. The officer uses formal 'u' and question inversion — verb before subject.
- Questions are formed by inversion: 'Heeft u' (have you) instead of 'U heeft' (you have)
- 'vloeistoffen' is the plural of 'vloeistof' (liquid); the suffix '-en' marks the plural
Ja, ik heb een kleine fles water bij me.
Yes, I have a small bottle of water with me.
Literal Yes, I have a small bottle water by me.
A short, direct reply about luggage contents. 'Bij me' is an idiomatic phrase meaning 'with me' or 'on me'.
- 'bij me' = 'with me / on me' — a fixed prepositional phrase using 'bij' (by/with)
- 'kleine' is 'klein' (small) inflected with -e before a common-gender noun with an article
Kunt u uw jas uitdoen en in het bakje leggen?
Could you take off your jacket and put it in the tray?
Literal Can you your jacket take-off and in the tray lay?
A polite request using 'kunt u'. 'Uitdoen' is a separable verb meaning to take off clothing — the prefix detaches.
- 'uitdoen' is a separable verb: prefix 'uit-' separates in main clauses — 'doe uw jas uit'
- 'Kunt u' is the formal polite question form of 'kunnen' (to be able to / can)
Loopt u nu door de scanner heen.
Please walk through the scanner now.
Literal Walk you now through the scanner through.
A direct but polite instruction using the formal imperative. 'Door ... heen' adds the sense of passing fully from one side to the other.
- 'Loopt u' = formal imperative of 'lopen' (to walk): finite verb + u
- 'door ... heen' is a prepositional phrase meaning 'through' (from one side to the other)
Het alarm is afgegaan — kunt u hier even blijven staan?
The alarm has gone off — could you stay standing here for a moment?
Literal The alarm has gone-off — can you here just remain standing?
A polite but firm request after a scanner alert. 'Afgegaan' is the past participle of the separable verb 'afgaan' (to go off).
- 'is afgegaan' — present perfect of separable verb 'afgaan'; past participle: 'af' + 'ge' + 'gaan' = 'afgegaan'
- 'even' softens the request, meaning 'just' or 'for a moment' — very common in polite Dutch speech
We controleren even uw tas met de hand.
We'll just check your bag by hand.
Literal We check just your bag with the hand.
A brief, matter-of-fact explanation about a manual bag check. 'Even' makes it sound routine and non-threatening.
- 'controleren' = to check/inspect — a regular -eren verb; used in formal and official contexts
- 'met de hand' = by hand — a fixed prepositional phrase; 'de hand' takes the definite article
Alles is in orde; u kunt nu doorgaan naar de gate.
Everything is fine; you can now proceed to the gate.
Literal Everything is in order; you can now go-through to the gate.
The reassuring clearance phrase from the officer. 'Doorgaan' means to proceed or continue on your way.
- 'in orde' = in order / fine — a fixed official phrase used to signal clearance
- 'doorgaan' is a separable verb; in a modal construction ('kunt ... doorgaan') the infinitive stays whole
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
paspoort
passport
Hier is mijn paspoort.
Here is my passport.
'het paspoort' — neuter noun; always carry it to the checkpoint
instapkaart
boarding pass
Heeft u uw instapkaart bij u?
Do you have your boarding pass with you?
Compound: 'instappen' (to board) + 'kaart' (card); also called 'boardingpass' in informal speech
bakje
tray
Leg uw spullen in het bakje.
Put your things in the tray.
Diminutive of 'bak' (container); all Dutch diminutives take 'het'
vloeistof
liquid
Vloeistoffen moeten in een zakje.
Liquids must go in a bag.
Plural: vloeistoffen; airport rule: max 100 ml per container
handbagage
carry-on luggage
Mijn handbagage is te zwaar.
My carry-on luggage is too heavy.
Compound: 'hand' + 'bagage'; always singular in Dutch
uitdoen
to take off (clothing)
U moet uw schoenen uitdoen.
You must take off your shoes.
Separable verb: prefix 'uit-' detaches — 'doe je jas uit' (take off your jacket)
doorgaan
to proceed / to continue
U kunt nu doorgaan.
You can proceed now.
Separable verb 'door-' + 'gaan'; also means 'to go on' or 'to carry on' in everyday speech
controleren
to check / to inspect
Ze controleren de bagage.
They are checking the luggage.
Regular -eren verb; used in formal and official contexts
beveiliging
security
De beveiliging controleert uw tas.
Security checks your bag.
From 'beveiligen' (to secure/protect); used for airport security staff and the checkpoint itself
alarm
alarm
Het alarm gaat af.
The alarm goes off.
'afgaan' (to go off) pairs naturally with 'alarm'; a separable verb — 'het alarm gaat af'
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Emma staat bij de beveiligingscontrole op Schiphol en haalt rustig haar spullen tevoorschijn. De bewaker vraagt haar riem, schoenen en laptop in aparte bakjes te leggen. Emma doet dit zonder aarzelen en loopt dan door de scanner heen. Even later knikt de bewaker en zegt vriendelijk: 'Alles is in orde. Prettige vlucht, mevrouw.'
Sentence by sentence
staat bij de beveiligingscontrole
is standing at the security checkpoint
'Staat' is the third-person singular of 'staan' (to stand). 'Bij' here means 'at' — a common preposition for locations where you are present.
haalt rustig haar spullen tevoorschijn
calmly takes out her belongings
'Tevoorschijn halen' is a fixed phrase meaning 'to take out / to produce'. 'Rustig' (calmly) modifies the action and sets a confident tone.
vraagt haar ... te leggen
asks her ... to put
'Vragen + te + infinitive' is the Dutch pattern for asking someone to do something. The infinitive 'leggen' goes to the end of the clause.
in aparte bakjes
in separate trays
'Aparte' is the adjective 'apart' (separate) with the -e inflection before a plural noun. 'Bakjes' is the plural of 'bakje'.
zonder aarzelen
without hesitation
'Zonder' (without) + infinitive/gerund 'aarzelen' (hesitating) — a common prepositional phrase pattern expressing manner.
Alles is in orde
Everything is fine
A fixed official phrase used to signal clearance. 'In orde' literally means 'in order' and is the standard reassurance from security staff.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Polite Imperatives with 'u' (Formal Instructions)
In Dutch, giving a polite instruction to someone you address formally uses the finite verb followed immediately by 'u'. This is the formal equivalent of a command and is softer than a bare imperative. Adding 'alstublieft' (please) or 'even' (just) makes the tone even more courteous and natural for service contexts like airports.
[Finite verb] + u + [complement] (+ alstublieft / even)
Doet u uw riem in het bakje, alstublieft.
Please put your belt in the tray.
Loopt u nu door de scanner heen.
Please walk through the scanner now.
Legt u uw laptop apart in een bakje.
Please put your laptop separately in a tray.
Kunt u hier even blijven staan?
Could you stay standing here for a moment?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Dutch: 'Good afternoon, here are my passport and boarding pass.'
Hint Remember: 'boarding pass' = instapkaart
Wat betekent dit? 'Heeft u vloeistoffen in uw handbagage?'
Hint 'Vloeistof' = liquid; 'handbagage' = carry-on luggage
Complete the sentence: 'Doet u uw riem en schoenen in het ___, alstublieft.'
Hint It's the small tray you put your belongings in at the scanner.
The security officer wants you to walk through the scanner. Which sentence does she say?
Rewrite this informal sentence as a formal polite imperative using 'u': 'Doe je jas uit en leg hem in het bakje.'
Hint Use 'kunt u' + infinitive to make a polite formal request.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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