Breakdown of Kleingeld kan handig zijn als je snel een drankje uit de automaat wilt halen.
zijn
to be
willen
to want
kunnen
can
als
if
snel
quickly
halen
to get
je
you
een
a, an
uit
from
handig
handy
het kleingeld
the loose change
het drankje
the drink
de automaat
the vending machine
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Kleingeld kan handig zijn als je snel een drankje uit de automaat wilt halen.
What does the kleingeld in the sentence mean?
Kleingeld translates to small change or simply coins in English. It refers to low-denomination coins that you might carry in your wallet.
How is the phrase kan handig zijn used and what does it imply?
The phrase kan handig zijn means "can be useful" or "can be handy." It suggests that having small change might actually be beneficial in certain situations—in this case, when you need to quickly obtain something from the vending machine.
What role does als play in the sentence?
Als is a subordinating conjunction that can translate to "if" or "when" in English. In this sentence, it introduces the condition under which small change proves useful, namely that it helps when you want to quickly get a drink from the machine.
How does the verb construction wilt halen function in this sentence?
The construction wilt halen combines wilt (the second person singular form of willen, meaning "to want") with halen (meaning "to get" or "to retrieve"). In Dutch subordinate clauses—like the one introduced by als—the main verb (here, halen) is placed at the end. So, wilt halen means "want to get."
What does uit de automaat refer to in this context?
Uit de automaat translates to "from the machine." Here, automaat is the term commonly used in Dutch for a vending machine, emphasizing that the drink is obtained directly from a self-service machine.