De medewerker helpt ons bij de balie.

The staff member helps us at the counter.

Breakdown of De medewerker helpt ons bij de balie.

• helpen: to help
• bij: at
• ons: us
• de balie: the counter
• de medewerker: the staff member

Questions & Answers about De medewerker helpt ons bij de balie.

Why is it helpt and not help?

• Dutch adds -t to the verb in the present tense with a third-person singular subject: hij/zij/het/de medewerker helpt.
• Quick pattern: ik help, jij/u helpt, hij/zij/het helpt, wij/jullie/zij helpen.

What role does ons play here? Why not wij/we?

• Wij/We is the subject form; ons is the object form.
• After helpen (to help), you use a direct object: iemand helpen → de medewerker helpt ons.

Does helpen need a preposition like English “help with”?

• For the person, no preposition: iemand helpen (help someone).
• For the thing/activity, you can add:
  • helpen met + noun: helpt ons met de formulieren.
  • helpen bij + activity/process: helpt ons bij het invullen.
• In the sentence, bij de balie is a location, not the thing being helped with.

What does bij mean here? Is it “by” like in “written by”?

• Here bij means “at/near/with” a place: bij de balie = at the counter/desk.
• For an agent (“by someone” in a passive), Dutch uses door: geholpen door de medewerker.
• Be careful: bij de medewerker means “at the employee’s place/desk,” not “by the employee” (agent).

Should it be bij de balie or aan de balie?

• Both occur; nuance:
  • aan de balie: physically at the counter, interacting there (very idiomatic for service counters).
  • bij de balie: more general “at/near the desk/counter area.”
• In many service contexts, aan de balie sounds slightly more idiomatic, but bij is not wrong.

What exactly is a balie? How does it differ from receptie, kassa, toonbank, loket?

• balie: service counter/desk where staff assist customers (generic).
• receptie: reception/front desk (often in offices, hotels).
• kassa: checkout/cash register/pay desk.
• toonbank: shop counter/display counter.
• loket: ticket/service window (often with a small opening).

Can I change the word order, e.g., start with the place?

• Yes. Dutch main clauses are V2 (the finite verb is in second position):
  • Bij de balie helpt de medewerker ons.
• This fronting adds emphasis to the location.

Can I say De medewerker helpt bij de balie ons?

• That’s unnatural. Object pronouns prefer to come right after the verb and before heavier phrases:
  • Natural: De medewerker helpt ons bij de balie.

How do I negate this? Where does niet go?

• General negation: De medewerker helpt ons niet (bij de balie).
• If you specifically negate the location: De medewerker helpt ons niet bij de balie (maar ergens anders).
• If you negate the helping itself: De medewerker helpt ons niet.

Why de medewerker and not een medewerker?

• de medewerker: a specific/known staff member, or the only/the one on duty, or sometimes generic in instructions.
• een medewerker: any staff member, non-specific.
• Both can be correct depending on context and what you want to express.

Are medewerker and balie “de” or “het” words? What are their plurals?

• Both are de-words: de medewerker, de balie.
• Plurals: medewerkers, balies.

Is medewerker gender-neutral?

• In modern usage, medewerker is commonly used as a gender-neutral job title.
• A specifically female form exists (medewerkster), but many organizations prefer the neutral medewerker.

How would I express the English “is helping” (progressive)?

• Dutch usually uses the simple present for ongoing actions: De medewerker helpt ons bij de balie.
• If you need a true progressive:
  • De medewerker is ons bij de balie aan het helpen.
  • De medewerker is bij de balie bezig ons te helpen.

How do I make this passive?

• Wij worden bij de balie geholpen door de medewerker.
• Note door for the agent and the participle geholpen.

Is helpen irregular in the past tense?

• Yes:
  • Past: ik hielp, wij hielpen.
  • Past participle: geholpen (with hebben: heeft geholpen).

Any quick pronunciation tips?

• bij: the ij is like the vowel in English “kite,” but shorter and tenser.
• medewerker: stress on the first syllable: ME-de-werker; Dutch w is between English v and w.
• helpt: pronounce the p and t; final consonant clusters are audible in careful speech.