Learn Hardcore Dutch: De receptionist controleert onze reservering bij de balie. - The receptionist checks our reservation at the counter.

Most nouns for people are common gender (de-words), so it’s de receptionist. For a specifically female receptionist, Dutch often uses de receptioniste. A gender‑neutral alternative is de receptionist (for any gender) or de receptiemedewerker. Plural: de receptionisten; female plural: de receptionistes (less common nowadays).

Why does the verb have a -t: controleert?

It’s the regular 3rd‑person singular present ending. Quick overview of controleren (to check):

ik controleer
jij/je controleert (but after inversion: controleer jij?)
hij/zij/het controleert
u controleert
wij/jullie/zij controleren

Past: controleerde(n). Past participle: gecontroleerd.

Why onze and not ons in onze reservering?

Use:

onze with all de-words and with all plurals.
ons with singular het-words.

Since reservering is a de-word, it’s onze reservering. Examples: ons huis (het huis), onze tafel (de tafel), onze huizen (plural).

Is reservering a de-word? What’s the plural?

Yes. Nouns ending in -ing are almost always de-words: de reservering. Plural: de reserveringen.

Can I say boeking instead of reservering?

Often yes, but there’s nuance:

reservering = a reservation (restaurant, hotel, appointment).
boeking = a booking, commonly for travel and paid arrangements (flights, hotels). In practice they overlap in hospitality.

What’s the difference between bij de balie and aan de balie?

Both are common and mean “at the desk/counter.”

bij de balie is the neutral “at/near the desk.”
aan de balie emphasizes being right at the counter surface (very common too). Avoid mixing them up with other prepositions that change the meaning (see next question).

Why not op de balie?

Op de balie means “on top of the counter” (physically on it). For “at the counter,” use bij de balie or aan de balie.

Could I say bij de receptie instead of bij de balie?

Sometimes. De receptie can mean the reception area (or a party/reception event!). De balie is specifically the counter/desk. At a hotel, bij/aan de receptie is fine for the area; bij/aan de balie targets the literal desk/counter. Other related words:

loket = service window (government, train station)
toonbank = store counter
kassa = checkout

Is the word order okay? Where does bij de balie go?

Default and most natural here: put place at the end.

Neutral: De receptionist controleert onze reservering bij de balie. For emphasis you can front the place phrase:
Bij de balie controleert de receptionist onze reservering. If bij de balie restricts which receptionist you mean, you can put it after the noun:
De receptionist bij de balie controleert onze reservering (= the one at the desk, not another one).

Could I drop the article and say bij balie?

No. Balie is a countable noun; you need the article: bij/aan de balie. Some fixed places drop the article (e.g., op kantoor), but balie isn’t one of them.

Is the simple present controleert used for an action happening right now, or should I say a progressive form?

Dutch often uses the simple present for ongoing actions. You can also use a progressive, especially to stress “in progress”:

De receptionist is onze reservering aan het controleren.
De receptionist zit onze reservering te controleren. All are fine; the original sentence is perfectly natural.

Could I use checkt instead of controleert?

Colloquially, yes: De receptionist checkt onze reservering bij de balie. It’s informal and borrowed from English. More neutral/formal alternatives: controleert, verifieert, or bekijkt/kijkt na (looks over).

Why is it de balie? Is there any trick to remember?

Balie is a de-word (like most words ending in -ie). There isn’t a perfect rule for all nouns, but:

Most people/professions are de-words.
Nouns ending in -ing, -ie, -heid, -teit are typically de-words.

Pronunciation tips for the sentence?

Very rough English-friendly hints (bold = stressed syllable):

De ≈ duh
receptionist ≈ reh-sep-sjo-NIST (the “ti(o)” makes a “sjo/sho” sound; stress on final part)
controleert ≈ kon-tro-LEERT (long ee like “say” in Dutch; close to “leert”)
onze ≈ ON-zuh
reservering ≈ re-ser-VEER-ing (long “ee” in VEER)
balie ≈ BAA-lee (two syllables)

Can I replace onze reservering with something like “ours”?

Yes, depending on context:

As a standalone noun phrase: de onze (the ours) or die van ons (that of us).
- Example: De receptionist controleert de onze.
- More natural with a clear antecedent (e.g., when several reservations are being discussed).

How would this look in a subordinate clause?

Main-clause verb order changes in a subordinate clause, but the core stays the same:

Main: De receptionist controleert onze reservering bij de balie.
Subordinate: … dat de receptionist onze reservering bij de balie controleert. (finite verb moves to the end)