FLUENT CHAPTERS ORIGINAL Het kleine café
Languages / Dutch
Read chapter 1 free
Het kleine café
The Little Café
Tess inherits her Dutch grandmother's tiny café inside the old walls of Elburg, planning to sell it. Through one autumn, a stubborn apple pie, the regulars, and the town itself slowly turn the café into home. Start from absolute zero Dutch.
A1 Drama 10 chapters
Try the reader ↓
Try the reader
Read it like you would in the app.
Tap any word for its meaning. Open a sentence translation only when you get stuck.
1 Tap a word2 Check the meaning3 Keep reading
● Before you read
ik ben and is Use ik ben for I am: Ik ben Tess. Use is with one person or thing: het café is klein. These forms come from zijn, to be.
Learn de and het with the noun Dutch has two words for the. Learn each noun as a pair: het café, de deur, de foto, de keuken, de koffie, and het brood.
Small before and after a noun Klein stays klein after is: het café is klein. Before a het noun it becomes kleine: het kleine café. You will see both shapes often.
zegt tells you who speaks zegt means says. Tess zegt puts the name first. In dialogue, zegt Tess can come after the words: "Ja," zegt Tess.
Elburg is oud.
Show translation ⌄
Elburg is old.
Tess is nu in Elburg.
Show translation ⌄
Tess is in Elburg now.
Zij is hier.
Show translation ⌄
She is here.
Tess zegt: "Hallo, Elburg."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Hello, Elburg."
Dit is het café.
Show translation ⌄
This is the café.
Het café is klein.
Show translation ⌄
The café is small.
Het kleine café is oud.
Show translation ⌄
The little café is old.
Dit is oma's café.
Show translation ⌄
This is grandma's café.
Tess zegt: "Oma's café?"
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Grandma's café?"
"Ja," zegt Tess.
Show translation ⌄
"Yes," Tess says.
Dit is de deur.
Show translation ⌄
This is the door.
De oude deur is klein.
Show translation ⌄
The old door is small.
"Deur?" zegt Tess.
Show translation ⌄
"Door?" Tess says.
"Ja," zegt Tess nu.
Show translation ⌄
"Yes," Tess says now.
✦ ✦ ✦
Tess is nu in het café.
Show translation ⌄
Tess is inside the café now.
Het café is klein en oud.
Show translation ⌄
The café is small and old.
De keuken is klein.
Show translation ⌄
The kitchen is small.
De deur is oud.
Show translation ⌄
The door is old.
Tess zegt: "Klein."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Small."
De foto is hier.
Show translation ⌄
The photo is here.
De foto is oud.
Show translation ⌄
The photo is old.
Dit is Mien.
Show translation ⌄
This is Mien.
Mien is oma.
Show translation ⌄
Mien is grandma.
Tess zegt: "Hallo, oma."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Hello, grandma."
"Ik ben Tess," zegt zij.
Show translation ⌄
"I am Tess," she says.
"Ik ben nu hier."
Show translation ⌄
"I am here now."
De foto is in het kleine café.
Show translation ⌄
The photo is in the little café.
Oma's foto is oud.
Show translation ⌄
Grandma's photo is old.
Tess zegt: "Hallo, oma," en zij zegt: "Hallo."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Hello, grandma," and then she says, "Hello."
Tess is hier en de foto is hier.
Show translation ⌄
Tess is here, and the photo is here.
✦ ✦ ✦
"Goedemorgen," zegt Truus.
Show translation ⌄
"Good morning," Truus says.
Tess is nu in de keuken.
Show translation ⌄
Tess is in the kitchen now.
Truus is in de keuken.
Show translation ⌄
Truus is in the kitchen.
Het brood is hier.
Show translation ⌄
The bread is here.
De koffie is hier.
Show translation ⌄
The coffee is here.
De keuken is klein en oud.
Show translation ⌄
The kitchen is small and old.
Truus zegt: "Goedemorgen."
Show translation ⌄
Truus says, "Good morning."
Tess zegt: "Hallo?"
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Hello?"
Truus zegt: "Brood."
Show translation ⌄
Truus says, "Bread."
Zij zegt: "Koffie."
Show translation ⌄
She says, "Coffee."
Tess zegt: "Ja."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Yes."
Tess zegt: "Ik ben Tess."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "I am Tess."
Truus zegt: "Ik ben Truus."
Show translation ⌄
Truus says, "I am Truus."
Truus is hier, en Tess is hier.
Show translation ⌄
Truus is here, and Tess is here.
✦ ✦ ✦
De koffie is goed.
Show translation ⌄
The coffee is good.
Het brood is goed.
Show translation ⌄
The bread is good.
Tess zegt: "Goed."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Good."
Truus zegt: "Ja."
Show translation ⌄
Truus says, "Yes."
Tess zegt: "Brood en koffie."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Bread and coffee."
"Koffie en brood," zegt Truus.
Show translation ⌄
"Coffee and bread," Truus says.
Tess zegt: "Goed brood."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Good bread."
Truus zegt: "Goed brood."
Show translation ⌄
Truus says, "Good bread."
Tess zegt: "Dank je wel."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Thank you."
Truus zegt: "Ja."
Show translation ⌄
Truus says, "Yes."
De oude foto is in het café.
Show translation ⌄
The old photo is in the café.
Truus zegt: "Mien."
Show translation ⌄
Truus says, "Mien."
Tess zegt: "Oma."
Show translation ⌄
Tess says, "Grandma."
Truus zegt: "Oma en Truus."
Show translation ⌄
Truus says, "Grandma and Truus."
Tess is in oma's café.
Show translation ⌄
Tess is in grandma's café.
Truus is hier in oma's keuken.
Show translation ⌄
Truus is here in grandma's kitchen.
Chapter 1 complete
Keep reading The Little Café in Fluent Chapters.
Continue the story in the app, save useful words, and pick up where you left off.
In the app, choose Dutch and look for Het kleine café .
About this story
Start The Little Café with an A1 Dutch preview.
Tess inherits her Dutch grandmother's tiny café inside the old walls of Elburg, planning to sell it. Through one autumn, a stubborn apple pie, the regulars, and the town itself slowly turn the café into home. Start from absolute zero Dutch.
This free chapter contains 60 learner-friendly sentences. The complete book has 10 chapters.
A Fluent Chapters original.
Browse all Dutch stories →