BUSINESS ENGLISH
VOC TOPIC 4: UNIT 1-5; 40-46
UNIT 1: WORKS AND JOBS
A: What do you do?
Term Explanation Translation
What do you do? To ask what someone’s job is Wat doe je van
werk?
I work for… For a company/ something/ someone Ik werk voor…
I work on… Spending time producing something Ik werk aan…
I run… Being the head of something Ik leid…
I manage… Succeeding in doing or dealing with Ik beheer…
something
20 people work if he/she is your boss, you work Onder iemand
under me under him/her werken
A responsibility Something that is your job or duty to Een
+ infinitive/ -ing deal with verantwoordelijkhe
id
I’m responsible Having control over something or Ik ben
for… someone verantwoordelijk
+ verb+ -ing voor…
= I’m in charge
of…
+ noun
I deal with… Ik behandel/ ga om
met…
I work with… Ik werk met…
B: Word combinations with ‘work’
Term Explanation Translation
To work You have a job Werk hebben
= to have work
= to be in work
To be out of work You don’t have a job Geen werk hebben
To leave for work Naar het werk
vertrekken
To go to work Ik ga naar het werk
-By car, bike, train, met…
public transport, …
-On foot
To get to work Reaching work Op het werk
= To arrive at aankomen
work
To be at work The place where you do your job Op het werk zijn
To take time off Away from work due to illness Weg zijn op het
1
, work werk door ziekte
C: Types of jobs and types of work
Term Explanation Translation
A full-time job; he A job for the whole of the normal Voltijds
works full-time working week
A part-time job; he A job for less time than a normal Deeltijds
works part-time working week
A permanent job; A job that doesn’t finish after a fixed Een vaste
permanent work period job
A temporary job; A job that finishes after a fixed period Een tijdelijke
temporary work job
Freelancing Independent people who work for Freelance
- a freelancer several different companies
- freelance (adj)
UNIT 2: WAYS OF WORKING
A: Old and new ways
Term Explanation Translation
An office Someone who works in an office Een
worker kantoorbedien
de
A nine-to-five A job that starts at 9 a.m. and that ends at 5 Een baan van
job p.m. negen tot vijf
Working The hours you work in an office Werkuren
hours
A swipe card Card that you slide through a machine to get Een pasje
into the office
To clock on Registering the time you arrive at work Inklokken
= to clock in
To clock off Registering the time you leave at work Uitklokken
= to clock out
Flexitime Being able to work whenever you want, Variabele
= having within certain limits werktijden
flexible hours
A shift; Working in turns, at different times and days Een ploeg
working in
shifts
The day shift / Dagploeg
The night / Nachtploeg
shift
Overtime Working more hours than usual for more Overuren
money
To commute Making the same journey regularly between Pendelen
home
and work
A commuter A person who travels to work daily Pendelaar
Teleworking Working from home and using the computer Telewerken
2
, = and phone to communicate with other
telecommuting people
Rush hour A time during each day when traffic is at Spitsuur
its heaviest
Working in / Werken in het
the city stadscentrum
centre
Working at an / Werken in een
SME-zone (Small and medium-sized enterprises) KMO-zone
B: How is work?
Satisfying, stimulating, fascinating, exciting the work is interesting
and gives you positive feelings
Dull, boring, uninteresting, unstimulating the work is not
interesting
Repetitive, routine the work involves doing the same things again and
again
Tiring, tough, hard, demanding the work is difficult and makes you
tired
C: Nature of work
UNIT 3: RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
A: Recruitment
Term Explanation Translation
A recruitment The process of finding people for Een
= hiring particular jobs aanwerving
To be recruited When the company accepts you as an Aangeworve
employee n zijn
A recruit Someone who has been recruited for a Een nieuw lid
= a hire job
To employ Having someone work for you and pay Aanwerven/
= to hire them for it tewerkstelle
= to recruit n
To join Becoming a member of [the company] Lid worden
3
VOC TOPIC 4: UNIT 1-5; 40-46
UNIT 1: WORKS AND JOBS
A: What do you do?
Term Explanation Translation
What do you do? To ask what someone’s job is Wat doe je van
werk?
I work for… For a company/ something/ someone Ik werk voor…
I work on… Spending time producing something Ik werk aan…
I run… Being the head of something Ik leid…
I manage… Succeeding in doing or dealing with Ik beheer…
something
20 people work if he/she is your boss, you work Onder iemand
under me under him/her werken
A responsibility Something that is your job or duty to Een
+ infinitive/ -ing deal with verantwoordelijkhe
id
I’m responsible Having control over something or Ik ben
for… someone verantwoordelijk
+ verb+ -ing voor…
= I’m in charge
of…
+ noun
I deal with… Ik behandel/ ga om
met…
I work with… Ik werk met…
B: Word combinations with ‘work’
Term Explanation Translation
To work You have a job Werk hebben
= to have work
= to be in work
To be out of work You don’t have a job Geen werk hebben
To leave for work Naar het werk
vertrekken
To go to work Ik ga naar het werk
-By car, bike, train, met…
public transport, …
-On foot
To get to work Reaching work Op het werk
= To arrive at aankomen
work
To be at work The place where you do your job Op het werk zijn
To take time off Away from work due to illness Weg zijn op het
1
, work werk door ziekte
C: Types of jobs and types of work
Term Explanation Translation
A full-time job; he A job for the whole of the normal Voltijds
works full-time working week
A part-time job; he A job for less time than a normal Deeltijds
works part-time working week
A permanent job; A job that doesn’t finish after a fixed Een vaste
permanent work period job
A temporary job; A job that finishes after a fixed period Een tijdelijke
temporary work job
Freelancing Independent people who work for Freelance
- a freelancer several different companies
- freelance (adj)
UNIT 2: WAYS OF WORKING
A: Old and new ways
Term Explanation Translation
An office Someone who works in an office Een
worker kantoorbedien
de
A nine-to-five A job that starts at 9 a.m. and that ends at 5 Een baan van
job p.m. negen tot vijf
Working The hours you work in an office Werkuren
hours
A swipe card Card that you slide through a machine to get Een pasje
into the office
To clock on Registering the time you arrive at work Inklokken
= to clock in
To clock off Registering the time you leave at work Uitklokken
= to clock out
Flexitime Being able to work whenever you want, Variabele
= having within certain limits werktijden
flexible hours
A shift; Working in turns, at different times and days Een ploeg
working in
shifts
The day shift / Dagploeg
The night / Nachtploeg
shift
Overtime Working more hours than usual for more Overuren
money
To commute Making the same journey regularly between Pendelen
home
and work
A commuter A person who travels to work daily Pendelaar
Teleworking Working from home and using the computer Telewerken
2
, = and phone to communicate with other
telecommuting people
Rush hour A time during each day when traffic is at Spitsuur
its heaviest
Working in / Werken in het
the city stadscentrum
centre
Working at an / Werken in een
SME-zone (Small and medium-sized enterprises) KMO-zone
B: How is work?
Satisfying, stimulating, fascinating, exciting the work is interesting
and gives you positive feelings
Dull, boring, uninteresting, unstimulating the work is not
interesting
Repetitive, routine the work involves doing the same things again and
again
Tiring, tough, hard, demanding the work is difficult and makes you
tired
C: Nature of work
UNIT 3: RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
A: Recruitment
Term Explanation Translation
A recruitment The process of finding people for Een
= hiring particular jobs aanwerving
To be recruited When the company accepts you as an Aangeworve
employee n zijn
A recruit Someone who has been recruited for a Een nieuw lid
= a hire job
To employ Having someone work for you and pay Aanwerven/
= to hire them for it tewerkstelle
= to recruit n
To join Becoming a member of [the company] Lid worden
3
