Process description vocabulary: eerst (first), dan or vervolgens (then/next), daarna (after that), ten slotte or tot slot (finally/lastly), tegelijkertijd (at the same time), ondertussen (meanwhile), terwijl (while), totdat (until), zodra (as soon as). These sequence markers are essential for recipes, instructions, academic writing, and any text that describes steps in order.
Instructional verbs: voeg toe (add — imperative of toevoegen), meng (mix — imperative of mengen), verwarm (heat — imperative of verwarmen), roer (stir — imperative of roeren), snijd (cut — imperative of snijden), kook (boil/cook — imperative of koken), bak (fry/bake — imperative of bakken), laat staan (let stand/rest), herhaal (repeat — imperative of herhalen), controleer (check — imperative of controleren), zorg dat (make sure that), let op (pay attention/note).
Technical and manual vocabulary: de stap (step), het onderdeel (component/part), de handleiding (manual/instruction guide), de installatie (installation), het instellen (setting/configuring), de configuratie (configuration), bijwerken (to update), de update (update — same word), opnieuw opstarten (to restart), de fabrieksinstelling (factory setting), de klantenservice (customer service). Dutch instruction manuals are often very literal and follow a step-by-step format — understanding the process vocabulary makes them fully comprehensible.