Studying Dutch opens doorways to the colourful tradition of the Netherlands and elements of Belgium. Whether or not you’re planning a visit to Amsterdam or just fascinated by this Germanic language, mastering some primary Dutch phrases is your first step towards fluency.
Prepared to start out your Dutch language journey? Let’s discover the vocabulary that can assist you to talk with confidence from day one.
What are the essential Dutch phrases?
Fundamental Dutch phrases embody greetings like hallo (good day), goedemorgen (good morning), and tot ziens (see you); well mannered expressions reminiscent of alsjeblieft (please), dank je (thanks), and graag gedaan (you’re welcome); important query phrases like wat (what), waar (the place), and hoe (how); and easy responses like ja (sure), nee (no), and misschien (perhaps). Private pronouns reminiscent of ik (I), jij (you), hij (he), and wij (we) are additionally key for primary dialog.
Once you be taught widespread Dutch phrases first, you’ll rapidly construct connections to the language’s construction, utilization, and tradition. Beginning with the phrases that native audio system use every single day offers you sensible constructing blocks for conversations straight away!
On this information, we’ll share 170 helpful Dutch phrases organized into useful classes – from greetings and customary phrases to numbers, meals objects, and on a regular basis objects. Every part offers you precisely what that you must begin forming easy sentences.
These fastidiously chosen phrases will serve you effectively in actual conditions, whether or not you’re ordering meals, asking for instructions, or making new mates in Dutch-speaking areas. Let’s get began with the phrases you’ll use most frequently!
170 Dutch phrases by class
Able to construct your Dutch vocabulary? Right here’s a group of sensible phrases organized by theme that can assist you begin talking straight away!
Greetings and salutations
These pleasant Dutch greetings will assist you to make an excellent first impression:
- Hallo: Hey (works in any scenario)
- Hoi: Hello (informal, for mates)
- Goedemorgen: Good morning (till midday)
- Goedemiddag: Good afternoon (midday to six PM)
- Goedenavond: Good night (after 6 PM)
- Dag: Bye (versatile and pleasant)
- Tot ziens: Goodbye (barely extra formal)
- Tot straks: See you quickly (similar day)
- Doei: Bye (very informal)
- Welkom: Welcome (when greeting friends)
A heat greeting goes a great distance in Dutch tradition! These easy phrases will assist you to join with locals from the second you meet.
Frequent pronouns
Grasp these pronouns to start out constructing your first Dutch sentences:
- Ik: I
- Jij/Je: You (casual)
- U: You (formal – for elders, professionals)
- Hij: He
- Zij/Ze: She
- Het: It
- Wij/We: We
- Jullie: You all (plural)
- Zij/Ze: They
- Mijn: My
Bear in mind to make use of u in additional formal settings and jij with family and friends – Dutch audio system admire once you honor this distinction!
Days, months, and numbers
Speak about time and dates with these helpful phrases (a couple of of that are the identical in English!):
- Maandag: Monday
- Dinsdag: Tuesday
- Woensdag: Wednesday
- Donderdag: Thursday
- Vrijdag: Friday
- Zaterdag: Saturday
- Zondag: Sunday
- Januari: January
- Februari: February
- Maart: March
- April: April
- Mei: Might
- Juni: June
- Juli: July
- Augustus: August
- September: September
- Oktober: October
- November: November
- December: December
- Een: One
- Twee: Two
- Drie: Three
- Vier: 4
- Vijf: 5
- Zes: Six
- Zeven: Seven
- Acht: Eight
- Negen: 9
- Tien: Ten
In contrast to English, Dutch doesn’t capitalize days of the week – a small however useful tip to make your writing look extra genuine!
Foods and drinks
Hungry to be taught meals vocabulary? Listed below are tasty phrases to make use of at eating places and markets:
- Brood: Bread
- Kaas: Cheese
- Melk: Milk
- Koffie: Espresso
- Thee: Tea
- Water: Water
- Bier: Beer
- Wijn: Wine
- Appel: Apple
- Banaan: Banana
- Vlees: Meat
- Kip: Hen
- Vis: Fish
- Groenten: Greens
- Fruit: Fruit
- Aardappelen: Potatoes
- Rijst: Rice
- Pasta: Pasta
- Soep: Soup
- Salade: Salad
- Stroopwafel: Syrup waffle
- Poffertjes: Mini pancakes
- Bitterballen: Dutch meat-based snack
- Friet: French fries
- Ontbijt: Breakfast
- Lunch: Lunch
- Avondeten: Dinner
- Dessert: Dessert
- Lekker: Tasty
- Eten: To eat/meals
Strive saying “Ik wil graag een koffie” (I would really like a espresso) subsequent time you go to a Dutch café – you’ll be rewarded with espresso and maybe a tasty stroopwafel on the facet!
Household and folks
Speak about your family members with these family-related phrases:
- Vader: Father
- Moeder: Mom
- Ouders: Mother and father
- Zoon: Son
- Dochter: Daughter
- Broer: Brother
- Zus: Sister
- Opa: Grandfather
- Oma: Grandmother
- Man: Man/husband
- Vrouw: Lady/spouse
- Variety: Baby
- Vriend: Buddy (male)
- Vriendin: Buddy (feminine)
- Buurman/Buurvrouw: Neighbor (male/feminine)
Dutch folks usually use first names relatively than titles when chatting with members of the family – a pleasant, private contact to their communication fashion!
Locations and instructions
Discover your manner round Dutch cities with these location phrases:
- Straat: Avenue
- Weg: Street
- Plein: Sq.
- Station: Station
- Luchthaven: Airport
- Museum: Museum
- Winkel: Store
- Supermarkt: Grocery store
- Restaurant: Restaurant
- Resort: Resort
- Hyperlinks: Left
- Rechts: Proper
- Rechtdoor: Straight forward
- Dichtbij: Close by
- Ver: Far
Misplaced in Amsterdam? Simply ask “Waar is het station?” (The place is the station?) and also you’ll be again on monitor very quickly!
Colours, adjectives, and objects
Add shade and outline to your Dutch conversations:
- Rood: Crimson
- Blauw: Blue
- Geel: Yellow
- Groen: Inexperienced
- Zwart: Black
- Wit: White
- Groot: Massive
- Klein: Small
- Mooi: Stunning
- Lelijk: Ugly
- Nieuw: New
- Oud: Previous
- Boek: Ebook
- Telefoon: Phone
- Sleutel: Key
Combine and match these phrases to explain what you see: “een klein rood boek” (a small crimson e-book) or “mijn nieuwe telefoon” (my new telephone)!
Frequent verbs
Put your Dutch into motion with these on a regular basis verbs:
- Zijn: To be
- Hebben: To have
- Gaan: To go
- Komen: To return
- Doen: To do
- Maken: To make
- Zien: To see
- Horen: To listen to
- Spreken: To talk
- Lezen: To learn
- Schrijven: To jot down
- Eten: To eat
- Drinken: To drink
- Slapen: To sleep
- Werken: To work
- Dromen: To dream
Begin creating easy sentences like “Ik ben moe” (I’m drained) or “Wij gaan naar Amsterdam” (We’re going to Amsterdam)!
Additional useful expressions
Sprinkle these helpful phrases into your conversations:
- Alstublieft: Please/Right here you might be (formal)
- Alsjeblieft: Please/Right here you might be (casual)
- Dank u wel: Thanks (formal)
- Dank je wel: Thanks (casual)
- Bedankt: Thanks
- Graag gedaan: You’re welcome
- Ja: Sure
- Nee: No
- Misschien: Perhaps
- Excuseer: Excuse me
- Sorry: Sorry
- Geen probleem: No downside
- Hoe gaat het?: How are you?
- Goed, dank je: Good, thanks
- Ik begrijp het niet: I don’t perceive
- Spreekt u Engels?: Do you converse English?
- Hoe heet je?: What’s your identify?
- Ik heet…: My identify is…
- Aangenaam: Good to fulfill you
- Hoeveel kost dit?: How a lot does this value?
- Waar is de wc?: The place is the lavatory?
- Assist!: Assist!
- Ik ben verdwaald: I’m misplaced
- Hoe laat is het?: What time is it?
- Proost!: Cheers!
- Gezondheid: Bless you
- Tot morgen: See you tomorrow
- Prettige dag: Have a pleasant day
- Welterusten: Good night time
- Gefeliciteerd: Congratulations
Dutch audio system love when guests strive these phrases – even with imperfect pronunciation, your effort shall be warmly appreciated!
Follow Dutch phrases with workout routines
Able to put your new Dutch vocabulary into motion? Let’s make these phrases persist with some enjoyable, fast workout routines!
Fill-in-the-blank follow
Full these sentences with phrases from our lists:
- “__, hoe gaat het?” (Hey, how are you?) Hallo, Hoi, or Goedemorgen
- “__ heet Sarah” (Her identify is Sarah) Ik, Hij, or Zij
- “De appel is __” (The apple is crimson) Rood, groen, or geel
- “__ is het station?” (The place is the station?) Waar, Wanneer, or Waarom
Strive answering with out peeking on the vocabulary first – it’s an effective way to check what’s already staying in your reminiscence!
A number of alternative vocabulary quiz
Take a look at your self with this fast quiz:
- What does brood imply? a) Breakfast b) Bread c) Butter
- Which phrase means “thanks” (casual)? a) Alsjeblieft b) Dank je wel c) Graag gedaan
- The Dutch phrase for “left” is: a) Rechts b) Rechtdoor c) Hyperlinks
- Zondag is which day of the week? a) Saturday b) Sunday c) Monday
- How do you say “I don’t perceive” in Dutch? a) Ik begrijp het niet b) Spreekt u Engels? c) Ik ben verdwaald
Frequent errors with Dutch phrases
Able to keep away from the commonest Dutch language pitfalls? Let’s sort out these tough areas head-on so you’ll be able to converse with extra confidence!
Article confusion: “de” vs. “het”
Dutch has two phrases for “the” and selecting the correct one could be tough:
- De: Used for masculine and female nouns
- Het: Used for neuter nouns
The most effective method? Be taught every noun along with its article as a unit. Suppose “de tafel” (the desk) and “het huis” (the home) relatively than memorizing phrases in isolation.
The Dutch “G” sound
That well-known Dutch “G” sound! It’d really feel such as you’re clearing your throat at first, however you’ll get it with follow:
- Make a “kh” sound with a relaxed throat
- Hold your tongue low in your mouth
- Let air move by means of your throat
- Follow with easy phrases like “goed” (good)
Strive recording your self and evaluating with native audio system – you’ll hear enchancment rapidly!
Phrase order confusion
Dutch sentence construction usually surprises English audio system:
- English sample: I’m going to Amsterdam tomorrow
- Dutch sample: Ik ga morgen naar Amsterdam (I’m going tomorrow to Amsterdam)
Discover how time expressions come earlier than places? Small changes like this make your Dutch sound extra pure.
False mates
Be careful for these lookalike phrases with totally different meanings:
- Eventueel: Probably (not “ultimately”)
- Actueel: Present (not “precise”)
- Raar: Unusual (not “uncommon”)
- Sympathiek: Good (not precisely “sympathetic”)
Hold an inventory of those tough phrases to keep away from humorous mix-ups in dialog!
Pronunciation of vowel combos
Dutch vowel pairs want particular consideration:
- ij/ei: Like “ay” in “day”
- ui: No English equal (strive “ow” with rounded lips)
- eu: Just like British “u” in “nurse”
- oe: Like “oo” in “boot”
Hearken to native audio system usually – these sounds will turn out to be second nature with follow.
Formal vs. casual confusion
Utilizing the fitting degree of ritual helps you join higher:
- Use u with strangers and authority figures
- Save je/jij for family and friends
- When uncertain, begin formal and observe others’ lead
Overlooking diminutives
Dutch loves including –je, –tje, or –pje to create “small” variations:
- Huis (home) → huisje (small home/cottage)
- Brood (bread) → broodje (bread roll/sandwich)
These tiny endings seem in all places in on a regular basis speech!
Fast tricks to enhance your confidence
- Chat with natives: Talking beats memorizing each time
- Hearken to Dutch music: Nice for selecting up pure rhythm
- Be taught phrases, not phrases: Full sentences stick higher
- Make errors boldly: Every error teaches you one thing new
- Discover a language associate: Common follow accelerates studying
Need customized assist with pronunciation and these tough areas? Preply’s Dutch tutors can provide you focused suggestions that generic apps merely can’t match!
Continue to grow your Dutch vocabulary
Able to take your Dutch abilities past the fundamentals? Let’s construct on what you’ve discovered to date!
Discover methods to make use of Dutch in actual conversations. Be a part of Dutch boards, chat with language companions on-line, or watch quick Dutch movies with subtitles. Every time you employ a phrase in context, it strikes out of your passive to lively vocabulary.
Need customized steering from a local speaker? Preply’s on-line Dutch tutors can provide you speedy suggestions in your pronunciation and assist you to be taught precisely the vocabulary you want on your targets – whether or not that’s journey, work, or simply private curiosity.
Prepared to talk Dutch with confidence? Discover a tutor and begin studying at this time. With common follow and skilled help, you’ll be chatting away in Dutch earlier than you understand it!
Solutions to fill-in-the-blank questions
- “Hallo, hoe gaat het?” (Hey, how are you?)
- “Zij heet Sarah” (Her identify is Sarah)
- “De appel is rood“ (The apple is crimson)
- “Waar is het station?” (The place is the station?)
Solutions to a number of alternative questions
- b) Bread
- b) Dank je wel
- c) Hyperlinks
- b) Sunday
- a) Ik begrijp het niet