Essential Dutch Phrases for Everyday Use
- Hallo means hello in Dutch.
❤️ People say it when they meet.
- Goedemorgen means good morning.
☀️ It is used before noon.
- Goedenavond means good evening.
🌙 It is used after sunset.
- Hoe gaat het? means how are you?
✨ It is a friendly question.
- Goed, dank je means good, thank you.
💬 It is a common reply.
- Tot ziens means see you later.
👋 It is used when saying goodbye.
- Ja means yes.
✅ It confirms something.
- Nee means no.
❌ It denies something.
- Dank je or Dank u means thank you.
🌼 Dank u is more formal.
- Alsjeblieft or Alstublieft means please or you’re welcome.
☕ Use Alstublieft with respect.
- Sorry means sorry.
⚠️ It is used to apologize.
- Ik begrijp het niet means I don’t understand.
❓ It helps in conversation.
- Spreekt u Engels? means do you speak English?
✈️ It helps tourists a lot.
- Ik spreek een beetje Nederlands means I speak a little Dutch.
📘 A useful beginner sentence.
- Wat is je naam? means what is your name?
🧠 It helps in introductions.
- Mijn naam is… means my name is…
🔤 You say your name after that.
- Waar kom je vandaan? means where are you from?
🌍 A common small-talk phrase.
- Ik kom uit… means I am from…
🗺️ You say your country after it.
- Hoe oud ben je? means how old are you?
🎂 It asks about age.
- Ik ben … jaar oud means I am … years old.
📅 Fill in your age number.
Numbers and Time in Dutch
- Een means one.
1️⃣ It starts the count.
- Twee means two.
2️⃣ It comes after een.
- Drie means three.
3️⃣ It is easy to remember.
- Vier means four.
4️⃣ It sounds like “fear”.
- Vijf means five.
5️⃣ It starts with a “v”.
- Zes means six.
6️⃣ It’s short and simple.
- Zeven means seven.
7️⃣ It starts with a “z”.
- Acht means eight.
8️⃣ It has a hard “ch”.
- Negen means nine.
9️⃣ It is almost like “negen” in German.
- Tien means ten.
🔟 A basic number.
- Vandaag means today.
📅 It shows the current day.
- Morgen means tomorrow.
🌄 It comes after today.
- Gisteren means yesterday.
🕰️ It comes before today.
- Nu means now.
⏱️ It means the current moment.
- Straks means later.
🕐 It is not now.
- Uur means hour.
🕓 It measures time.
- Minuut means minute.
⏳ It is shorter than an hour.
- Dag means day.
☀️ It is between sunrise and sunset.
- Week means week.
📆 It has 7 days.
- Maand means month.
🗓️ It has 28–31 days.
Everyday Vocabulary for Home and Food
- Huis means house.
🏠 It is where people live.
- Kamer means room.
🚪 It is part of a house.
- Keuken means kitchen.
🍳 Food is made there.
- Badkamer means bathroom.
🛁 You shower there.
- Bed means bed.
🛏️ People sleep there.
- Stoel means chair.
🪑 You sit on it.
- Tafel means table.
🍽️ It holds your food or things.
- Deur means door.
🚪 It opens and closes rooms.
- Raam means window.
🪟 You can see outside.
- Licht means light.
💡 It makes things visible.
- Water means water.
💧 You drink it.
- Eten means food.
🍽️ Everyone needs it.
- Brood means bread.
🥖 A staple in Dutch meals.
- Kaas means cheese.
🧀 Very popular in the Netherlands.
- Melk means milk.
🥛 It is white and nutritious.
- Appel means apple.
🍎 A healthy fruit.
- Banaan means banana.
🍌 A soft yellow fruit.
- Koffie means coffee.
☕ Adults drink it often.
- Thee means tea.
🍵 It is warm and relaxing.
- Bier means beer.
🍺 It is for adults only.
Useful Dutch Verbs (Infinitives)
- Zijn means to be.
🧠 It is an essential verb.
- Hebben means to have.
👐 It shows possession.
- Gaan means to go.
🚶 It expresses movement.
- Komen means to come.
🏃 It is the opposite of gaan.
- Doen means to do.
🛠️ It expresses action.
- Zeggen means to say.
🗣️ It expresses speech.
- Weten means to know.
🧠 It means having knowledge.
- Willen means to want.
🎯 It shows desire.
- Kunnen means to be able to.
💪 It expresses ability.
- Moeten means must / to have to.
📌 It shows obligation.
- Leren means to learn.
📖 A key verb for students.
- Spreken means to speak.
🗨️ It relates to language.
- Lezen means to read.
📚 It is for books and text.
- Schrijven means to write.
✍️ It puts thoughts on paper.
- Kijken means to look / to watch.
👀 It uses your eyes.
- Luisteren means to listen.
👂 It uses your ears.
- Werken means to work.
🏢 It relates to jobs.
- Slapen means to sleep.
😴 It gives you rest.
- Wonen means to live (reside).
🏡 It refers to your home.
- Houden van means to love / to like.
❤️ It expresses affection.
Basic Grammar and Connectors in Dutch
- Ik means I.
🧍 It refers to yourself.
- Jij / Je means you (informal).
🧍 It talks to one person.
- Hij means he.
🧑🦱 It refers to a male.
- Zij means she / they.
👩 or 👥 Depends on the sentence.
- Wij means we.
🧑🤝🧑 It means more than one person including yourself.
- Jullie means you all.
👨👩👧👦 It is plural for je.
- Mijn means my.
🎒 Shows what belongs to you.
- Jouw means your (informal).
📱 Shows what belongs to someone else.
- Zijn means his.
👔 Possession by a male.
- Haar means her.
💄 Possession by a female.
- Ons / Onze means our.
🏠 Belongs to us.
- En means and.
➕ It connects ideas.
- Maar means but.
🚧 It shows contrast.
- Omdat means because.
🔗 It gives a reason.
- Of means or.
⚖️ It offers a choice.
- Wanneer means when.
⏰ It relates to time.
- Waar means where.
🗺️ It asks about location.
- Wat means what.
🧩 It asks for information.
- Waarom means why.
❓ It seeks reasons.
Published by Leonardo Tomás Cardillo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardocardillo
View more posts
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 