Key Takeaways
- Learn to express emotions, reasons and everyday situations in Dutch with clear, natural vocabulary.
- Core emotional words: bezorgd (worried), opgelucht (relieved), verrast (surprised), verdrietig (sad).
- Useful expressions for describing illness (ziek – sick), fatigue (moe – tired), and work-life balance (thuis – home, werk – work).
- Everyday phrases such as Hoe voel jij je? (“How do you feel?”), Daarom… (“That’s why…”), and iets (“something”) help structure thoughts naturally.
From Home to Work
Dutch daily language often connects home and work, emotions and actions.
Understanding these common words helps you describe how you feel and what you do:
- thuis → at home
- werk → work
- familie → family
- collega → colleague
You can express simple contrasts like:
- Ik voel me rustig thuis. → “I feel calm at home.”
- Ik voel me druk op mijn werk. → “I feel busy at work.”
This structure makes Dutch both practical and personal.
Emotional Vocabulary and Examples
Hoe voel jij je? → “How do you feel?”
A key question for describing emotions.
Possible answers:
- Ik voel me blij. → “I feel happy.”
- Ik voel me moe. → “I feel tired.”
- Ik voel me verdrietig. → “I feel sad.”
bezorgd → worried
Used to express concern.
Example: Ik ben bezorgd over mijn werk. → “I am worried about my work.”
opgelucht → relieved
Used when stress disappears or a situation ends well.
Example: Ik ben opgelucht dat het weekend is. → “I am relieved that the weekend has arrived.”
verrast → surprised
Used when something unexpected happens.
Example: Ik was verrast door het nieuws. → “I was surprised by the news.”
verdrietig → sad
Used to express sadness or disappointment.
Example: Ik ben verdrietig omdat ik ruzie heb. → “I am sad because I have an argument.”
Everyday Life Words
ziek → sick
Used to talk about illness.
Example: Mijn kind is ziek, dus ik moet naar het ziekenhuis. → “My child is sick, so I have to go to the hospital.”
vrijdag → Friday
Represents the end of the workweek and time to relax.
Example: Vrijdag is mijn favoriete dag. → “Friday is my favourite day.”
iets → something
An indefinite pronoun used for general or unspecified things.
Examples:
- Ik wil iets eten. → “I want to eat something.”
- We gaan iets drinken. → “We’re going to have something to drink.”
- Ik hoorde iets interessants. → “I heard something interesting.”
- Heb je iets nodig? → “Do you need something?”
Grammar note:
- iets can combine with adjectives: iets moois (“something beautiful”), iets leuks (“something nice”).
- The opposite is niets (“nothing”).
Example: Ik heb niets te doen. → “I have nothing to do.” / Ik heb iets te doen. → “I have something to do.”
Learning iets is useful for daily expressions like iets drinken (“have a drink”) or iets eten (“have something to eat”).
iets drinken met collega’s → having a drink with colleagues
Used for social activities after work.
Example: Na het werk drink ik iets met mijn collega’s. → “After work I have a drink with my colleagues.”
Explaining Reasons
Daarom kon hij hem niet helpen → “That’s why he couldn’t help him.”
The word daarom introduces reasons or consequences.
Examples:
- Hij had veel werk, daarom kon hij hem niet helpen. → “He had a lot of work, that’s why he couldn’t help him.”
- Ik had veel werk, daarom was ik moe. → “I had a lot of work, that’s why I was tired.”
- Ze was ziek, daarom bleef ze thuis. → “She was sick, that’s why she stayed home.”
People and Roles in Daily Life
Dutch conversations often include basic social or family roles:
- collega → colleague or coworker
- teamleider → team leader or supervisor
- familie → family
- kind → child
- vriend → friend
- werkgever → employer
- werknemer → employee
These words help describe relationships, both personal and professional.
Practice Ideas
Try creating short sentences using what you’ve learned:
- Combine emotions with places:
- Ik voel me blij op vrijdag. → “I feel happy on Friday.”
- Ik voel me moe op maandag. → “I feel tired on Monday.”
- Use Daarom to explain situations:
- Mijn kind is ziek, daarom blijf ik thuis. → “My child is sick, that’s why I stay home.”
- Practise small talk:
- Hoe voel jij je vandaag? → “How do you feel today?”
- Zullen we iets drinken? → “Shall we have something to drink?”
These patterns make Dutch conversation feel more natural and personal.
Closing Thoughts
Talking about work, home and emotions brings language to life.
Using words like bezorgd (worried), opgelucht (relieved), and iets (something) allows genuine communication.
By connecting emotion, reason and action — “I’m tired because I worked too much” or “I’m happy because it’s Friday” — learners speak Dutch as it’s really used: simple, warm and human.
Sources
- https://woordenlijst.org — Official Dutch word list maintained by the Dutch Language Institute.
- https://taalhuisamsterdam.nl — Dutch language institute offering verified grammar and vocabulary materials.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 