Dutch, explained simply
113 short, practical guides — pick a category or search for what you need.
Grammar
How Dutch sentences work — nouns, verbs, word order and all the small words in between.
Nouns & articles 8
De or het? How to choose the right Dutch article
De or het? Learn the reliable rules, useful patterns and honest exceptions for choosing the right Dutch article, plus how it affects die/dat and deze/dit.
When Dutch uses no article: Ik ben leraar, naar huis, met de trein
When does Dutch drop de, het and een? Professions, general statements, languages and fixed expressions, plus een vs één and geen.
Deze, die, dit, dat: Dutch demonstratives explained
Learn when to use deze, die, dit and dat in Dutch, how they work as pronouns, why Dutch says 'Dit zijn mijn kinderen', plus zo'n and zulke.
Hij, zij or het? Referring to things in Dutch
How to say 'it' in Dutch. When a thing is hij, het or ze, the old feminine words that take zij, and how die, dat and er help you out.
Dutch plurals explained, -en or -s?
Learn how to make Dutch plurals with -en, -s and -'s, the spelling changes that trip learners up, and the irregular plurals worth memorising.
Dutch diminutives (verkleinwoorden) and why they're everywhere
How to form Dutch diminutives with -je, -tje, -pje, -etje and -kje, why they're always het, and what een biertje or een ijsje really means.
Dutch compound nouns: how to build and read long words
Why Dutch writes compounds as one word, how the last part decides de or het, when to add -s- or -en-, and how to break down very long words.
Dutch word formation: suffixes and prefixes explained
Learn how Dutch builds words with suffixes like -heid, -ing and -baar and prefixes like on-, be- and ver-, and use them to guess meanings and articles.
Verbs & tenses 20
Dutch verb conjugation: the complete overview
How Dutch verbs are conjugated in every tense, with clear rules for stems, endings, weak and strong verbs, participles and u forms, plus full tables.
Dutch verb tenses: an overview of all eight tenses
All Dutch tenses in one place, from present to past conditional, with full examples for werken and gaan and clear rules for when to use each one.
The Dutch present tense and its spelling rules
Learn how to conjugate Dutch verbs in the present tense, the spelling rules behind maak, zit and leef, the key irregular verbs, and when to use it.
The Dutch perfect tense (voltooide tijd) explained
Learn the Dutch perfect tense - hebben or zijn, regular participles with 't kofschip, prefix and separable verbs, and 25 common irregular participles.
The Dutch simple past: werkte, woonde, ging and was
Learn the Dutch simple past: the 't kofschip rule for -te or -de, 25 common strong verbs, and when to use it instead of the perfect.
The Dutch future tense: gaan, zullen or just the present?
Learn the four ways to talk about the future in Dutch, from the present tense and gaan to zullen and van plan zijn, plus the future perfect.
'If I had known' in Dutch: the past conditional
Learn the Dutch past conditional: Als ik het had geweten, zou ik zijn gekomen or was ik gekomen, plus 'had ik maar' and 'ik had moeten'.
Dutch irregular verbs list: nearly 80 strong and irregular verbs
A complete reference of common Dutch irregular verbs with past tense, past participle, hebben or zijn, and English, grouped by vowel pattern.
Dutch modal verbs: kunnen, moeten, mogen, willen and zullen
Learn the Dutch modal verbs kunnen, moeten, mogen, willen, zullen and hoeven, with full conjugation tables, word order and polite requests.
Dutch separable verbs (scheidbare werkwoorden) made easy
How Dutch separable verbs like opbellen and opstaan work in every tense, in subordinate clauses, with modals and te, plus 20 common ones.
Separable or inseparable? Dutch verbs where stress changes the meaning
VOORkomen or voorKOMEN? Learn how stress decides whether a Dutch verb separates, which prefixes never split, and how to form each participle.
Dutch reflexive verbs: zich, me, je and zichzelf
Learn Dutch reflexive verbs like zich vergissen and zich voelen, the zich forms, word order, when to use zichzelf, and 20 verbs to know.
Te + infinitive in Dutch: proberen te, om te and zitten te
When Dutch uses te before an infinitive, when it doesn't, how om … te works, and where te goes with separable verbs like opstaan.
The Dutch passive voice: worden, zijn and er wordt
How to form the Dutch passive with worden and zijn in every tense, when to use door, how er wordt gedanst works, and when Dutch prefers it.
The Dutch imperative: how to give instructions and make requests
Learn how to form the Dutch imperative, make it polite with u, even and maar, say don't, and read signs like Niet roken and Duwen.
Dutch verbs with prepositions: wachten op, denken aan and 28 more
Learn 30 Dutch verbs and adjectives with fixed prepositions, like wachten op and houden van, plus how erop, daarop and waarop work.
Zien, horen and laten + infinitive: Ik zie hem lopen
How Dutch uses a bare infinitive after zien, horen, voelen, laten, helpen and leren, and why the perfect is 'Ik heb hem zien lopen'.
The Dutch present participle: lopend, slapend, volgend
How to form and use the Dutch present participle (-end), as an adjective and adverb, and why it's not the same as English -ing.
Participles as adjectives in Dutch: een gekookt ei, het gestolen geld
How to use Dutch past participles as adjectives, when they take -e, why gestolen never changes, and the difference between verbaasd and verbazend.
Dutch verb prefixes: be-, ver-, ont-, op-, af-, uit- and more
What Dutch verb prefixes mean. Inseparable be-, ver-, ont-, her-, er- and separable op-, af-, aan-, uit-, mee-, terug-, weg-, with patterns and examples.
Word order & sentences 12
Dutch word order explained: V2, inversion and the verb at the end
Dutch word order made simple: the verb-second rule, inversion, questions, verbs at the end of subordinate clauses, and time-manner-place.
Dutch sentence types, statements, questions, commands and exclamations
How Dutch builds statements, yes/no questions, question-word questions, commands, exclamations and if-sentences, with one clear word-order table.
Time, manner, place: Dutch word order in the middle of the sentence
Learn the Dutch time-manner-place rule, where to put niet, pronouns and adverbs like altijd and al, and what you can put first in a sentence.
Dutch verb clusters, when several verbs pile up at the end
Learn how Dutch orders two, three or more verbs at the end of a clause, with the double infinitive, te-verbs and separable verbs explained.
Asking questions in Dutch: word order, question words and more
Learn how to ask questions in Dutch, with yes/no questions, all the question words, waar...vandaan, tag questions like toch and hè, and indirect questions.
Niet or geen? How to say "not" and "no" in Dutch
When to use niet and when to use geen in Dutch, where niet goes in the sentence, common mistakes, and nog niet, nog geen, niet meer and geen meer.
Where does niet go? The position of niet in Dutch
The complete system for placing niet in a Dutch sentence, with clear rules for objects, adjectives, prepositions, verbs, contrast and subordinate clauses.
Dutch negation words: nooit, niemand, niets, nergens and more
All the Dutch words for saying no, from niet and geen to nooit, niemand, niets, nergens, noch and geen enkel, plus why Dutch avoids double negatives.
Dummy het in Dutch: het regent, het is laat, het zijn mijn ouders
When Dutch uses het as an empty subject, for weather, time, 'het zijn' and clauses, and how het differs from er and dat. With clear rules and examples.
Dutch conjunctions: en, maar, want, omdat, als and toen
Learn the Dutch conjunctions and the word order they trigger, from en, maar and want to omdat, dat and terwijl, plus when to use als, wanneer or toen.
Dutch linking words: daarom, bovendien, echter, namelijk and more
Connect your sentences like a native with Dutch linking words such as daarom, dus, bovendien, toch and namelijk, and learn when they cause inversion.
Dutch relative pronouns: die, dat, wat, wie and waar
When to use die, dat, wat, wie and waarmee in Dutch relative clauses, with clear rules, word order, commas and plenty of examples.
Pronouns & small words 8
Dutch personal pronouns: ik, jij, hij, zij and all the rest
All Dutch personal pronouns in one table, with stressed and unstressed forms, object, possessive and reflexive forms, plus hij vs het for things.
Dutch object pronouns: me, mij, hem, haar, hen and hun
Learn the Dutch object pronouns, when to use stressed or unstressed forms, the hen/hun rule, and why a de-word thing becomes hem.
Dutch possessive pronouns: mijn, jouw, zijn, haar, ons and onze
Learn the Dutch possessives mijn, jouw, zijn, haar, ons/onze and hun, how to say 'mine' with die van mij, and how to write Annes or Anna's.
Iemand, iets, iedereen, alles and more Dutch indefinite pronouns
Learn iemand, niemand, iets, niets, alles, iedereen, elk/elke, sommige, beide, ergens and overal in Dutch, with agreement rules and examples.
Je, jij, u or jullie? Formal and informal 'you' in Dutch
When do you say je, jij, u or jullie in Dutch? Learn the forms, the verb endings, the possessives and when to switch from u to je.
The Dutch word 'er' explained: all its uses
Er is one of the most common Dutch words and one of the most confusing. Learn its five uses, with clear examples and where to put it in the sentence.
Al, nog and pas in Dutch, already, still, yet and only
Learn how to use the Dutch words al, nog, pas, nog niet, niet meer, nog steeds and nog maar, with clear contrasts and everyday examples.
Dutch modal particles: maar, even, toch, wel, hoor and more
Learn how small Dutch words like maar, even, eens, toch, wel, hoor and hè change the tone of a sentence, with real-life examples and tips on register.
Adjectives, adverbs & prepositions 10
Dutch adjective endings and when to add -e
Een groot huis but het grote huis? Learn when Dutch adjectives take -e, the one exception that matters, and the spelling changes to watch for.
Dutch comparatives and superlatives: groter, grootst, beter, best
How to form Dutch comparatives and superlatives, with spelling rules, irregular forms like beter and liever, dan vs als, and het mooist vs de mooiste.
Iets moois, iets lekkers, adjectives with -s in Dutch
Why Dutch says iets lekkers and niets nieuws, how to spell the -s form, and how adjectives become nouns, as in de armen and het leuke is.
Dutch adverbs: snel, vaak, graag, daarom and more
How Dutch adverbs work, from adjectives used as adverbs to time, place, degree and frequency words, graag, ook, and pronominal adverbs like daarom.
Dutch quantities: veel, weinig, een paar, genoeg and more
How to say much, many, a few, some, enough and most in Dutch, with clear rules for veel, weinig, meer, een paar, sommige, een aantal and more.
Dutch prepositions of place: in, op, aan, bij and more
Learn Dutch prepositions of place like in, op, aan and bij, the fixed phrases that break the logic, and how Dutch shows movement versus location.
Dutch prepositions of time: om, op, in, over and geleden
When do you use om, op or in with times, days and months in Dutch? Plus sinds, over, geleden, tot, tijdens and binnen, with the most common mistakes.
Dutch positional verbs: liggen, staan, zitten and hangen
Why Dutch says the book 'lies' on the table and the bottle 'stands' in the fridge. Learn liggen, staan, zitten, hangen, leggen and zetten.
Dutch adjectives with prepositions: trots op, bang voor, blij met
Thirty Dutch adjectives with fixed prepositions, like trots op, bang voor and gewend aan, plus word order and how to use er and waar with them.
Dutch nouns with fixed prepositions: zin in, behoefte aan, kans op
Thirty common Dutch nouns with fixed prepositions, like interesse in, behoefte aan and kans op, plus how they combine with er and waar.
Vocabulary
Themed word lists and the words that trip English speakers up.
Word lists 7
The 100 most useful Dutch words for beginners
The 100 most useful Dutch words for beginners in themed tables, from pronouns and verbs to question words, with articles, English and example sentences.
Dutch numbers, dates and telling the time
Count to a million in Dutch, say dates and years, read prices, and finally understand "tien voor half vier" with a full clock table.
Days of the week and months in Dutch (plus dates and seasons)
Dutch days of the week, months and seasons, parts of the day, the right prepositions, how to say dates, and everyday expressions like overmorgen.
Colours in Dutch: names, adjective endings and idioms
Learn the colours in Dutch, when they take -e (rood, rode), light and dark shades, colour nouns with het, and colourful idioms like een blauwtje lopen.
Dutch family words: from moeder to schoonzus
Learn Dutch family vocabulary with articles and plurals, from vader and zus to neef, nicht and schoonmoeder, plus how to talk about your family.
Dutch food vocabulary: from hagelslag to stamppot
Learn Dutch food and drink words with their articles, typical Dutch dishes, phrases for meals and how to ask for quantities like een ons or een pak.
Talking about the weather in Dutch: words, forecasts and small talk
Learn Dutch weather words and phrases, from het regent and het miezert to forecast language, easy small-talk lines and idioms like het regent pijpenstelen.
Tricky words 4
Confusing Dutch word pairs: kennen or weten, maken or doen?
Kennen or weten? Maken or doen? Toen, dan or als? Clear explanations and examples for the Dutch word pairs English speakers mix up most.
Dutch false friends: 25 words that don't mean what you think
Slim, brutaal, eventueel, kind, room, map... 25 Dutch false friends that trick English speakers, with what they really mean and the word you need instead.
How to say 'like' in Dutch (graag, leuk vinden, houden van and more)
All the ways to say 'like' in Dutch: graag, houden van, leuk vinden, mogen, bevallen, zin hebben in, zoals, net als and lijken op, with common mistakes.
15 common mistakes English speakers make in Dutch
From word order to false friends like eventueel and slim, here are 15 mistakes English speakers make in Dutch, with wrong and right examples.
Useful phrases 3
Giving your opinion in Dutch: ik vind, volgens mij and more
Learn how to give your opinion in Dutch with ik vind, volgens mij and ik denk dat, how to agree and disagree, and the difference between vinden and denken.
Telling a story in Dutch: tenses, toen and time words
Learn to tell a story in Dutch, with the perfect and simple past, time words like toen and daarna, reported speech, and a short example story.
Common Dutch abbreviations: bijv., d.w.z., i.v.m. and more
Learn the Dutch abbreviations you'll see in letters, forms and signs, like bijv., i.v.m., t/m and z.s.m., with full forms and English meanings.
Pronunciation & spelling
Sound Dutch and write it correctly — from the g to the dt-rule.
Pronunciation 5
Dutch pronunciation guide for English speakers
How to pronounce Dutch g, sch, ui, ij, eu, long and short vowels, final consonants and stress, with honest English comparisons and tips.
Dutch vowels explained, short, long and diphthongs
A clear guide to Dutch vowel sounds, short a, e, i, o, u vs long aa, ee, ie, oo, uu, the diphthongs ei/ij, ui, ou, the schwa, and how spelling shows them.
Dutch consonants: g, ch, sch, r, w and the sounds that change
A clear guide to Dutch consonants for English speakers - the g and ch sound, sch, r, w, v and z, final devoicing, assimilation and dropped -n.
Dutch word stress: which syllable do you stress?
Learn the rules of Dutch word stress, from first-syllable stress and unstressed prefixes to loanwords, stressed suffixes, compounds and contrast.
The Dutch alphabet: letter names, sounds and spelling aloud
Learn the Dutch alphabet with letter names, the sounds each letter makes, the IJ, the spelling alphabet and how to spell your name aloud in Dutch.
Spelling & punctuation 5
Dutch spelling rules: long and short vowels, ei or ij, and more
Why is it maan but manen, and bak but bakken? Learn the key Dutch spelling rules for vowels, consonants, ei/ij, the trema and capital letters.
The Dutch d/t rule: word or wordt, gebeurd or gebeurt?
Word or wordt? Gebeurd or gebeurt? Learn the Dutch d/t rule for present tense and past participles, plus a quick test that works every time.
Capital letters in Dutch, when to use them and when not
Dutch capital letters explained. Names, van and de in surnames, countries and languages, days and months, holidays, IJ, 's avonds and u.
Dutch comma rules explained, with clear examples
Where do commas go in Dutch? Subordinate clauses, maar/want/dus, lists, inserted phrases, decimal commas and emails, plus the mistakes to avoid.
Old case forms in Dutch: 's avonds, ten slotte, ter plaatse and more
Why Dutch says 's avonds, ten slotte, ter plaatse and een der beste. A guide to the leftovers of the old Dutch case system, with clear rules.
Idioms & expressions
Colourful sayings, proverbs and the everyday phrases you hear all the time.
Idioms 2
21 Dutch idioms and sayings (and what they really mean)
Monkeys in sleeves, cats in bags and rain like pipe stems. Learn 21 common Dutch idioms and sayings with literal translations, meanings and examples.
20 Dutch animal idioms (with meanings and examples)
Headless chickens, sleeping dogs and elephant skin. Learn 20 Dutch animal idioms with literal translations, meanings, examples and English equivalents.
Sayings & everyday expressions 2
20 Dutch proverbs and when to use them
Learn 20 well-known Dutch proverbs (spreekwoorden) with literal translations, meanings, English equivalents and real situations where people use them.
31 everyday Dutch expressions you'll hear all the time
Learn short Dutch expressions people use every day, like Dat klopt, Kan gebeuren, Zet 'm op and Graag gedaan, grouped by situation with examples.
Culture & communication
Greetings, messages, traditions and the differences between the Netherlands and Flanders.
Talking & writing to people 4
Dutch greetings and small talk: hello, goodbye and everything in between
How to say hello and goodbye in Dutch, when to use je or u, handshakes and three kisses, small talk about the weather, and birthday wishes.
How to be polite in Dutch: softeners, zou and saying sorry
Learn how to be polite in Dutch, from little softeners like even and maar to zou, alsjeblieft, sorry and declining or complaining politely.
Dutch texting abbreviations: ff, idd, wss and more
What do ff, idd, wss, gwn and mss mean? Learn the most common Dutch chat abbreviations and how Dutch people really write in WhatsApp.
How to write an email in Dutch: openings, closings and useful phrases
Write clear Dutch emails. Learn formal and informal openings and closings, key phrases, punctuation rules and two complete example emails.
Culture & travel 3
Dutch holidays and traditions: Koningsdag, Sinterklaas and more
A guide to Dutch holidays and traditions, from Koningsdag and Sinterklaas to Kerst, Oud en Nieuw and 4 and 5 May, with the vocabulary you need.
Flemish vs Dutch: what's the difference?
Is Flemish a different language from Dutch? Learn how Belgian and Netherlands Dutch differ in pronunciation, vocabulary and forms of address.
Dutch for travellers: essential phrases for your trip
The Dutch phrases you need for a trip to the Netherlands or Flanders, from greetings and train tickets to hotels, restaurants, shopping and emergencies.
Living in the Netherlands
The words and phrases you need for renting, healthcare, school, work and paperwork.
Home & family 4
Renting in Dutch: housing words, viewings and repairs
The Dutch you need to rent a home, from huurcontract, borg and servicekosten to kaal, gestoffeerd or gemeubileerd, viewings and reporting repairs.
Dutch for parents: childcare, school and talking to teachers
Dutch words every parent needs, from kinderopvang and consultatiebureau to groep 1–8, juf and meester, plus phrases for talking to your child's teacher.
Dutch addresses and numbers: postcodes, phone numbers and forms
How to write and say a Dutch address, postcode and phone number, what 12-II or 12hs means, and how to fill in dates and times on Dutch forms.
Dutch names and surnames: van, de, capitals and spelling
Why it's Jan van Dijk but meneer Van Dijk, how Dutch names are sorted, how to address people, and how to spell your own name on the phone.
Work & services 2
Dutch at work: meetings, emails, calling in sick and borrels
Workplace Dutch for meetings, emails and calling in sick, plus the culture behind it — directness, first names, lunch, the borrel and birthday treats.
Dutch healthcare vocabulary: huisarts, apotheek and symptoms
Key Dutch words for healthcare in the Netherlands, from huisarts and verwijzing to eigen risico and huisartsenpost, plus phrases to describe your symptoms.
Advanced Dutch (B2–C2)
In-depth theory for upper-intermediate, advanced and near-native learners.
B2 · Upper intermediate 4
Participle constructions in formal Dutch: gezien, thuisgekomen, lachend
Master formal Dutch participle phrases like gezien, gelet op, uitgaande van, thuisgekomen and lachend, with word order rules, pitfalls and tables.
The advanced Dutch passive: modals, krijgen and er wordt
Go beyond the basic Dutch passive with modal verbs, every tense, the er-passive, the krijgen-passive and tips on when to avoid it.
Dutch conjunctions of condition and purpose: tenzij, mits, zodat and more
Learn tenzij, mits, indien, zolang, zodat, opdat, naarmate, voor zover and aangezien, with meanings, word order, register and common mistakes.
Er in complex Dutch sentences: combined functions and word order
Advanced guide to Dutch 'er': what happens when its functions combine, where er goes in long sentences, and how to split er, daar and waar.
C1 · Advanced 4
Formal written Dutch: nominal style, ter and ten, and formal connectors
Write Dutch like an official letter or report. Nominal style, ter/ten phrases, formal connectors and an impersonal tone, with plain equivalents.
Dutch collocations: which verb goes with which noun?
Een besluit nemen, een vraag stellen, aandacht besteden aan. Learn the verb–noun combinations that make Dutch sound native, and the English traps.
Hedging in Dutch: wellicht, vermoedelijk, naar verluidt and more
Soften and qualify your claims in Dutch with wellicht, vermoedelijk, enigszins, naar verluidt and the reporting zou, from news to academic writing.
Advanced Dutch connectors: desalniettemin, ofschoon, immers and more
Go beyond daarom and echter. Meaning, register and word order of desalniettemin, ofschoon, immers, althans, hetzij … hetzij, nochtans and more.
C2 · Mastery 4
The Dutch subjunctive: leve, het zij zo, men neme and more
Dutch has a subjunctive, but only in fixed formulas. Learn leve, moge, het zij zo, zij het, koste wat het kost and the genitives that go with them.
Dutch near-synonyms: blij or vrolijk, kijken or zien, zeggen or beweren?
Six sets of Dutch near-synonyms explained, from blij and vrolijk to beweren and stellen, so you can choose the exact word a native speaker would.
Legal and administrative Dutch: how to read an official letter
Understand Dutch official letters, from ingevolge, krachtens and onverminderd to beschikking, bezwaar maken, termijn and ter inzage.
Literary Dutch: style, word order and vocabulary of the novel
Read Dutch literature with confidence. Learn stylistic inversion, nauwelijks … of, and literary words like weldra, ternauwernood and onverhoeds.
Learning Dutch
How to study effectively and what to expect from the integration exam.
Study tips & exams 2
How to learn Dutch: a practical guide for English speakers
A realistic plan for learning Dutch as an English speaker, covering what to learn first, a daily routine, the best resources and the traps to avoid.
The Dutch civic integration exam (inburgeringsexamen): an overview
What is the Dutch inburgeringsexamen, who has to take it and what are the parts? A clear overview with study tips and where to find the official rules.
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