Common Dutch abbreviations: bijv., d.w.z., i.v.m. and more

You open a letter from the gemeente and the first line says t.a.v. de bewoner. A shop door reads Gesloten i.v.m. ziekte. An email from your landlord ends with mvg. Written Dutch is full of short abbreviations, and once you know the twenty or so common ones, letters, forms and signs suddenly become much easier to read.

This post is about abbreviations in normal written Dutch: letters, emails, forms and signs. For the shortcuts people use in WhatsApp and text messages, see Dutch texting abbreviations.

The most common abbreviations

These are the ones you'll see again and again. In the table, the abbreviation is in bold and the full Dutch form is in italics.

Some examples in context:

• We verkopen o.a. kaas, brood en wijn. — We sell cheese, bread and wine, among other things.
• De prijs is incl. btw. — The price includes VAT.
• Ik neem thee i.p.v. koffie. — I'll have tea instead of coffee.
• Wilt u z.s.m. reageren? — Could you reply as soon as possible?

A few notes:

• Z.s.m. officially stands for zo spoedig mogelijk, but most people read it as zo snel mogelijk. The meaning is the same.
• Evt. is a false friend: eventueel does not mean "eventually" (that's uiteindelijk). It means "possibly" or "if necessary": Evt. kosten worden later berekend. — Any costs will be charged later.
• S.v.p. is borrowed from French. It's a little old-fashioned but still common on signs: Deur sluiten s.v.p. — Please close the door.
• Btw (belasting over de toegevoegde waarde) is the Dutch word for VAT. You'll see it on every receipt and price list.

In letters and emails

Formal letters, and emails from companies and government offices, use their own set of abbreviations.

• T.a.v. de heer De Vries — For the attention of Mr De Vries
• N.a.v. uw e-mail van 3 mei stuur ik u de documenten. — Following your email of 3 May, I'm sending you the documents.
• De vergadering is op maandag a.s. — The meeting is next Monday.

Watch out: t.a.v. in a sentence can also mean ten aanzien van, "with regard to": t.a.v. de nieuwe regels — regarding the new rules. In an address line, it's always ter attentie van.

Mvg at the end of an email is quick and common, but some people find it a bit lazy. In a formal email, write Met vriendelijke groet in full. More tips in Dutch emails.

On forms and signs

On official forms, timetables and shop signs, space is limited, so abbreviations are everywhere.

• Gesloten i.v.m. ziekte — Closed due to illness
• Open ma t/m za — Open Monday to Saturday (inclusive)
• Kamers v.a. € 79 per nacht — Rooms from €79 per night
• Niet roken a.u.b. — No smoking, please
• Z.o.z. (zie ommezijde) — Please turn over (PTO)

T/m is especially useful because it removes the English "to… or through?" confusion. Van 1 t/m 5 juni means 1 to 5 June, with 5 June included. If you see tot on its own, the end point is usually not included: tot 5 juni means until 5 June.

A few more you'll meet on forms:

• Alle dagen open, m.u.v. feestdagen. — Open every day except public holidays.
• De prijzen zijn gestegen t.o.v. vorig jaar. — Prices have risen compared to last year.

Dots or no dots?

You'll see both d.w.z. and dwz, both a.u.b. and aub. Which is right?

The traditional rule, followed by the Taalunie (the official Dutch language body), is roughly this:

• If you read the abbreviation out as the full words, it gets dots: bijv., d.w.z., i.v.m., enz.
• If you pronounce it as letters or as a word, it usually gets no dots and is often written in capitals: btw, tv, EU, NS.

In practice, many people leave out the dots in emails, notes and informal writing, so ivm, ipv and mvg are very common. Rules for capitals and dots also differ a little between style guides, so don't worry too much. A safe approach for learners: use the dots in formal writing, and don't be surprised when you see them missing elsewhere.

Two more details:

• T/m is always written with a slash, never with dots.
• There's no space between the parts: write d.w.z., not d. w. z.

Tip: when you read aloud, you normally say the full form. Bijv. is read as bijvoorbeeld, i.p.v. as in plaats van. A few are actually spoken as letters too, especially i.v.m., z.s.m. and a.u.b., but you'll never go wrong with the full words.

Quick summary

• Everyday: bijv. (e.g.), d.w.z. (i.e.), o.a. (among others), enz./etc., ca. (approx.), incl./excl.
• Evt. means "possibly / if needed", not "eventually".
• Letters: t.a.v. (for the attention of), n.a.v. (following), m.b.t. (regarding), m.vr.gr./mvg (kind regards).
• Signs: i.v.m. (because of), t/m (up to and including), v.a. (from), a.u.b./s.v.p. (please), z.o.z. (turn over).
• Dots are standard in formal writing; many people drop them informally.

Practise it

Put these abbreviations to work when you write a letter in Writing a formal email, read official forms in At the municipality, and send a package in At the post office.