A1 · Lesson 1 · First words
Greetings & politeness
Say hello, goodbye, please and thank you.
Grammar
Je or u?
- Dutch has an informal je/jij (friends, family, people your age) and a formal u (strangers, older people, officials).
- Many polite phrases come in both forms: dank je / dank u, alsjeblieft / alstublieft.
- Alsjeblieft means both “please” and “here you are” when you hand something over.
| Informal | Formal | English |
|---|---|---|
| dank je (wel) | dank u (wel) | thank you |
| alsjeblieft | alstublieft | please / here you are |
| hoe gaat het met je? | hoe gaat het met u? | how are you? |
Vocabulary
12 new words
- hallohello
- hoihi
- goedemorgengood morning
- goedemiddaggood afternoon
- goedenavondgood evening
- tot ziensgoodbye
- doeibye (informal)
- dank je welthank you
- alsjeblieftplease (informal)
- sorrysorry
- jayes
- neeno
Read more
Dutch consonants: g, ch, sch, r, w and the sounds that change
Dutch greetings and small talk: hello, goodbye and everything in between
Dutch pronunciation guide for English speakers
Dutch vowels explained, short, long and diphthongs
Dutch word stress: which syllable do you stress?
How to learn Dutch: a practical guide for English speakers
Je, jij, u or jullie? Formal and informal 'you' in Dutch