Learn Key Phrases in Dutch
Dutch is a pretty hard language if you don't know anything about it. Here are some regular phrases.
Contents
Steps
- Note that the A is either pronounced as the u in "hut", or as the a in "vase". The E is pronounced either as a mute e (the 'uh' sound sometimes used in buttER), as the e in "set" or as the ay in "may". The letters are pronounced differently depending on where in a word they lie - something important to realise is that if a word ends in a single e, that e will be mute (like in buttER). Note that the J is always pronounced as the Y in "Yankees"
- Start a conversation with "Hallo" (Ha(w)llo). More casual is "Hoi","Hai" or "Hey". In the Achterhoek they say "Môgge"
- If you want to introduce yourself, say "Ik heet" (iK hate) followed by your name. Note that the "i" in "ik" is pronounced as the "i" in "bin".
- Yes becomes "Ja". (Ya(w))
- No becomes "Nee" (Nay)
- "Thank you" is "Dank je". (Da(w)nk Yuh). "wel" can be added to the end of this expression to convey the English phrase "very much".
- "Please" is "Alstublieft" (A(w)l-stew-bleeft).
- If you want to order something in a restaurant, start with "Kan ik" (Ca(w)n iK) [insert order] "Bestellen" (Buhs-tel-luhn). (NOTE: Politer is "Mag ik" but you'll probably starve before you can pronounce the dutch "G".)
- If you can't find a museum, just ask "Waar is het museum." (wAAr is hat muu-zay-uhm). Note that the AA is pronounced as a German A, for example in "mAchen".
- Looking for a place to drink? Simply say "Waar kan je iets drinken?" (wAAr Cawn Yuh EEts drink-uhn)
- Now isn't Dutch a beautiful language? If you feel all icky-and-chilly-and-scared, just learn this one sentence; "Spreekt u Engels?" (Spraked ew Ang-uhls). If you can't even remember this, just ask "Do you speak English?". Because 90% of the population does. Just don't let the accent scare you away.
Common Phrases
| English | Dutch |
|---|---|
| How are you? | Hoe gaat het? |
| I like you! | Ik vind je leuk! |
| What time is it? | Hoe laat is het? |
| I'm going home. | Ik ga naar huis. |
| Thank you. | Dankuwel. |
| Yes, I would love to! | Ja, graag! |
| See you later! | Zie je later! |
| I love you. | Ik hou van jou. |
| Are you hungry? | Heb je honger? |
| Can I borrow some money? | Kan ik wat geld lenen? |
| See you tomorrow! | Tot morgen! |
Tips
- Don't underestimate the power of body language. Pointing, drawing, gesturing and pantomiming will all help you get your point across language travel books; very okay. Find them at the national airport Schiphol (or as you say; Skiphole) for example.
- If you carry around a small phrase book or dictionary, you can look up words you don't know - and even point to them if you can't pronounce them.
- The pronunciation can be confusing, but the Dutch will be happy to help you out, so never be afraid to ask.
- The phonetic spellings above are only approximations of the French pronunciations. If you pronounce these words while pretending to be Pepe Le Pew, you'll probably be pretty close.
- Again: You can always ask people in the Netherlands or Flanders whether they speak English. The responses will amaze you!
