Basic Dutch Phrases
These are complete sentences, usable exactly as they are. The last note covers the thing every learner of Dutch runs into within a day.
Introducing yourself
-
Ik heet …
ik hayt
-
My name is …
Literally I am called
-
Hoe heet je?
hoo hayt yuh
-
What is your name?
Hoe heet u? in the formal version
-
Ik kom uit …
ik kom oyt
-
I am from …
-
Aangenaam
AHN-khuh-nahm
-
Pleased to meet you
-
Ik leer Nederlands
ik layr NAY-dur-lants
-
I am learning Dutch
When you are stuck
-
Ik begrijp het niet
ik buh-KHRAYP ut neet
-
I don't understand
-
Spreekt u Engels?
spraykt uu ENG-uls
-
Do you speak English?
-
Kunt u dat herhalen?
kunt uu dat her-HAH-luh
-
Could you repeat that?
-
Langzamer, alstublieft
LANG-zah-mur als-tuu-BLEEFT
-
Slower, please
-
Ik weet het niet
ik vayt ut neet
-
I don't know
-
Hoe zeg je … in het Nederlands?
hoo zekh yuh in ut NAY-dur-lants
-
How do you say … in Dutch?
Out and about
-
Waar is …?
vahr is
-
Where is …?
-
Waar is het toilet?
vahr is ut twah-LET
-
Where is the toilet?
-
Hoeveel kost het?
hoo-VAYL kost ut
-
How much is it?
-
Ik wil graag …
ik vil khrahkh
-
I would like …
The normal way to order
-
De rekening, alstublieft
duh RAY-kuh-ning als-tuu-BLEEFT
-
The bill, please
-
Kunt u mij helpen?
kunt uu may HEL-puh
-
Can you help me?
When they switch to English
Almost everyone in the Netherlands speaks good English, and many will switch the moment they hear an accent. It is meant as helpfulness, not a verdict on your Dutch.
The phrase that fixes it is: Mag ik in het Nederlands oefenen? May I practise in Dutch? Said with a smile it almost always works.
Ik leer Nederlands does the same job before the switch happens.
To make the formal phrases informal, swap u for je and drop the -t: Spreekt u becomes Spreek je, Kunt u becomes Kun je.
Keep learning Dutch in Vocabloot
Snap anything and learn the Dutch word for it, with pronunciation and an example sentence.
Coming soon to
the App Store
Coming soon to
Google Play
Free during early access. We only use your email to send your invite.