Catalog / Dutch Language Essentials Cheatsheet

Dutch Language Essentials Cheatsheet

A handy cheat sheet covering essential aspects of the Dutch language, including pronunciation, basic grammar, common phrases, and vocabulary. Perfect for beginners and travelers.

Pronunciation Guide

Vowels

a

Short like in ‘cat’, long like in ‘father’.

e

Similar to ‘e’ in ‘bed’, sometimes silent at the end of words.

i

Like ‘ee’ in ‘see’.

o

Short like in ‘hot’, long like in ‘hope’.

u

Similar to the French ‘u’.

ui

A unique sound, try to pronounce ‘ow’ and ‘ee’ together.

Consonants

g

A guttural sound, like clearing your throat (voiced).

ch

Similar to ‘g’, but unvoiced.

v

Pronounced as ‘f’.

w

Pronounced as ‘v’.

j

Pronounced like ‘y’ in ‘yes’.

Diphthongs

ei/ij

Pronounced like ‘eye’.

au/ou

Pronounced like ‘ow’ in ‘cow’.

oe

Pronounced like ‘oo’ in ‘food’.

ie

Pronounced like ‘ee’ in ‘see’, but longer.

Basic Grammar

Word Order

Dutch follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order in main clauses, but often uses Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order in subordinate clauses.

Example:
Ik eet een appel. (I eat an apple.) - SVO
Ik weet dat hij een appel eet. (I know that he an apple eats.) - SOV in subordinate clause.

Articles

de

The (common gender nouns). Example: de man (the man)

het

The (neuter gender nouns). Example: het huis (the house)

een

A/An. Example: een vrouw (a woman)

Plural Formation

Plurals are often formed by adding -en, -s, or -eren to the singular noun. Some nouns have irregular plural forms.

Examples:
Huis (house) - Huizen (houses)
Auto (car) - Auto’s (cars)
Kind (child) - Kinderen (children)

Verb Conjugation (Present Tense)

Ik

-e (Example: Ik werk - I work)

Je/U

-t (Example: Je werkt - You work)

Hij/Zij/Het

-t (Example: Hij werkt - He works)

Wij/Jullie/Zij

-en (Example: Wij werken - We work)

Common Phrases

Greetings & Introductions

Hallo

Hello

Goedemorgen

Good morning

Goedenmiddag

Good afternoon

Goedenavond

Good evening

Goedenacht

Good night

Hoe gaat het?

How are you?

Het gaat goed

I'm fine

Mijn naam is...

My name is...

Aangenaam

Pleased to meet you

Basic Interactions

Alstublieft

Please/Here you go

Dank u wel/Bedankt

Thank you very much/Thanks

Graag gedaan

You're welcome

Ja

Yes

Nee

No

Sorry

Sorry

Excuseer mij

Excuse me

Asking for Directions

Waar is...?

Where is...?

Hoe kom ik bij...?

How do I get to...?

Links

Left

Rechts

Right

Rechtdoor

Straight ahead

Essential Vocabulary

Basic Words

Man

Man

Vrouw

Woman

Kind

Child

Huis

House

Auto

Car

Water

Water

Eten

Food

Numbers

Een

One

Twee

Two

Drie

Three

Vier

Four

Vijf

Five

Zes

Six

Zeven

Seven

Acht

Eight

Negen

Nine

Tien

Ten

Days of the Week

Maandag

Monday

Dinsdag

Tuesday

Woensdag

Wednesday

Donderdag

Thursday

Vrijdag

Friday

Zaterdag

Saturday

Zondag

Sunday