Basic phrases in Dutch
Basic Dutch phrases for beginners
Knowing a few basic Dutch phrases can be very useful when you arrive in the Netherlands. In Rotterdam, you can manage in English in many situations, but understanding a few simple Dutch expressions will help you in shops, restaurants, public transport and everyday conversations.
In this guide you will find useful words and phrases with English translations and an approximate pronunciation designed for English speakers.
The pronunciation is only intended as a guide. Some Dutch sounds do not have an exact equivalent in English, so it is best to use these transcriptions as a first step and then listen to spoken Dutch.
If you want to study the language in more depth, also see our guide on where to learn Dutch in Rotterdam.
| 🇳🇱 Basic Dutch: choose what you want to learn | |
|---|---|
| I WANT TO LEARN… | GUIDE |
| Ordering food and drinks | Food |
| Shopping and asking prices | Shopping |
| Days and months | Days and months |
| Talking to a doctor | At the doctor |
| Staying at a hotel | Hotel |
| Numbers and quantities | Numbers |
| Asking and telling the time | Time |
Basic Dutch phrases for everyday life
These expressions can help you during your first days in the Netherlands. We include an approximate pronunciation to make them easier to read, but remember that it does not replace listening to native Dutch speakers.
| 💬 Basic Dutch phrases | ||
|---|---|---|
| ENGLISH | DUTCH | APPROXIMATE PRONUNCIATION |
| Yes / No | Ja / Nee | Yah / Nay |
| Thank you | Dank u wel / Bedankt | Dahnk uu vel / Buh-dahnkt |
| Please | Alstublieft | Ahl-stuu-bleeft |
| I don’t understand | Ik begrijp het niet | Ik buh-grayp het neet |
| Do you speak English? | Spreekt u Engels? | Spraykt uu Eng-uls? |
| I don’t speak Dutch | Ik spreek geen Nederlands | Ik sprayk khayn Nay-duhr-lahnts |
| Good morning | Goedemorgen | Khoo-duh-mor-khun |
| Good afternoon | Goedemiddag | Khoo-duh-mid-dakh |
| Good evening | Goedenavond | Khoo-duh-nah-vont |
| Goodbye / See you | Tot ziens / Dag | Tot zeens / Dakh |
| How are you? | Hoe gaat het met u? | Hoo khaat het met uu? |
| Excuse me | Neem me niet kwalijk | Naym muh neet kwah-lik |
| Sorry | Sorry | Sorry |
| Can you help me? | Kunt u mij helpen? | Kunt uu may hel-pun? |
| I lost my passport / money | Ik ben mijn paspoort / geld kwijt | Ik ben mine pas-port / khelt kwite |
| I would like… | Ik zou graag… | Ik zow ghrahkh… |
| Where can I get…? | Waar kan ik … krijgen? | Vahr kahn ik … kray-khun? |
| How much does it cost? | Hoeveel kost het? | Hoo-vayl kost het? |
| Where are the toilets? | Waar zijn de toiletten? | Vahr zayn duh twa-let-un? |
| What time is it? | Hoe laat is het? | Hoo laht is het? |
| I have to go | Ik moet gaan | Ik moot khahn |
| Leave me alone | Laat me met rust | Laht muh met rust |
| Cheers! | Proost! | Prohst! |
How to learn these phrases faster
Don’t try to memorise the whole table at once: start with five or six phrases that you are actually likely to use.
Listen to the pronunciation: the approximate pronunciation can help at first, but listening to native speakers is essential for getting used to Dutch sounds such as g, ui, ij and eu.
Use them in real situations: greeting someone in a shop, ordering something in a café or saying thank you in Dutch will help you remember the expressions much more easily.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes: using just a few words in Dutch is often a good way to start a conversation and practise.
More Dutch vocabulary and phrases
Continue learning with our vocabulary guides for specific everyday situations:
Food | Shopping | Days and months | At the doctor | Hotel | Numbers | Time
Do you want to learn Dutch in Rotterdam?
These phrases are useful for getting started, but if you live in the Netherlands and want to progress faster, you can combine daily practice with classes, NT2 courses or conversation activities.
See our guide on where to learn Dutch in Rotterdam, with language schools, courses, free options and resources for practising the language.