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'Master Lists' of Dutch words: Dutch to English - English to Dutch
Hear the Dutch Letters in Hundreds of Words:
AU/OU
E
EI/IJ
EU
G
H
L
OE
U
UI
W
X
Y
Dutch spelling is rather phonetic. When you know the spelling rules, from hearing a word you can usually tell how it's written, and from seeing a written word you can usually tell how it's pronounced. But a few exceptions ...
—
'short A'
('schwa')
in the second syllable are always 'long.'
2
3
('apart, separate' // 'peculiar')
- bananen
('bananas')
- fataal
2
3
4
('fatal, deadly')
- jaloers
2
('jealous')
- (het) katoen
('cotton')
- kapot
('broken, defective)
- (de) azijn
('vinegar')
- (het) lawaai
2
('noise')
- (de) tabel
2
('table of figures')
- (de) vakantie
2
('vacation, holiday')
- Amerikanen
2
3
('Americans')
- Japan
('Japan')
('cable')
- rare
('strange, weird, odd')
- mager
/ magere
2
('skinny')
- (de) tafel
2
3
4
('table')
- maken
('to make')
- zagen
2
('to cut' - with a saw)
- (het) gajes
('bad people')
2
3
('watercolor painting')
- amechtig
('breathless')
- (de) tralie
('prison window bar')
- gratis
('free, no cost')
- kalium
('potassium K')
- (de) variatie
2
('variation')
- (de) lava
2
3
4
('lava')
- (de) schaduw
('shadow')
(de) eb
2
('ebbtide')
ik heb
('I have')
/ wij hebben
2
('we have')
(de) slab
2
('bib')
/ (het) slabbetje
2
('small bib')
(de) krab
2
3
('crab')
/ krabben
('crabs' // 'to scratch')
Job
2
(biblical name)
- Rob
(a boys' name)
- (de) club
2
3
('club' - association, organization)
- (de) kuub
2
3
('m³, cubic meter' - informal)
Huub
(a boys' name)
/ Hubert
(a boys' name)
Huib
(a boys' name)
/ Huibert
2
(a boys' name)
Jacob
2
(a boys' name) /
Jacoba
(a girls' name)
(het) lab
('lab, laboratory')
/ (het) laboratorium
('laboratory')
(de) bieb
2 (slang)
- short for (de) bibliotheek
('library')
rib/ribben
2
('rib/ribs')
lip
('lip')
/ lippen
('lips')
B before T is also pronounced as P:
ik heb
('I have')
- jij hebt
('you have')
/ wij hebben
2
('we have')
The parts of compound words keep their original pronunciation:
(de) hebzucht
('greed')
- (de) ebstroom
('ebbtide current')
Compare: (de) slab
2
('bib') /
slap
('weak, limp')
jij hebt
('you have')
/ jij mept
('you slap, you hit')
(het) lab
('lab, laboratory') / (de) lap
('a piece of cloth or land')
(de) labjas
('lab coat')
/ lapjes
('patches, pieces of fabric')
(het) spinnenweb
('spiderweb')
('Christ')
- Jezus Christus
2
christian, christian person
plural: christenen
christelijk
"christian" - in Dutch it usually means 'protestant'
('a girls' name')
- Christina
('a girls' name')
- Chris
('a boys' name')
- Christiaan
('a boys' name')
- Christoffel
('a boys' name')
2
- merged 1977 with CDA below
2
2
2
("orthodox (protestant) christian")
(de/het) draad
('thread, string')
- (de) baard
2 ('beard')
- (de) naald
('needle')
- [(de)] dood
('death; dead')
- (het) strand
('beach')
- (het) zand
2 ('sand')
compare: (het) bad
('bath') / (het) gat
('hole')
(het) bed
2
('bed') / (de) pet
('cap')
(het) lood
2
('lead' - metal)
/ (de) boot
2
('boat, ship')
luid
('loud') / (de) luit
2 ('lute')
(het) vod
('rag') / (het) slot
('lock')
Final D is pronounced as D when a word gets an ending with a vowel, like
-e, -el, -er, -en, -ig
or the -ing ending:
oud oude
('old')
(de) daad
('action,' "deed")
/ daden
('actions,' "deeds")
(het) paard
2 ('horse')
/ paarden
2
('horses')
(de) tijd
('time') / tijden
('times') ->>
(het) goud
('gold') / gouden
('golden')
(de) brand
('fire') / branden
('fires; to burn')
(de) tand
('tooth') / tanden
('teeth')
(het) geld
('money') / geldig
2 ('valid')
(de) mond
('mouth') / mondig
('having a say (in)')
ik leid
('I am leading, I'm in charge')
/ leiding
('leadership; pipe - water, gas etc.')
(de) wond
('wound, injury')
/ (de) verwonding
('injury')
(het) eind
2
('end') / (het) einde
2
('end')
/ oneindig
('endless, infinite')
ik bid, wij bidden
('I pray, we pray')
(het) bed
2
('bed') - plural:
bedden
('beds')
(de) pad
('toad') - plural:
padden
2
('toads')
(de) graad
2
3
4
('degree')
/ graden
('degrees')
(de) graat
2
('fish bone')
/ graten
2
3
('fish bones')
(de) vriend
('friend')
/ vrienden
('friends')
/ (de) vriendin
('female friend')
hard
('hard' - not soft)
/ (het) hart
('heart')
/ "harde harten"
("hard hearts")
(het) lid
('member')
/ wit
('white')
(het) midden
2
3
('middle, center')
/ witte
('white')
Ed
- Fred
2
/ Frederik
(boys' names)
Dutch people often carry this pronunciation over into
English. 'Weed'
2
is usually called (de) 'wiet'
2
3
in Holland.
or a
'short i'
— but it can also sound as a 'consonant Y' (Dutch J) or as a
'long' i + 'consonant Y'
('white')
- ik
2
3 (' I ')
- dit
2 ('~this')
- (de) lip
('lip')
- (de) kin
('chin')
- (de) vis
('fish')
('that, those')
- niet
2
('not')
- ziek
('sick, ill')
- lief
('sweet, dear')
- tien
('10')
('turn,' "spin")
- zaaien
('to sow')
- nooit
('never')
- gooien
('to throw')
- (de) boei
2
('buoy')
- boeiend
2
3
('fascinating, gripping')
('triangle' - music)
- (het) dieet
2
3
4
('diet')
- Azië
('Asia')
- furieus
('furious, very angry')
- (de) radio
2
('radio')
and the diphthong UI
have their own unique sound not involving a sound like
vowel i
2
('egg')
- eieren
('eggs')
2
3
('onion')
-uien
('onions')
slow
('creation, design, something made')
- ideeën
2
('ideas')
- (de) theorie
2
('theory')
- (de) reünie
2
3
('reunion')
- (de) vlo
2 ('flea')
- (de) oase
('oasis')
- (het) fluweel
('velvet')
- [(het)] ritueel
('ritual' // 'a ritual')
/ wij lopen
- we're walking
Many people in Holland (probably a majority of the population) don't pronounce the final N's in verb infinitives, verb plurals and noun plurals. Feel free to do that too, you will be perfectly understood either way. But I do not recommend it, dear students, because you have to write those N's anyway, so not pronouncing them just adds a phonetic spelling rule. ‑>>
De mensen praten plat.
* De mense prate plat.
People talk sloppily, substandard.
(Some people in Holand say 'plat praten' for
speaking dialect; I use it for talking sloppily,
'city accent')
‑>>
Wil je blijven eten?
2
3
* Wil je blijve ete?
Would you like to stay for dinner (or lunch)?
We hebben lopen demonstreren.
* We hebbe lope demonstrere.
2
3
We have been in a protest march.
Dat had ik veel eerder moeten doen
2
* Dat had ik veel eerder moete doen
2
I should have done that [much earlier] long ago
Ik heb 'm leren kennen in 't leger
2
3
* Ik heb 'm lere kenne in 't leger
I came to know him in the army
* spelling adapted to reflect pronunciation
schraal
2
('thin, scant, meager, poor')
- (de) schrale troost
2
("cold comfort")
- (de) schram
('scratch')
- (het) schrammetje
('small scratch')
- schrander
('clever, bright')
- schragen
2
3
4
5
('sawhorses, gantries' // 'to support, prop up')
- schrapen
2
3
('to scrape')
't Is maar een schrammetje
2
It's only a small scratch
Zet je schrap!
2
Brace yourself, hold on tight
(a shock is coming)
ik schreef
('I wrote') - wij schreven
('we wrote')
- ik heb geschreven
2
('I have written')
Ik heb 't opgeschreven
2
I've written it down
over de schreef gaan
2
(saying)
['overstepping the "scratch mark," go beyond the pale']
- going too far, into indecent, unacceptable behavior
verschrikkelijk langzaam
2
3
terribly slow
(het) schrift
('notebook // handwriting')
- De Schrift
('the Bible' - old-fashioned)
- (het) proefschrift
2
('PhD thesis')
- een net handschrift
2
('a neat hand, neat handwriting')
- (het) geheimschrift
2
('cypher, secret code')
- schriftelijk
2
('in writing')
- (het) tijdschrift
('magazine, periodical) - plural:
tijdschriften
- (de) schrik
('scare, fright')
- schrikken
2
3
4
('to be startled, frightened, scared, shocked')
- laten schrikken
('to frighten, scare, shock')
‑>>
- (het) schrikbewind
2
3
('reign of terror, ruling by terror')
- (het) schrikdraad
('electric wire')
- (de) schrikkeldag
2
3
('leap day' - February 29th)
- (het) schrikkeljaar
2
3
('leap year')
- schril
2
('shrill')
- verschrikkelijk
/ verschrikkelijke
2
('terrible, horrible, awful, very')
- een verschrikkelijke winter
('an awful winter')
- (de) vogelverschrikker
[birds-scarer] ('scarecrow')
- schriel
2
3
4
5
('lean, thin, gaunt, scawny' // 'raw, harsh' - weather)
(de) schrobber
('push broom')
- (de) schrobzaag
('hole saw')
- schrok
2
('singular simple past tense of 'schrikken' - see
above and below)
- (de) schroom
('hesitance, fearfulness')
- beschroomd
('shy-weak, timid, diffident')
- (het) schroot
('scrap metal')
- wij schrokken
('we were shocked, scared')
Dat is schromelijk overdreven
2
3
That is grossly exaggerated
| schrikken van
2
|
to be startled, shocked, frightened by |
| geschrokken van
2
|
shocked, frightened by |
| Ik schrok van de prijs
2
|
I was shocked, taken aback by the price |
| Ik schrok van 't lawaai
2
|
I was shocked, taken aback by the noise |
| Ik schrok ervan
2
3
|
I was shocked, taken aback by it |
(de) schreeuw
('shout')
- schreeuwen
('to shout')
schreien
('to cry, shed tears' - old-fashioned)
- schrijven
2
3
('to write'
‑>>)
- (de) schrijver
('writer, author')
- ik schrijf
('I'm writing')
- ik zal schrijven
2
('I'll write' - I'll keep in touch)
- (de) beschrijving
2
/ (de) omschrijving
2
('description')
Schrijf je naam op een papiertje
Write down your name on a piece of paper
Kun je 't omschrijven?
2
Can you describe it? (You don't know the
word for something)
zich inschrijven bij
2
3
to sign up for (with?) - to join
(de) schroef
('screw')
- schroeven
('screws // to screw screws')
- (de) bankschroef
('vise')
| schrikken to be startled |
- | schrok was startled |
- | geschrokken been startled |
2
3
|
| schrijven to write |
- | schreef wrote |
- | geschreven written |
|
Compare:
(de) schaal
2
3
('large plate, low bowl') /
schraal
2
('thin, scant, meager, poor')
(de) schoot
('lap, womb') /
(het) schroot
('scrap metal')
(de) schok
('shock') /
schrok
2
('singular simple past tense of schrikken)
(de) schijf
('disk') / (ik) schrijf
('(I) write')
schrapen
2
3
is 'to scrape.' As an example for you students how NOT to pronounce
SCHR I have recorded it with the CH:
sGGrapen
2 .
It doesn't come naturally to me and it sounds very wrong.
Don't try this outside your home!
The city of The Hague is usually called Den Haag
2
but its 'official' name is 's-Gravenhage
- similar to CH in SCHR, the G is usually dropped. With some
difficulty I can say that G, but very, very few people (if any)
say it like this:
's-GGravenhage
(de) asregen
2
3
('ash rain, rain of ash')
I have no difficulty at all saying words with SGR like
(de) visgraat
2
3
4
('fish bone') -
muisgrijs
2
3
('mouse-grey')
or (de) staatsgreep
('coup') and - 't Is chronisch
2
('It's chronical') but it takes much conscious effort to
pronounce the CH in SCHR and it doesn't sound good to me.
Verschrikkelijk
2
3
4
5
6
('terrible, horrible, very') - the last two sound 'wrong' to me
2
3
(English TEE) after S
2
3
(English TSEE) after vowels and N
2
(English SEE) after C, P and R
2
('holy wafer')
- (de) kwestie
('(question) - matter')
- (de) suggestie
('suggestion')
-TSIE after vowels and N
(de) alimentatie
('alimony')
- (de) coöperatie
('co-operation, collaboration // co-operative business organisation')
- (de) combinatie
2
('combination')
- complicaties
2
('complications')
- (de) creatie
('creation')
- (de) democratie
('democracy')
- (de) fluctuatie
2
('drift, fluctuation')
- (de) generatie
('generation')
- vier generaties
('4 generations')
‑>>
- (de) hallucinatie
2
('hallucination')
( - (de) immunisatie
2
3
('immunisation'))
- (de) incubatietijd
2
('incubation period')
- (de) inflatie
2
3
('inflation')
- (het) initiatief
2
('initiative')
- (de) irritatie
2
('irritation, annoyance')
- (de) modulatie
2
('modulation')
- (de) mutatie
('mutation')
- (de) obligatie
('bond' - a kind of stock)
- (de) operatie
('surgery // (military, police) action')
- (de) organisatie
('organization')
- (de) relatie
2
('relation, relationship, affair')
- (de) reparatie
('repair')
- (de) reputatie
('reputation, standing')
- (de) situatie
2
('situation')
- (de) spatie
('space' - in text)
‑>>
- (de) theocratie
('theocracy')
- (de) transpiratie
2
('sweat')
‑>>
- (de) variatie
2
('variation')
(de) coalitie
2
3
('coalition')
- (de) competitie
2
('competition, race, match')
- (de) conditie
('shape, fitness // precondition')
- (de) oppositie
2
3
4
('opposition' - politics)
- (de) politie
2
('police')
- (de) positie
2
3
4
('position?')
- (de) repetitie
2
('rehearsal // secondary school test')
(de) promotie
2
3
('promotion')
(de) absolutie
('absolution, forgiving')
- (de) evolutie
2
('evolution')
- (de) revolutie
2
('revolution')
(de) advertentie
('ad, advertisement')
- (de) arrogantie
2
('arrogance')
- (de) concurrentie
2
3
('competition')
- (de) correspondentie
2
('correspondence, exchange of letters')
- (de) essentie
2
('essence')
- (de) frequentie
2
3
('frequency')
- (de) garantie
('guarantee, warranty')
- (de) kwitantie
2
('receipt, proof of payment')
- (de) tolerantie
('tolerance')
- (de) urgentie
('urgency')
- (de) vakantie
2
('vacation, holiday')
-SIE - after C, P and R
- (de) actie
2
('action?')
- (de) collectie
('collection')
- (de) correctie
2
3
('correction')
- (de) directie
2
('management')
- (de) fractie
('very small part // political party')
- (de) frictie
2
('friction')
- (de) infectie
('infection')
- (de) injectie
2
3
('injection, shot')
- (de) reactie
('reaction')
- (de) reproductie
2
('reproduction' - copy of artworks)
- (de) sectie
('section?')
- (de) adoptie
('adoption')
- (de) corruptie
('corruption')
- (de) receptie
2
3
('reception// reception desk ')
- (de) portie
2
('portion, share, serving')
- (de) proportie
('proportion')
BUT: Gertie
(a girls' name)
Endings like -TIEF, -TIEK, -TIEL and -TIER
are not irregular:
actief
2
('active')
- politiek
('politics')
- reptiel
2
('reptile')
- (het) ventiel
('tube valve')
- ventielen
2
3
('valves')
- kwartier
('quarter, 15 minutes')
- portier
2
3
('doorman' / 'car door')
compare:
aktie / aktief
2
(action / active)
- politie
/ politiek
('police / politics')
- motie / motief
2
(motion, resolution / motive)
- optie / optiek
(option / viewpoint; optics)
- portie / portier
2
(portion / car door; doorman)
Uw
('your' - formal)
- duw
('a push')
- duwen
('to push')
- zenuw
('nerve')
- ruw
2
/ ruwe
('rough')
- zwaluw
('swallow' - a bird)
- ruwweg
('roughly' - estimating)
- sluw
('sly, clever')
- ruwheid
('roughness')
(het) fluweel
('velvet')
- juweel
('a jewel')
- juwelen
('jewels, jewelry')
- ruwaard
('a medieval ruler')
- gruwelen
('horrors// to be horrified')
- de Veluwe
/ de Betuwe
(areas in the East of The Netherlands)
Compare:
ruw
2
('rough')
- (de) Rus
('a Russian')
- (de) rug
('back' - body part)
- (het) rund
2
('beef cattle')
- Ruud
2
(a boys' name)
duw
('a push')
- (de) durf
('courage, daring
' "guts")
‑>>
- dus
('so, thus')
‑>>
- dun
('thin, skinny')
- duur
/ dure
2
3
4
('expensive')
(de) wraak
('revenge')
- (het) wrak
('wreck')
- (het) scheepswrak
('wrecked ship')
- wrang
2
('sour // wry')
- (de) wrat
2
('wart')
wreed
/ - wrede
('cruel')
- (de) wreedheid
('cruelty')
- (de) wreef
2
3
('arch' - foot // singular simple past tense of
'wrijven' - see below)
- wreken
('to revenge, take revenge, avenge)
wringen
('to wring, squeeze')
- ik wring
2
('I'm wringing, squeezing')
- (het) gewricht
2
('joint, ~connection')
- ontwrichten
2
3
('to disrupt, disorganize, disjoint')
(de) wrok
('grudge, rancor')
- verwrongen
('twisted, distorted')
wrijven
2
('to rub')
- (de) wrijving
2
('friction')
- wij wreven
('we rubbed')
(de) wroeging
('remorse, feeling bad about past actions)
| wreken to take revenge |
- | wreekte took revenge |
- | gewroken taken revenge |
|
| wringen to wring |
- | wrong wrung |
- | gewrongen wrung |
|
| wrijven to rub |
- | wreef rubbed |
- | gewreven rubbed |
|
| wrijven to rub | - | ik wrijf I'm rubbing | - | wij wrijven we're rubbing | - | ik wreef I rubbed | - | wij wreven we rubbed | - | ik heb gewreven
I have rubbed |
|
Compare:
(de) vraag
2
('question')
/ (de) wraak
('revenge')
- (de) vrede
('peace')
/ wrede
('cruel')
(het) wak
('hole in the ice')
- (het) vak
2
('subject // section // profession')
- (het) wrak
('wreck')
... but not "VR" in compound words:
- (de) trouwring
2
('wedding ring)
Some of the Dutch and English words look alike and are probably from a common
root in proto-Germanic; some of these English words still write the W but
it's not pronounced. My computer dictionary says English 'friction' is
from Latin 'fricare,' but I think there may be a connection with
'wrijving'
2 .
The Indo-European reconstruction is bhreia.
Major Exceptions ... page 1 Minor Exceptions - Minor Exceptions - another version
Hear the Dutch Letters in Hundreds of Words:
AU/OU
EI/IJ
EU
G
H
L
OE
U
UI
W
X
Y
- UI
- Y
email -
Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2022.
All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed,
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'Thou shalt not steal'