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(de) stamboom

The Dutch Family Tree

In Dutch, the definite article 'the' is either 'de'

or 'het'

(often shortened to " 't "

)
The indefinite article 'a' is: een

- or for emphasis: één

'one'

parents, parents-in-law, wife, husband, children, grandchildren

grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins

	cousins, nephews, nieces, distant relatives		brother, sister

father, mother, brother-in-law, sister, brother, sister-in-law, nieces, nephews

	familie / family, basic family, relatives		marriage

(de) mens

2
(man, human)

(de) man

2
(man, male)

(de) vrouw

(woman)

(het) kind

2
(child)

(de) jongen

(boy)

(het) meisje

(girl)

(de) baby (E)

(=baby)

(de) kleuter

(toddler)

mens - man - vrouw - kind - jongen - meisje - baby - kleuter

ouders

(parents)

my generation

kinderen

(children)

kleinkinderen

(grandchildren)

(de) vader

(father)
"pappa"

(Dad)

(de) schoonzoon

(son-in-law)

(me)

(de) kleindochter

(granddaughter)

(de) kleinzoon

(grandson)

(de) moeder

(mother)
"mamma"

(Mom)

(de) dochter

(daughter)

(de) schoonvader

(father-in-law)

(de) zoon

(son)

(de) vrouw

(wife)

(de) man

(husband)

(de) kleindochter

(granddaughter)

(de) kleinzoon

(grandson)

(de) schoonmoeder

(mother-in-law)

(de) schoondochter

(daughter-in-law)

(het) kind ('child') - plural: (de) kinderen 2 - irregular, like English 'children.'
(de) baby ('baby') - (het) kindje 2 ('little one.')
Dutch (de) man is both 'husband' and in general, 'the male of the human species.'
Dutch (de) vrouw is both 'wife' and in general, 'the female of the human species.'
When your parents have divorced and both are remarried, you could say de man van m'n moeder 2 ('my mother's husband') and de vrouw van m'n vader ('my Dad's wife.')
The formal word for 'husband' is (de) echtgenoot - the formal word for 'wife' is (de) echtgenote - the formal word for 'married couple' is (het) echtpaar - I cannot think of a good, common Dutch word for 'married couple.' You could say (het) stel - some Belgians say (het) koppel .
(de) schoonouders ('parents-in-law')
There is a Dutch word (het) wijf for 'woman,' but it's rather derogatory (do not use.)
het jongste kind 2 3 4 ('the youngest child')
de oudste zoon van de oudste zoon 2 3 ('the eldest son of the eldest son')
Note the subtle difference in pronunciation:
'n klein kind 2 'a small child'
'n kleinkind 'a grandchild'
See also: Words of Life

(de) oom

(uncle)

(de) grootvader

(grandfather)
"opa"

(Grandpa)

(de) nicht

(cousin)

(de) neef

(cousin)

(de) tante

(aunt)

(de) vader

(father)
"pappa"

(Dad)

(de) grootmoeder

(grandmother)
"oma"

(Grandma)

(me)

(de) grootvader

(grandfather)
"opa"

(Grandpa)

(de) moeder

(mother)
"mamma"

(Mom)

(de) oom

(uncle)

(de) grootmoeder

(grandmother)
"oma"

(Grandma)

(de) nicht

(cousin)

(de) neef

(cousin)

(de) tante

(aunt)

Dutch (de) neef and (de) nicht can mean both 'cousin' and 'nephew' or 'niece.' If necessary to differentiate, a 'nephew' or 'niece' can be called (de) oomzegger ('uncle-sayer.')
The diminutives (het) neefje and (het) nichtje usually indicate nephews or nieces.

(de) voorouders - 2 ('ancestors')
(de) afstammelingen ('descendants')
(de) nakomelingen ('descendants')
(de) overgrootvader ('great-grandfather')
(de) bet-overgrootmoeder ('great-great-grandmother')
(de) achterkleinkinderen ('great-grandchildren')
(de) achterneef ('a grandson of your brother or sister or a grandson of your grandfather's brothers or sisters')
(de) oudtante ('a sister of your grandfather's or grandmother's') - note that the DT in 'oudtante' is pronounced just as a T.
voor het nageslacht 2 (['for the descendants'] - 'for the next generations')
Oom Jan uit Canada 2 ('Uncle Jan from Canada')

The common word for 'brother' is (de) broer 2.
The clearly old-fashioned, too formal form of the word is: (de) broeder - this word also means a member of the lower clergy, 'friar.'
The diminutive is (het) broertje - it's only used jocularly, or for the really little brother.
Between formal and colloquial, there is no good Dutch words for 'sister'.
There is the old-fashioned, formal word (de) zuster - which is also the common way to address a nurse.
For 'sister' I usually say (het) zusje - but that feels a bit colloquial.
There is a word (de) zus - but that also doesn't seem right. It's said to the youngest or only sister in a family, like English 'Sis,' but it can also be an unpleasant form of address.

(de) zwager

(brother-in-law)

(de) vader

(father)
"pappa"

(Dad)

(de) nicht

(het) nichtje

(niece)

(de) neef

(het) neefje

(nephew)

(het) zusje

(sister)

(me)

(de) broer

(brother)

(de) moeder

(mother)
"mamma"

(Mom)

(de) nicht

(het) nichtje

(niece)

(de) neef

(het) neefje

(nephew)

(het) schoonzusje

(sister-in-law)

Dutch (de) familie does not mean exactly the same as English 'family.'
For instance, the 'basic family' in Dutch is (het) gezin :
De burgemeester en haar gezin 2 ('The mayor and her family')
- but the word is not used by children and you don't say children 'have' a 'gezin.' When I want to talk about when I was a child at my parents' house I would say:
'Bij ons thuis' 2 ('at our home')
We waren met ons negenen 2 ('There were nine of us')
Dutch familie has more a sense of 'extended family' or 'relatives':
Mijn familie komt uit het zuiden. ('My family is from the South [of the country.]')
Mijn moeders familie komt uit Limburg. ('My mother's family is from Limburg.')
Hij is familie van me. 2 ('He is a relative [of mine.])
Naaste familie 2 3 ('near relatives, next-of-kin')

de / het / 't

(the)

een, 'n

(a, an)

één

(one)

(het) aanzoek

('marriage proposal')
(de) verloving

('engagement')
(het) huwelijk

('marriage')
(de) bruiloft

('wedding' [party])
(de) trouwerij

('wedding' [party])
(de) bruid

('bride')
(de) bruidegom

('groom')
(de) trouwdag

2 ('wedding day'
- also: 'wedding anniversary')
See also: congratulations
(de) wittebroodsweken

2 ['white-
-bread weeks'] - ('honeymoon')
getrouwd

('married')
gehuwd

2 ('married' - formal)
(de) schoonfamilie

2 ('in-laws')
zwanger

2 ('pregnant')
in verwachting

2 ('expecting')
(de) geboorte

('birth')
(de) geboorteplaats

('birthplace')
(de) geboortedatum

2 ('birth date')
(het) gezin

('basic family')
(de) tweeling

('twins')
(de) drieling

('triplets')

(de) scheiding

('divorce')
(de) weduwe

2 ('widow')
(de) weduwnaar

2 ('widower')
(de) wees

2 ('orphan')
plural: wezen

2 ('orphans')
(de) adoptie

('adoption')
(het) aangenomen kind

('adopted child')
(de) pleegouders

('foster parents')
(het) pleegkind

('foster child')
(de) stiefmoeder

('stepmother')
(de) voogd

2 ('legal guardian')
(de) ongehuwde moeder

2
- ('[unmarried] single mother')
(het) onwettig kind

('illegitimate child')
(de) vondeling

('foundling')

(de) generatie

('generation')
(het) nakomertje

('late child')
(het) enig kind

('only child')
(de) vrijgezel

('bachelor')
(de) minnaar

2 ('lover' - male)
(de) maîtresse

2 3 ('mistress')

trouwring

(de) kinderwagen

(de) wieg 2 ('cradle')
(de) wandelwagen 2 ('stroller')

(de) rollator ('walker')

(de) verkering

- informal, a bit old-fashioned word for 'steady relationship.' Often used in the jocular expression ik heb al verkering

('I'm already going steady') as an excuse for wearing unfashionable clothing or not getting a fancy haircut.
(de) aanstaande

2 3 4 ('intended' - also old-fashioned - jocular use)
(de) tak van de familie

('branch of the family')
een paar generaties terug

2 ('a few generations back')
(de) stamhouder

is the first son of the first son etc., as far as the family tree goes back. (Younger sons may provide the 'stamhouder' if the older brother has no sons.)
Note that the T in adoptie

('adoption') is pronounced as S.
In-laws (schoonfamilie

2) are in different degrees of relation to me. My own sister's husband feels closer related than my wife's brothers; and my wife's sister's husband is again different (even if I like him as well.) Maybe those degrees are reflected in the words warme zwager

('warm brother-in-law' - a sister's husband) and koude zwager

('cold brother-in-law.') I guess it has instinctively to do with who's going to further DNA shared by me.
trouwen

2 3 ('to marry') - getrouwd met ...

married to ... ‑>> - 2
aangetrouwd

2 3 ('related by marriage') - een aangetrouwd nichtje

2 3 ("a niece-in-law")
Hij is getrouwd met een Belgische

2 slow He is married to a Belgian lady, his wife is Belgian
Hij is getrouwd en heeft twee kinderen

slow He is married with two children
geboren en getogen

2 3 ('born and bred')
(de) doop

('baptism') - dopen

2 ('to baptize') ‑>> - (de) peetoom

2 3 ('godfather') - (de) peettante

2 ('godmother')

vaders
moeders
ooms
tantes
hear

(fathers)
(mothers)
(uncles)
(aunts)

broers
zusjes
neven
nichten
hear 2

(brothers)
(sisters)
(cousins or nephews)
(cousins or nieces)

diminutives
neefje
neefjes
nichtje
nichtjes
hear 2 3

(cousin or nephew)
(cousins or nephews)
(cousin or niece)
(cousins or nieces)

zoontje
dochtertje
hear

('little' son)
('little' daughter)

Note that in 'nichtje(s)' the T is dropped, but not in 'nicht' or 'nichten.'

vier (4) generaties

(4 generations)
drie moeders, drie dochters

(3 mothers, 3 daughters)
(You could also say there are four daughters in the picture.)

more Dutch Family - Dutch Birthday - Dutch First Names - Towns and Cities
Dutch family names database: Meertens Institute

vier generaties

(4 generations)

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flowers

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cards and dice

days of old

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