Words, Vocabulary - Spelling and Pronunciation Shorts - Verbs - Word Order - Exercises - 2 - MX Lessons - Programs - Read and Listen to Dutch Find Dutch words: Dutch List - English to Dutch or:   my site

The Scrounger Except for the man who thought the Amsterdam Sarpahtistraat the most beautiful spot in Europe, I've never known a more peculiar person than the scrounger.	Nescio: De Uitvreter Behalve de man, die de Sarphatistraat de mooiste plek van Europa vond, heb ik nooit een wonderlijker kerel gekend dan de uitvreter.
The scrounger, who was lying in your bed when you got home late in the evening, dirty shoes and all. The scrounger, who was smoking your cigars, filling up on your tobacco and burning your coal and looking through your cabinets and borrowing your money and wearing your shoes and who put on your coat when he had to get home through the rain.	De uitvreter, die je in je bed vond liggen met zijn vuile schoenen, als je 's avonds laat thuiskwam. De uitvreter, die je sigaren oprookte, en van je tabak stopte en je steenkolen verstookte en je kasten nakeek en geld van je leende en je schoenen opdroeg en een jas van je aantrok als-i in de regen naar huis moest.
The scrounger, always ordering things in other people's names; drinking Duch gin like royalty on the sidewalk tables of café 'Hollandais' at the people's expense; who borrowed but never returned umbrellas; who heated Bavink's secondhand stove until it burst; who wore his brother's double collars and lent out Appi's books, who would travel abroad when once more he'd gotten some money off his old man, and never paid for the suits he wore.	De uitvreter, die altijd wat liet halen op de naam van een ander; die als een vorst jenever zat te drinken op 't terras van 'Hollandais' voor de centen van de lui; die parapluies leende en nooit terugbracht; die een barst stookte in de tweedehands kachel van Bavink; die dubbele boorden droeg van z'n broer en de boeken uitleende van Appi, en buitenlandse reizen maakte als-i z'n ouwe heer weer had afgezet, en pakken droeg, die hij nooit betaalde.

Hebben = to Have (present tense)

hebben ik heb jij hebt hij heeft wij hebben jullie hebben zij hebben U heeft

to have I have you have he has we have you have they have you have

ik heb een fiets jij hebt een fiets hij heeft een fiets wij hebben een fiets jullie hebben een fiets zij hebben een tandem U heeft een fiets

(I have a bicycle) (you have a bicycle) (he has a bicycle) (we have a bicycle) (you have a bicycle) (they have a tandem bicycle) (you have a bicycle)

U hebt een fiets

heb ik een fiets? heb jij een fiets? heeft hij een fiets? hebben wij een fiets? hebben jullie een fiets? hebben zij een fiets? heeft U een fiets?

(do I have a bicycle?) (do you have a bicycle?) (does he have a bicycle?) (do we have a bicycle?) (do you have a bicycle?) (do they have a bicycle?) (do you have a bicycle?)

jij hebt een fiets	('you have a bicycle' [you - singular informal])
heb je een fiets?	('do you have a bicycle?' [you - singular informal])
U heeft een fiets	('you have a bicycle' [you - singular polite])
heeft U een fiets?	('do you have a bicycle?' [you - singular polite])
jullie hebben een fiets	('you have a bicycle' [you - plural informal])
hebben jullie een fiets?	('do you have a bicycle?' [you - plural informal])
jullie hebben fietsen	('you have bicycles' [you - plural informal])
hebben jullie fietsen?	('do you have bicycles?' [you - plural informal])

ik heb geluk jij hebt geluk hij heeft geluk wij hebben geluk jullie hebben geluk zij hebben geluk

I am lucky you are lucky he is lucky we are lucky you are lucky they are lucky

heb ik geluk? heb jij geluk? heeft hij geluk? hebben wij geluk hebben jullie geluk? hebben zij geluk?

am I lucky? are you lucky? is he lucky? are we lucky? are you lucky? are they lucky?

U heeft geluk	you are lucky (polite)
heeft U geluk?	are you lucky? (polite)
hear 2 above
je hebt geluk gehad 2 3	you've been lucky (informal)

There is a story that when the promotion of a certain general was discussed, Napoleon asked: "But is he lucky?" I think this was not silly or superstitious, but shows that Napoleon understood that 'luck' is often about being alert, being aware of possibilities, and having the flexibility to adapt your plans.

hij heeft geen auto ('he doesn't have a car') jij hebt een hond ('you have a dog') ik heb een boek ('I have a book') hij heeft griep 2 ('he has the flu') heb je nog even tijd? ('do you still have a moment?') hebben jullie wel plezier? ('are you really having fun?') ze hebben drie kinderen ('they have three children')

heb je genoeg water? 2 ('do you have enough water?') heb je genoeg geld? ('do you have enough money?') heb je genoeg licht? ('do you have enough light?') ik heb 't koud ('I am cold') ik ben verkouden ('I have a cold') ik heb honger ('I [have hunger] am hungry') ik heb dorst ('I [have thirst] am thirsty')

<< previous - verbs central - next >>

The Dutch Consonants

double consonants		A pair of consonants ('two of a kind') is pronounced exactly the same as one single consonant. A double consonant usually means that a preceding single vowel is short (see lessons 3-5); occasionally it is found after a double vowel. maken makker willen wielen 2 (to make / comrade / to want, desire / wheels) vlot vlotten vloot vloten lood loden (raft / rafts / fleet (ships) / fleets / lead / leaden) grote grootte hete heette late haatte (big, tall, large, great / dimension / hot / was called / late (not in time) / hated ) [grote = 'big' - grootte = 'the size' ]
end-of-word B		end-of-word B is pronounced as P; otherwise B is B like in English slab slap slabben slappe (bib / weak / bibs / weak) heb step hebben steppen ((I) have / scooter (children's) / to have / riding a children's scooter) lip lippen rib ribben (lip / lips / rib / ribs) kap lab kapel tabel (cap / lab (laboratory) / chapel / (numbers) table) (kapel and tabel have the stress on the second syllable) dubbel doppen 2 ('shelling twice' ‑>>) baardy paard brak prak 2 (beard / horse / (I) broke; brackish (water) / mashed food)
B in compound words		Final B's in parts of compound words keep their P-pronunciation, and also before the '-je' ending of diminutives: eb ebben ebstroom wipstaart (ebb (low tide / 'to diminish' / low tide current / wagtail (a bird)) ribje hapje slabbetje 2 (small rib / small bite / smalll bib)
C		C is pronounced either as K or as S, like in similar English words K: (before A, O, U and consonants) code collega combinatie cultuur (code / colleague / combination / culture, civilization) café 2 (a bar) - carrière (career) acteur 2 (actor, thespian) - actrice (actress) S: (before E, I and Y) cel citroen gefascineerd (cell / lemon / fascinated) cirkel (circle) - centrum (center) centraal (central) - cylinder (cylinder) K-S: concept concert cycloon cyclus (concept, design / concert / cyclone / cycle) KS, X: accent succes (accent / success)
CH, G and K		CH and G: "like you clear your throat:" ge [exaggerated] (Flemish 'you') Saying the Dutch CH and G may be difficult for foreigners. This sound is not found in many other languages - but it does exist in both Hebrew and Arabic, and it is like the J of European Spanish. Single vowels before CH are always 'short.' There is no double CH in Dutch. wij lachen 2 ('we're laughing') - wij lagen ('we were lying down') dak dag pek pech (roof / day / pitch ('sticky black stuff') / bad luck) slager slachten klagen klachten (butcher / to butcher (think of: 'slaughter') / to complain / complaints) slak slag brokkelen rochelen (snail / battle, blow / to crumble / to rattle, hawk) richel diggelen wikkelen (ridge / smithereens / to wind, enfold) kachel waggelen wakker (stove, heater / to walk like a duck / awake) kuiken juichen duigen (chick (young chicken) / to cheer / (in) pieces) vlag lach laag vlaggen lachen lagen (flag / laugh / layer / flags / to laugh / layers) onrecht onterecht trechter rechten rekten recht rekt zegt 2 (rights / (we) stretched / right / (he) stretches / (he) says) ychroom chrysanten chronisch (chrome / chrysanthemums / chronical) gifgas lachgas 2 (poison gas / laughing gas (nitrous oxide)) giechelen 2 (to giggle) wij logen 2 (we lied) - wij loochenen 2 (we denied, disavowed) There is a slight difference in pronunciation between CH and G, but foreign students shouldn't worry about it. I think they sound almost the same. Native speakers of Dutch say CH and G slightly different, but may not be aware of it. Judge for yourself: lach (laugh) - lachen 2 (to laugh) vlag (flag) - vlaggen 2 (flags) er is niks te lachen 2 ([there's nothing to laugh about] it's no laughing matter) er waren veel vlaggen 2 (there were many flags) When the preceding vowel is long the whole word sounds different, but I think it doesn't change the G. laag 2 (layer; low) - lagen (layers) lagen leggen (to prepare ambushes) - hinderlaag 2 (ambush) lagere school (elementary school) - vier lagen verf (4 layers of paint)
end-of-word D		D at the end of a word is pronounced as a T; otherwise D is D and T is T. wat wad watten wadden (what / flood plain / cotton balls / flood plain(s)) raat raten raad raden ((honey-) comb / (honey-) combs / council / councils) rat ratten pad padden paden (rat / rats / toad; path / toads / paths) dadel datum kader kater (date (a fruit) / date (day) / framework / male cat; hangover) lid wit midden witte (member / white / middle / white) pet bed petten bedden (cap / bed / caps / beds) blad plat bladeren platen (leaf / flat / leaves / discs, sheets, vinyl records) dak tak deken teken (roof / branch / blanket / sign) Zweed 2 (Swede) - Zweden (Sweden // Swedes) (het) zweet 2 (sweat) - zweten 2 (to sweat) ‑>>
D in compound words		Final D's in parts of compound words keep their T-pronunciation, and also before the '-je' ending of diminutives: huidaandoening doodop rondom 2 (skin disease / dead-tired / around) platform bladvorm nachtvorst braadworst (platform / leaf shape / frost at night / bratwurst) kruid kruit buidel sluiter kruidvat kruitvat (herb / gunpowder / pouch / lens closing mechanism on camera / barrel of spices / barrel of gunpowder) brandje krantje eindje geintje (small fire / small newspaper / short distance / joke)
DT, TD		At normal speaking speed, mid-word DT is pronounced as T, and mid-word TD is pronounced as D. Only in deliberately slow speech are the letters pronounced separately, but DT at the end of a verb is always pronounced as T. ontdekken ontdaan ont-dekken ont-daan (to discover / upset, emotionally disturbed) windtunnel badtas wind-tunnel bad-tas (wind tunnel / bag for going bathing or swimming) houtduif broodtafel loodtest rotdag (wood pigeon (a bird) / (lunch) table with bread / lead test / rotten day) ontzien onthouden 2 (to spare, to keep consequences from / to remember; to keep stuff from) ik word hij wordt 2 (I become / he becomes - or the passive voice) ik word 2 - hij wordt 2 de brand (the fire) - het brandt 2 (it is burning)
F, V and W		English W is formed with rounded lips; Dutch W is formed with relaxed lips, starting with upper teeth resting lightly on lower lip. fee vee wee (fairy / cattle / contraction (birth)) fier vier wier (~proud / 4 / (sea)weed) duif duiven (pigeon / pigeons) ‑>> zalf zalven (cream / creams) vlinders fladderen 2 (butterflies flutter) fel vel fase vazen (~intense / skin / phase / vases) wal val Waal vaal ((city) wall / fall (drop) / A Dutch river/ faded color) even effen boven boffen (for a moment / for a moment (Slang) / upstairs, over / to be lucky) laf laffe laven lava boven boffen (cowardly / cowardly / to quench / lava / upstairs, over / to be lucky) waffel wafel zwavel luifel zuivel 2 ("mouth (derogatory) / wafer / sulphur / awning / dairy) oefenen toeven toeval hoewel (to exercise / to live, reside (old-fashioned) / coincidence, chance / although) duf duw suf sluw (out of it / push / ~dull, not fully alert / sly) ('uw' is always long) walm walmen (zalm) bedwelmen (2) (~dense smoke / to produce thick smoke / (salmon) / to daze)
W in Combinations		dwaling dwang dwepen dwingen (aberration / compulsion, coercion / idolize / compel) kwaken kwakkelen kweken kwekken kwik kwiek (to quack / to be sickly or changeable / to raise, grow / to jabber / mercury / quick, brisk) zwaan zwanger zweven zwerven 2 (swan / pregnant / to float (in the air) / to roam, wander) zwalken zwelgen zwerm (to drift about / to wallow, to gobble / swarm) - more Dutch W
J		Dutch J is like English 'consonant Y' (like in YES) - except in the diphthong IJ ja je jouw jeuk (yes / you / your / itch) je jong jongetje (you / young / little boy) ijs (ice, ice cream) - IJ hij stijl (body of water near Amsterdam / he / style) See also: 'Consonant i'
K before N		Unlike in English, K before N is pronounced: nijptang kniptang (pincer / cutting plier, wire cutter) knie (knee) - knokkel (knuckle) - kneden 2 (to knead - like, bread) knabbelen 2 (to nibble) - deurknop (door knob) knagen 2 3 (to gnaw) - knauw 2 3 4 5 6 (amimal bite; setback) knaap knap knapen knappe (lad / pretty; clever / lads / pretty; clever) knoop knop knopen knoppen (button / bud / buttons / buds) knarsen knerpen knallen knetteren 2 3 (grinding (teeth) / to crunch, grate / banging / to crackle ) knikken knokken knul (to nod / to fight / guy, chap)
L		Dutch L is very similar to English L - but different from L in many other languages: ellenlang (very long, annoyingly) - luilekkerland 2 (the Land of Cockaigne) the Dutch L page - Old L page
end-of-word N		Many Dutchmen, maybe even a majority of the population, drop the N in -EN verb and plurals endings. It's not the standard pronunciation, and I think it's sloppy, though I have to admit to a certain softening of my own final N's. You may have noticed it in the Multatuli reading of the previous lesson. Dear students, I recommend pronouncing these N's, because you have to write them anyway, and dropping them would just add another rule. De mensen praten plat. De mense prate plat. (people are talking in substandard Dutch) We hebben lopen demonstreren. We hebbe lope demonstrere. 2 3 (We were in a protest march.) In the North-Eastern provinces of Groningen and Drente, some people pronounce an (to the rest of the country) exaggerated M at the end of words ending in -EN. So the three varieties of Dutch -EN endings are: Common: wij lope Standard: wij lopen Groningen: wij loopm (we are walking)
NG		Dutch NG is like in English NG in SING or HANGER, NOT like in stranger or linger. zang zanger (song / singer) ding dingen (thing / things) lang langer langst (long / longer / longest) streng strenger strengst (strict / more strict / most strict) gang ging gong (corridor / (he) went / gong) hangen kreng strekking (to hang / bitch / purpose, intent, effect)
P before S		Unlike in English, P before S is pronounced psalm pseudoniem psycholoog 2 (psalm / pen name / psychologist) psychiater (psychiatrist) - psychosomatisch 2 (psychosomatic)
R		Dutch R is quite different from English R: er ('there' ‑>>) - rek roos rits rap (rack / rose / zipper / quick) raad veer roef huur huren (counsel / feather / deckhouse / rent / to rent) At the beginning of a word, English R starts with the tongue touching the top of the palate, and then moving down; it's a 'rolling' sound formed in the middle of the mouth. Dutch R keeps the tongue flat, its tip touching the lower teeth, and is formed in the back of the mouth. Compare English and Dutch R: English road room ram rat price fries great fern deer star Dutch rood roem rem rat prijs frietjes Greet varen dier star meaning of Dutch word red fame a brake rat price fries (girls' name) fern animal, mammal rigid, inflexible Thank you Cody!
S and Z		gras grassen grazen (grass / grasses / to graze les lessen lezen (lesson / lessons / to read) zo'n sombere zomer ('such a gloomy Summer') veinzen grijnzen linzen grenzen (to pretend, feign / to grin / lentils / borders)
SCH		see also CH ("a sound like you clear your throat") schip (ship) - schop (spade, shovel) - schep (scoop) schaar (scissors) - schuit 2 (lesser ship) - beschaafd (civilized) schaaf schier schok schoof - (slicer / almost / shock / sheaf) schulp schuilen schuur (shell / to find shelter / shed)

See and Hear also: Exceptions and Irregularities in Lesson 10 - 'where Dutch is not phonetic'

Major Exceptions to the Phonetic Spelling of Dutch - page 2

Find many more examples of these sounds on the Dutch Pronunciation Reference page

Polders: The Reclaimed Land

(de) polder	2	'polder' (reclaimed land)
(de) dijk		dike, levee
(de) sloot		ditch
(de) molen		windmill
(het) gemaal		pumping station
(het) kanaal		canal, channel
het nieuwe land		the new, reclaimed land

de Waddenzee

Ten thousand years ago, nomadic hunters were the first men in what's now Holland; when agriculture came a few thousand years later, settlers built dwellings and villages on existing hills, or mounds would be created as safe places from the occasional floods. Those elevations are now usually called by the Frisian word terpen - singular (de) terp . The Dutch word (de) vliedberg ('flee-mountain') has become less common, and (de) vluchtheuvel ('hill of refuge') - is nowadays the common word for 'traffic isle,' the safe, slightly raised spot for pedestrians beween the lanes of a busy road.
It was probably during the Roman time (ca. 50BC-400AD) that the first dikes were built and the first canals dug - but then the collapse of the Roman empire and the invasions by Germanic tribes coincided with a 5-foot (1½ meter) rise of the sea level and a period of very bad weather, which breached the line of dunes that had been a natural defense against the sea. Very few people remained at the Dutch coast in this time.
See the shape of Holland change over the years.
The first dikes were probably just walls of earth; later they were made more lasting by a layer of rocks or mats of twine or branches, and vegetation also helped to protect them. In the 11th or 12th Century, Waterschappen ('water boards') developed. The people living close to the sea organized themselves to manage the water and worked out a payment system. Some see it as an early, limited form of democracy (of course pioneered by Greeks much earlier.)
The 16th Century development of windmills that could be rotated to face the wind made the draining of larger lakes possible. It often was a commercial venture: investors would pay for reclaiming land that was then rented out to farmers. A famous early water engineer took the name Leeghwater ('empty-water'): Jan Adriaansz Leeghwater 2
droogleggen to reclaim land ‑>>
In the 19th Century, steam engines made the draining of still larger and deeper lakes possible.
Read about the large 20th Century water projects in the next lesson. >>
<< - essays - >>

Words

(het) water - 2

(de) golf - 2 (het) zand - 2

(de) rivier (Peace River, Canada)

moderne windmolen

(de) molen = (de) windmolen

(de) wolken

(de) mist

(het) water - 2

(de) regen - 2

(de) regenboog

regent 't?

(de) sneeuw

't sneeuwt

(de) getijden tides ->>

(de) eb ebbtide, low tide

(de) vloed floodtide, high tide

more weather (with Dutch weather expressions.)

Calculations

rekenen to calculate, do arithmetic berekenen 2 to calculate (de) berekening 2 calculation (de) vergelijking equation - also: comparison (de) rekening bill, invoice

> groter dan < kleiner dan 2 > 1 twee is groter dan één 3 < 4 drie is kleiner dan vier

plus 2 + (plus) min 2 - (minus) maal 2 x (times) gedeeld door 2 : (divided by, 'over') is 2 = (equals) hear 5

optellen 2 to add aftrekken 2 to subtract vermenigvuldigen 2 3 to multiply delen 2 to divide hear 4

In elementary school we are taught the tables using keer for multiplication; maal 2 is more scientific. Likewise, en 2 is the elementary school adding word, plus is the scientific term.

2x3=6 twee keer drie is zes 2x3=6 twee maal drie is zes 2+3=5 twee en drie is vijf 2+3=5 twee plus drie is vijf

de tafel van twee: één keer twee is twee, twee keer twee is vier, drie keer twee is zes, vier keer twee is acht ... 2

3+4-5=2 drie plus vier min vijf is twee 6x7=42 zes maal zeven is tweeënveertig 8:4=2 acht gedeeld door vier is twee x+y=z 2 3 x plus y is z 2² 2 3 twee kwadraat (two squared) a² + b² = c² 2 a kwadraat plus b kwadraat is c kwadraat 2³ twee tot de derde (two cubed) één keer one time, once twee keer two times, twice drie keer three times, thrice de eerste keer the first time de tweede keer the second time deze keer this time de vorige keer the prevous time, the time before de volgende keer the next time de laatste keer the last time één keer per dag 'one time a day, once daily' twee keer per dag two times a day, twice daily het is de vierde keer it is the fourth time drie maal is scheepsrecht 2 'three times is naval law' - nonsense remark about things happening three times keer op keer 2 'time after time' éénmaal... andermaal ... verkocht! '[one time ... another time ... sold!] going once ... going twice ... sold!' (what an auctioneer says) 'n enkele keer [a single time] - 'once or twice, very occasionally' voor de laatste keer ... 2 'for the last time ...' vijf procent 5% één-tiende procent 0.1% één promille 0.1% hear 3 in drievoud 2 in triplicate zesvoudig sixfold Dutch does NOT say 'one-tenth of one percent' like English, but just 'one-tenth percent:' één-tiende procent << - numbers, simple math and dimensions - >> Home (Learning Dutch) previous vorige 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 next volgende email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2009. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed, or hotlinked to. Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2