Dutch Verb Spreken ('to Speak') - Smartphones Page

Spreken - Conjugation

spreken to speak

-

sprak spoke

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gesproken spoken

See also Praten 'to talk, to chat'

Like almost all verbs with A in the simple past tense, that A is 'short' in the singular, but 'long' in the plural

overview
spreken		to speak
ik spreek		I speak
wij spreken		we speak
ik sprak		I spoke
wij spraken		we spoke
ik heb gesproken		I have spoken

simple present tense
spreken		to speak
ik spreek		I speak
jij spreekt		you speak (singular, informal you)
hij spreekt		he speaks
wij spreken		we speak
jullie spreken		you speak (plural, informal you)
zij spreken		they speak
U spreekt		you speak (polite you)
2

simple past tense
(spreken)		to speak
ik sprak		I spoke
jij sprak		you spoke
hij sprak		he spoke
wij spraken		we spoke
jullie spraken		y'all spoke
zij spraken		they spoke
U sprak		you spoke
2 3

present perfect tense
ik heb gesproken	I have spoken

ik spreek 2 'The Speaking Dutchman'

'Spreken' - Sample Sentences

Je spreekt goed Nederlands 2 [You speak good Dutch] - You speak Dutch well
Hij spreekt vloeiend Nederlands 2 [He speaks fluent Dutch] - He speaks Dutch fluently
Hij spreekt ook Duits He also speaks German

Veel mensen spreken Engels Many people speak English Niet veel mensen spreken Latijn [Not many] Few people speak Latin

Zou je alsjeblieft Nederlands willen spreken? Could you please speak Dutch? (informal 'you') Zou U alstublieft Nederlands willen spreken? Could you please speak Dutch? (polite 'you')

Zou U wat langzamer willen spreken? 2 Could you please speak [somewhat] a little slower?

Ik spreek geen Nederlands 2 I don't speak Dutch Ik spreek helaas geen Nederlands 2 Unfortunately, I don't speak Dutch

Ik spreek niet goed Nederlands 2 I don't speak Dutch well Ik spreek geen goed Nederlands (?) I don't speak Dutch well

Met wie spreek ik? 2 [With whom] Who am I speaking to? Who's calling? (on the telephone) ‑>> Wilt U liever met een tolk spreken? 2 Would you rather speak with an interpreter? - more below

Ze wil je dringend spreken 2 She wants to talk to you urgently Ze moet je dringend spreken 2 She urgently needs to talk to you

Hij sprak veel He spoke much, he was talking a lot Er werd veel gesproken over vrijheid 2 There was much [spoken] talk about freedom

Wie spreekt er voor de slachtoffers? 2 3 Who speaks for the victims? (who voices their viewpoint)

Goropius 2 (Jan van Gorp 2) 17th Century Dutch linguist "Adam en Eva spraken Nederlands in het Paradijs" "Adam and Eve spoke Dutch in Paradise" "In het Paradijs spraken Adam en Eva Nederlands" 2 "In Paradise, Adam and Eve spoke Dutch" Volgens Goropius spraken Adam en Eva Nederlands 2 According to Goropius, Adam and Eve spoke Dutch Goropius zegt dat Adam en Eva Nederlands spraken 2 Goropius says that Adam and Eve spoke Dutch
See also: Word Order

Spreken is zilver, zwijgen is goud To speak is silver, (but) silence is golden - more 'zwijgen'

Met twee woorden spreken 2 "Speak with two words (instead of one)" - suggesting to children to be polite

Bij wijze van spreken 2 3 In a manner of speaking, As a figure of speech

't Spreekt tot de verbeelding 2 It speaks, appeals to the imagination - it makes you think of it, imagine it

't Spreekt me niet aan It doesn't appeal to me
- a little stronger but also more polite than:
't Zegt me niks 2
- Zeggen

'Aanspreken' can also mean 'to address, start talking to someone' (sometimes challenging)
Ik sprak hem aan 2 3 I addressed him, I started speaking to him, I challenged him

tegenspreken 2 3 4 to [speak against] contradict Hij sprak hun tegen 2 He contradicted them, he said their version was untrue or not correct

zich verspreken to misspeak, say something else than you intended Ik versprak me 2
Ik heb me versproken 2 I misspoke, it's not what I wanted to say

Wilt U via een tolk spreken? 2 Would you like to speak using an interpreter? Wilt U liever met een tolk spreken? 2 Would you rather speak with an interpreter? (de) tolk 2 interpreter (instant translation)

(de) vertaler 2 translator
(de) vertaling 2 3 translation
Er is inderdaad geen goede vertaling 2 [There is indeed ...] You're right, there is no good translation Ze hielp hen met de vertaling She helped (assisted) them with the translation

Dat zeg je niet zo 2 3 [You don't say it that way] It's not the right way to say that (pointing out a mistake) Is er geen Nederlands woord voor? 2 3 Is there no Dutch word for it? Er is geen Nederlands woord voor 2 There is no Dutch word for it Ik ken dat woord niet I don't know that word Wat betekent 't? 2 What does it mean? Wat betekent dat woord? 2 3 slow What does that word mean? What is the meaning of that word?
't Betekent ... It means ... 't Betekent heel iets anders 2 It means something [very] completely different Kun je 't omschrijven? 2 Could you describe what it means? (When you don't know the translation) Is er een ander woord voor? 2 Is there another word for it? Hoe zeg je dat in het Nederlands? 2 How do you say that in Dutch? Hoe zeg je dat precies? 2 3 How do you say that exactly? Begrijp je echt wat er staat? 2 Do you really understand what it says? (looking at a written text) - See also: Speaking Dutch, Speaking about Dutch

't Is niet fout ... 2 It's not wrong ... ... maar je kunt 't eenvoudiger zeggen 2 3 ... but [you can say it more simply] there's a simpler way to say it /or/ ... maar 't is niet mooi 2 3 ... but it's not pretty

microfoon

luidspreker

luidspreker

'Spreken' - Related Words

gehad

(de) toespraak speech, address

(de) uitspraak 1. pronunciation 2. statement, verdict Ik zoek een uitspraak van de koning I'm looking for a statement by the king Ik zoek naar een uitspraak van de koning 2 3 I'm searching for a statement by the king uitspraken doen 2 3 making statements uitspreken 2 to pronounce
Weet je hoe je 't moet uitspreken? 2 Do you know how to pronounce it? (if not, I can tell you) Weet jij hoe je 't moet uitspreken? 2 3 Do you know how to pronounce it? (can you tell me?) zich uitspreken 2 3 to speak out, stating an opinion
reflexive verbs

inspraakpak (spijkerpak )

(het) spraakgebrek 2 speech impediment
spraakmakend 2 [speech-making] - creating much talk, famous, notorious spraakzaam 2 (3) talkative
(het) spraakwater 2 alcoholic drinks that loosen the tongue,
or: the saliva flying from the mouths of some speakers vanzelfsprekend [speaking for itself] - obvious, self-evident // (according to common expectation)

wauwelen 2 3 talking in an irritating manner
(het) gewauwel 2 3 annoying, boring talk

(de) wettelijke aansprakelijkheid 2 legal liability aanspraak maken op 2 laying (a) claim to (het) onbesproken gedrag [behaviour above reproach] - unblemished conduct

Ik had schrijver willen worden, maar ik ben spreker geworden I wanted to be a writer, but I've become a speaker

The soundalike slang word spieken means cheating on an exam or test by using a cheat sheet or looking at other students' answers. (Maybe it's related to English 'to peek.')

(de) stem voice // vote ‑>>
plural: stemmen 2 voices
een zachte stem 2 3 a quiet voice (not loud) Ik herkende hem aan z'n stem 2 I recognized him by his voice 't Stemmetje van Tante Jo 2 The [little, small] funny voice of Aunt Jo mijn barse stem 2 3 my harsh voice mijn gebroken stem my [cracked] croaking voice

Wat is er met m'n stem? 2 3 What's [going on] wrong with my voice? Wat kraakt m'n stem! How croaky my voice is! Jeetje wat kraakt m'n stem Gee, [how my voice is croaking] how croaky my voice is (het) kraakfestijn 2 3 4 5 6 'croaking voice festival' Ligt 't aan m'n stem? 2 Is my voice the problem? (Why does it sound so bad?) Waarom klink m'n stem zo dof? Why does my voice sound so dull, muffled? Ik heb geen keelpijn of zo maar m'n stem die kraakt zo I don't have a sore throat or something like that but my voice [it] is croaking badly Zou m'n stem moinder kraken? Would my vote be less croaking? M'n stem is naar de maan 2 3 My voice [went to the moon] is ruined

Stemmen 2 is the plural of (de) stem 'voice' and 'vote' but it's also a verb meaning 'to vote' or 'to tune' (a musical instrument)

overview
stemmen		to vote // to tune
ik stemde		I voted
ik heb gestemd		I have voted

simple present tense
stemmen		to vote // to tune
ik stem		I vote
jij stemt		you vote (singular, informal you)
hij stemt		he votes
wij stemmen		we vote
jullie stemmen		you vote (plural, informal you)
zij stemmen		they vote
U stemt		you vote (polite you)

Simple Past Tense:
NOT 't kofschip-type: D-endings
stemmen		to vote / to tune
ik stemde		I voted
jij stemde		you voted
hij stemde		he voted
wij stemden		we voted
jullie stemden		y'all voted
zij stemden		they voted
U stemde		you voted

(het) stemrecht 2 the right to vote
Ik heb gestemd 2 I have voted "Heb je al gestemd?" 2 'Did you vote already?' "Ik heb nog niet gestemd." 'I have not voted yet.' Stem op een vrouw! 2 Vote for a woman!

- elections in Holland

(de) stemming 2 3 'mood' // 'vote, voting'
(de) overeenstemming 2 3 agreement, consensus
(de) toestemming permission
(de) bestemming 2 destination

(de) stemvork 2 tuning fork

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