TOP |
Conjugation | |
Sample Sentences |
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Related Words |
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spreken to speak |
- | sprak spoke |
- | gesproken spoken |
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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 | ||
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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 | |
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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) | |
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simple past tense | ||
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(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 | |
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present perfect tense | |
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ik heb gesproken
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I have spoken |
![]() ik spreek ![]() 'The Speaking Dutchman' |
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
Wie spreekt er voor de slachtoffers?
Goropius
Spreken is zilver, zwijgen is goud
Met twee woorden spreken
Bij wijze van spreken
't Spreekt tot de verbeelding
't Spreekt me niet aan
'Aanspreken' can also mean 'to address, start
talking to someone' (sometimes challenging)
tegenspreken
zich verspreken
Wilt U via een tolk spreken?
(de) vertaler
Dat zeg je niet zo
't Is niet fout ...
(de) toespraak
(de) uitspraak
(het) spraakgebrek
wauwelen
(de) wettelijke aansprakelijkheid
Ik had schrijver willen worden, maar ik ben spreker geworden
The soundalike slang word spieken
(de) stem
Wat is er met m'n stem?
Stemmen
(het) stemrecht
(de) stemming
(de) stemvork
More Good Dutch Smartphone Pages
email -
Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2016.
He spoke much, he was talking a lot
Er werd veel gesproken over vrijheid
2
There was much [spoken] talk about freedom
2
3
Who speaks for the victims?
(who voices their viewpoint)
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
To speak is silver, (but) silence is golden
- more 'zwijgen'
2
"Speak with two words (instead of one)"
- suggesting to children to be polite
2
3
In a manner of speaking,
As a figure of speech
2
It speaks, appeals to the imagination - it
makes you think of it, imagine it
It doesn't appeal to me
- a little stronger but also more polite than:
't Zegt me niks
2
- Zeggen
Ik sprak hem aan
2
3
I addressed him, I started speaking to him, I
challenged him
2
3
4
to [speak against] contradict
Hij sprak hun tegen
2
He contradicted them,
he said their version was untrue or not correct
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
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)
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
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
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
(de) woordvoerder
2
3
spokesperson
(de) spreekbuis
2
mouthpiece, not-objective speaker
(het) spreekwoord
2
saying, standard
phrase
- Dutch Sayings
(het) spreekuur
2
3
doctor's office hours (walk-in)
(het) gesproken boek
[spoken] audio book
(het) sprekend voorbeeld
[speaking] very good, very illustrative
'telling' example
(het) gesprek
2
conversation, talk
Ik heb een lang gesprek met m'n baas gehad
I had a long talk with my boss
een gesprek beginnen
2
to start a conversation
(het) sollicitatiegesprek
2
job interview See also:
Jobs
(het) vraaggesprek
interview (old-fashioned
- most people use the English word)
bespreken
2
to discuss // to reserve
(de) bespreking
2
meeting for discussion
(de) afspraak
appointment - also: agreement
Ik heb een afspraak om acht uur
2
3
I have an 8 o'clock appointment
Kan ik de afspraak verzetten?
2
Can I (move) reschedule the appointment?
Ik herinnerde hem aan de afspraak
I reminded him that there was an agreement
(het) afspraakje
2
(romantic) date
speech, address
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
(de) inspraak
inspraakpak
(spijkerpak
)
2
3
'co-decision,' involvement - from the staff councils
set up in the late sixties, some co-decision power
by lower-level company or department participants
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)
2
3
talking in an irritating manner
(het) gewauwel
2
3
annoying, boring talk
2
legal liability
aanspraak maken op
2
laying (a) claim to
(het) onbesproken gedrag
[behaviour above reproach] - unblemished
conduct
I wanted to be a writer,
but I've become a speaker
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.')
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
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
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
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!
2
3
'mood' // 'vote, voting'
(de) overeenstemming
2
3
agreement, consensus
(de) toestemming
permission
(de) bestemming
2
destination
2
tuning fork
Zeggen
to say-
Spreken
to speak-
Praten
to talk, chat
from 'Using Words':
Words
- The News
Vertellen
'to tell'-
Schrijven
to write-
Lezen
to read
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redistributed, or hotlinked to.
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'Thou shalt not steal'