🇳🇱 A1 Level · Lesson 1 of 10
Dutch Greetings &
Introductions
Learn to say hello, introduce yourself, and hold your very first conversation in Dutch! Interactive exercises, audio, quizzes and more.
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Welcome to Dutch!
A quick introduction to the language
🔑 Key facts about Dutch
Word Order
The verb comes in 2nd position in a main sentence — similar to English!
Articles
de and het both mean “the” — you need to memorise which one each noun uses.
Pronunciation
A few tricky sounds: the guttural g, the vowel combo ui, and ij/ei.
Verbs
Present tense conjugation is straightforward — much simpler than French or German!
🌷
Cultural Note — Gezelligheid
Dutch people have a concept called gezelligheid (pronounced: khuh-ZEL-ikh-hite) — a feeling of cosiness, warmth, and togetherness. When you meet Dutch speakers, expect direct and honest communication — they value straightforwardness and are very friendly once you break the ice!
Pronunciation Guide
Click each card to hear the sound
G / CH
Guttural sound from the back of the throat — like clearing your throat softly
goed → [khoot]
▶ tap to hear
UI
Unique Dutch vowel — start like “uh” and glide toward “ee”
huis → [hœys]
▶ tap to hear
IJ / EI
Sounds like “ay” in “say” — both spellings share the same sound
zijn → [zayn]
▶ tap to hear
OE
Sounds exactly like “oo” in English “boot”
goed → [khoot]
▶ tap to hear
AA
Long open “a” — like “a” in “father” held longer
naam → [naːm]
▶ tap to hear
EE
Closed “e” — like “ay” but held steady, no glide
nee → [neː]
▶ tap to hear
UU
Like French “u” — round your lips as if saying “ee”
muur → [myːr]
▶ tap to hear
W
Between English “v” and “w” — lips lightly together
wat → [vat]
▶ tap to hear
Greetings
Hello, good evening, goodbye…
| 🇳🇱 Dutch | 🔊 | 🇬🇧 English | 📖 Pronunciation | ⏰ When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goedemorgen | Good morning | KHU-də-MOR-khən | Morning | |
| Goedemiddag | Good afternoon | KHU-də-MI-dakh | Afternoon | |
| Goedenavond | Good evening | KHU-dən-AH-vond | Evening | |
| Hallo | Hello | HA-lo | Informal | |
| Hoi | Hi | HOY | Informal | |
| Dag | Hello / Bye | DAKH | Any time | |
| Tot ziens | Goodbye | TOT ZEENS | Formal | |
| Tot straks | See you later | TOT STRAKS | Informal | |
| Tot morgen | See you tomorrow | TOT MOR-khən | Evening | |
| Goedenacht | Good night | KHU-dən-AKHT | Bedtime |
🎭 Dialogue 1 — Running into a neighbour
👨
Goedemorgen!
Good morning!
KHU-də-MOR-khən
👩
Goedemorgen! Hoe gaat het?
Good morning! How are you?
HOO KHAT ət
👨
Het gaat goed, dank je. En met jou?
I’m doing well, thank you. And you?
👩
Ook goed! Tot ziens!
Also good! Goodbye!
👨
Tot ziens! Dag!
Goodbye! Take care!
Introducing Yourself
Name, origin, and where you live
| 🇳🇱 Dutch | 🔊 | 🇬🇧 English | 📖 Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ik heet… | My name is… / I am called… | IK HEYT | |
| Mijn naam is… | My name is… | MAYN NAHM IS | |
| Ik kom uit… | I come from… | IK KOM ŒYT | |
| Ik woon in… | I live in… | IK VOHN IN | |
| Ik ben … jaar oud | I am … years old | IK BEN … YAHR OWT | |
| Aangenaam! | Nice to meet you! | AHN-khə-NAHM | |
| Leuk je te ontmoeten! | Nice to meet you! (informal) | LŒYK yə tə ONT-moo-tən | |
| Waar kom jij vandaan? | Where are you from? | VAHR KOM YAY FAN-dahn |
🎭 Dialogue 2 — First meeting
👨
Hallo! Ik heet Thomas. En jij?
Hello! My name is Thomas. And you?
👩
Hoi! Mijn naam is Sara. Aangenaam!
Hi! My name is Sara. Nice to meet you!
👨
Waar kom jij vandaan?
Where are you from?
VAHR KOM YAY FAN-dahn
👩
Ik kom uit Algerije. En jij?
I come from Algeria. And you?
👨
Ik kom uit Nederland. Ik woon in Amsterdam.
I come from the Netherlands. I live in Amsterdam.
Grammar: Pronouns & “To Be”
Personal pronouns + the verb zijn
👤 Personal Pronouns
1st singular
Ik
I
2nd singular
Jij / Je
You
3rd sing. M
Hij
He
3rd sing. F
Zij / Ze
She
Polite form
U
You (formal)
1st plural
Wij / We
We
2nd plural
Jullie
You (all)
3rd plural
Zij / Ze
They
⚡ Verb: Zijn (To Be) — Present Tense
| Pronoun | 🇳🇱 Dutch | 🔊 | 🇬🇧 English | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ik | ben | am | Ik ben student. (I am a student.) | |
| Jij / Je | bent | are | Jij bent vriendelijk. (You are friendly.) | |
| U | bent / is | are (formal) | U bent de leraar. (You are the teacher.) | |
| Hij / Zij | is | is | Hij is Nederlands. (He is Dutch.) | |
| Wij / We | zijn | are | We zijn vrienden. (We are friends.) | |
| Jullie | zijn | are | Jullie zijn welkom! (You are all welcome!) | |
| Zij / Ze | zijn | are | Ze zijn thuis. (They are home.) |
Flashcard Review
Click to flip — mark what you know!
🇳🇱 Dutch — tap to reveal
Goedemorgen
What does this mean?
🇬🇧 English
Good morning
used before noon
Card 1 / 12
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Exercise: Match the Pairs
Select a Dutch word, then its English meaning
👆 Tap a Dutch word, then tap the matching English translation
🇳🇱 Dutch
Hallo
Dank je
Tot ziens
Aangenaam
Goedenacht
Ik heet…
🇬🇧 English
Thank you
Good night
Hello
My name is…
Goodbye
Nice to meet you
🎉 Perfect! All pairs matched! +30 XP earned!
Exercise: Fill in the Blanks
Type the missing Dutch word in each sentence
💬 Complete each Dutch sentence with the correct word
1
— Hoe gaat het? — Het gaat
💡 (I’m doing well)
2
— Ik
Sophie. Aangenaam!
💡 (My name is…)
3
— Ik kom
Algerije.
💡 (I come from…)
4
— Goede
! Hoe gaat het?
💡 (morning greeting)
5
— Hij
student.
💡 (to be — 3rd person singular)
6
— Ik woon
Amsterdam.
💡 (I live ___ Amsterdam)
Final Quiz
10 questions — test everything you’ve learned
🎯 Lesson 1 Quiz
Choose the best answer for each question
What does this mean?
Goedemorgen
✅ Goedemorgen = Good morning. Use it before noon!
❌ Goedemorgen = Good morning (before noon).
How do you say in Dutch:
“My name is…”
✅ Ik heet… = My name is. You can also say Mijn naam is…
❌ Correct: Ik heet… means “My name is…”
Which pronoun means “we” in Dutch?
?
✅ Wij / We = we. We is the casual short form used in everyday speech.
❌ Wij / We = we in Dutch.
What does this mean?
Aangenaam!
✅ Aangenaam = Nice to meet you. Use it when meeting someone for the first time!
❌ Aangenaam = Nice to meet you!
Complete the sentence: “Ik ___ student.”
(I am a student.)
✅ With Ik, the verb zijn conjugates as ben. Just like “I am” in English!
❌ With Ik, you say ben → Ik ben student.
What does “Tot straks” mean?
Tot straks
✅ Tot straks = See you later (very soon). Tot morgen = see you tomorrow.
❌ Tot straks = See you later (in a little while).
How do you ask “Where are you from?” in Dutch?
?
✅ Waar kom jij vandaan? = Where are you from? (Waar = where, vandaan = from)
❌ Correct: Waar kom jij vandaan? = Where are you from?
Which form of “zijn” goes with “Zij” (she)?
Zij ___
✅ Zij is = She is. Same as hij is (he is).
❌ With Zij, use is → Zij is vriendelijk (She is friendly).
Which is the most informal way to say “hi”?
?
✅ Hoi is very informal — like “hey!” between friends. Hallo is a bit more neutral.
❌ Hoi is the most casual, informal greeting in Dutch.
Translate into English:
Ik woon in Amsterdam.
✅ Ik woon in = I live in. For “I come from” you’d say Ik kom uit Amsterdam.
❌ Wonen means “to live”. Ik woon in = I live in.
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Bonus Vocabulary
Essential everyday expressions
| 🇳🇱 Dutch | 🔊 | 🇬🇧 English | 📖 Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ja | Yes | YAH | |
| Nee | No | NEY | |
| Alsjeblieft | Please (informal) | ALS-yə-BLEEFT | |
| Alstublieft | Please (formal) | ALS-too-BLEEFT | |
| Dank je wel | Thank you very much | DANK yə VEL | |
| Geen dank | You’re welcome | KHEYN DANK | |
| Sorry | Sorry | SO-ri | |
| Pardon | Excuse me | PAR-don | |
| Spreekt u Nederlands? | Do you speak Dutch? | SPREYKT oo NEY-dər-lands | |
| Ik spreek geen Nederlands | I don’t speak Dutch | IK SPREYK KHEYN… |
