Dutch: Common Problems and Frequently Asked Questions

'Niet,' 'Geen' and 'Wel'

'Niet' 2 is an adverb indicating a negative for a verb or for an adjective: a verb action did not happen or is not happening, or an adjective is not valid - usually 'not' or 'do not' in English. 'Geen' is an adjective meaning 'zero quantity' or 'it isn't there' - 'no' or 'not a, not any' in English. (The negative answer 'No' is Nee in Dutch.) 'Wel' is the emphasized opposite of 'not'/'niet,' - stressing that something did occur or is happening, or that an adjective is valid. English has no straight equivalent of 'wel' but can express that meaning with 'to do.'
't Regent niet Ik heb 't niet gedaan Ik ben niet ziek 2 3 4 Er zijn geen bergen in Nederland Ik heb geen hoofdpijn Heeft U bananen? - Nee Er zijn wel sinaasappels Ik heb het wel gedaan	It's not raining I have not done it, I did not do it I am not sick There are no mountains in Holland I do not have a headache Do you have bananas? - No (But) we do have oranges I did do it
A further explanation and many more examples on the 'Niet,' 'Geen' and 'Wel' Page

Translating 'It,' 'That' and 'What' Placeholders

'Placeholders' are substitutes, short for something mentioned before or implied.
't eten - 't was lekker	the food - it was enjoyable ('it' = the food)
The English 'placeholders:' 'It,' 'That' and 'What' can sometimes, but not always be translated into Dutch as respectively 'Het,' 2 3 or 't - 'Dat' and 'Wat'
Ik spreek geen Nederlands ... 2 ... maar ik kan het wel verstaan 2 3	I don't speak Dutch ... ... but I do understand it ('het'/'it' = Dutch)
Ik heb het met veel plezier gelezen 2	I read it with great pleasure (it - a book that was mentioned before)
Het is te duur	It is too expensive (it - an item mentioned or looked at)
Ik zie het	I see it ('it' - the thing mentioned before)
Is het het waard?	Is it worth it?
Dat is een goed idee	That's a good idea (commenting on something mentioned before)
Doe dat nou niet! 2 3 4	Don't do that! Stop doing that thing you're doing!
Wat ik nu pas begrijp 2	What I only now understand (something that eluded me before)
De agent vertelde de rechter wat hij gezien had	The policeman told the judge what he'd seen
Find many more examples in the 'Disambiguation' pages: Het - Dat - Wat
But when the placeholders in Dutch are used with a preposition, they're often (but not always) translated as 'Er,' 'It,' - 'Daar' 'That' and 'Waar' 'What.'
Ik denk er vaak aan 2 3	I often think of it
Daar heb ik niet over nagedacht 2	I have not thought, I did not think of that
Ik weet ervan 2	I know about it
Daar moet je mee oppassen 2 3 4	You should be careful with that
Waarom? Daarom!	[What for? For this!] Why? Because!
Hij weet waar-(d)ie het over heeft 2	He knows what he's talking about
Waar gaat 't om? 2 3	What is it about? What is the important thing?
Er / Het - Daar / Dat - Waar / Wat - Another Look
Unfortunately, there is a small exception to the rule about placeholders and prepositions - but don't worry too much about it, it's unusual, not something that's said very often. You can say:
Kom er niet aan! 2	Don't touch it!
- but you can also say:
Raak het niet aan! 2	Don't touch it!
Looking at other examples, the difference seems to be that aanraken 2 'to touch' is a compound verb but that rule is not 100% valid, because 'aankomen' 2 (to touch) is also a compound verb. But you can safely assume that when the preposition is 'independent' 'het'  is replaced by 'er'  - but there are a few compound verbs that also take 'er'.
aangeven 2	1. 'to hand, pass,' put something into someone else's hands 2. 'to indicate, signal, mark' 3. 'to register,' file an official report.
Geef 't aan 2 3	1. Hand it to me 2. Mark it, indicate it 3. Report it to the police
geven 2 3 aan	to give (to)
Geef eraan! 2 3	Give, donate to it
Many Dutch verbs are compound verbs made up of a preposition and a basic verb, for instance achterlaten 2 ('to leave behind') and many of those compound verbs split up ‑>> in the simple tenses:
Ik liet hem achter in Babylon 2 3	I left him behind in Babylon
The 'placeholders' ''het,' 'dat' and 'wat' are used with prepositions that are part of compound words, prepositions that attach to basic verbs in the infinitive, but when a preposition is 'really loose,' never attached to the verb, then 'er,' 'daar' and 'waar' are the 'placeholders' used.
aanvoelen 2 3	'to sense,' to notice non-verbally, intuitively
Dat voel ik aan 2	I know that instinctively, it's something I sense (like one's native language)
Ik voel het aan 2 3	I have an intuitive understanding of it
optillen	to lift
Til het niet op! 2	Don't lift it
Ik kan 't niet optillen 2 3 4	I can't lift it, I'm not able to lift it up
Find another explanation and many more examples in the 'Disambiguation' pages: Er / Het - Daar / Dat - Waar / Wat

'For' in Duration

Ik zat een uur bij de tandarts 2 3 Ik was drie dagen ziek 2 Ze bleven een week in Delft Ik heb een paar jaar pianoles gehad	I [sat] was at the dentist for an hour I was sick for 3 days They stayed in Delft for a week I've had piano lessons for a few years
Only in the somewhat unusual statements when time is used as a measurement of physical quantity a preposition like 'for' is used:
Er is voor drie dagen eten 2 3	There is food for three days (three days' worth of food)
The correct use of prepositions is one of the most important parts of learning a foreign language. Have a look at the following 'voor' examples:
Een kado (cadeau) voor Els 2 Bloemen voor Elly Een kuiltje voor de jus Ben je voor of tegen? Een boom voor het huis Voor de oorlog De stilte voor de storm voor acht uur Het begint voor acht uur Kwart voor drie aandacht voor details Wees aardig voor dieren	A present for Alice Flowers for Elisabeth A [small] well for the gravy Are you for or against? A tree in front of the house Before the war The quiet before the storm before eight It starts before eight o'clock A quarter to three (2:45) attention to details Be kind to animals
See also: Disambiguation: 'Voor' More on Prepositions etc.: Pictorial - Systematic List - English to Dutch List - Dutch to English List

'Of' in 'Units'

'n pond kaas 2 'n fles wijn 'n flesje water 'n kopje thee	a pound of cheese a bottle of wine a small bottle of water a cup of tea
Sometimes you can't use a literal translation of the 'unit' word, for instance Dutch says 'een stuk zeep' 2 3 - 'a piece of soap.' - More 'Units' examples
see also: Measurements, Dimensions
When it's not about contents from an indefinite source like above, but about a part of a clearly defined whole, like Dutch uses van 2 like English 'of.'
de helft van de bevolking twee jaar van m'n leven 2 'n rij van drie mensen 2 but: 'n rij bomen 2	half of the population two years of my life a line of 3 people a line (row) of trees
In similar-looking phrases that state the material that an item is made of and not its contents, Dutch does use van 2 like 'of' in English - for instance in hoedje van papier ('hat of paper, paper hat.') It might actually be easier for you to use this somewhat old-fashioned van construction, because these material adjectives often get an -EN ending.
het ijzeren masker / het masker van ijzer	the iron mask / the mask of iron
de gouden schaal / de schaal van goud	the golden bowl / the bowl of gold
de wollen muts / de muts van wol	the woollen cap / the cap of wool
het houten huis / het huis van hout	the wooden house / the house of wood
de ivoren toren / de toren van ivoor	the ivory tower / the tower of ivory
de glazen brug / de brug van glas	the glass bridge / the bridge of glass
de stalen helm / de helm van staal / de man van staal	the steel helmet / the helmet of steel / the man of steel
More on Materials
Of course, Dutch and English both often use 'of'/'van' to indicate ownership, belonging to, association, something specific or constituting elements. In English, you often see apostrophe-S for a possesive - in Dutch that's much less common. But when it's used, Dutchmen often incorrectly write the S with an apostrophe like in English - in Dutch it should be without the apostrophe.
M'n vaders vrienden De vrienden van m'n vader De mok van Piet 2 Jacoba van Beieren 2 De maanden van het jaar De dagen van de week De burgemeester van Amsterdam Het huis is van haar 2 Het zinken van het schip 't Delft van Vermeer De geur van dennennaalden Vrijheid van meningsuiting	My father's friends The friends of my father's Piet's mug Jacoba of Bavaria (Bayern) The months of the year The days of the week The mayor of Amsterdam The house is hers The sinking of the ship Vermeer's Delft The smell of pine needles Freedom of expression

Adjectives Almost Always End in E

an E-ending ('voiceless, unstressed E' )

al / alle all snel / snelle quick, fast slim / slimme 2 clever vol / volle full dun / dunne 2 skinny, thin

laag / lage low breed / brede 2 wide (think of:'broad') groot / grote 2 big, large, tall, great duur / dure 2 expensive, dear

mager / magere 2 skinny, thin (think of: 'meager') enkel / enkele single; a few vriendelijk / vriendelijke * kind, friendly duidelijk / duidelijke clear, obvious veilig / veilige * safe

blauw / blauwe 2 blue koud / koude cold klein / kleine 2 small, little rijk / rijke rich leuk / leuke 2 nice, enjoyable groen / groene green bruin / bruine brown

lang / lange long bekend / bekende 2 well-known licht / lichte light kort / korte short zulk / zulke such

Vlaams / Vlaamse Flemish vreemd / vreemde 2 strange, unusual, foreign beroemd / beroemde famous Dutch 'Long' and 'Short' Vowels Spelling Changes Explained Spelling Explained, with More Examples

To See and To Look - Zien and Kijken

zien to see	-	ik zie I see	-	wij zien we see	-	ik zag I saw	-	wij zagen we saw	-	ik heb gezien 2 - >> I have seen
kijken to look	-	ik kijk I look	-	wij kijken we look	-	ik keek I looked	-	wij keken we looked	-	ik heb gekeken I have looked

kijken

naar

Ik zag de sterren We zullen wel zien 2 Zie je het verschil? 2 3 Ik zie het verschil Hier ziet men de gevolgen 2 3 Ik heb mezelf op TV gezien Heb je haar gezien? 2 Ik heb die film niet gezien Ik heb Jan laatst nog gezien 2 tot ziens! 2 Zie je wel? 2 Ziet U wel?	I saw the stars We'll see Do you see the difference? I see the difference Here you see (one sees) the results consequences? I've seen myself on TV Have you seen her? Ik have not seen that movie I have seen Jan not too long ago See you! [Until we're seeing (each other) again] "See? Told you so" (informal) "See? Told you so" (polite)
Ze keken naar de wolken Ik kijk wat rond 2 3 Als je goed kijkt 2 Waar je ook kijkt, overal water Ze kijken op ons neer Hij was te klein om over de schutting te kijken 2 Kijk vooruit, niet achteruit Kijk even achterom voordat je afslaat 2 klok kijken 2 TV kijken 2 Kijk uit! 2	They were looking at the clouds I'm just looking around, "just browsing" (in a store) When you look [well] sharp Wherever you look, water everywhere They look down on us He was too small to look over the fence (he was not tall enough to look over ...) Look forward, not backward Look backward for a moment before you make a turn (traffic) [looking at the clock] telling time >> watching television Watch out! (be careful)
English 'to look' can also be used to comment on things you see. The Dutch verbs for that meaning is eruitzien 2
't Ziet er vies uit 2 Hij ziet er moe uit Ze ziet er uit als een filmster	It looks unappetizing He looks tired She looks like a movie star

Laten - 'to allow' or 'to let' - and more

laten to allow, 'let'

-

ik laat I 'let'

-

wij laten we 'let'

-

ik liet I 'let'

-

wij lieten we 'let'

-

ik heb gelaten I have 'let'

complete conjugation

Laat ik dat eerst even doen 2 Laat je thee niet koud worden 2 3 Laat 't twintig minuten koken 2 3 Laat me! 2	Let me do that first Don't let your tea get cold Let it boil for 20 minutes, boil it for 20 minutes Let me be, let me do my own thing
Laat me niet lachen! 2	[Dont make me laugh] - That's ridiculous!
Laat maar zitten! 2 3	['Let it stay'] - 'Keep the change' (when you give a tip) - or in another context: 'don't bother'
Laat de boel de boel	'Let things be, leave things as they are' - stop worrying, take a break
met rust laten Laat hem met rust 2	['to leave in peace'] to leave alone, 'don't bother' Leave him alone, don't bother him
Laat het aan de vakman over	Leave it to the professionals (Dutch uses the singular 'professsional')
Leven en laten leven 2 Laten we aan 't werk gaan 2 Laten we niet te hard van stapel lopen 2	Live and let live Let's start working, let's get started, let's get going [Let's not launch too quickly] Let's not get ahead too fast
'Nalaten' 2 meaning 'failing to do, refraining from' is a bit old-fashioned - but it can also mean 'to leave behind, to bequeath' (when you die.) In the next two examples 'na' seems to have been dropped:
Laat maar Als je dat maar laat! 2 3	Let it be, don't bother, no need for action ['Just leave that out!'] Don't do that!
Dutch also quite often uses laten in combinations with other verbs - combinations that are usually translated by one verb in English.
laten zien 2 laten vallen 2 laten schrikken 2 laten liggen 2 3	[to let/make see] - to show [to let fall] - to drop to startle, to scare, to frighten, to shock [to let lie] - not clean up, not put back in its place, not deal with
Ik liet alles vallen 2 Hij liet ons een paar foto's zien 2 Hij liet ons een paar liedjes horen Hij liet ons een uur wachten 2 3 4	I dropped everything (both literally and figuratively) He [let us see] showed us a few pictures He let us hear a few songs, he played a few songs for us He [let us] made us wait for an hour
Lies is lastig en laat alles liggen	Lies is troublesome and [lets everything lie around] doesn't put things back, doesn't clean up
Opgeruimd staat netjes	'Out of the way looks good' - things put in their place
In the perfect tenses, the regular past participle is gelaten 2
ik heb gelaten Ik heb 't maar zo gelaten 2 Ze hebben ons met rust gelaten 2	I have let, I have allowed I have left it like that, I didn't bother to make changes They have left us alone, they didn't bother us
But in combinations with other verbs, the infinitive laten is used:
ik heb laten ... 2 Ik heb laten zien 2 Ik heb moeten laten zien Ik heb de eieren laten schrikken	I have ... I have shown I had to show (I was forced to show) I shocked the eggs (rinse just-boiled eggs with cold water for easy peeling)
Ik wil niks verloren laten gaan 2	[I want nothing go to get lost] I don't want anything to go to waste
niet toelaten 2 niet toestaan	to disallow, 'not allow,' to forbid

The Reflexive Verb

zich verdedigen	to defend oneself	zich herinneren	to remember
ik verdedig me jij verdedigt je hij verdedigt zich zij verdedigt zich wij verdedigen ons jullie verdedigen je zij verdedigen zich U verdedigt zich	(I defend myself) (you defend yourself) (he defends himself) (she defends herself) (we defend ourselves) (you defend yourselves) (they defend themselves) (you defend yourself)	ik herinner me jij herinnert je hij herinnert zich zij herinnert zich wij herinneren ons jullie herinneren je zij herinneren zich U herinnert zich	(I remember) (you remember) (he remembers) (she remembers) (we remember) (you remember) (they remember) (you remember)	me je zich zich ons je zich zich >>

zich vergissen	to be mistaken	zich vervelen	to be bored
ik vergis me jij vergist je hij vergist zich zij vergist zich wij vergissen ons jullie vergissen je zij vergissen zich U vergist zich	(I am mistaken) (you are mistaken) (he is mistaken) (she is mistaken) (we are mistaken) (you are mistaken) (they are mistaken) (you are mistaken)	ik verveel me jij verveelt je hij verveelt zich zij verveelt zich wij vervelen ons jullie vervelen je zij vervelen zich U verveelt zich	(I am bored) (you are bored) (he is bored) (she is bored) (we are bored) (you are bored) (they are bored) (you are bored)	me je zich zich ons je zich zich >>

zich ontspannen 2 3 to relax zich zorgen maken 2 to worry zich voorstellen 2 1. to introduce oneself 2. to imagine

zich afvragen to wonder zich haasten to hurry zich verbazen 2 to be surprised, amazed

Verveel je je? Verveelt U zich?	Are you bored? (informal) Are you bored? (polite)
Mag ik me even voorstellen? 2	Allow me to introduce myself.
Ik stelde me voor 2	1. I introduced myself 2. I imagined ...
Stel je voor dat er geen auto's waren! 2	Imagine that there were no cars.
Hij hoefde zichzelf niet te bewijzen.	He didn't have to prove himself.
Ik kan 't me niet herinneren.	I [can't] don't remember [it.]
Nou herinner ik 't me weer. 2	Now I remember [it] [again.]
Hoe voel je je? 2	How do you feel?
Ontspan je! 2 Je moet je ontspannen 2 3	'Relax!' 'You should relax!'
't Verbaast me niks. 2	I am [nothing] not surprised.
Ik vraag me wel eens af ... 2 Ik vraag me af of ... 2	'Sometimes I wonder ... I wonder if ...'
We hebben ons vergist. 2	We were mistaken, we were wrong.
Ik heb me niet verveeld. 2	I [have not been] was not bored.
More on Reflexive Verbs - Personal Pronouns

Should I pronounce The N at the end of verbs and plurals?

De mensen praten plat.	De mense prate plat.	People talk sloppily, substandard. *
Wil je blijven eten? 2 3	Wil je blijve ete?	Would you like to stay for [food - usually:] dinner?
We hebben lopen demonstreren	We hebbe lope demonstrere 2 3	We have been in a protest march

'Heel,' 'Veel' and 'Erg'

'Veel' - usually translated as 'much' / 'many' (Dutch doesn't have that difference like in English) - or 'a lot (of)' is an adjective or an adverb indicating a large quantity, a high number or frequency.
Er zijn veel mensen ziek	[There are many people sick] Many people are sick
Hij weet veel van bijen 2	He knows a lot about bees
Er werd veel gesproken over vrijheid 2	[Much was talked ...] There was a lot of talking about freedom
We hebben veel regen 2	We're having a lot of rain
Te veel mensen met te veel geld 2	Too many people with too much money
- a lot more 'veel'
While 'erg' and 'heel' ('very') are adverbs that modify adjectives or other adverbs - indicating quality: a degree of
Heel goed, dank je 2	Very good, thank you (in answer to: 'how are you?')
Het houten huis is heel oud	The wooden house is very old
Ik vind het heel raar 2	I think it's very strange
Hij zei heel zachtjes 'ja' 2 3 4 5	He very softly said 'yes'
Een heel klein beetje 2	A very small amount
heel even 2	a very short time
Hij is erg blij	He's very happy
Ik ben erg moe 2	I'm very tired
Ze waren erg arm 2	They were very poor
Hij speelt heel goed gitaar 2 3	He plays the guitar very well
'Heel' in the sense of 'very' is a bit colloquial. In writing I mostly use 'erg.'
'Heel,' 'erg' and 'veel' can also be combined, but not in every possible way. You can say 'heel veel' 2 -or- 'erg veel' 2 -or- 'heel erg' 2 -and- 'heel erg veel' but NOT 'veel erg' or 'erg heel veel' - 'heel' is always before 'erg.' See also the Disambiguation: 'Erg' page
Het is heel erg koud 2	It's really very cold, terribly cold
Ik ben heel erg moe 2	I'm terribly tired
Er is erg veel regen 2	There's [very much] really a lot of rain
'Cowboy Gerard' in 'Het Spel Kaarten:'
Wat heb je daarop te zeggen? 2	What have you got to say about that? (explain yourself)
Heel veel 2	Really a lot, very many things
More 'Heel' - 'Heel' as an adjective can also mean 'whole, complete'
de hele dag	the whole day, all day
De hele dag door 2	'all through the day,' 'all day long'
De zon scheen de hele dag	The sun was shining all day
de hele tijd 2	all the time
't Heeft de hele dag geregend 2 3	It has been raining all day
Ik ben de hele dag binnen gebleven 2 3	I've stayed inside all day
Hij heeft de hele middag zitten typen 2 3	'He's been typing all afternoon'
Ik heb de hele nacht wakker gelegen 2	I was lying awake all night
Ik heb de hele dag gelopen 2 3	I've been walking all day
Hij heeft de hele week lopen klagen 2	He's been complaining all week
de hele weg	[the whole way] all the way
Beter ten halve gekeerd dan ten hele gedwaald 2	'It's better to turn around halfway than to be wrong all the way'
over de hele wereld 2	all over the world
We hebben de hele wereld afgezocht 2 3 4	We have searched the whole world over
volkoren 2	wholewheat
(het) volkorenmeel	wholewheat flour
(het) volkorenbrood	wholewheat bread
'Geheel' - 'fully, completely, entirely'
geheel in 't zwart	entirely in black (clothes)
(de) geheelonthouder 2	[person entirely abstaining] - teetotaler
geheel onverwacht 2 3	completely unexpected
More 'Heel' 2 - Occasionally, 'heel' can mean 'quite, rather long or big'
't hele verhaal 2	the whole (full, complete) story
een heel verhaal 2 3	quite a long story
'n hele klus 2 3	quite a big job, a rather big undertaking
't Is een hele eer 2 3 4	It's quite an honor
More 'Heel' 3 - There's also a verb helen that can mean both 'to heal' ('make whole') and 'to deal in stolen goods.' The noun (de) heler can be both a 'healer' and a 'dealer in stolen goods.' heel 2 3 as an imperative can mean 'heal, make healthy.' In the sixties, Han Fortmann had a nice book about Eastern Mysticism with a title that plays on this double meaning:
Heel De Mens 2	Heal Mankind // The Complete Human Being with the overarching meaning 'make man whole'
More 'Erg' - Next to 'very,' Dutch 'erg' can also mean something like 'very bad, awful, terrible' - but it's not combined, 'erg erg' is not good Dutch.
Ik vind het heel erg.	I think it's really bad, I'm upset over it.
Ik hoop dat je het niet erg vindt.	I hope you don't think it's bad, I hope you don't mind.
It must be difficult for foreign students. I hope you'll learn the subtleties from much listening and reading.

To Be: Zijn and Worden

'To Be' can often be translated as zijn
Ik ben niet ziek 2 3 Is het ver? 2 Hij is oud 't Was een koude dag Ze waren jaloers 2 3	I'm not sick Is it far? He is old It was a cold day They were jealous
More 'Zijn'
In the perfect tense, English uses the auxiliary verb 'to have.' Dutch has the similar hebben but a small number of Dutch verbs take zijn as the auxiliary verb for the perfect tense.
ik heb gehad ik heb gezien ik heb gehoord ik ben geweest ik ben gegaan	I have had I have seen I have heard I have been I have gone
More 'Hebben' - More on The Perfect Tense
In Dutch, Worden 2 is the auxiliary verb for the passive voice:
Ik word geschopt door Jan Het huis wordt geverfd Ik werd afgeleid 2	I am kicked by Jan The house is being painted I was distracted
In English, 'to be' is the auxiliary verb for the passive voice, while (as we have seen above) Dutch zijn is the auxiliary verb for the perfect tense of some verbs. Adding to the confusion, Dutch drops the past participle of passive-voice worden in the perfect tense. Compare the use of verbs in the following Dutch and English sentences:
ik word gevraagd 2 ik werd gevraagd 2 ik ben gevraagd geworden 2 ik heb gevraagd 2	I am asked (for a job or to preform a task) I was asked I was asked, I have been asked I have asked (a question)
Hij wordt door een wesp gestoken! Hij is door een wesp gestoken geworden	he is being stung by a wasp! (right now) he (has been) was stung by a wasp
Hij wordt gemarteld 2 Hij werd gemarteld Hij is gemarteld geworden 2 (Ze hebben 'm gemarteld 2	He is tortured He was tortured He was tortured, he has been tortured They have tortured him)
Er wordt al zoveel gezegd 2 Er is al zoveel gezegd geworden 2	So much is being said already So much has been said already
More on The Passive Voice
'Worden' can also mean something like 'to become,' indicating change or development. In that meaning, the past participle is not dropped.
't Wordt donker Ik had schrijver willen worden, maar ik ben spreker geworden Wat is er van hem geworden? 2	It is getting dark I wanted to be a writer, but I've become a speaker Whatever became of him?

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Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2