Basic phrases in Dutch

In this section, we want to share some basic phrases in Dutch that can help you when you arrive in the Netherlands.

In the southern part of the country, called Randstad (the area between Utrecht, Amsterdam, The Hague, and Rotterdam), most people speak English. However, if you happen to live in other parts of the country, you might need to learn the local language to communicate effectively.

The provided pronunciation is written in a way that makes it easier for English speakers to understand.

We don’t aim to teach you the Dutch language on our website, as that’s best done by professionals. Check out our section on language learning for advice on where to study.

BASIC PHRASES IN DUTCH
ENGLISH	DUTCH	PHONETIC SPELLING
Yes / No	Ja / Nee	yah / nee
Thank you	Dank u wel / Bedankt	dahnk oo vel
Please	Alstublieft	ahl-stuh-bleeft
I don’t undestand	Ik begrijp het niet	ik buh-grayp het neet
Do you speek english?	Spreekt u Engels?	spraykt oo eng-uhls?
I don’t speak dutch	Ik spreek geen Nederlands	ik sprayk hayn nay-duhr-lahnts
Good morning	Goodemorgen	khoot-uh-mor-ghun
Good afternoon	Goodemiddag	khoot-uh-mid-dahkh
Good evening / Good night	Goode avond / Goede nacht	khoot-uh ah-vont / khoot-uh na
Goodbye	Tot ziens / Dag	toht zeens / dahkh
How are you	Hoe gaat het met u?	hoo gaht het met oo?
Excuse me	Neem me niet kwalijk, alstublief	neem muh neet kwa-lick
Sorry	Het spijt me	Sorry
Can you help me?	Kunt u mij helpen?	kunt oo may help-uhn
I would like…	Ik zou graag..	ik zow graakh…
Where can I get…?	Waar kan ik…krijgen?	waar kan ik… kray-ghun?
How much does it cost?	Hoeveel is het?	hoo-veyl kost het?
Where are the restroom?	Waar zijn de toiletten?	waar is het toy-let
What time is it?	Hoe laat is het?	hoo laht is het
I have to go	Ik moet nu gaan	ik moet gahn
Go away ( leave me alone)	Ga weg!	gah weg (laht muh met rust)
Cheers	Proost	prohst

If you want to see more basic phrases in Dutch, you can visit these links on our page: