5 Words I Have Learnt In Dutch

Now that I have been living in the Netherlands for a considerable amount of time (3 months) I have learnt a few things about the Dutch language. I can now listen to a conversation in Dutch and recognise a few words here and there which has been nice. Here are five dutch words that I have learnt so far and that I have been able to use!

#1 Alsjeblieft

This is Dutch for please. I have probably used this word the most often since being here and it is also the one word I here the most often.

#2 Fiet

Meaning bike, fietser means cyclist. This has been handy when I'm barreling down a bike path or lane and there are walkers or other cyclists ahead and I have had to yell out FIETSER to warn them to stay to the right. Yes to the right, not the left. Took me a while to get used to that change!

#3 Dank u wel

Thank you! Obviously a very useful word to know however it has worked against me at time. For instance when I am doing my weekly grocery shop and I say dank u wel to the person at the counter, they hear me say thank you in Dutch and think that I must be Dutch and actually speak Dutch so they will proceed to ask me something else which I cannot understand. Then I have to sadly break the news that I do not actually speak Dutch very well and ask if they could repeat whatever they just said in English. I am very pleased to know that I must pronounce dank u wel like a local for them to assume I am actually in fact Dutch. :)

#4 WC

The two letters I am usually in search for before a race. WC is short for water closet and in other words refers to the toilet!

#5 Dames + Vrouwen

Finally, dames and vrouwen, meaning ladies and women. This has been important to know when looking at the technical guide of races as I can now distinguish between the mens start times and the women's which as you can imagine is a good thing to know before lining up for a race.

So there you have it, five words I have learnt in dutch that have been the most useful to me so far. I know there are plenty of other words I have picked up during my time here in the Netherlands so far however these five are the ones I have been able to use most often.