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Some Dutch Words
Here, we’ve attempted to demonstrate to you
some of the commonalities between Dutch and English that would make
learning Dutch much easier if only someone would take them into account
when teaching Dutch.
Remember the following key,
loosely-described, pronunciation differences between Dutch and English:
“ei” is pronounced
like a long i, as in Heidi.
“ie” is pronounced
as a long e, as in bead.
“ij” is pronunced
as a long i, as in ice
“ijk” at the
end of a word is pronounced “ick”
“ee” is pronunced
like a long a, as in may.
“ui” is pronounced
as “ow” in English so “uit” is out.
“v” is pronounced
close to “f.”
“w” is proncouned
close to “v.”
| Nearly
Identical Verbs |
| accepteren |
to accept |
| adoreren |
to adore |
| adviseren |
to advise |
| amuseren |
to amuse |
| asocieren |
to associate |
| arrangeren |
to arrange |
| arriveren |
to arrive |
| beginnen |
to begin |
| bijten |
to bite |
| breken |
to break |
| complimenten |
to compliment |
| dansen |
to dance |
| doen |
to do |
| drinken |
to drink |
| functioneren |
to function |
| glijden |
to glide/slide |
| hangen |
to hang |
| helpen |
to help |
| installeren |
to install |
| intervenieren |
to intervene |
| introduceren |
to introduce
(products, not people) |
| interesseren |
to interest
(reflexive) |
| kosten |
to cost |
| openen |
to open |
| produceren |
to produce |
| realizeren
zich |
to realize |
| rekenen |
to reckon
or count |
| repareren |
to repair |
| reserveren |
to reserve |
| schijnen |
to shine,
but also to seem or appear |
| sneeuwen |
to snow |
| staan |
to stand,
but also to be in a place, standing up |
| staaren |
to stare |
| stieren |
to steer |
| studeren |
to study |
| vallen |
to fall |
| wassen
(zich) |
to wash |
| wegen |
to weigh,
ponder, consider |
| werken |
to work |
| winden |
to wind, twist |
| winnen |
to win |
| zetten |
to set (down) |
| zien |
to see |
| zingen |
to sing |
| zitten |
to sit |
| zwemmen |
to swim |
| Nearly Identical
Prepositions |
| aan |
generally “on” |
| in |
in |
| uit |
out |
| over |
over |
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| Nearly Identical
Nouns |
| aspect |
aspect |
| atleet |
athlete |
| beginner |
beginner |
| beige |
beige |
| boek |
book |
| condom |
condom |
| correct |
correct |
| comfortabel |
comfortable |
| contrast |
contrast |
| context |
context |
| cursus |
course (cursusen
is plural) |
| flexibel |
flexible |
| grammatical |
grammatical |
| groep |
group |
| hier |
here |
| hierin |
herein |
| ideaal |
ideal |
| intelligent |
intelligent |
| koffie |
coffee |
| kop |
cup |
| kroon |
crown |
| laastste |
latest |
| laboratorium |
laboratory |
| nieuw |
new |
| nieuws |
news |
| normaal |
normal |
| nerveus |
nervous |
| obstakel |
obstacle |
| markt |
market |
| paar |
pair |
| paragraaf |
paragraph |
| park |
park |
| partner |
partner |
| per |
per |
| person |
person |
| privacy |
privacy |
| proef |
proof? |
| serie |
series |
| seriuse
(?) |
serious |
| soort |
sort |
| student |
student |
| tekst |
text |
| telefoon |
telephone |
| thema |
theme |
| type |
type |
| titel |
title |
| training |
training (technically,
more like a practice when referring to sports) |
| vals |
false BUT
ALSO vicious |
| volk |
folk, the
people |
| vriend |
friend |
| week |
week |
| weekend |
weekend |
| wereld |
world |
| wijs |
wise |
| woord |
word |
| zyde |
side |
|
| Similar,
but pronounced differently |
| bakken |
to bake |
| bieden |
to bid |
| binden |
to tie (think “bind”) |
| commentaar |
to comment |
| denken |
to think |
| geven |
to give |
| groeten |
to greet |
| klimmen |
to climb |
| koken |
to cook |
| komen |
to come |
| maken |
to make |
| leiden |
to lead |
| leren |
to learn (also
to teach) |
| nterrumperen |
to interrupt |
| irriteren |
to irritate |
| parkeren |
to park |
| passeren |
to pass (?) |
| slapen |
to sleep |
| springen |
to spring,
or jump (also to explode) |
| stelen |
to steal |
| steken |
to stick (prick,
poke, sting) |
| rijden |
to ride/drive |
| vergeten |
to forget |
| vinden |
to find |
| vullen |
to fill |
| zeggen |
to say |
| bezig |
busy |
| achter |
after |
| auteur |
author |
| centrum |
center of
town |
| enthousiasme |
enthusiasm |
| ijs |
ice |
| inteligenst |
intelligent |
| interessant |
interesting |
| grammatica |
grammar |
| frivool |
frivolous |
| kroon |
crown |
| les |
lesson |
| maand |
month |
| mager |
meager |
| mok |
mug |
| punt |
point, or
period or dot |
| risico |
risk |
| salaris
(het) |
salary |
| serieus |
serious |
| stadion |
stadium |
| stat |
state |
| straat |
street |
| thee |
tea |
| vriendschap |
friendship |
| vrij |
free |
| vuil |
foul = dirty |
| wit |
white |
| zee |
sea |
| zoon |
son |
| noord |
north |
| zuid |
south |
| oost |
east |
| west |
west |
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The TIEF adjectives
If you think “ive” endings in English, the words
have same meanings. You can be understood by changing almost
any English word ending in “ive” to “ief.”
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The ISCH words
(the end is pronounced like the end of the word “geese.”)
| chaotisch |
chaotic |
| fantastisch |
fantastic |
| gigantisch |
gigantic |
| systematisch |
systematic |
| tropisch |
tropical |
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The TEIT words
If you think “ty” endings in English, the
words have the same meanings. You can be understood by changing
almost any English word ending in “ty” to “teit.”
| electriciteit |
electricity |
| faciliteit |
facility |
| souvereiniteit |
sovereignty |
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The SIE words
If you think “sion” endings in English, the words have the same
meanings. You can be understood by changing almost any English word ending
in “sion” to “sie.”
| commissie |
commission |
| revisie |
revision |
| versie |
version |
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The TIE words
(the end is pronounced like “tzee”)
If you think “tion” endings
in English, the words have the same meanings. You can be
understood by changing almost any English word ending in “tion” to “tie.”
| advertitie |
advertisement |
| ambitie |
ambition |
| attentie |
attention |
| communicatie |
communication |
| conventie |
convention |
| educatie |
education |
| emotie |
emotion |
| expeditie |
expedition |
| informatie |
information |
| institutie |
institution |
| instructie |
instruction |
| intentie |
intention |
| intonatie |
intonation |
| optie |
option |
| politie |
police |
| reparatie |
repair |
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Some of the “D” words
in Dutch that begin with “th” in English
| bad |
bath |
| dat |
that |
| danken |
to thank |
| denken |
to think |
| daar |
there |
| dan |
than |
| dus |
thus |
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The “oud” words in Dutch
that would be spelled “old” in English
| oud |
old |
| boud |
bold |
| goud |
gold |
| houden |
to hold |
| koud |
cold |
|
Decoded Words
These words make sense when
you can remember a similar word in English and give it a minor
twist.
| bellen,
opbellen |
to bell
or “ring” => to call up (as by telephone) |
| branden |
to brand
=> to burn |
| duren |
to endure
=> to last |
| eten |
to ate => to
eat |
| eerstehulp |
first-help
= emergency |
| fietsen |
to feets
=> to bicycle |
| graven |
to (dig)
a grave => to dig |
| haasten |
to make
haste => to hurry |
| halen |
to haul
=> to fetch, get or go for |
| klinken |
to klink
=> to ring, sound or clink |
| lopen |
to lope
=> to walk |
| praten |
to prattle
=> to talk |
| ruiken |
to reek
=> to smell (no negative connotation) |
| roelstoel |
roll-stool
= wheelchair |
| spreken |
to speak |
| sterven |
to starve
=> to die |
| wandelen |
to wander
=> to walk or stroll |
| gordel |
girdle => safety
belt |
| inkvis |
ink fish
=> octopus |
| knoop |
knob ==> button
or intersection point |
| land |
land => country |
| plan |
plan => a
kind of map |
| plank |
plank => shelf |
| woordboek |
wordbook
=> dictionary |
| ziekenhuis |
sicken-house
= hospital |
| zoeken |
to seek,
look for |
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Joop Huysoon's
False Friends
Dutch words that look and
sound like a counterpart in English, but have different meanings.
| actueel |
today’s |
| hevig |
strong,
NOT heavy |
| bidden |
to pray,
NOT to bid |
| beloven |
to promise,
NOT to believe or belove |
| braaaf |
sweet, well
behaved NOT brief |
| brief |
a letter,
NOT, but similar to a brief |
| duidelijk |
clearly
NOT doubtfully or undoubtedly |
| lijken |
to be similar
to, to be like NOT to like |
| oefening |
practice,
NOT opening |
| prijzen |
to praise
NOT prizes |
| proberen |
to try NOT
to probe |
| wachten |
to wait
NOT to watch |
| eventueel |
possible
or potential |
| horen |
to hear
NOT to whore |
| ramp |
disaster |
| slijpen |
to grind,
cut or sharpen, NOT to slip |
| stellen |
to pose
(as in a question), to suppose, to place NOT to steal |
| willen |
to want
NOT a future tense helper verb |
| ordinaire |
vulgar,
common NOT ordinary |
| raar |
strange,
NOT rare |
| tijd |
time NOT
tide |
| tuin |
garden,
yard NOT town |
| zelfs |
even NOT
selfs |
| predichten |
to preach,
NOT to predict |
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