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Dutch greetings: hello, goodbye and introducing yourself
Dutch greetings in four short game lessons: say hello and goodbye, be polite, introduce yourself and say where you live. Every word has audio.
Good to know
je or u?Use je/jij with friends and people your age, u when you speak formally or to older people.Source: Wiktionary: u (formal you)
PostcodesA Dutch postcode is four digits and two letters, like 3512 AB.Source: PostNL โ Hoe is een postcode opgebouwd?
Dutch greetings and polite phrases
All the Dutch from the four lessons, grouped by situation: the example conversation, then every word with its English meaning. Tap โถ to hear it.
How to say hello and goodbye in Dutch
From hallo and hoi to tot ziens and doei.
Example conversation
- Hoi! Hoe gaat het?Hi! How are you?
- Goed, dank je. En met jou?Good, thanks. And you?
- Prima! Tot ziens.Great! Goodbye.
- Doei!Bye!
Word list
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| hallo | hello |
| hoi | hi |
| goedemorgen | good morning |
| goedemiddag | good afternoon |
| goedenavond | good evening |
| doei | bye |
| tot ziens | goodbye (see you) |
| dank je wel | thank you very much |
| goed | good |
| prima | fine, great |
โถ Practise this as a game: Saying hello
Please, thank you and excuse me in Dutch
The polite words you use every day, informal and formal.
Example conversation
- Pardon, mag ik iets vragen?Excuse me, may I ask something?
- Ja hoor, natuurlijk.Sure, of course.
- Waar is het station?Where is the station?
- Daar, rechtdoor.Over there, straight ahead.
- Dank u wel!Thank you very much!
- Graag gedaan.You're welcome.
Word list
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| alsjeblieft | please, here you are (informal) |
| alstublieft | please, here you are (polite) |
| sorry | sorry |
| pardon | excuse me, pardon |
| graag gedaan | you're welcome |
| de meneer | sir, gentleman |
| de mevrouw | madam, lady |
| natuurlijk | of course |
| ja hoor | yes, sure |
| dank u wel | thank you (polite) |
โถ Practise this as a game: Being polite
How to introduce yourself in Dutch
Say your name and where you are from.
Example conversation
- Hallo, ik ben Sanne. Hoe heet jij?Hello, I'm Sanne. What's your name?
- Ik heet Sofia.My name is Sofia.
- Waar kom je vandaan?Where are you from?
- Ik kom uit Spanje. Ik woon in Rotterdam.I'm from Spain. I live in Rotterdam.
- Leuk!Nice!
Word list
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| ik | I |
| jij | you |
| ben | am (ik ben = I am) |
| heet | am called, is called |
| kom | come (ik kom = I come) |
| uit | out of, from |
| woon | live (ik woon = I live) |
| waar | where |
| Spanje | Spain |
| Nederland | the Netherlands |
| leuk | nice, fun |
โถ Practise this as a game: Introducing yourself
Asking where someone lives
Talk about your street, address and who you live with. (Source: PostNL โ Hoe is een postcode opgebouwd?)
Example conversation
- Waar woon je?Where do you live?
- Ik woon in Utrecht, in de Kerkstraat.I live in Utrecht, on the Kerkstraat.
- Wat is je adres?What's your address?
- Kerkstraat nummer twaalf.Kerkstraat, number twelve.
- Woon je daar alleen?Do you live there alone?
- Nee, met mijn vrouw en mijn kind.No, with my wife and my child.
Word list
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de straat | street |
| het adres | address |
| het nummer | number |
| de postcode | postcode |
| hier | here |
| daar | there |
| alleen | alone, only |
| met | with |
| mijn | my |
| en | and |
| wat | what |
โถ Practise this as a game: Where do you live?
How to practise Dutch greetings
The fastest way to learn Dutch greetings is to use them every day: say goedemorgen to a neighbour, dank je wel at the till and tot ziens when you leave a shop.
Play each lesson twice. First listen to the conversation and read the English, then play the games without looking. Come back the next day and the Dutch greetings will come out faster.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say hello in Dutch?
Hallo (hello) or hoi (hi). In the morning you can also say goedemorgen (good morning).
How do you say goodbye in Dutch?
Tot ziens (goodbye) or, informally, doei (bye).
How do you say thank you in Dutch?
Dank je wel to friends, dank u wel when you are being polite. The answer is graag gedaan (you're welcome).
What is the difference between je and u?
Je (jij) is informal, for friends and people your age. U is polite, for older people and formal situations.
How do I introduce myself in Dutch?
Say Ik heet โฆ or Ik ben โฆ (my name is โฆ), and Ik kom uit โฆ (I'm from โฆ).
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Word meanings checked against Wiktionary. Audio uses your deviceโs Dutch voice where available.