Core Vocabulary in Dutch #
What are the most basic concepts that virtually all languages express? I’ve done my best to answer this question with a list of 200 core vocabulary items, and this is the Dutch (Netherlands) version. To learn how I settled on these particular concepts and see what other languages have been added so far, check out “Core Vocabulary Across Languages.”
Abbreviations #
c = common gender (“de”)
n = neuter gender (“het”)
Nouns #
- name = naam (c)
- water = water (n)
- blood = bloed (n)
- fire = vuur (n)
- stone/rock = steen (c), rots (c)
- dog = hond (c)
- fish = vis (c)
- louse/flea = luis (c), vlo (c)
- hand/arm = hand (c), arm (c)
- eye = oog (n)
- ear = oor (n)
- nose = neus (c)
- tongue = tong (c)
- tooth = tand (c)
- bone = bot (n)
- horn = hoorn (c)
- tail = staart (c)
- egg = ei (n)
- leaf = blad (n)
- night/evening = nacht (c), avond (c)
- star = ster (c)
- sun = zon (c)
- moon = maan (c)
- earth/soil = aarde (c), bodem (c)
- salt = zout (n)
- mountain = berg (c)
- tree = boom (c)
- rain = regen (c)
- wind = wind (c)
- bird = vogel (c)
- flesh/meat = vlees (n)
- liver = lever (c)
- skin/hide = huid (c), vel (n)
- knee = knie (c)
- breast/chest = borst (c)
- person/human = persoon (c), mens (c)
- man = man (c)
- woman = vrouw (c)
- child = kind (n)
- hair/fur = haar (n), pels (c)
- mouth = mond (c)
- neck = nek (c)
- foot/leg = voet (c), been (n)
- feather = veer (c), pluim (c)
- grease/fat = vet (n), smeer (n)
- smoke = rook (c)
- ash/soot = as (c), roet (n)
- sand = zand (n)
- wood = hout (n)
- root = wortel (c)
- rope/cord = touw (n), koord (n)
- path/road = pad (n), weg (c)
- year = jaar (n)
Verbs #
- die = sterven, doodgaan
- see/look/watch = zien, kijken
- hear/listen = horen, luisteren
- know = weten, kennen
- drink = drinken
- give = geven
- come = komen
- stand = staan
- sit/set = zitten
- lie/lay = liggen, leggen
- fly = vliegen
- eat = eten
- bite = bijten
- burn = branden
- kill = doden, vermoorden
- say = zeggen, vertellen, spreken, praten
- laugh = lachen
Adjectives #
- new = nieuw
- full = vol
- good = goed
- long = lang
- red = rood
- black = zwart
- white = wit
- green = groen
- yellow = geel
- small/little = klein
- big/large = groot
- wide/broad = wijd, breed
- heavy = zwaar
- old = oud
- dry = droog
Other #
- I/me = ik/me/mij
- you = je/jij/jou, u, jullie
- what/which = wat, welke
- who/whom = wie
- one/a/an = een, één
- two = twee
- not/no = niet, nee
- this/these = dit/deze
- we/us = we/wij/ons
- all/everything/everyone = al/alle, alles, allemaal, iedereen
Nouns, Secondary #
- time/instance/occurrence = tijd (c), poos (c), uur (n), keer (c), gelegenheid (c)
- shade/shadow = schaduw (c)
- house/home = huis (n), woning (c), thuis (n)
- head = hoofd (n)
- belly/abdomen = buik (c)
- navel/belly-button = navel (c)
- heart/core = hart (n), kern (c), pit (c)
- back = rug (c)
- thigh = dij (c)
- wing = vleugel (c), vlerk (c)
- nail/claw/nail = nagel (c), klauw (c)
- animal/beast = dier (n), beest (n)
- ant = mier (c)
- cat = kat (c)
- pig = varken (n)
- snake = slang (c)
- worm = worm (c)
- parent/father/mother = ouder (c), vader (c), moeder (c)
- brother/sister = broeder/broer (c), zuster/zus (c)
- spouse/husband/wife = gade (c), eega (c), echtgenoot/echtgenote (c), wederhelft (c), man (c), vrouw (c)
- day = dag (c), etmaal (n)
- cloud = wolk (c)
- snow = sneeuw (c)
- ice = ijs (n)
- river/stream = rivier (c), stroom (c)
- sea/ocean = zee (c), oceaan (c), wereldzee (c)
- seed = zaad (n)
- grass/lawn = gras (n), gazon (n)
- flower/blossom = bloem (c), bloesem (c)
- bark/husk = schors (c), schaal (c)
Verbs, Secondary #
- do/make = doen, maken
- be = zijn
- become/get = worden
- have = hebben
- want = willen
- can/be-able-to = kunnen, vermogen, in staat zijn
- think/consider = denken, overwegen
- go = gaan
- walk/run = lopen, rennen
- take = nemen
- carry/wear = dragen, voeren
- tie/bind = knopen, binden
- hide = verbergen
- fall = vallen
- cry/weep = huilen, wenen
- blow = blazen
- suck = zuigen
- hit/beat = slaan, verslaan
- crush/grind = verpletteren, malen
- live = leven
- sleep = slapen
- work = werken
- play = spelen
- swim = zwemmen
- hunt = jagen
- dance = dansen
- sing = zingen
- count = tellen
- vomit = kotsen
Adjectives, Secondary #
- right/correct/proper = goed, juist, juiste, recht, terecht, correct
- bad/wrong = slecht, verkeerd
- far/distant = ver
- hard (not soft) = hard
- thick = dik
- thin = dun
- narrow = smal
- sweet = zoet
- bitter = bitter
- hot = heet
- warm = warm
- cold = koud
- wet = nat
- smooth = glad
- sharp = scherp
- dull (not sharp) = bot
- dirty = vies
- short = kort
- round = rond
Other, Secondary #
- it/he/him/she/her/they/them/the = het, hij/hem/'m, ze/zij/haar, ze/zij/hen/hun, de/het/'t
- itself/oneself/himself/herself/themself/-self = zich, zichzelf, zelf, hijzelf, haarzelf, hunzelf
- that/those = dat/die
- other/another/others = ander, anderen
- no/none/no-one = nee, geen, niemand
- and = en
- or = of
- but/yet/except = maar, nog, toch, behalve
- at/in/on = aan, in, op
- to/toward = naar
- of/from/’s (possessive) = van, uit, -s
- by/through/per/for/because = door, bij, per, omdat
- with = met
- over/above/on = boven, op
- for/in-order-to = voor, om te
- so/then (effect) = dus, dan
- then/right-away (sequence) = dan, meteen
- now/still/doing (ongoing) = nu, nog, -d (progressive aspect)
- did/done (past) = -te/-de/-ten/-den (past tense), ge- -t/-d (perfect aspect)
- will/be-going-to (future) = zullen
- much/many = veel
- very/really = erg, zeer, heel, echt
- where = waar
- when = wanneer
- how/like/as = hoe, zoals, als
- if/whether = als, of
- yesterday = gisteren