12 Dutch phrases you hear every day, and what they really mean
Gezellig, lekker, nee hoor, laat maar: the small Dutch phrases that run everyday conversation, what they mean, and real clips of native speakers using each one.
Chief Language Pedagogy Geek @ Reelang
Your Dutch course taught you "Hoe gaat het?" and "Ik heb een fiets". Then you sit in a café in Utrecht and hear "nee hoor", "laat maar" and "best wel" every few minuts, from people who are clearly not talking about bikes.
Below are 12 small phrases that turn up in everyday Dutch all the time. For each one: what it means, when people use it, and a real clip of a native speaker saying it. Every clip starts one sentence before the phrase and stops one sentence after, so you hear it in context. Tap any word in the subtitles to see what it means.
Gezellig: cosy, fun, good company
Gezellig has no single English word. Cosy comes close, but it misses the people: gezellig is warm and relaxed, together. A café can be gezellig. A dinner with friends is gezellig. A person can be gezellig too, when they are good company.
You will also hear it on its own, as a reaction. Someone tells you their plans, and you say "Oh, gezellig!" It means roughly "how nice", with a hint of "I wish I was there".
The opposite is ongezellig: a cold waiting room, a party where nobody talks, a friend who stays on their phone all evening.
Lekker: tasty, and a lot more
Lekker starts with food. "Dit is lekker" means "this tastes good". But the Dutch use it for almost anything that feels good: lekker weer (nice weather), lekker slapen (sleep well), lekker zitten (sit comfortably).
In the clip above, the price of glühwein went up by 35 percent. It is still very lekker. Listen for lekker in front of verbs too: "Ik ga lekker lunchen" means "I'm going to have a nice lunch". The word adds pleasure to whatever comes next.
Jammer: what a pity
Jammer means "a pity" or "too bad". "Wat jammer!" is "what a shame!". "Dat vind ik jammer" is "I think that's a pity", the polite way to say you are disappointed.
Jammer can also be cold. Said with a shrug, it means "too bad for you", and the full version, "jammer dan", means "tough luck". Here is the shrug:
Doei: how the Dutch say goodbye
There are four common ways to say goodbye in Dutch, from formal to warm:
- "Tot ziens" is for shops, offices and people you don't know.
- "Dag" is neutral. It also means hello, which confuses everyone at first.
- "Doei" is the casual bye, for friends, family and colleagues.
- "Doei doei" is doei with extra warmth, for the end of a phone call or a nice evening.
Add "tot morgen" (see you tomorrow) or "tot straks" (see you later) in front, and you sound like you live there. In the next clip, listen for "wel thuis" right before the doei doei. It means "get home safe".
Nee hoor and ja hoor: the softest no and yes
Hoor literally means "hear", but here it is a small word that makes an answer friendlier. A plain "nee" can sound short. "Nee hoor" says "no, don't worry about it". It is the standard way to turn down help without sounding cold.
"Blijf jij lekker zitten" in that clip is lekker again: "you just stay comfortably seated".
"Ja hoor" works the same way: "sure, no problem".
One warning. Said slowly, with a flat voice, "ja hoor" means the opposite: "yeah, right". Tone decides which one you got.
Laat maar: never mind
The next three phrases use maar, a little word that makes a command softer. On its own, maar means "but". After a verb, it turns an order into "go ahead" or "just".
Laat maar means "never mind" or "forget it". You say it when you stop a sentence halfway, when an explanation is not worth it, or when you give up on something.
The shop doesn't have it, so: laat maar, ik ga naar huis. Don't mix it up with "laat maar zien", which means "go on, show me".
Doe maar: go ahead
Doe maar gives permission: "go ahead, do it". Someone asks if they can take the last cookie, open the window or leave early, and the answer is "doe maar".
It is also how many Dutch people order food. "Doe maar een koffie" is a relaxed "I'll have a coffee":
You may also meet the famous saying "Doe maar normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg": just act normal, that's crazy enough. Its short cousin "doe normaal" is something else. Said to a person, it means "behave" or "come on, stop it":
Kom maar: come on in
Kom maar is a friendly "come on" or "come in". Receptionists say it, parents say it to a shy child, and a host says it at the door.
You can add a direction to it: kom maar mee (come with me), kom maar naar binnen (come inside).
Best wel: quite, pretty
Best wel means "quite" or "pretty", as in "pretty expensive". It sounds like a strong word, but it isnt. Dutch speakers use it to say something without overdoing it. "Het is best wel duur" is a calm "it's quite expensive", not a complaint.
In our Dutch catalog, about one clip in thirteen has a best wel in it.
Eigenlijk wel: actually, yes
Eigenlijk means "actually". Eigenlijk wel is the answer when you were about to say no, thought about it, and the honest answer is yes. "Wil je nog koffie?" "Eigenlijk wel." I wasn't planning to, but yes.
Its partner is "eigenlijk niet": actually, no.
Echt waar: really?
Echt waar means "really" or "for real". As a question, it is surprise: "echt waar?" As a statement, it is a promise that you are telling the truth. This clip has both, one after the other:
Wacht even: hold on
Wacht even means "wait a moment". Even is another softener: it makes a request small and quick. "Mag ik even..." is "can I just...". "Wacht eens" is a little stronger, for the moment something does not add up.
Remember the pizza order? It didn't go well:
How to learn these phrases
A list helps you recognise these phrases. Using them yourself comes from hearing them in a hundred real conversations, until "nee hoor" comes out before you think about it. That is what Reelang is for: short videos of native Dutch speakers, with subtitles you can tap, at your level.
Start with Dutch videos at your level, or open the app and let the feed pick for you. Listen for these 12 while you watch.
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