How does Dutch “zakgeld” work?
Dochter vraagt extra zakgeld voor papa’s theatershow
A2 Dutch listening practice · Dutch · Picked for people who know a little
Zakgeld is the Dutch word for pocket money, but Dutch families treat it as a small financial-literacy program. The Nibud (the national budget institute) publishes age-based guidelines every year (roughly €1 a week at age 6, scaling up to €15+ in middle school), and many parents follow them. Kids get zakgeld as a fixed weekly or monthly stipend rather than ad-hoc cash. The system pairs with kleedgeld (a dedicated clothing budget for older kids) and the country-wide bijbaantje (after-school job) culture.
In this clip, a daughter negotiates extra money outside her usual zakgeld: “Zou ik ook best wel geld mogen?” The reason: “ik wil kaart voor papa’s theatershow kopen.”
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this A2 Dutch listening practice video?
How common in written Dutch
How common in spoken Dutch
Harder words in this video
These words are harder than A2. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-NL 2014 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In Dutch parenting and family-finance writing (Nibud, Kek Mama, Ouders van Nu)
- ▸In Dutch personal-finance guides for kids (Wijzer in Geldzaken, De Volkskrant, Geldlessen)
- ▸In Dutch family vlogs about chores and allowance (Het Klokhuis, SpangaS, Schooltv)
- ▸In Dutch news features about youth spending and inflation (NOS, NRC, Trouw)