My friends and I
Vocabulary
- vriendfriend (male)
- vriendinfriend (female)
- beste vriendbest friend
- samentogether
- wijwe
- zijthey
- mensenpeople
- leuknice / fun
- aardigkind / nice
- grappigfunny
- kennento know (a person)
- ontmoetento meet
Regular plurals in Dutch
Dutch has two main plural endings: -en and -s:
-en (most common):
- vriend → vrienden (friends)
- kind → kinderen (children)
- boek → boeken (books)
-s (for words ending in -el, -em, -en, -er, -je):
- tafel → tafels (tables)
- meisje → meisjes (girls)
Note: Some words change spelling: stad → steden, dag → dagen
We/They pronouns
- wij / we → we (Wij zijn vrienden = We are friends)
- zij / ze → they (Zij zijn aardig = They are kind)
- jullie → you plural (Jullie zijn grappig = You all are funny)
Tip: "Wij" and "zij" are stressed forms. "We" and "ze" are unstressed, used in casual speech.
Expressions
- Dit is mijn beste vriendIntroducing your best friend
- Wij zijn vriendenSaying you are friends
- We doen alles samenWe do everything together
- Ken je mijn vriend Jan?Asking if someone knows your friend
- Zij zijn heel aardigSaying they are very kind
- Ik heb veel vriendenSaying you have many friends
Common mistakes
Ik heb veel vriendensIk heb veel vrienden"Vriend" already takes -en for plural. Don't add -s on top of -en.
Wij is vriendenWij zijn vrienden"Wij" (we) takes "zijn", not "is". "Is" is for hij/zij/het.
Ik ken niet hemIk ken hem nietIn Dutch, "niet" comes after the object: Ik ken hem niet.
Mijn vriendin is een jongenMijn vriend is een jongen"Vriendin" is female friend. For a male friend, use "vriend".
De kinderen is leukDe kinderen zijn leuk"Kinderen" is plural, so use "zijn" (are), not "is".
Quick quiz
Question 1 of 5
How do you say “to know (a person)” in Dutch?
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