Lenguia | 1000 Most Common Dutch Words with Audio

Why these 1,000 words matter

Dutch vocabulary is astonishingly top-heavy: the 100 most frequent words make up about half of everything you will ever hear or read, and the top 1,000 cover roughly 85% of everyday speech. Learn these first and most sentences around you turn from noise into language.

The list below is ranked by how often each word actually occurs in spoken Dutch — dictionary forms, with concise English translations, the part of speech, the CEFR level at which learners typically meet the word, and audio for every word in a female and a male voice. Show the top 250, 500 or all 1,000, and flip to A–Z when you want to look something up.

#	Word	Translation	Part of speech	Level
1	de	the (common gender)	article	A1
2	het	the (neuter); it	article	A1
3	een	a, an; (unstressed) one	article	A1
4	van	of, from	preposition	A1
5	en	and	conjunction	A1
6	ik	I	pronoun	A1
7	te	to (with infinitive); too	preposition	A1
8	dat	that; which	pronoun	A1
9	die	that, those; who, which	pronoun	A1
10	in	in, into	preposition	A1
11	je	you (informal); your	pronoun	A1
12	niet	not	adverb	A1
13	zijn	to be; his, its	verb	A1
14	op	on, onto, up	preposition	A1
15	met	with	preposition	A1
16	hij	he	pronoun	A1
17	voor	for; before, in front of	preposition	A1
18	maar	but; only, just	conjunction	A1
19	er	there (existential); of it/them	adverb	A1
20	aan	on, to, at	preposition	A1
21	om	at (time); in order to; around	preposition	A1
22	dan	then; than	adverb	A1
23	of	or; whether	conjunction	A1
24	wat	what; something	pronoun	A1
25	mijn	my	pronoun	A1
26	zij	she; they	pronoun	A1
27	nee	no	interjection	A1
28	ja	yes	interjection	A1
29	jij	you (informal, emphatic)	pronoun	A1
30	we	we (unstressed)	pronoun	A1
31	ook	also, too	adverb	A1
32	al	already; all	adverb	A1
33	als	if, when; as, like	conjunction	A1
34	dit	this	pronoun	A1
35	zo	so, like this; as soon as	adverb	A1
36	naar	to, towards	preposition	A1
37	hebben	to have	verb	A1
38	worden	to become; (passive auxiliary) to be	verb	A1
39	me	me (unstressed object)	pronoun	A1
40	ze	she, they (unstressed)	pronoun	A1
41	wij	we (emphatic)	pronoun	A1
42	kunnen	can, to be able to	verb	A1
43	nog	still, yet; another	adverb	A1
44	door	through, by	preposition	A1
45	nu	now	adverb	A1
46	uit	out, out of; off	preposition	A1
47	bij	at, by, near; with	preposition	A1
48	gaan	to go	verb	A1
49	hoe	how	adverb	A1
50	wel	indeed, certainly; (particle) do	adverb	A1
51	moeten	must, to have to	verb	A1
52	willen	to want	verb	A1
53	hem	him	pronoun	A1
54	dus	so, thus, therefore	adverb	A1
55	over	about, over; across	preposition	A1
56	weten	to know (a fact)	verb	A1
57	geen	no, not a, none	determiner	A1
58	doen	to do	verb	A1
59	zien	to see	verb	A1
60	jou	you (object, emphatic)	pronoun	A1
61	komen	to come	verb	A1
62	hier	here	adverb	A1
63	waar	where; true	adverb	A1
64	wie	who	pronoun	A1
65	wanneer	when	adverb	A1
66	waarom	why	adverb	A1
67	even	just, for a moment; equally	adverb	A1
68	jullie	you (plural); your (plural)	pronoun	A1
69	daar	there	adverb	A1
70	zullen	will, shall (future auxiliary)	verb	A1
71	de mensen	people	noun	A1
72	maken	to make	verb	A1
73	goed	good, well	adjective	A1
74	zeggen	to say	verb	A1
75	ons	us; our	pronoun	A1
76	krijgen	to get, to receive	verb	A1
77	iets	something	pronoun	A1
78	veel	much, many; a lot	adverb	A1
79	onze	our (with common-gender nouns)	pronoun	A1
80	twee	two	number	A1
81	toch	still, yet; after all	adverb	A1
82	meer	more	adverb	A1
83	het jaar	year	noun	A1
84	de tijd	time	noun	A2
85	vinden	to find; to think (an opinion)	verb	A1
86	nou	well, now (filler)	interjection	A1
87	echt	real; really	adjective	A1
88	geven	to give	verb	A1
89	staan	to stand	verb	A1
90	zich	himself, herself, themselves	pronoun	A1
91	hun	their; them	pronoun	A1
92	heel	very; whole	adverb	A1
93	erg	very; bad, terrible	adverb	A1
94	hoor	(particle) you know, right	interjection	A1
95	kijken	to look, to watch	verb	A1
96	de dag	day; hello, bye	noun	A1
97	blijven	to stay, to remain	verb	A1
98	houden	to hold, to keep; to love (van)	verb	A1
99	weer	again; weather	adverb	A1
100	laten	to let, to allow; to have (sth done)	verb	A1
101	nemen	to take	verb	A1
102	denken	to think	verb	A1
103	mij	me (emphatic object)	pronoun	A1
104	de man	man; husband	noun	A1
105	nooit	never	adverb	A1
106	altijd	always	adverb	A1
107	het werk	work	noun	A1
108	het huis	house, home	noun	A1
109	het kind	child	noun	A1
110	de vrouw	woman; wife	noun	A1
111	omdat	because	conjunction	A1
112	welke	which	determiner	A1
113	alles	everything	pronoun	A1
114	graag	gladly, with pleasure	adverb	A1
115	zeker	certain, sure; certainly	adjective	A1
116	mogen	may, to be allowed to; to like	verb	A1
117	gewoon	just, simply; ordinary	adverb	A1
118	zonder	without	preposition	A1
119	drie	three	number	A1
120	kan	can (form of kunnen)	verb	A1
121	het begin	beginning, start	noun	A2
122	de weg	road, way; away, gone	noun	A1
123	goede	good (inflected)	adjective	A1
124	toen	then, at that time; when (past)	adverb	A1
125	de naam	name	noun	A1
126	iemand	someone	pronoun	A1
127	nodig	necessary, needed	adjective	A1
128	het water	water	noun	A1
129	toe	closed, to; (particle) come on	adverb	A1
130	af	off, done, finished	adverb	A1
131	helemaal	completely, entirely	adverb	A1
132	de meneer	sir, mister	noun	A1
133	jouw	your (informal, emphatic)	pronoun	A1
134	straks	later, in a moment	adverb	A1
135	oké	okay	interjection	A1
136	vandaag	today	adverb	A1
137	thuis	at home	adverb	A1
138	praten	to talk	verb	A1
139	iedereen	everyone	pronoun	A1
140	het leven	life; to live	noun	A1
141	best	best; quite, rather	adverb	A1
142	lopen	to walk; to run	verb	A1
143	nieuw	new	adjective	A1
144	niets	nothing	pronoun	A1
145	mooi	beautiful, nice	adjective	A1
146	de stad	city, town	noun	A1
147	proberen	to try	verb	A1
148	vragen	to ask; question(s)	verb	A1
149	het geld	money	noun	A1
150	de dank	thanks; gratitude	noun	A1
151	hele	whole (inflected)	adjective	A1
152	begrijpen	to understand	verb	A1
153	stil	quiet, still	adjective	A1
154	werken	to work	verb	A1
155	snel	fast, quick	adjective	A1
156	wachten	to wait	verb	A1
157	de vader	father	noun	A1
158	de moeder	mother	noun	A1
159	genoeg	enough	adverb	A1
160	nieuwe	new (inflected)	adjective	A1
161	misschien	maybe, perhaps	adverb	A1
162	eerst	first, at first	adverb	A1
163	beter	better	adjective	A1
164	de keer	time (occasion)	noun	A1
165	zoals	like, such as, as	conjunction	A1
166	natuurlijk	of course; natural(ly)	adverb	A1
167	wonen	to live, to reside	verb	A1
168	weggaan	to go away, to leave	verb	A1
169	opstaan	to get up, to stand up	verb	A1
170	slapen	to sleep	verb	A1
171	terug	back	adverb	A1
172	de schat	darling, honey; treasure	noun	A1
173	de vriend	friend; boyfriend	noun	A1
174	lang	long; tall	adjective	A1
175	leuk	nice, fun, pleasant	adjective	A1
176	geloven	to believe	verb	A1
177	huh	huh (interjection)	interjection	A1
178	gebeuren	to happen	verb	A1
179	daarom	therefore, that is why	adverb	A1
180	brengen	to bring	verb	A1
181	de plaats	place; seat, room	noun	A1
182	vertellen	to tell	verb	A1
183	zitten	to sit	verb	A1
184	klein	small, little	adjective	A1
185	groot	big, large; great	adjective	A1
186	niks	nothing (colloquial)	pronoun	A1
187	anders	different(ly); otherwise	adverb	A1
188	de wereld	world	noun	A1
189	vier	four	number	A1
190	vijf	five	number	A1
191	het hoofd	head	noun	A2
192	het oog	eye	noun	A2
193	de hand	hand	noun	A1
194	de nacht	night	noun	A1
195	morgen	tomorrow; morning	adverb	A1
196	gisteren	yesterday	adverb	A1
197	de avond	evening	noun	A1
198	het uur	hour; o’clock	noun	A1
199	de week	week	noun	A1
200	de maand	month	noun	A1
201	de auto	car	noun	A1
202	de deur	door	noun	A1
203	de kamer	room	noun	A1
204	het boek	book	noun	A1
205	het woord	word	noun	A1
206	de kant	side; direction	noun	A2
207	het moment	moment	noun	A1
208	het probleem	problem	noun	A1
209	de mens	human, person	noun	A1
210	het ding	thing	noun	A1
211	het geval	case, instance	noun	A2
212	de zoon	son	noun	A1
213	de dochter	daughter	noun	A1
214	de broer	brother	noun	A1
215	de zus	sister	noun	A1
216	de familie	family	noun	A1
217	de vrouwen	women	noun	A1
218	de jongen	boy	noun	A1
219	het meisje	girl	noun	A1
220	de vriendin	friend (f.); girlfriend	noun	A1
221	de baby	baby	noun	A1
222	de ouders	parents	noun	A1
223	de mevrouw	madam, Mrs.	noun	A1
224	lief	sweet, dear	adjective	A1
225	aardig	nice, kind	adjective	A1
226	oud	old	adjective	A1
227	jong	young	adjective	A1
228	moeilijk	difficult	adjective	A1
229	makkelijk	easy	adjective	A1
230	belangrijk	important	adjective	A1
231	rustig	calm, quiet	adjective	A1
232	bang	afraid, scared	adjective	A1
233	blij	happy, glad	adjective	A1
234	boos	angry	adjective	A1
235	ziek	sick, ill	adjective	A1
236	moe	tired	adjective	A1
237	dood	dead; death	adjective	A1
238	vol	full	adjective	A1
239	gezellig	cosy; sociable, convivial	adjective	A2
240	leeg	empty	adjective	A2
241	hoog	high, tall	adjective	A1
242	laag	low	adjective	A2
243	warm	warm, hot	adjective	A1
244	koud	cold	adjective	A1
245	duur	expensive	adjective	A1
246	gek	crazy, mad	adjective	A1
247	sterk	strong	adjective	A1
248	zwaar	heavy	adjective	A2
249	vrij	free	adjective	A1
250	kort	short	adjective	A1
251	laatste	last	adjective	A1
252	eigen	own	adjective	A1
253	volgende	next, following	adjective	A1
254	samen	together	adverb	A1
255	alleen	alone; only	adverb	A1
256	bijna	almost	adverb	A1
257	vaak	often	adverb	A1
258	soms	sometimes	adverb	A1
259	plotseling	suddenly	adverb	A2
260	zomaar	just like that, for no reason	adverb	A2
261	meestal	usually, mostly	adverb	A2
262	binnen	inside; within	adverb	A1
263	buiten	outside	adverb	A1
264	boven	above, upstairs	adverb	A1
265	beneden	below, downstairs	adverb	A2
266	achter	behind	preposition	A1
267	naast	next to, beside	preposition	A1
268	tussen	between, among	preposition	A1
269	onder	under, below	preposition	A1
270	tegen	against; to (a person)	preposition	A1
271	tot	until, up to	preposition	A1
272	sinds	since	preposition	A2
273	tijdens	during	preposition	A2
274	volgens	according to	preposition	A2
275	behalve	except, besides	preposition	A2
276	terwijl	while, whereas	conjunction	A1
277	hoewel	although	conjunction	A2
278	want	because, for	conjunction	A1
279	zodat	so that	conjunction	A2
280	totdat	until	conjunction	A2
281	voordat	before (conjunction)	conjunction	A2
282	nadat	after (conjunction)	conjunction	A2
283	zoveel	so much, so many	adverb	A2
284	nauwelijks	hardly, barely	adverb	A2
285	weinig	little, few	adverb	A1
286	elke	each, every	determiner	A1
287	elkaar	each other	pronoun	A1
288	zelf	self, oneself	pronoun	A1
289	zelfs	even	adverb	A1
290	bijvoorbeeld	for example	adverb	A2
291	werkelijk	really, truly	adverb	A2
292	eigenlijk	actually, really	adverb	A1
293	precies	exactly, precisely	adverb	A1
294	vast	firmly; probably (particle)	adverb	A2
295	ergens	somewhere	adverb	A2
296	nergens	nowhere	adverb	A2
297	overal	everywhere	adverb	A2
298	ooit	ever	adverb	A2
299	vroeg	early	adjective	A1
300	laat	late	adjective	A1
301	zoiets	something like that	pronoun	A2
302	klaar	ready, finished	adjective	A1
303	open	open	adjective	A1
304	dicht	closed; dense, close	adjective	A1
305	vies	dirty	adjective	A1
306	schoon	clean	adjective	A1
307	zwart	black	adjective	A1
308	wit	white	adjective	A1
309	rood	red	adjective	A1
310	blauw	blue	adjective	A1
311	groen	green	adjective	A1
312	eten	to eat; food	verb	A1
313	drinken	to drink	verb	A1
314	wakker	awake	adjective	A1
315	spelen	to play	verb	A1
316	lezen	to read	verb	A1
317	schrijven	to write	verb	A1
318	leren	to learn; to teach	verb	A1
319	kopen	to buy	verb	A1
320	betalen	to pay	verb	A1
321	kosten	to cost; costs	verb	A1
322	zoeken	to look for, to search	verb	A1
323	missen	to miss	verb	A2
324	verliezen	to lose	verb	A1
325	winnen	to win	verb	A1
326	beginnen	to begin, to start	verb	A1
327	stoppen	to stop	verb	A1
328	openen	to open	verb	A2
329	sluiten	to close	verb	A2
330	zetten	to put, to set	verb	A1
331	leggen	to lay, to put down	verb	A1
332	liggen	to lie (be positioned)	verb	A1
333	hangen	to hang	verb	A2
334	dragen	to carry; to wear	verb	A1
335	trekken	to pull	verb	A2
336	duwen	to push	verb	A2
337	gooien	to throw	verb	A2
338	vangen	to catch	verb	A2
339	vallen	to fall	verb	A1
340	springen	to jump	verb	A2
341	rennen	to run	verb	A2
342	rijden	to drive, to ride	verb	A1
343	vliegen	to fly	verb	A1
344	zwemmen	to swim	verb	A1
345	reizen	to travel	verb	A1
346	volgen	to follow	verb	A1
347	helpen	to help	verb	A1
348	ontmoeten	to meet	verb	A2
349	gebruiken	to use	verb	A1
350	bellen	to call, to phone	verb	A1
351	antwoorden	to answer	verb	A1
352	vertrekken	to leave, to depart	verb	A2
353	roepen	to call out, to shout	verb	A2
354	schreeuwen	to scream, to yell	verb	A2
355	lachen	to laugh	verb	A1
356	huilen	to cry	verb	A1
357	voelen	to feel	verb	A1
358	ruiken	to smell	verb	A2
359	horen	to hear	verb	A1
360	luisteren	to listen	verb	A1
361	proeven	to taste	verb	A2
362	kennen	to know (be acquainted with)	verb	A1
363	herinneren	to remember	verb	A2
364	vergeten	to forget	verb	A1
365	hopen	to hope	verb	A1
366	wensen	to wish	verb	A2
367	bedoelen	to mean, to intend	verb	A1
368	noemen	to name, to call (sth)	verb	A2
369	heten	to be called (be named)	verb	A1
370	lijken	to seem; to resemble	verb	A1
371	blijken	to turn out, to appear	verb	A2
372	betekenen	to mean (signify)	verb	A2
373	zorgen	to take care; to worry	verb	A1
374	oplossen	to solve	verb	A2
375	lukken	to succeed, to work out	verb	A2
376	beloven	to promise	verb	A2
377	vertrouwen	to trust; trust	verb	A2
378	de liefde	love	noun	A1
379	het hart	heart	noun	A1
380	het lichaam	body	noun	A2
381	het gezicht	face	noun	A1
382	de arm	arm	noun	A2
383	het been	leg; bone	noun	A2
384	de voet	foot	noun	A1
385	het haar	hair	noun	A1
386	het bloed	blood	noun	A2
387	de stem	voice; vote	noun	A2
388	de woorden	words	noun	A1
389	de reden	reason	noun	A2
390	het nummer	number	noun	A1
391	het geluk	luck; happiness	noun	A2
392	één	one (stressed numeral)	number	A1
393	zes	six	number	A1
394	zeven	seven	number	A1
395	acht	eight	number	A1
396	negen	nine	number	A1
397	tien	ten	number	A1
398	honderd	hundred	number	A1
399	duizend	thousand	number	A1
400	eerste	first	number	A1
401	tweede	second	number	A1
402	half	half	adjective	A1
403	nogal	rather, quite	adverb	A2
404	dankjewel	thank you (informal)	interjection	A1
405	alsjeblieft	please; here you go (informal)	interjection	A1
406	sorry	sorry	interjection	A1
407	hallo	hello	interjection	A1
408	hoi	hi	interjection	A1
409	doei	bye	interjection	A1
410	welkom	welcome	interjection	A1
411	de zee	sea	noun	A1
412	de huizen	houses	noun	A1
413	de straat	street	noun	A1
414	het land	country; land	noun	A1
415	het dorp	village	noun	A2
416	het huisje	little house, cottage	noun	A2
417	de tafel	table	noun	A1
418	de stoel	chair	noun	A1
419	het bed	bed	noun	A1
420	het raam	window	noun	A1
421	de muur	wall	noun	A2
422	de vloer	floor	noun	A2
423	de keuken	kitchen	noun	A1
424	de tuin	garden	noun	A1
425	de school	school	noun	A1
426	de winkel	shop, store	noun	A1
427	het kantoor	office	noun	A2
428	het ziekenhuis	hospital	noun	A2
429	de kerk	church	noun	A2
430	de brief	letter	noun	A1
431	de krant	newspaper	noun	A1
432	de foto	photo	noun	A1
433	de film	film, movie	noun	A1
434	de muziek	music	noun	A1
435	het lied	song	noun	A2
436	het spel	game	noun	A2
437	het feest	party, celebration	noun	A1
438	de maaltijd	meal	noun	A2
439	het brood	bread	noun	A1
440	de kaas	cheese	noun	A1
441	de melk	milk	noun	A1
442	de koffie	coffee	noun	A1
443	de thee	tea	noun	A1
444	het bier	beer	noun	A1
445	de wijn	wine	noun	A1
446	de appel	apple	noun	A1
447	het ei	egg	noun	A1
448	het vlees	meat	noun	A1
449	de vis	fish	noun	A1
450	de soep	soup	noun	A1
451	de suiker	sugar	noun	A2
452	het zout	salt	noun	A2
453	de hond	dog	noun	A1
454	de kat	cat	noun	A1
455	het paard	horse	noun	A1
456	de vogel	bird	noun	A1
457	het dier	animal	noun	A1
458	de boom	tree	noun	A1
459	de bloem	flower	noun	A1
460	de zon	sun	noun	A1
461	de maan	moon	noun	A2
462	de lucht	sky; air	noun	A2
463	de regen	rain	noun	A1
464	de sneeuw	snow	noun	A2
465	de wind	wind	noun	A2
466	het vuur	fire	noun	A2
467	het licht	light	noun	A1
468	de kleur	colour	noun	A1
469	het geluid	sound, noise	noun	A2
470	het gevoel	feeling	noun	A2
471	het idee	idea	noun	A1
472	de vraag	question	noun	A1
473	het antwoord	answer	noun	A1
474	het verhaal	story	noun	A1
475	de boodschap	message; (pl.) groceries	noun	A2
476	het nieuws	news	noun	A2
477	de waarheid	truth	noun	A2
478	de leugen	lie	noun	A2
479	het geheim	secret	noun	A2
480	de gedachte	thought	noun	A2
481	de droom	dream	noun	A2
482	het plan	plan	noun	A1
483	de werkelijkheid	reality	noun	B1
484	het gedeelte	part, section	noun	B1
485	het deel	part	noun	A2
486	het stuk	piece	noun	A1
487	het eind	end	noun	A2
488	de rij	row, line, queue	noun	A2
489	het einde	end (the very end)	noun	A2
490	de geschiedenis	history; story	noun	A2
491	de toekomst	future	noun	A2
492	het verleden	past	noun	A2
493	het heden	present (time)	noun	B1
494	de ochtend	morning	noun	A1
495	de middag	afternoon	noun	A1
496	de zomer	summer	noun	A1
497	de winter	winter	noun	A1
498	de lente	spring	noun	A2
499	de herfst	autumn, fall	noun	A2
500	de maandag	Monday	noun	A1
501	de vrijdag	Friday	noun	A1
502	de zaterdag	Saturday	noun	A1
503	de zondag	Sunday	noun	A1
504	het weekend	weekend	noun	A1
505	de vakantie	holiday, vacation	noun	A1
506	de feestdag	holiday, feast day	noun	B1
507	regelen	to arrange, to sort out	verb	A2
508	verkopen	to sell	verb	A2
509	sturen	to send	verb	A2
510	ontvangen	to receive	verb	A2
511	delen	to share; to divide	verb	A2
512	bouwen	to build	verb	A2
513	breken	to break	verb	A2
514	snijden	to cut	verb	A2
515	branden	to burn	verb	A2
516	koken	to cook	verb	A1
517	wassen	to wash	verb	A1
518	schoonmaken	to clean	verb	A2
519	kloppen	to knock; to be correct	verb	A2
520	openmaken	to open (up)	verb	A2
521	aandoen	to put on; to switch on	verb	A2
522	uitdoen	to take off; to switch off	verb	A2
523	aantrekken	to put on (clothes)	verb	A2
524	uittrekken	to take off (clothes)	verb	A2
525	meenemen	to take along	verb	A1
526	meekomen	to come along	verb	A2
527	meegaan	to go along	verb	A2
528	terugkomen	to come back, to return	verb	A1
529	teruggaan	to go back	verb	A2
530	instappen	to get in / on (board)	verb	A2
531	binnenkomen	to come in, to enter	verb	A2
532	uitgaan	to go out	verb	A2
533	aankomen	to arrive	verb	A2
534	uitstappen	to get out / off	verb	A2
535	ophouden	to stop, to quit	verb	A2
536	opbellen	to phone up, to call	verb	A2
537	opschieten	to hurry up	verb	A2
538	uitleggen	to explain	verb	A2
539	opnemen	to pick up; to record	verb	A2
540	afspreken	to arrange, to make a date	verb	A2
541	nadenken	to think, to ponder	verb	A2
542	voorstellen	to introduce; to propose	verb	A2
543	ontstaan	to arise, to come into being	verb	B1
544	veranderen	to change	verb	A2
545	groeien	to grow	verb	A2
546	stijgen	to rise	verb	B1
547	dalen	to fall, to decrease	verb	B1
548	beslissen	to decide	verb	A2
549	kiezen	to choose	verb	A2
550	bedanken	to thank	verb	A2
551	groeten	to greet	verb	A2
552	spreken	to speak	verb	A1
553	bezoeken	to visit	verb	A2
554	uitnodigen	to invite	verb	A2
555	trouwen	to marry	verb	A2
556	kussen	to kiss	verb	A2
557	glimlachen	to smile	verb	A2
558	dansen	to dance	verb	A1
559	zingen	to sing	verb	A1
560	tekenen	to draw; to sign	verb	A2
561	schilderen	to paint	verb	A2
562	repareren	to repair, to fix	verb	B1
563	wandelen	to walk, to stroll	verb	A2
564	fietsen	to cycle	verb	A1
565	sporten	to do sports	verb	A2
566	rusten	to rest	verb	A2
567	ademen	to breathe	verb	B1
568	geboren	born	adjective	A2
569	sterven	to die	verb	A2
570	overleven	to survive	verb	B1
571	doden	to kill	verb	B1
572	vechten	to fight	verb	A2
573	schieten	to shoot	verb	A2
574	raken	to hit; to touch; to get (into a state)	verb	A2
575	slaan	to hit, to strike	verb	A2
576	pakken	to grab, to take	verb	A1
577	stelen	to steal	verb	A2
578	verstoppen	to hide	verb	A2
579	ontsnappen	to escape	verb	B1
580	redden	to save, to rescue	verb	A2
581	beschermen	to protect	verb	B1
582	de pijn	pain	noun	A1
583	gevaarlijk	dangerous	adjective	A2
584	veilig	safe	adjective	A2
585	mogelijk	possible	adjective	A1
586	onmogelijk	impossible	adjective	A2
587	bekend	well-known, familiar	adjective	A2
588	duidelijk	clear, obvious	adjective	A2
589	waarschijnlijk	probably, likely	adverb	A2
590	bijzonder	special; particular(ly)	adjective	A2
591	normaal	normal(ly)	adjective	A2
592	verschillend	different, various	adjective	A2
593	de bijzonderheid	detail, particular	noun	B1
594	de zaak	matter, affair; business, shop	noun	A2
595	de manier	way, manner	noun	A2
596	het soort	kind, sort	noun	A2
597	het aantal	number, amount	noun	A2
598	de groep	group	noun	A2
599	de lijst	list	noun	A2
600	het punt	point; dot	noun	A2
601	de regel	rule; line (of text)	noun	A2
602	de wet	law	noun	A2
603	het recht	right (entitlement); law	noun	A2
604	de macht	power	noun	B1
605	de kracht	strength, force	noun	A2
606	de oorlog	war	noun	A2
607	de vrede	peace	noun	A2
608	de wereldoorlog	world war	noun	B1
609	het volk	people, nation	noun	A2
610	de wijk	neighbourhood, district	noun	A2
611	de regering	government	noun	B1
612	de president	president	noun	A2
613	de koning	king	noun	A2
614	de koningin	queen	noun	A2
615	de baas	boss	noun	A2
616	de agent	police officer; agent	noun	A2
617	de politie	police	noun	A1
618	de dokter	doctor	noun	A1
619	de arts	doctor, physician	noun	A2
620	de leraar	teacher	noun	A1
621	de student	student	noun	A1
622	de kok	cook, chef	noun	A2
623	de soldaat	soldier	noun	A2
624	de buur	neighbour	noun	A2
625	de gast	guest	noun	A2
626	de klant	customer	noun	A2
627	de held	hero	noun	A2
628	de vijand	enemy	noun	B1
629	de god	god	noun	A2
630	de engel	angel	noun	B1
631	de geest	ghost; mind, spirit	noun	A2
632	de ziel	soul	noun	B1
633	de adem	breath	noun	A2
634	de huid	skin	noun	A2
635	de mond	mouth	noun	A1
636	de neus	nose	noun	A1
637	het oor	ear	noun	A1
638	de tand	tooth	noun	A2
639	de vinger	finger	noun	A2
640	de rug	back (of body)	noun	A2
641	de buik	belly, stomach	noun	A2
642	de kleren	clothes	noun	A1
643	de jas	coat, jacket	noun	A1
644	de schoen	shoe	noun	A1
645	de broek	trousers, pants	noun	A1
646	het hemd	shirt	noun	A2
647	de tas	bag	noun	A1
648	de sleutel	key	noun	A2
649	het geschenk	gift, present	noun	B1
650	het cadeau	present, gift	noun	A2
651	de ring	ring	noun	A2
652	de afspraak	appointment, arrangement	noun	A1
653	de euro	euro	noun	A1
654	de prijs	price; prize	noun	A1
655	de rekening	bill, account	noun	A2
656	de baan	job; lane, track	noun	A2
657	het bedrijf	company, business	noun	A2
658	de markt	market	noun	A2
659	de trein	train	noun	A1
660	de bus	bus	noun	A1
661	de fiets	bicycle	noun	A1
662	de boot	boat	noun	A2
663	het vliegtuig	aeroplane	noun	A1
664	het station	station	noun	A1
665	het pad	path	noun	A2
666	de brug	bridge	noun	A2
667	het plein	square (in a town)	noun	A2
668	de hoek	corner	noun	A2
669	de kilometer	kilometre	noun	A2
670	de meter	metre	noun	A2
671	de graad	degree	noun	A2
672	de minuut	minute	noun	A1
673	de seconde	second	noun	A2
674	het bericht	message, notice	noun	A2
675	het ogenblik	moment, instant	noun	B1
676	de kans	chance, opportunity	noun	A2
677	de buurt	neighbourhood, vicinity	noun	A2
678	het succes	success	noun	A2
679	de fout	mistake, error	noun	A2
680	de wolk	cloud	noun	A2
681	het gevaar	danger	noun	A2
682	de angst	fear, anxiety	noun	B1
683	de voorkeur	preference	noun	A2
684	de zorg	care; worry	noun	A2
685	de moeite	effort, trouble	noun	A2
686	de hulp	help	noun	A1
687	de raad	advice; council	noun	A2
688	de wens	wish	noun	A2
689	de hoop	hope; heap	noun	A2
690	de storm	storm	noun	A2
691	de mening	opinion	noun	A2
692	het verschil	difference	noun	A2
693	het voorbeeld	example	noun	A2
694	het gebruik	use, usage	noun	A2
695	het verband	connection; bandage	noun	B1
696	verklaren	to explain; to declare	verb	A2
697	de les	lesson	noun	A1
698	de cursus	course	noun	A2
699	het examen	exam	noun	A2
700	het woordenboek	dictionary	noun	A2
701	de taal	language	noun	A1
702	de zin	sentence; sense; desire	noun	A2
703	de pen	pen	noun	A2
704	de kaart	card; map; ticket	noun	A1
705	de computer	computer	noun	A1
706	de telefoon	telephone	noun	A1
707	het internet	internet	noun	A1
708	de televisie	television	noun	A1
709	de radio	radio	noun	A1
710	het programma	programme	noun	A2
711	de knop	button; knob	noun	A2
712	de bal	ball	noun	A1
713	de sport	sport	noun	A1
714	de reis	trip, journey	noun	A2
715	de hemel	sky; heaven	noun	A2
716	de natuur	nature	noun	A2
717	de berg	mountain	noun	A2
718	de rivier	river	noun	A2
719	het bos	forest, wood	noun	A2
720	het veld	field	noun	A2
721	het strand	beach	noun	A2
722	het eiland	island	noun	A2
723	de steen	stone	noun	A2
724	het ijs	ice; ice cream	noun	A2
725	de schaduw	shadow, shade	noun	B1
726	het gras	grass	noun	A2
727	het blad	leaf; sheet; magazine	noun	A2
728	de plant	plant	noun	A2
729	het fruit	fruit	noun	A1
730	de groente	vegetable(s)	noun	A1
731	de aardappel	potato	noun	A2
732	het restaurant	restaurant	noun	A1
733	het hotel	hotel	noun	A1
734	het café	café, pub	noun	A2
735	de ober	waiter	noun	A2
736	het bord	plate; sign	noun	A2
737	het glas	glass	noun	A1
738	de fles	bottle	noun	A2
739	het kopje	cup (little cup)	noun	A2
740	de lepel	spoon	noun	A2
741	het mes	knife	noun	A2
742	de vork	fork	noun	A2
743	het stukje	little piece, bit	noun	A2
744	het beetje	(a) little bit	noun	A1
745	het broodje	bread roll, sandwich	noun	A2
746	het kindje	little child, baby	noun	A2
747	het mannetje	little man; male (animal)	noun	B1
748	het plekje	little spot, place	noun	B1
749	passen	to fit; to try on	verb	A2
750	durven	to dare	verb	A2
751	hoeven	to need to (in negation)	verb	A2
752	bezig	busy, occupied	adjective	A2
753	wijs	wise	adjective	B1
754	slim	clever, smart	adjective	A2
755	dom	stupid, dumb	adjective	A2
756	grappig	funny	adjective	A2
757	saai	boring	adjective	A2
758	interessant	interesting	adjective	A2
759	lekker	tasty, delicious; nice	adjective	A1
760	gezond	healthy	adjective	A2
761	lelijk	ugly	adjective	A2
762	zacht	soft; gentle	adjective	A2
763	hard	hard; loud; fast	adjective	A1
764	droog	dry	adjective	A2
765	nat	wet	adjective	A2
766	diep	deep	adjective	A2
767	breed	wide, broad	adjective	A2
768	smal	narrow	adjective	B1
769	dik	thick; fat	adjective	A2
770	dun	thin	adjective	A2
771	rond	round	adjective	A2
772	glad	smooth; slippery	adjective	A2
773	links	left; on the left	adverb	A1
774	rechts	right; on the right	adverb	A1
775	brutaal	cheeky, impudent	adjective	B1
776	beleefd	polite	adjective	B1
777	eerlijk	honest; fair	adjective	A2
778	kwaad	angry; evil	adjective	A2
779	trots	proud	adjective	A2
780	jaloers	jealous	adjective	B1
781	verdrietig	sad	adjective	A2
782	tevreden	satisfied, content	adjective	A2
783	gelukkig	happy; fortunately	adjective	A1
784	ongelukkig	unhappy	adjective	B1
785	rijk	rich	adjective	A2
786	verlegen	shy	adjective	A2
787	beroemd	famous	adjective	A2
788	modern	modern	adjective	A2
789	wild	wild	adjective	A2
790	vals	false; out of tune; vicious	adjective	B1
791	deftig	posh, distinguished	adjective	B1
792	actueel	current, topical	adjective	B1
793	eventueel	possible; possibly	adjective	B1
794	gemeen	mean, nasty; common	adjective	A2
795	vreemd	strange; foreign	adjective	A2
796	apart	separate; peculiar	adjective	A2
797	shit	shit (English loan; mild expletive, common in NL)	interjection	A2
798	verdomme	damn it (expletive)	interjection	B1
799	godverdomme	goddammit (strong expletive)	interjection	B1
800	kut	cunt; (as expletive/adj) crap, shitty (vulgar)	interjection	B1
801	klote	crappy, lousy (vulgar slang)	adjective	B1
802	de lul	dick, prick (vulgar; also insult)	noun	B1
803	stom	stupid; dumb, mute	adjective	A2
804	de idioot	idiot; idiotic	noun	A2
805	de eikel	jerk, prick (insult); acorn	noun	A2
806	de sukkel	loser, sucker; dope	noun	B1
807	de rotzooi	mess, junk	noun	B1
808	de onzin	nonsense	noun	A2
809	de grap	joke	noun	A2
810	het gedoe	hassle, fuss	noun	B1
811	de lol	fun, laughs	noun	A2
812	de pech	bad luck; breakdown	noun	A2
813	de ellende	misery	noun	B1
814	de ramp	disaster	noun	A2
815	het ongeluk	accident; misfortune	noun	A2
816	de ruzie	quarrel, argument	noun	A2
817	de schuld	guilt, fault; debt	noun	A2
818	de straf	punishment	noun	A2
819	de misdaad	crime	noun	B1
820	de moord	murder	noun	A2
821	de dief	thief	noun	A2
822	de gevangenis	prison	noun	A2
823	het wapen	weapon	noun	A2
824	het pistool	pistol, gun	noun	B1
825	de kogel	bullet	noun	B1
826	de brand	fire (blaze)	noun	A2
827	de rook	smoke	noun	A2
828	de sigaret	cigarette	noun	A2
829	de drank	drink; alcohol	noun	A2
830	de alcohol	alcohol	noun	A2
831	de drug	drug	noun	B1
832	het feestje	little party	noun	A2
833	dronken	drunk	adjective	A2
834	het geluidje	little sound	noun	B1
835	het kado	gift (informal spelling)	noun	B1
836	de meid	girl, lass	noun	A2
837	de kerel	guy, bloke	noun	B1
838	de vent	guy, fellow	noun	B1
839	de gozer	dude, guy (slang)	noun	B1
840	de maat	mate, buddy; size	noun	A2
841	het schatje	sweetie, babe	noun	B1
842	het liefje	sweetheart	noun	B1
843	de oma	grandma	noun	A1
844	de opa	grandpa	noun	A1
845	de tante	aunt	noun	A1
846	de oom	uncle	noun	A1
847	de neef	cousin (m.); nephew	noun	A2
848	de nicht	cousin (f.); niece	noun	A2
849	de echtgenoot	husband, spouse	noun	B1
850	de echtgenote	wife	noun	B1
851	het huwelijk	marriage, wedding	noun	A2
852	de bruiloft	wedding	noun	B1
853	de begrafenis	funeral	noun	B1
854	de verjaardag	birthday	noun	A1
855	de kerst	Christmas	noun	A2
856	de vakantiedag	day off, holiday	noun	B1
857	het gezin	family (household)	noun	A2
858	het huisdier	pet	noun	B1
859	het avondje	an evening (out)	noun	A2
860	stukken	far, by far; pieces	adverb	B1
861	ondertussen	meanwhile	adverb	A2
862	inmiddels	by now, meanwhile	adverb	B1
863	meteen	immediately, right away	adverb	A2
864	opeens	suddenly, all at once	adverb	A2
865	eindelijk	finally, at last	adverb	A2
866	tenminste	at least	adverb	B1
867	trouwens	by the way; besides	adverb	A2
868	blijkbaar	apparently	adverb	B1
869	tenslotte	after all; finally	adverb	B1
870	helaas	unfortunately	adverb	A2
871	hopelijk	hopefully	adverb	A2
872	sowieso	anyway, in any case	adverb	B1
873	überhaupt	at all, in the first place	adverb	B1
874	ongeveer	approximately, about	adverb	A2
875	vooral	especially, above all	adverb	A2
876	namelijk	namely; you see	adverb	A2
877	bovendien	moreover, besides	adverb	B1
878	echter	however	adverb	B1
879	daarna	after that, then	adverb	A2
880	daarvoor	before that; for that	adverb	B1
881	hierna	after this	adverb	B1
882	voortaan	from now on	adverb	B1
883	destijds	at the time, back then	adverb	B1
884	vroeger	in the past, formerly	adverb	A2
885	tegenwoordig	nowadays	adverb	B1
886	onlangs	recently	adverb	B1
887	binnenkort	soon, shortly	adverb	A2
888	voorlopig	for now, temporarily	adverb	B1
889	wellicht	perhaps, possibly	adverb	B1
890	toevallig	by chance, coincidentally	adverb	B1
891	expres	on purpose	adverb	B1
892	stiekem	secretly, sneakily	adverb	B1
893	gewoonweg	simply, just	adverb	B1
894	absoluut	absolutely	adverb	A2
895	jazeker	yes indeed, certainly	adverb	A2
896	inderdaad	indeed	adverb	A2
897	wauw	wow	interjection	A2
898	hè	huh; right? (tag)	interjection	A2
899	oeps	oops	interjection	B1
900	jeetje	gee, gosh	interjection	B1
901	proost	cheers	interjection	B1
902	joh	(particle) you know, come on	interjection	B1
903	weliswaar	admittedly, it is true that	adverb	B1
904	hoezo	how so, why	adverb	A2
905	waarvoor	what for	adverb	B1
906	waarmee	with what	adverb	B1
907	waarheen	where to	adverb	B1
908	vanwaar	from where; why	adverb	B1
909	waardoor	through which; whereby	adverb	B1
910	vanaf	from (a point on)	preposition	A2
911	vanuit	from (out of)	preposition	B1
912	richting	towards; direction	preposition	A2
913	ondanks	despite	preposition	B1
914	dankzij	thanks to	preposition	B1
915	wegens	because of, due to	preposition	B1
916	binnenin	inside of	preposition	B1
917	rondom	around, surrounding	preposition	B1
918	langs	along, past	preposition	A2
919	nabij	near, close to	preposition	B1
920	ieder	each, every	determiner	A2
921	beide	both	determiner	A2
922	sommige	some	determiner	A2
923	enkele	a few, some	determiner	A2
924	meerdere	several	determiner	B1
925	diverse	various	determiner	B1
926	voldoende	sufficient, enough	determiner	A2
927	allebei	both (of them)	pronoun	A2
928	niemand	nobody, no one	pronoun	A1
929	allemaal	all, everybody	pronoun	A1
930	iedere	every, each	determiner	A2
931	zulke	such	determiner	A2
932	dergelijk	such, similar	adjective	B1
933	hetzelfde	the same	pronoun	A2
934	dezelfde	the same (common gender)	pronoun	A2
935	ieders	everyone's	pronoun	B1
936	wiens	whose	pronoun	B1
937	wier	whose (f./pl., formal)	pronoun	B1
938	gene	that one (formal, archaic)	pronoun	B1
939	ginder	over there, yonder	adverb	B1
940	elders	elsewhere	adverb	B1
941	zowel	both, as well as	conjunction	B1
942	ofwel	either; or, that is	conjunction	B1
943	oftewel	or, in other words	conjunction	B1
944	mits	provided that	conjunction	B1
945	tenzij	unless	conjunction	B1
946	aangezien	since, as	conjunction	B1
947	doordat	because, due to the fact that	conjunction	B1
948	opdat	so that, in order that	conjunction	B1
949	indien	if, in case	conjunction	B1
950	voorzover	as far as	conjunction	B1
951	aannemen	to accept; to assume; to hire	verb	A2
952	bestaan	to exist	verb	A2
953	bezitten	to own, to possess	verb	B1
954	behoren	to belong	verb	B1
955	bevatten	to contain	verb	B1
956	bereiken	to reach, to achieve	verb	A2
957	voldoen	to satisfy; to meet (a requirement)	verb	B1
958	bereiden	to prepare	verb	B1
959	behandelen	to treat; to handle	verb	B1
960	aanbieden	to offer	verb	A2
961	ontwikkelen	to develop	verb	B1
962	verbeteren	to improve	verb	B1
963	betreffen	to concern, to regard	verb	B1
964	verhogen	to raise, to increase	verb	B1
965	verlagen	to lower, to reduce	verb	B1
966	verminderen	to decrease, to reduce	verb	B1
967	vermijden	to avoid	verb	B1
968	voorkomen	to prevent; to occur	verb	B1
969	bewijzen	to prove	verb	B1
970	veroorzaken	to cause	verb	B1
971	beschrijven	to describe	verb	B1
972	bespreken	to discuss	verb	B1
973	herhalen	to repeat	verb	B1
974	vergelijken	to compare	verb	B1
975	verwijderen	to remove, to delete	verb	B1
976	verwachten	to expect	verb	A2
977	ontdekken	to discover	verb	A2
978	onderzoeken	to investigate, to examine	verb	B1
979	controleren	to check, to control	verb	A2
980	overtuigen	to convince	verb	A2
981	waarschuwen	to warn	verb	A2
982	voorbereiden	to prepare	verb	A2
983	weigeren	to refuse	verb	B1
984	toestaan	to allow, to permit	verb	B1
985	verbieden	to forbid, to ban	verb	B1
986	eisen	to demand	verb	B1
987	klagen	to complain	verb	A2
988	schelden	to swear, to curse (at someone)	verb	B1
989	vloeken	to swear, to curse	verb	B1
990	liegen	to lie (tell untruth)	verb	A2
991	bedriegen	to deceive, to cheat	verb	B1
992	ontkennen	to deny	verb	A2
993	twijfelen	to doubt	verb	B1
994	vrezen	to fear	verb	B1
995	genieten	to enjoy	verb	A2
996	wennen	to get used to	verb	B1
997	herkennen	to recognise	verb	A2
998	verdienen	to earn; to deserve	verb	A2
999	besteden	to spend (time/money)	verb	B1
1000	afmaken	to finish, to complete	verb	A2

Showing the top 1000 of 1000 words, by frequency · audio: female voice

Put the list to work

Frequently asked questions

Why learn Dutch words by frequency?

Word frequency is brutally top-heavy: a small core of words does almost all the work in everyday speech. Learning in frequency order front-loads exactly those words, so every hour of study unlocks the largest possible share of real conversations, shows and books — instead of textbook chapter vocabulary you might not meet for months.

How many Dutch words do I need to understand conversations?

The 100 most common Dutch words already cover roughly half of everyday speech, the top 1,000 around 85%, and about 2,500–3,000 words push you past 95%. That last stretch is the long tail — but this list is the highest-value first mile: master it and most sentences you hear will be built from words you know.

What do the CEFR levels next to the words mean?

Each word carries the CEFR level (A1–B2) at which learners typically study it. Most of the top 1,000 is A1–A2 — high frequency and beginner vocabulary largely overlap — with the tail reaching into B1–B2. If the B1 and B2 words in the list feel unfamiliar, that is a normal place for an A2 learner to be.

How was the audio made?

Every word was recorded individually with two studio-grade neural text-to-speech voices — one female, one male — so you can hear each word in isolation and compare pronunciations. Use the voice toggle above the table to switch; the clips are short, natural and free to replay as often as you like.

Is this a list of dictionary forms or word forms?

Dictionary forms (lemmas): verbs appear once as the infinitive (maken, not maak/maakt), nouns in the singular. Separable verbs are listed as one word in the infinitive (opstaan, meekomen, uitgaan), never split into their separated parts. The exceptions are the words learners meet as separate items anyway — articles are listed per form (de/het/een), pronouns per form (ik/jij/je/u, mij/me/jou…), and the pair distinguished only by its accent, één (one) and een (a/an), gets separate entries because they are different words.

Why do the nouns have de or het in front?

Every Dutch noun has a grammatical gender, shown by its article: de (common gender — the merged masculine/feminine) or het (neuter) — de tijd, het huis. Roughly two-thirds of nouns take de, so het is the minority gender you have to memorize, and diminutives ending in -je are always het (het meisje, het broodje). Learning the article together with the noun from day one is far easier than fixing it later, so the list shows it and the audio speaks it ("de tijd", "het huis", not just "tijd" or "huis"). Unlike German, Dutch nouns are written in lowercase.

Why are één and een both on the list, and how are the verbs written?

Dutch has one pair distinguished only by an accent: een (a/an, the unstressed article) versus één (one, the stressed numeral), so they each get their own entry. Verbs are listed once in the infinitive (maken, not maak or maakt). Separable verbs — where a prefix detaches in a main clause (ik sta op) — are listed as a single word in their joined infinitive form (opstaan, meekomen, uitgaan, aankomen), because that is the dictionary form you look up and learn.

How should I study this list?

Don't memorize it top to bottom in one go. Work in slices (the Top 250 view is a good first target), listen to every word as you review it, and meet the same words in context as fast as possible — graded stories and podcasts at your level are where frequency vocabulary actually sticks. Spaced-repetition flashcards work well for the concrete nouns and verbs in the tail.

Don't just read the list — learn it

Lenguia turns vocabulary like this into a daily Dutch plan: graded stories and podcasts built from high-frequency words, spaced-repetition flashcards, grammar, writing and speaking practice — all at exactly your level.

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How many of these words do you already know?

Take the free Dutch placement test — grammar, reading, vocabulary, listening, writing and speaking, graded A1 to C1 — and find out exactly where to start in this list.

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