Learning to greet people properly is the first and most important step in any language. In Dutch, greetings are warm, direct and often vary depending on the time of day and the level of formality. This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about Dutch greetings, from the most basic hallo to the more formal goedemiddag.
Dutch people typically greet friends with three kisses on the cheek — right, left, right. This is completely normal and expected in social situations!
🌅 Basic Greetings by Time of Day
Like many European languages, Dutch has different greetings for different parts of the day. Using the right greeting shows respect and cultural awareness.
| Emoji | Dutch | English | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ | Goedemorgen | Good morning | Until about 12:00 |
| 🌤️ | Goedemiddag | Good afternoon | 12:00 – 18:00 |
| 🌙 | Goedenavond | Good evening | After 18:00 |
| 🌛 | Goedenacht | Good night | When going to bed |
| 👋 | Hallo / Hoi | Hello / Hi | Anytime, informal |
| ☀️ | Morgen! | Morning! | Casual morning greeting |
💬 Essential Everyday Phrases
Beyond greetings, there are dozens of phrases Dutch people use every single day. Learning these will help you sound natural from day one.
| Dutch | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hoe gaat het? | How are you? | Standard question |
| Hoe gaat het met jou? | How are you? (with you) | More personal version |
| Heel goed, dank je | Very good, thank you | Common positive answer |
| Goed, en met jou? | Good, and you? | Polite response |
| Niet zo goed | Not so good | Honest answer |
| Redelijk goed | Pretty good | Neutral answer |
| Geweldig! | Wonderful! / Great! | Enthusiastic |
| Prima! | Fine! / Great! | Very common |
👋 Saying Goodbye
Knowing how to say goodbye is just as important as saying hello. Dutch has several farewell expressions for different situations.
| Dutch | English | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Tot ziens | Goodbye / See you | Standard farewell |
| Dag! | Bye! | Informal, very common |
| Doei! | Bye! / Ciao! | Casual, youthful |
| Tot morgen | See you tomorrow | Until tomorrow |
| Tot straks | See you later (today) | Later the same day |
| Tot snel | See you soon | Within days or weeks |
| Prettige avond! | Have a nice evening! | Warm farewell |
| Prettig weekend! | Have a nice weekend! | On Fridays especially |
🎩 Formal vs Informal: U vs Jij
Dutch has two forms of "you": jij/je (informal) and u (formal). Knowing when to use which form is crucial for making a good impression.
📐 When to Use U (Formal)
- Addressing elderly people or authority figures
- In formal business settings
- With people you have just met professionally
- In formal written communication
📐 When to Use Jij/Je (Informal)
- With friends, family and children
- With peers at work (increasingly common)
- In relaxed social settings
- Most everyday conversations
🙏 Please, Thank You & Sorry
These basic politeness words will take you a long way in the Netherlands. Dutch people genuinely appreciate it when foreigners make an effort with the language.
| Dutch | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alstublieft (a.u.b.) | Please / Here you are | Formal — offering or requesting |
| Alsjeblieft (a.j.b.) | Please / Here you are | Informal version |
| Dank u wel | Thank you (very much) | Formal |
| Dank je wel | Thank you | Informal |
| Bedankt! | Thanks! | Casual, very common |
| Graag gedaan | You're welcome | Lit. "gladly done" |
| Sorry | Sorry / Excuse me | Same as English |
| Pardon | Excuse me / Pardon | When passing someone |
| Het spijt me | I am sorry | More serious apology |
🤝 Introductions: Meeting Someone New
When you meet someone new, these phrases will help you make a great first impression.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Hallo, ik ben Tom | Hello, I am Tom |
| Hoe heet je? | What is your name? (informal) |
| Wat is uw naam? | What is your name? (formal) |
| Ik heet Anna | My name is Anna |
| Aangenaam! | Pleased to meet you! |
| Aangenaam kennis te maken | Nice to meet you |
| Waar kom je vandaan? | Where are you from? |
| Ik kom uit Engeland | I come from England |
| Spreek je Nederlands? | Do you speak Dutch? |
| Ik spreek een beetje Nederlands | I speak a little Dutch |
Saying "Ik probeer Nederlands te leren" (I am trying to learn Dutch) will almost always make Dutch people smile and want to help you! They really appreciate the effort.
✏️ Oefeningen (Practice Exercises)
Exercise 1: How do you greet someone at 9am in Dutch? Answer: Goedemorgen!
Exercise 2: Your Dutch colleague asks "Hoe gaat het?" How do you say "Good, thank you"? Answer: Goed, dank je!
Exercise 3: How do you say "What is your name?" informally? Answer: Hoe heet je?
Exercise 4: It is Friday afternoon and you are leaving the office. What do you say? Answer: Prettig weekend!
🔗 Continue Learning
Now that you know Dutch greetings, explore more vocabulary topics to build your foundation:
- 👉 Dutch Numbers 1–100 — learn to count in Dutch
- 👉 Days, Months & Time — tell the time in Dutch
- 👉 Family Vocabulary — talk about your family
- 👉 De vs Het — master the Dutch articles
🎯 Ready to Test Your Dutch?
Take our free online Dutch level test and find out your level — A1, A2, B1 or higher!
Take the Free Test at dutchenglish.com/test →