Sport and hobbies are perfect conversation starters in Dutch. Whether you are a football fanatic, a cycling enthusiast or simply enjoy a quiet hobby at home, this guide gives you all the vocabulary you need to talk about your interests in Dutch.
Wist je dat?
Football (voetbal) is the Netherlands' most popular sport. The Dutch national team — known as Oranje — has reached three World Cup finals. And with over 23 million bicycles for 17 million people, cycling (fietsen) is practically a religion!
⚽ Popular Sports
| Emoji | Dutch | English |
|---|---|---|
| ⚽ | voetbal | football / soccer |
| 🏊 | zwemmen | swimming |
| 🚴 | fietsen / wielrennen | cycling |
| 🏃 | hardlopen | running |
| 🎾 | tennis | tennis |
| 🏀 | basketbal | basketball |
| ⛸️ | schaatsen | ice skating |
| 🏋️ | fitnessen / sporten | working out / exercising |
| 🎿 | skiën | skiing |
| 🏐 | volleybal | volleyball |
🎨 Hobbies & Free Time
| Emoji | Dutch | English |
|---|---|---|
| 📚 | lezen | reading |
| 🎵 | muziek luisteren | listening to music |
| 🎬 | films kijken | watching films |
| 🎮 | gamen | gaming |
| 🌿 | tuinieren | gardening |
| 🍳 | koken | cooking |
| 📸 | fotograferen | photography |
| 🎨 | schilderen / tekenen | painting / drawing |
| ✈️ | reizen | travelling |
💬 Talking About Sports & Hobbies
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Wat zijn je hobby's? | What are your hobbies? |
| In mijn vrije tijd... | In my free time... |
| Ik hou van voetbal. | I love football. |
| Ik sport drie keer per week. | I exercise three times a week. |
| Ik speel in een team. | I play on a team. |
| Ik doe aan yoga. | I do yoga. |
In mijn vrije tijd fiets ik graag en lees ik boeken.In my free time I like to cycle and read books.
✏️ Practice
- I like swimming → Ik hou van zwemmen
- My hobby is reading → Mijn hobby is lezen
- Do you play football? → Speel jij voetbal?
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