In this post, you will learn how to say ‘how are you?’ in Dutch, the official language of the Netherlands. You’ll also learn common responses so you can respond if you’re asked this question. This can be really useful if you’re speaking with someone from the Netherlands or if you’re travelling there.
Dutch is a Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people as a first language and about 5 million people as a second language. It is the sole official language of the Netherlands and is also one of the 3 official languages of Belgium.
If you’re travelling to Amsterdam then most people will also speak English but it’s always a good idea to learn some simple Dutch phrases.
How To Say ‘How Are You?’ In Dutch
There are many different ways to say ‘how are you?’ in Dutch. I have listed the most common below including both formal and informal forms.
In informal situations use:
| How are you? | Hoe gaat het? |
| How are you? | Hoe gaat het me je? |
In formal situations, or when meeting someone for the first time use one of these:
| How are you? | Hoe gaat het met u? |
| How are you? | Hoe maakt u het? |
If you’re not sure which one to use and just want to learn one then go for – ‘hoe gaat het?’ as this can be used in most situations.
How To Respond To ‘How Are You?’ In Dutch
There are many different ways that you can reply to this question. Below are the most common responses to this question.
| Good | Goed |
| Excellent | Uitstekend |
| Not very good | Niet zo goed |
| I’m okay | Het gaat wel |
| I’m fine/I’m well | Prima |
| Great | Gewel-duh |
Here’s how to say ‘thank you’ as it’s polite to thank someone if they ask how you are.
| Thank you | Buh-dankt |
| Thanks | Dank je |
It’s also useful to know how to say ‘and you?’ to find out how someone else is if they ask you.
| And you? | Met jou? |
Check out the video below to hear the pronunciation of these words:
Thanks for reading this post.
You should now know how to say ‘how are you?’ in Dutch and you should also be able to respond if you’re asked!
You can’t go wrong with these simple phrases.
Why not also learn the names of the different countries in Dutch too! This vocabulary can be very useful.