Flemish Words and Phrases for Travelers
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Why You Should Learn a Few Flemish Words and Phrases
If you plan to travel to Belgium you should learn at least a handful of Flemish (Belgian Dutch) words and phrases. Flemish differs slightly from the Dutch spoken in the Netherlands in terms of intonation and pronunciation, and there are minor differences in vocabulary, including loanwords from French and English not found in Standard Dutch.
Although English is common in Belgium’s larger cities like Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges, fewer people speak English in the smaller towns and less touristy regions. A little bit of Flemish goes a long way to pleasing local Belgians. You delight them when you attempt to speak their language and you will find they are friendly and patient as you give it your best to try to speak a few Flemish words or phrases.
Google Translate App
We strongly recommend you download google translate app before you head off to Belgium. Even though we ourselves can speak a few simple words and phrases, google translate helped when we had to communicate in more complex situations.
Download the apps here:
I will try not to overwhelm you but here are some basic rules of pronunciation in Flemish (Belgian Dutch).
- The letter b is pronounced p at the end of a word (b elsewhere).
- The letter d is pronounced t at the end of a word (d elsewhere).
- The letter e is pronounced eh in unaccented syllables.
- The letter g is pronounced x at the start of a word.
- The letter h after t is silent.
- The letter n at the end of a word is softened or even silent.
- The letter i after a vowel is pronounced as the y in away.
- The letter r is usually silent before g (r elsewhere).
- The letter ij was once written y (now used only in foreign words).
There is also the addition of a diacritical mark called the “trema” (ä, ë, ï, ü), indicating that the vowel is pronounced separately from the preceding vowel.
Letters not listed below are pronounced approximately as in English.
Basic Letters
- A, a – a as in above; a as in father
- E, e – a as in hat; e as in wet; a as in face
- I, i – i as in pin; also i as in machine
- O, o – also o as in gone; o as in note
- U, u – a as in about; ew as in dew
- Y, y – i as in pin; also i as in machine
- C, c – k as in king; s as in sing
- G, g – ch as in loch
- R, r – slightly rolled; when used as a vowel as er in pert
- IJ, ij – e as in ey
- W, w – v as in vine
Dipthongs:
- Ai, ai – ai as in jai alai
- Au, au – ou as in proud
- Ea, ea – letters are pronounced separately
- Ei, ei – e as in eye
- Eu, eu – eu as in fleur
- Eeuw, eeuw – ch as in loch
- Ia, ia – letters are pronounced separately
- Ie, ie – i as in machine
- Ieuw, ieuw – ew as in newIo, io – letters are pronounced separately
- Oe, oe – oo as in boot
- Ou, ou – ou as in loud
- Ui, ui – ir as in bird
- Uw, uw – ew as in new
Other Sounds:
- Ch, ch – ch as in loch
- dt – at the end of a word is pronounced as a t in bat
- ig – at the end of a word is pronounced as a in bubba
- isch – at the end of a word is pronounced i as in line with the ch silent
- Kn, kn – k(e)n as in broken
- lijk – at the end of a word is pronounced as a in above
- Ng, ng – ng as in sing
- Sch, sch – ch as in church
- j, tj – ch as in church
Basic Greetings
- Good Morning – Goedemorgen (khoo-duh-mawr-ghuh)
- Good Day – Goedemiddag (khoo-duh-mih-dahkh)
- Good Evening – Goedenavond (khoo-duh-nah-fohnt)
- Good Night – Goedenacht (khoo-duh-nahkht)
- Hi / Bye – Hoi / Hallo / Daag / Doei (hoy / hah-loh / dahk / doo-ee)
- Goodbye – Tot ziens (toht zeens)
- See you later (in the same day) – Tot straks (toht straks)
- See you soon – Tot zo (toht zoh)
Common Phrases
- Please – Alstublieft / Alsjeblieft (ahlst-ew-bleeft / ahl-shuh-bleeft)
- Thank you – Dank u wel / Dank je wel (dahnk-ew-vehl / dahnk-yuh-vehl)
- Thank you very much – Hartelijk bedankt (hahr-tuh-lik buh-dahnkt)
- You’re welcome (don’t mention it) – Graag gedaan (khrahkh khuh-dahn)
- I’m sorry / Excuse me – Sorry (saw-ree)
- Pardon me (didn’t understand) – Pardon, wat zei u? (pahr-dohn, vat zay ew)
- Yes / No – Ja / Nee (yah / nay)
How are you? (formal) – Hoe gaat het met u? (hoo khaht ut meht ew) - How are you? (informal) – Hoe gaat het? (hoo khaht ut)
- Fine / Very well – Goed / Heel goed (khoot / hayl khoot)
- So so / Bad – Het gaat / Slecht (uht khaht / slehkht)
Common Phrases and Questions
- What’s your name? (formal) – Hoe heet u? (hoo hayt ew)
- What’s your name? (informal) – Hoe heet je? (hoo hayt yuh)
- My name is (I’m called)… – Ik heet… (ik hayt…)
- I am… – Ik ben… (ik ben)
- Nice to meet you. – Aangenaam (ken-nis tuh mah-kuh)
- Mister / Misses / Miss – meneer / mevrouw / mejuffrouw (muh-nayr / muh-frow / muh-yuh-frow)
- Where are you from? (formal) – Waar komt u vandaan? (vahr kawmt ew fun-dahn)
- Where are you from? (informal) – Waar kom je vandaan? (vahr kawn yuh fun-dahn)
- I am from the Netherlands. – Ik kom uit Nederland. (ik kawm owt nay-der-lant)
- Where do you live? (formal) – Waar woont u? (vahr vohnt ew)
- Where do you live? (informal) – Waar woon je? (vahr vohn yuh)
- I live in America. – Ik woon in Amerika. (ik vohn in ah-meh-ree-kah)
- How old are you? (formal) – Hoe oud bent u? (hoo owt bent ew)
- How old are you? (informal) – Hoe oud ben je? (hoo owt ben yuh)
- I am ____ years old. – Ik ben … jaar (oud). (ik ben … yahr owt)
- Do you speak Dutch? (formal) – Spreekt u Nederlands? (spraykt ew nay-der-lahnds)
- Do you speak English? (informal) – Spreek je Engels? (sprayk yuh ehng-uhls)
- I [don’t] speak… – Ik spreek [geen]… (ik sprayk [khayn])
- I don’t speak … very well. – Ik spreek niet zo goed… (ik sprayk neet zoh khood)
- I [don’t] understand. – Ik begrijp het [niet.] (ik buh-khraip ut neet)
- I [don’t] know. – Ik weet het [niet.] (ik vayt ut [neet])
- How much is it? – Wat kost het? (vat kohst ut)
- I’d like… – Ik wil graag… (ik vil khrahk)
- Cheers! – Proost! (prohst)
- Have fun! – Veel plezier! (fayl pleh-zeer)
- Good luck! – Veel succes! (fayl suk-sehs)
- Be careful! – Wees voorzichtig! (vays fohr-zikh-tikh)
- That is great / terrible! – Dat is geweldig / vreselijk! (dat is khuh-vehl-duhkh / fray-zuh-likh)
- How funny / odd! – Wat vreemd! (vaht fraymt)
- What is this / that? – Wat is dit / dat? (vut iss dit / dut)
- Where are the toilets? – Waar is het toilet? (vaar is het tvaa-let)
- How much is that? – Hoeveel kost dat? (hoo-feyl kost dat)
Problems
- Help! – Help! (help)
- Please call 112! – Bel 112! (bel ayn ayn tway)
- Police! – Politie! (po-lee-tsee)
- Get a doctor! – Haal een dokter! (haal ern dok-ter)
- I am sick! – Ik ben ziek! (ik ben seek)
- Somebody has stolen my . . . – Iemand heeft mijn … gestolen (ee-mant hayftmayn … khe-stoh-lern)
- Where is the hospital? – Waar is het ziekenhuis? (wahr is het see-kern-hoais?)
Restaurant Basics
- A table for one person/two people, please. – Een tafel voor een/twee alstublieft. (uhn TAH-fuhl vore ane/tway ALS-tuu-bleeft)
- Can I look at the menu, please? – Mag ik het menu, alstublieft? (magh ick hut muh-NUU ALS-tuu-bleeft)
- Is there a house specialty? – Is er een specialiteit van het huis? (is uhr uhn SPAY-sha-lee-taiyt vahn hut huys)
- breakfast – ontbijt (ont-BAIYT)
- Lunch – Lunch (lunch)
- supper – avondeten (AH-vunt-ay-tun)
- I want _____. – Ik wil _____. (ick wil ___)
- Chicken – Kip (Kip)
- Beef – rundvlees (RUNT-vlase)
- Fish – Vis (Vis)
- Ham – Ham (Hahm)
- Sausage – Worst (wohrst)
- Cheese – Kaas (Kahs)
- Eggs – Eieren (AIY-urr-un)
- Salad – Salade (sah-LAH-duh)
- Fresh vegetables – Verse groenten (VEHR-suh GROON-tun)
- Fresh fruit – Vers fruit (vehrs fruyt)
- Bread – Brood (Brote)
- Toast – Toast (Toast)
- Noodles – Noedels (NOOH-duls)
- Rice – Riist (Raiyst)
- Beans – Bonen (BOW-nun)
- May I have a glass of _____? – Mag ik een glas _____? (magh ick uhn glahs ______)
- Coffee – Koffie (Coffee)
- Tea – Thee (Tay)
- Juice – Sap (sahp)
- Mineral/sparkling water – spuitwater (SPUYT-wah-tuhr)
- Water – Water (WAH-tuhr)
- Beer – Bier (Beer)
- Red/white wine – rode/witte wijn (ROH-duh/WIH-tuh waiyn)
- May I have some _____? – Mag ik wat _____? (magh ick watt _____)
- Salt – Zout (Zawt)
- Black pepper – Peper (PAY-pur)
- Butter – Boter (BOW-tuhr)
- The check, please. – De rekening, alstublieft. (duh RAY-kun-ing ALS-tuu-bleeft)
Basic Numbers
- 0 – nul (nuhl)
- 1 – één (ayn)
- 2 – twee (tyay)
- 3 – drie (dree)
- 4 – vier (feer)
- 5 – vijf (fayf)
- 5 – vijf (fayf)
- 6 – zes (zes)
- 7 – zeven (zay-fern)
- 8 – acht (akht)
- 9 – negen (nay-khern)
- 10 – tien (teen)
Days Of The Week
- Monday – maandag (maan-dakh)
- Tuesday – dinsdag (dins-dakh)
- Wednesday – woensdag (voons-dakh)
- Thursday – donderdag (don-der-dakh)
- Friday – vrijdag (fray-dakh)
- Saturday – zaterdag (zaa-ter-dakh)
- Sunday – zondag (zon-dakh)
Months Of The Year
- January – Januari (yan-nuw-aa-ree)
- February – Februari (fay-bruw-aa-ree)
- March – Maart (maart)
- April – April (a-pril)
- May – Mei (may)
- June – Juni (yuw-nee)
- July – Juli (juw-lee)
- August – Augustus (ow-khuhs-thus)
- September – September (sep-tem-ber)
- October – Oktober (ok-toa-ber)
- November – November (noa-fem-ber)
- December – December (day-sem-ber)