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July 6, 2026 · 8 min read · by Jolien
Many beginner word lists start with animals, colours and random objects. Those words are not wrong, but they do not help you speak quickly.
The best first 100 Dutch words are the words that let you make real beginner sentences: greetings, question words, small verbs, people, places, time words and polite phrases.
If you are learning Dutch for Belgium, add a few Flemish everyday words too. You do not need slang first, but you do need the Dutch people around you actually use.
These words help you begin and end conversations:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| hallo | hello |
| goedemorgen | good morning |
| goeiemiddag | good afternoon |
| goedenavond | good evening |
| dag | hello, goodbye |
| tot ziens | goodbye |
| alsjeblieft | please, here you go |
| dank je wel | thank you |
| merci | thanks, common in Flanders |
| sorry | sorry |
| geen probleem | no problem |
Use these out loud. The goal is not to recognise them. The goal is to say them naturally when you need them.
Questions make conversations possible even with limited vocabulary.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| wie | who |
| wat | what |
| waar | where |
| wanneer | when |
| waarom | why |
| hoe | how |
| hoeveel | how much, how many |
| welke | which |
Beginner examples:
Verbs carry conversations. Start here:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| zijn | to be |
| hebben | to have |
| gaan | to go |
| komen | to come |
| wonen | to live |
| werken | to work |
| leren | to learn |
| spreken | to speak |
| begrijpen | to understand |
| willen | to want |
| kunnen | can, to be able to |
| moeten | must, to have to |
| maken | to make, to do |
| nemen | to take |
| geven | to give |
With only a few verbs, you can already say useful things:
These help you talk about your life:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| ik | I |
| jij, je | you |
| u | formal you |
| hij | he |
| zij, ze | she, they |
| wij, we | we |
| mijn | my |
| jouw | your |
| familie | family |
| partner | partner |
| vriend | friend, boyfriend |
| vriendin | friend, girlfriend |
| collega | colleague |
| leerkracht | teacher |
In Belgium, pay attention to u. It is common in polite situations and worth practising early.
For expats in Belgium, these words come up often:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| huis | house |
| appartement | apartment |
| school | school |
| werk | work |
| winkel | shop |
| bakker | bakery |
| apotheek | pharmacy |
| station | station |
| gemeente | municipality |
| afspraak | appointment |
| les | lesson |
| cursus | course |
Make these personal. If you live in Antwerp, say Ik woon in Antwerpen. If you work in Brussels, say Ik werk in Brussel.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| vandaag | today |
| morgen | tomorrow |
| gisteren | yesterday |
| nu | now |
| straks | later, soon |
| altijd | always |
| soms | sometimes |
| nooit | never |
| week | week |
| maand | month |
| jaar | year |
Time words help you move beyond labels into real sentences.
Do not try to memorise 100 words in one sitting. Use this routine:
Words stick when they are attached to your life.
Once you know the first 100 Dutch words, your next step is not another random list. Your next step is sentence control:
That is where structured online Dutch lessons help. A tutor can turn vocabulary into speech and stop small mistakes from becoming habits.
If you want a starting point, compare the lesson options at /lessons. If you want a plan for your goal, book a trial lesson at /book.