So, during your interview with a Dutch company, you boasted about wanting to practice your Dutch more — and now you’ve got the job! First of all, congrats! Second of all: uh-oh… time to practise jouw Nederlands. 🇳🇱
While people don’t need to speak fluent Dutch at their job in the Netherlands, there are some words and phrases that are good to know. Not only will this help you impress your boss, but it will also enhance your Dutch social life.
But how do you navigate your day-to-day life at your Dutch job in het Nederlands? Let’s talk about it!
Keen to speak Dutch to your baas (boss) and collegas (colleagues)? We’ve teamed up with UvA Talen, the independent language centre of the University of Amsterdam, to bring you the best tips on how to navigate your new job in Dutch. Find a language course that suits you!
Vocab to get to know the workplace and the job
Before you can start your Dutch job, you should learn how to talk about it (or should we say your baan?).
So, let’s start off easy by looking at some words you should know before embarking on your “Dutch at work” journey. What does it mean if you’re working from het kantoor? And who is your baas?👇
Dutch words to know when looking for a job:
🇳🇱 De vacature
🇬🇧 The job opening
🇳🇱 Solliciteren
🇬🇧 To apply for a job
🇳🇱 De baan
🇬🇧 The job
Dutch words you should know at the workplace:
🇳🇱 De baas
🇬🇧 The boss
🇳🇱 Het bedrijf
🇬🇧 The company
🇳🇱 Het kantoor
🇬🇧 The office
🇳🇱 Het salaris
🇬🇧 The salary
Introducing yourself to your collega’s in Dutch
To start off on a good note with your new Dutch co-workers and, most importantly, your Dutch boss, it’s great to show initiative by introducing yourself in their native language.
That means it’s time to socialise with your co-workers (yay!)… but in Dutch (oh jeetje)! Don’t fret, it’s not as hard as you think. You don’t have to worry about nailing the Dutch G, or about concealing your accent — it’s the effort that counts. 💪
READ MORE | How to order in Dutch: from getting a ‘tafeltje’ to paying the ‘rekening’
Oh, and the best part? Since Dutchies are so great at speaking English, you can always fall back onto it as needed. Appeltje Eitje! (Easy peasy!)
Here’s how to do it like a Dutch pro:
🇳🇱 Hoi, mijn naam is ___.
🇬🇧 Hi, my name is ___.
🇳🇱 Ik kom uit ___ en woon nu in ___.
🇬🇧 I come from ___ and now live in ___.
🇳🇱 Ik ben net hier begonnen in de functie van ___.
🇬🇧 I just started here in the position of ___.
Dutch phrases to survive lunch hour
Phew, you’ve made it through the first few hours of the day. Next up? A lekker Dutch lunch, of course! 🥪
Whether you’re going out to grab a frikandelbroodje at the Albert Heijn, or sharing a homemade boterham with your colleagues, let’s make sure you can find your way around.
If you’re feeling up for some cheekiness (or maybe some Dutch directness), you may even want to stir the pot a little bit. How about expressing your opinion on Dutch food, for example? 😈
Try these for size:
🇳🇱 Wil je een kopje koffie?
🇬🇧 Would you like a cup of coffee? — They’ll love you for this offer
🇳🇱 Wat heb jij vorig weekend gedaan?
🇬🇧 What did you do last weekend? — Get the conversation flowing
🇳🇱 Ik houd echt niet van boterhammen.
🇬🇧 I really don’t like sandwiches. — Time to get controversial
Time to get formal at the workplace
Now that you’ve mastered the art of introductions, lunch talk, and stirring the pot, it’s time to talk business.
After you start working for a Dutch company, it’s pretty likely you’ll start receiving emails in Dutch. But, how do you tackle emails in Dutch? How do you address a client? And when do you use formal language? So. Many. Questions.
We get it, but the answer lies in you — the formal you. Yup, in Dutch, there are two types of “you”s: jij (informal) and u (formal). To all native English speakers, this can be confusing, but it’s the easiest way to recognise formal versus informal language.
The best way to gauge whether or not you should say u is based on status, and how well you know somebody. To play it safe, it’s a good idea to address people you don’t know with u — this shows that you’re polite.
READ MORE | How long does it take to learn Dutch?
That being said, Dutch workplaces are very non-hierarchal, and more often than not, your boss or co-workers will switch to jij. Once this happens, you’re safe to do the same. 🤝
Still, when you talk to clients at work, be it in an e-mail, phone call, or meeting, it’s best to open the conversation with u — since you don’t know them personally.
You could say something like:
🇳🇱 Goedemorgen meneer/mevrouw, leuk u te ontmoeten.
🇬🇧 Good morning sir/madam, nice to meet you.
🇳🇱 Laat het me weten als er iets is waarmee ik u kan helpen.
🇬🇧 Let me know if there is anything I can help you with.
Meneer, mevrouw, u, jij — give it a try! During UvA Talen’s upcoming summer courses, you’ll be able to put theory into practice and seriously level up your Dutch skills by learning from their certified teachers, either online or in person. If you sign up, you’ll get a 10% discount on your first course, as well as 20% off a follow-up course. Get that korting!
Making small talk in Dutch at VrijMiBos
Yup, working in the Netherlands is heel leuk — we’re sure you’ll especially enjoy VrijMiBos (we do, too!). This is your chance to unwind and share some lekker biertjes with your team.
While we love socialising, we don’t love an awkward silence, or even worse: being left out of Dutch conversations.
Luckily for us non-natives, there’s an easy fix for this issue: learning how to make small talk in Dutch! 🗣️
READ MORE | 17 facts about the Dutch language that will make you go ‘echt’?!
Nee, small talk is not as dreadful as it sounds! In fact, it can be a great way for you to not only get to know your co-workers, but also to practise your Dutch in a more laid-back setting. Win-win.
You could ask your colleagues the following questions:
🇳🇱 Waar kom jij vandaan?
🇬🇧 Where are you from?
🇳🇱 Hoe lang werk jij al bij [company name]?
🇬🇧 How long have you been working at [company name]?
🇳🇱 Ga je iets leuks doen dit weekend?
🇬🇧 Do you have any fun plans for this weekend?
🇳🇱 Wat hebt je voorkeur? Frikandellen of bitterballen?
🇬🇧 Which do you prefer? Frikandellen of bitterballen?
While you don’t have to speak Dutch when working in the Netherlands, it will be of huge benefit — both socially and in your career.
So, are you ready to dip your toes into the art of speaking Dutch at work? Succes! We’re rooting for you. 💪
Do you speak Dutch at your job in the Netherlands? Tell us about your experience in the comments!