Which Dutch words should I learn first?

The easiest words of grammar and everyday life: basic verbs, small structural words, polite phrases, numbers, family, food. This page gathers 100 of them.

What comes after these 100 words?

Carry on topic by topic: each list gives 100 words sorted into three levels. The KoKo app gathers +6,000 Dutch words and brings each one back at the right moment.

Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

Your first 100 Dutch words

New to Dutch? Here are 100 easy words to start with: verbs, the small words of grammar and everyday vocabulary, translated into English.

These words come from the 26 grammar and everyday-life topics of KoKo. The app holds 2,397 words at this level.

Grammar 24 words

Dutch	English
zeggen	to say
lezen	to read
lachen	to laugh
doden	to kill
laag	low
goed	good
rauw	raw
hard	hard
daar	there
hier	here
slecht	badly
weinig	little
naar	toPreposition, movement in the direction of a place
van	fromProvenance, origin
en	and
of	or
er	thereAdverbial pronoun of place, replaces a complement
deze	thisDemonstrative determiner, masculine before a consonant
wat	somePartitive article, masculine singular
ervan	of it
binnenkomen	to come in
instappen	to get on
teruggeven	to give back
naar buiten komen	to get out

Everyday life 76 words

Dutch	English
nee	no
ja	yes
bedankt	thank you
hoi	hiInformal greeting
één	one
tien	ten
weinig	few
zes	six
einde	end
mei	May
zomer	summer
augustus	August
bot	boneHard part of the skeleton
hals	neck
rug	back
neus	nose
blauwe plek	bruise
rust	rest
gezondheid	health
virus	virus
vriend	friend
baby	baby
zoon	son
echtgenoot	husbandEveryday use
gek	crazy
teleurgesteld	disappointed
gêne	embarrassment
vreugde	joy
sleutel	key
bed	bed
muur	wall
vloer	floor
schroef	screw
hout	wood
spijker	nail
lijm	glue
kous	stockings
kraag	collar
chic	smart
leer	leather
knoflook	garlic
tarwe	wheat
water	water
sap	juice
biologisch	organic
kom	bowl
honger	hunger
smaak	flavour
tas	bag
duur	expensive
pincode	PIN code
kostprijs	cost
straat	street
station	train station
park	park
plattegrond	map
bus	bus
touringcar	coach
motorfiets	motorbike
haven	harbour
vlucht	flight
hotelrekening	bill
plek	site
gids	guide
bergpas	mountain pass
oosten	east
meer	lake
snavel	beak
haan	rooster
nest	nest
goud	gold
boog	arch
ijzer	iron
link	link
pagina	page
oproep	call

Mini quiz

5 words from this page, picked at random. Find their translation.

Frequently asked questions

Which Dutch words should I learn first?: The easiest words of grammar and everyday life: basic verbs, small structural words, polite phrases, numbers, family, food. This page gathers 100 of them.
What comes after these 100 words?: Carry on topic by topic: each list gives 100 words sorted into three levels. The KoKo app gathers +6,000 Dutch words and brings each one back at the right moment.
Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?: Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

How KoKo makes words stick

These lists come from KoKo, the app to learn Dutch vocabulary on iPhone.