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The 100 most common Dutch words

These hundred words make up a large share of everything written in Dutch. Learn them and a page stops looking like a wall.

Space shows the answer, then the arrow keys answer it. Hold the green button until the ring fills to mark the word as learned.

How the cards work

Frequency order, not alphabetical

New words arrive in order of how often they appear in real Dutch. The first twenty do more work for you than the next two hundred, so they come first.

Each word keeps its own schedule

Every word carries its own gap, and the gap grows each time you get it right. Miss one and it resets to a day. Each word is asked both ways round, and each way keeps its own gap, because recognising a word comes well before you can say it yourself.

How fast you answer counts

A word you answer instantly is scheduled further out than one you hesitate over, even though you got both right. Hesitation is the signal that a word is not secure yet.

The full list

All hundred, in frequency order. Words you have practised are marked.

  1. 1dethe
  2. 2enand
  3. 3hetthe, it
  4. 4eena, an, one
  5. 5vanof, from
  6. 6ikI
  7. 7datthat, which
  8. 8zeshe, they, them
  9. 9teto, too
  10. 10hijhe
  11. 11inin, into
  12. 12zijnto be, are, his
  13. 13waswas, wash
  14. 14opon, onto, up
  15. 15nietnot
  16. 16diethat, those, who
  17. 17haarher, hair
  18. 18metwith
  19. 19omaround, at, in order to
  20. 20maarbut, only, just
  21. 21isis
  22. 22naarto, toward, at
  23. 23jeyou, your
  24. 24aanon, to, at
  25. 25alsif, when, as
  26. 26hadhad
  27. 27erthere, of it
  28. 28voorfor, before, in front of
  29. 29mijnmy, mine
  30. 30uyou (formal)
  31. 31zeisaid
  32. 32zouwould, should
  33. 33hemhim
  34. 34wewe
  35. 35watwhat, some, a bit
  36. 36meme, myself
  37. 37doorthrough, by, because of
  38. 38danthen, than
  39. 39zoso, like this, that way
  40. 40zichhimself, herself, themselves
  41. 41toenthen, when, at that time
  42. 42overover, about, across
  43. 43geenno, not any, none
  44. 44uitout, out of, from
  45. 45dezethis, these
  46. 46ofor, whether
  47. 47warenwere
  48. 48bijat, near, with
  49. 49nogstill, yet, another
  50. 50ditthis
  51. 51koncould, was able to
  52. 52nunow
  53. 53huntheir, them
  54. 54alalready, all, even though
  55. 55hebbento have
  56. 56onsus, our, to us
  57. 57hebhave
  58. 58zalwill, shall
  59. 59totuntil, to, up to
  60. 60werdbecame, was
  61. 61meermore, anymore, lake
  62. 62ookalso, too
  63. 63hoehow
  64. 64waarwhere, true
  65. 65heefthas
  66. 66tegenagainst, to, toward
  67. 67nooitnever
  68. 68benam
  69. 69terwijlwhile, whereas
  70. 70mijme, to me
  71. 71kunnento be able to, can
  72. 72wordento become, to be, will be
  73. 73kancan, is able to
  74. 74alleenonly, alone
  75. 75ziento see
  76. 76onzeour
  77. 77ietssomething, a bit
  78. 78tweetwo
  79. 79andereother, different
  80. 80nietsnothing, not anything
  81. 81daarthere, because
  82. 82doento do, to make
  83. 83henthem
  84. 84wegaway, road, way
  85. 85zijshe, they
  86. 86keeklooked
  87. 87weeragain, weather
  88. 88gingwent
  89. 89hierhere
  90. 90kwamcame
  91. 91goedgood, well
  92. 92grotebig, large, great
  93. 93moetmust, has to, needs to
  94. 94onderunder, below, among
  95. 95zagsaw
  96. 96naafter
  97. 97welindeed, do, certainly
  98. 98jayes
  99. 99omdatbecause
  100. 100wiewho

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