Dutch at work

Colleagues, meetings, shifts and contracts: Dutch for the workplace in the Netherlands or in Flanders.

32 sentences · 2 dialogues · 15 words

Why this field

Many people work with colleagues, customers or partner firms in the Netherlands or Belgium, and others move there for a job. English helps in many firms, but in the canteen, with customers and in the team Dutch is spoken.

The situations repeat themselves: introducing yourself, agreeing an appointment, calling in sick, explaining a mistake, asking for help. Whoever has these sentences belongs sooner.

What you will be able to do

Goals by level. Tick what you can already do — the tick stays in this browser only.

A1I can introduce myself and my work briefly.
A1I can ask when and where something takes place.
A2I can call in sick and move an appointment.
A2I can tell a colleague what I have finished today.
B1I can give my opinion in a meeting and explain it.
B1I can describe a problem and make a suggestion.

Core vocabulary

15 words from the word lists, ordered by level. A coloured edge shows what you have already practised.

het werkworkA1
de collegacolleagueA1
de baanjob, positionA2
de baasbossA2
het kantoorofficeA2
de vergaderingmeetingA2
de afspraakappointment; arrangementA2
thuiswerkento work from homeA2
het salarissalaryA2
het roosterthe rota; the timetableB1
de opdrachtthe assignment, the commissionB1
de deadlinedeadlineB1
het contractthe contractB1
overleggento consult, to discuss with each otherB1
samenwerkento work together, to collaborateB1

Practise as flashcards Card box Mixed round

Typical situations

Short dialogues to read along and repeat. Say one part first, then the other.

The first day at work

You start today in an office in Arnhem.

Team leader
Welkom! Jij bent Lena, toch?Welcome! You are Lena, aren’t you?
New colleague
Ja, dat klopt. Leuk je te ontmoeten.Yes, that’s right. Nice to meet you.
Team leader
Ik laat je even je werkplek zien. Hier zit je naast Thijs.Let me show you your desk. Here you sit next to Thijs.
New colleague
Hoe laat begint de werkdag meestal?What time does the working day usually start?
Team leader
De meeste mensen zijn er om half negen. Om tien uur hebben we een korte vergadering.Most people are here by half past eight. At ten o’clock we have a short meeting.
New colleague
En waar kan ik lunchen?And where can I have lunch?
Team leader
In de kantine op de eerste verdieping. Ik loop zo met je mee.In the canteen on the first floor. I’ll walk over with you in a moment.
New colleague
Dank je, dat is fijn.Thank you, that’s kind.

Calling in sick

You are ill and ring your boss in the morning.

Boss
Met Sanne.Sanne speaking.
Employee
Hoi Sanne, met Jonas. Ik ben ziek, ik heb koorts.Hi Sanne, it’s Jonas. I am ill, I have a temperature.
Boss
Wat vervelend. Blijf maar lekker thuis.Oh dear. Do stay at home and take it easy.
Employee
Ik had vanmiddag een afspraak met een klant. Kan iemand dat overnemen?I had an appointment with a customer this afternoon. Can somebody take that over?
Boss
Ik vraag het aan Noor. Laat je weten hoe het morgen gaat?I’ll ask Noor. Will you let me know how you are tomorrow?
Employee
Ja, ik bel je morgenochtend.Yes, I’ll ring you tomorrow morning.
Boss
Goed. Beterschap!Good. Get well soon!

Sentences to say aloud

The label says where a sentence belongs. The speaker next to it reads it aloud.

Ik werk bij een bedrijf in Venlo.I work for a company in Venlo.
A1neutral
Hoe laat begint het werk?What time does work start?
A1neutral
Waar is de kantine?Where is the canteen?
A1neutral
Ik ben de nieuwe collega.I am the new colleague.
A1neutral
Mag ik een vraag stellen?May I ask a question?
A1polite
Ik werk vier dagen per week.I work four days a week.
A1neutral
Vandaag werk ik thuis.Today I am working from home.
A1neutral
Kun je dat herhalen?Can you repeat that?
A1casual
Tot morgen!See you tomorrow!
A1casual
Ik ben om vijf uur klaar.I finish at five o’clock.
A1neutral
Ik meld me vandaag ziek.I am calling in sick today.
A2neutral
Kunnen we de afspraak naar donderdag verzetten?Can we move the appointment to Thursday?
A2neutral
Ik heb het rapport vanochtend afgemaakt.I finished the report this morning.
A2neutral
Wie neemt de notulen?Who is taking the minutes?
A2neutral
Volgende week heb ik vrij.Next week I am off.
A2neutral
Ik stuur je de mail zo door.I’ll forward you the email in a moment.
A2casual A separable verb: doorsturen becomes ik stuur door, with the little word at the end, like English “pass on”.
Je hoeft niet te wachten, ik kom later.You don’t have to wait, I’ll come later.
A2casual “Don’t have to” is niet hoeven te. moeten niet would mean “must not”.
Heb je even tijd om te praten?Have you got a minute to talk?
A2casual
De printer doet het weer niet.The printer isn’t working again.
A2neutral
Ik werk deze week in de avonddienst.This week I am on the evening shift.
A2neutral
Dank je voor je hulp vandaag.Thank you for your help today.
A2neutral
Ik denk dat we het project beter kunnen opsplitsen.I think we would do better to split the project up.
B1neutral
Volgens mij is de deadline te krap.In my opinion the deadline is too tight.
B1neutral
Zou je mijn tekst even kunnen nakijken?Could you check my text for a moment?
B1polite
Ik heb het niet op tijd kunnen afmaken, omdat de gegevens ontbraken.I was not able to finish it in time because the data was missing.
B1neutral
Mijn werkgever zit in Nederland, maar ik woon in Duitsland.My employer is in the Netherlands, but I live in Germany.
B1neutral
Over belasting en verzekering kun je het beste advies vragen bij een officieel loket.For tax and insurance it is best to ask for advice at an official counter.
B1neutral The rules for people who cross the border to work differ by country and by case.
Ik ben het met je eens, maar we moeten ook aan de kosten denken.I agree with you, but we have to think about the costs as well.
B1neutral
Hij zei dat hij de opdracht volgende week zou afronden.He said he would complete the assignment next week.
B1neutral
Na overleg met het team hebben we besloten het anders te doen.After talking it over with the team we have decided to do it differently.
B1neutral
Het gesprek met mijn leidinggevende was positief.The conversation with my manager was positive.
B1neutral
Ik zou graag meer verantwoordelijkheid krijgen.I would like to get more responsibility.
B1polite

What matters here

In a Dutch office people mostly say je to each other, even to the boss.
In Flanders u is more usual with superiors. If you are unsure, start with u and wait until the other person uses je.
jeu
Meetings start on time and have an agenda, de agenda.
Disagreement is often spoken openly; it is usually meant factually.
de agenda
Sick leave, holiday and contracts are governed by laws and collective agreements that differ between countries.
The sentences here are language, not information.

Quick quiz

6 questions on the words and sentences of this field. The word questions count in your progress like any other exercise.

Try it yourself

Read the meaning, say the sentence aloud in Dutch, then open it to compare.

I work for a company in Venlo.
Ik werk bij een bedrijf in Venlo.
See you tomorrow!
Tot morgen!
You don’t have to wait, I’ll come later.
Je hoeft niet te wachten, ik kom later.
I was not able to finish it in time because the data was missing.
Ik heb het niet op tijd kunnen afmaken, omdat de gegevens ontbraken.

Keep learning

The grammar behind it

Word lists that go with it

Reading texts

Reading texts on this topic (2)

Practise

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Every sentence on this page was written for EveryLingua. There are no quotations from films, series, books or songs here, and no titles or names of artists — the page shows how people talk in this field, not what somebody once said.