Dutch at work: phrases for meetings, colleagues and the workday

The Dutch you need at work: meetings, the coffee machine, asking for help, saying you don’t understand, calling in sick — the sentences that keep a workday going.

Updated · 2 min read

The Dom Tower of Utrecht seen from the Oudegracht canal
Photo: Michielverbeek, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized.

Dutch at work is mostly the same few dozen situations, over and over. Learn these sentences and you can follow — and take part in — a Dutch workday.

Starting the day

  • Goedemorgen allemaal! — Good morning, everyone!
  • Hoe was je weekend? — How was your weekend? (small talk)
  • Zal ik koffie halen? — Shall I get coffee? (halen, zullen)

Asking and checking

Kun je me even helpen?

Literally: Could you help me for a moment?

Meaning: even makes it light — helpen

Ik begrijp het niet helemaal. Kun je het nog een keer uitleggen?

Literally: I don’t quite understand. Could you explain it once more?

Meaning: begrijpen, uitleggen

Wanneer moet dit af zijn?

Literally: When does this need to be finished?

Meaning: af zijn — to be finished; moeten

In meetings

  • het overleg — meeting, consultation; de agenda — agenda; het verslag — minutes
  • Ik wil graag iets toevoegen. — I’d like to add something. (toevoegen)
  • Daar kom ik later op terug. — I’ll come back to that.
  • Wie pakt dit op? — Who will pick this up?

Absence and leave

Ik meld me ziek.

Literally: I’m calling in sick.

Meaning: zich ziekmelden — see Dutch on the phone

  • vrij nemen — to take time off; de vrije dag — day off
  • het verlof — leave; de vakantiedagen — holiday days
  • thuiswerken — to work from home

More words: workplace words. Applying for a job: the job interview and CV and cover letter. Public-sector jobs: Working for the Dutch government.

Work Dutch, 16 at a time

16Word’s inburgering path has sets for work, the job search and the office, with audio and a game of Blocks between answers. Free to start.

Keep learning

More guides like this

Frequently asked questions

How do you say I'm calling in sick in Dutch?

Ik meld me ziek — from zich ziekmelden.

How do you ask a colleague for help in Dutch?

Kun je me even helpen? — even makes it light and friendly.

What is an overleg?

A meeting or consultation — the word you will hear most in Dutch offices.

How do you say I don't understand in Dutch?

Ik begrijp het niet (helemaal). Kun je het nog een keer uitleggen?

Was this guide useful?

Official sources

Keep going