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In this chapter, we will explore the concepts of time and dates in Dutch. Understanding how to express and comprehend time-related information is crucial for scheduling appointments, making plans, and engaging in everyday conversations. By mastering the Dutch phrases and expressions related to time and dates, you’ll be able to effectively communicate and stay organized.

Telling Time:

What time is it? – Hoe laat is het?

When you want to know the current time, you can ask «Hoe laat is het?» This phrase initiates the conversation about the current hour.

It is… – Het is…

To respond to the question above, you can state the time using the following format:

Hour – Uur

Minutes – Minuten

For example, «Het is twee uur» means «It is two o’clock,» and «Het is vier uur vijftien» means «It is quarter past four.»

AM/PM distinction – AM/PM-onderscheid

In Dutch, the 24-hour clock is commonly used. However, if you wish to specify AM or PM, you can use the following phrases:

AM – ’s ochtends

PM – ’s middags (’s middags), ’s avonds (’s avonds), ’s nachts (’s nachts)

For instance, «Het is 10 uur ’s avonds» means «It is 10 PM.»

On the hour – Op het hele uur

When stating the time when the minutes are exactly on the hour, you can use the phrase «precies» to indicate precision. For example, «Het is precies twee uur» means «It is exactly two o’clock.»

Quarter past/half past/quarter to – Kwart over/half/half voor

To express time with minutes past or minutes to the hour, you can use the following phrases:

Quarter past – Kwart over

Half past – Half

Quarter to – Kwart voor

For example, «Het is kwart over drie» means «It is quarter past three,» and «Het is kwart voor zeven» means «It is quarter to seven.»

Dates:

6. What is today’s date? – Wat is de datum vandaag?

To inquire about the current date, you can ask «Wat is de datum vandaag?» This question prompts the discussion about the specific day, month, and year.

Day, month, and year – Dag, maand, en jaar

When expressing a date in Dutch, the format typically follows the pattern of day-month-year. Here are some examples:

15th of May, 2023 – Vijftien mei tweeduizend drieëntwintig

1st of December, 2024 – Eerste december tweeduizend vierentwintig

10th of August, 2025 – Tiende augustus tweeduizend vijfentwintig

Days of the week – Dagen van de week

Here are the Dutch names for the days of the week:

Monday – maandag

Tuesday – dinsdag

Wednesday – woensdag

Thursday – donderdag

Friday – vrijdag

Saturday – zaterdag

Sunday – zondag

Months of the year – Maanden van het jaar

Here are the Dutch names for the months of the year:

January – januari

February – februari

March – maart

April – april

May – mei

June – juni

July – juli

August – augustus

September – september

October – oktober

November – november

December – december

Today is… – Vandaag is…

When discussing the current day, you can use the phrase «Vandaag is…» followed by the name of the day. For example, «Vandaag is maandag» means «Today is Monday.»

Tomorrow/Yesterday – Morgen/Gisteren

To refer to the following day or the previous day, you can use the words «morgen» and «gisteren,» respectively. For instance, «Morgen is dinsdag» means «Tomorrow is Tuesday,» and «Gisteren was zondag» means «Yesterday was Sunday.»

Seasons – Seizoenen

Here are the Dutch names for the seasons:

Spring – lente

Summer – zomer

Autumn/Fall – herfst

Winter – winter

Understanding and effectively using time-related expressions and date formats will greatly enhance your ability to communicate and keep track of schedules in Dutch-speaking regions. Practice these phrases regularly to become more confident in discussing time and dates.