Filler words are sounds, words, or short phrases we use to fill pauses when we’re speaking or writing, without really adding meaning, such as: “um”, “like”, “basically”, “so”, “you know” and “right?”. Their purpose is not so unnecessary as you might think. In daily life, they serve strategic linguistic functions, such as buying time to think, soften what we're saying, checking if the listener understands us, or making speech sound more natural and conversational overall.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through 8 very popular Dutch filler words and how to use them. My aim is to help you sound more Dutch, step by step. Mastering these little words really makes a difference. In fact, don’t be surprised if using them suddenly makes you seem more fluent than you actually are. At the end, I’ll also share some fillers that are basically the same in English. We use ‘eh/uh’ and ‘uhm too by the way!
1. dus
‘Dus’ is used to indicate a conclusion or logical result, similar to the English “so”. It can also work as a filler when there is no real conclusion. In spoken Dutch, ‘dus’ is often used to structure what you’re saying, for example to summarise or to move forward.
Het regent, dus we blijven binnen.
Dit is dus het probleem.
Dus dit is wat je bedoelt?
Dus…wat gaan we doen?
Dus ja, dat was het.
Dus ik dacht: nee, dat ga ik niet doen.
2. zo
‘Zo’ is used to mark a transition, signal that something is finished, express surprise, or simply give yourself a moment to think.
Doe maar zo.
Zo, dat was het.
Zo is het wel genoeg.
Zo! Dat is duur!
Zo zo..
Zo….even kijken.
3. Nou
‘Nou’ is used to express hesitation, doubt, emphasis, or an emotional reaction, depending on the intonation. The closest English translation in most cases would be “well”.
Nou…ik weet het niet.
Nou dat betwijfel ik.
Nou, dat was interessant.
Nou ja zeg!
Nou moe!
Het is nou wel genoeg geweest.
Nou is het klaar.
4. Hoor
‘hoor’ is used to reassure, soften what you’re saying, or add emphasis. It often makes your sentence sound more friendly or informal. This one is really hard to translate into English.
Het komt wel goed, hoor.
Dat is niet erg, hoor.
Ik zal het niet vergeten, hoor!
Ja hoor!
Nee hoor!
5. Toch
‘Toch’ is used to seek confirmation, show surprise, or emphasize something that goes against expectations. Sometimes it’s similar to ‘right’ in English.
Dat hadden we afgesproken, toch?
Je komt toch ook?
Dat is toch leuk!
Ja toch?!
Uiteindelijk gingen we toch om 11 uur naar huis.
6.Sowieso
‘Sowieso’ is used to express certainty or inevitability (it will happen in any case), similar to the English “anyway” or “definitely”.
Ik ga sowieso mee.
Dat gaat sowieso gebeuren.
We moeten sowieso nog boodschappen doen.
Hij komt sowieso te laat.
Dat is sowieso een goed idee.
7. Zeg maar
‘Zeg maar’ is used to soften what you’re saying, to be a bit less exact, or to give yourself time to think. It’s very similar to “like” in English.
Het is, zeg maar, best moeilijk.
Hij is zeg maar de leider van de groep.
Ik woon zeg maar in het centrum.
Ik voelde me zeg maar…niet zo lekker.
8. Gewoon
‘Gewoon’ is used to simplify, downplay, or emphasize that something is normal or obvious and should not be overthought. It often translates well as the English “just”.
Doe gewoon normaal.
Je moet het gewoon proberen.
We doen gewoon rustig aan.
Het is gewoon zo.
Ga gewoon naar huis.
To finish, here are some filler words that Dutch speakers use in pretty much the same way as in English:
- ‘denk ik’ (I think)
- ‘en zo’ (and so on / and stuff)
- ‘weet je wel’ (you know?)
- ‘echt’ (really)
- ‘serieus’ (seriously)
- ‘of zoiets’ (or something like that)
- ‘letterlijk’ (literally)
- ‘soort van’ (sort/kind of)
- ‘eigenlijk’ (actually)
- ‘inderdaad’ (indeed)
Don’t be surprised if we sometimes throw in actual English fillers too, such as: “whatever” or “anyway.”
There are also a few smaller filler words you might have missed in the list above, such as ‘maar’, ‘even’ and ‘eens’. Together with some you’ve already seen here, they deserve their own category. All of them add subtle emotion to what you’re saying, making it sound more friendly, neutral, or a bit more direct. I’ll save those for another post!