In this blog, we’ll look at (in my opinion) some very fascinating Dutch words!
As a language lover, I like to collect Dutch words that feel somehow remarkable -funny, fascinating, or simply beautiful. Sometimes it’s the meaning and how that gets reflected in the word; other times it’s just the way the sounds come together.
Below, I’ve listed 8 Dutch words from my collection. I’ve included the closest English translations, example sentences, and Dutch synonyms as well.
It’s my intent to share some of my love for the Dutch language with you through these words, and maybe even inspire you to start using them in your daily life.
1. Joekel (whopper / huge thing)
“Dat is echt een joekel van een hond!”
“Ze hebben een joekel van een huis gekocht.”
“Er lag een joekel van een steen op de weg.”
This word perfectly expresses its meaning: something surprisingly big. At the same time, I find it kind of cute or sweet sounding - not harsh at all. We used to eat joekel-ijsjes as kids (does anyone remember those?) - they had what looked like a caveman on them. If you trace back the origin of the word, it seems to come from Romani, and actually means ‘dog’.
Dutch synonyms: kanjer, bakbeest.
2. Huppeldepup (so-and-so /thingy)
“Kun je me die huppeldepup even geven?”
“Hoe heet die huppeldepup ook alweer?”
“Ik moet nog even dat huppeldepupje invullen.”
This word is just funny, because of ‘huppel’ (huppelen means to hop), and sweet because of ‘pup’. It’s used when you don’t remember the name of something. Much nicer than “so-and-so” or “thingy”, right?
Dutch synonyms: dinges, hoe-heet-het.
3. Priegelwerk (delicate work/fine needlework)
“Wat een priegelwerk is dit zeg.”
“Voor dit klusje heb je echt geduld nodig, het is echt priegelwerk.”
“Dit soort borduurwerk is echt priegelwerk.”
This word describes its meaning perfectly. Just the sound of priegel - the pr, g and l sounds together - gives the feeling of trying to fix or pick at something tiny with fingers that are too big… It’s used for work that requires precision and patience. It also reminds me of kietelen (tickling), like the word itself gives you the tickles.
Dutch synonyms: peuterwerk, gepeuter, gepriegel
4. Pietluttig (nitpicky/finicky)
“Ik vind hem nogal pietluttig, want hij klaagt over elk klein geluidje op kantoor.”
“Dat is toch een pietluttig detail?”
“Doe niet zo pietluttig over die kleine foutjes.”
We use this to describe someone who cares too much about small, unimportant details, or for things that don’t really matter that much. Again, to me, the sound of this word perfectly matches the meaning. The ‘lut’ especially sounds just like ‘flut’ - small and insignificant, like a fluff.
The word has possible roots in a story from the Bible about Put and Lud who concerned themselves with small, unimportant matters.
Dutch synonyms: kleingeestig, zeurderig, muggenzifterig
5. Lukraak (haphazardly/randomly)
“De stoelen stonden lukraak in de kamer.”
“Ze stelde lukraak wat vragen.”
“Hij koos lukraak een nummer.”
To me, this word has something strong and direct about it, which is interesting because the meaning is actually the opposite: without structure or plan. It likely comes from ‘geluk’(‘luck’ or ‘success’) and ‘raak’ (‘hitting the target’ or ‘correct’) - suggesting that something hits the mark, or is achieved, by chance.
Dutch synonyms: willekeurig, zomaar
6. Frappant (striking/remarkable)
“Het is heel frappant dat dit zo vaak gebeurt.”
“Het verschil is echt frappant.”
“Wat ik frappant vind, is dat niemand iets zegt.”
This word makes me think of ice cream, cold frappé, coffee…something like that. I like the way it sounds, and also how it looks - some words just look a bit strange, and I enjoy that! It comes from the French verb frapper, meaning ‘to strike’ or ‘to hit’.
Dutch synonyms: opvallend, opmerkelijk
7. Kneuterig (cosy, quaint, homey)
“We hadden een kneuterig avondje thuis.”
“Ze wonen in een kneuterig dorpje.”
“Ik hou wel van die kneuterige sfeer.”
I love this word for many reasons. One of them is that it reminds me of ‘keutel’ (little poop/dropping). The ‘eu’ sound makes it feel soft and happy, and the ending gives it that slightly warm, old-fashioned kind of cosy. You probably already know ‘gezellig’ - this is like the more quirky, slightly nerdy version of that.
Dutch synonyms: knus, gezellig
8. Dusdanig (to such an extent)
“Het was dusdanig druk dat we moesten wachten.”
“Het regende dusdanig hard dat we binnen bleven.”
“Hij was dusdanig moe dat hij meteen in slaap viel.”
This is a more formal word, and you can really feel that. I like the double ‘d’, and that you can still use it in normal conversation without sounding strange - while still carrying a bit of formality.
Dutch synonyms: zo, zodanig
Which one is your favourite?!