Dutch greetings are one of the first things you will need when visiting the Netherlands or Belgium, or when speaking with Dutch friends online. In this guide you will learn all essential Dutch greetings — from hello and good morning to goodbye and how are you — with examples and pronunciation tips.
🌞 Time-Based Greetings in Dutch
Dutch people commonly greet each other based on the time of day:
| Dutch | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Goedemorgen | Good morning | Until around 12:00 |
| Goedemiddag | Good afternoon | 12:00 – 18:00 |
| Goedenavond | Good evening | After 18:00 |
| Goedenacht | Good night | Before going to sleep |
In informal speech these are often shortened: Morgen (morning), Middag (afternoon), Avond (evening).
👋 Common Dutch Hello Expressions
| Dutch | English | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo | Hello | Neutral |
| Hoi | Hi | Informal |
| Hey | Hey | Very informal |
| Goedendag | Good day | Formal |
| Dag | Hi / Bye | Neutral (used for both hello and goodbye) |
🚪 Saying Goodbye in Dutch
| Dutch | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tot ziens | See you later / Goodbye | Most common goodbye |
| Doei | Bye | Very informal |
| Dag | Bye | Neutral, used for both hello and goodbye |
| Tot later | See you later | When you will see the person soon |
| Tot morgen | See you tomorrow | When you will meet tomorrow |
| Tot snel | See you soon | When meeting soon but no exact time |
| Vaarwel | Farewell | Formal, final goodbye |
❓ Asking How Are You in Dutch
After greeting someone, it is common to ask how they are. Here are the most used expressions:
- Hoe gaat het? — How is it going? (most common)
- Hoe gaat het met je? — How are you? (informal)
- Hoe gaat het met u? — How are you? (formal)
- Alles goed? — Everything good? (casual)
- Hoe is het? — How is it? (very casual)
💬 How to Respond
- Goed, dank je. — Good, thank you.
- Prima, en jij? — Fine, and you?
- Het gaat wel. — It is okay / so-so.
- Niet zo goed. — Not so good.
- Uitstekend! — Excellent!
🤝 Introducing Yourself in Dutch
- Mijn naam is ... — My name is ...
- Ik heet ... — I am called ...
- Ik kom uit ... — I come from ...
- Aangenaam kennis te maken. — Nice to meet you.
- Leuk je te ontmoeten. — Nice to meet you (informal).
🗣️ Full Dutch Greeting Dialogues
Dialogue 1 — Informal meeting
Tom: Hoi Lisa! Hoe gaat het? — Hi Lisa! How are you?
Lisa: Prima, dank je! En jij? — Fine, thanks! And you?
Tom: Ook goed. Tot later! — Good too. See you later!
Lisa: Doei! — Bye!
Dialogue 2 — Formal meeting
Mevrouw De Vries: Goedemiddag. Hoe gaat het met u? — Good afternoon. How are you?
Meneer Bakker: Uitstekend, dank u. En met u? — Excellent, thank you. And you?
Mevrouw De Vries: Zeer goed. Aangenaam kennis te maken. — Very well. Nice to meet you.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say hello in Dutch?
The most common hello in Dutch is Hallo. Informally you can use Hoi or Hey. Formally use Goedendag.
How do you say goodbye in Dutch?
The most common goodbye is Tot ziens. Informally use Doei or Dag.
How do you say good morning in Dutch?
Good morning in Dutch is Goedemorgen. Informally you can just say Morgen.
How do you ask how are you in Dutch?
Say Hoe gaat het? for a casual version or Hoe gaat het met je? for a more personal form.
Want to expand your Dutch vocabulary?
Check out our complete guide to the 1000 most common Dutch words with translations and examples.
📖 See 1000 Most Common Dutch Words →