Dutch Courses » Advanced Course » Parts of Speech » Other Words

Other Words

Interjections do not contribute to the structure of a sentence. All other parts of speech do.

Ja

The word ja means yes. You can affirm what is said or answer a question positively.
Ga je mee? - Will you come along?
Ja, ik ga mee. - Yes, I’ll come along.

When someone pronounces the word slowly, he is just thinking. The context must make clear if that’s the case.
Ga je mee? - Will you come along?
Ja, dat weet ik eigenlijk nog niet. - Well, I don’t know yet.

Double ja can show unbelief about what is said.
Daar kan je je voorruit mee schoonmaken. - You can clean your windscreen with this.
Ja ja. Dat geloof ik niet. - Hm, I don’t believe that.

jawel gives a strong (somewhat informal) stress to the word.
Je hebt de voordeur niet dichtgedaan. - You did not close the front door.
Jawel. Ik weet het zeker. - Oh yes, I’m sure.

Nee

The word nee means no. You can reject what is said or answer a question negatively.
Ga je mee? - Will you come along?
Nee, ik ga niet mee. - No, I won’t come along.

It depends highly on the person how words like zeg (say), ja or nee are used in different situations.
O nee! Mijn fototoestel is gestolen. - O, no! My camera is stolen.
Nee zeg! Een vlek op mijn jas . - O, no! A stain on my coat.
Nee, meneer. U mag die lift niet gebruiken. - No, sir. You are not allowed to use that elevator.

Greetings and Wishes in Spoken Language

Here are some ways to say hallo or good bye. Some words come and go. Others last for centuries. You will find some verbs and adverbs in this list, although they are not interjections.

Goedemorgen, meneer. - Good morning, sir.
Goedemiddag, meneer. - Good afternoon, sir.
Goedenavond, mevrouw. - Good night, madam.
Hallo. - Hello.
Hoi. - Hi.
Hi. - Hi.
Dag. - Bye.
Dag, John. - Hi, John.
Doei. - Bye bye.
Tot ziens. - See you.
Tot morgen. - See you tomorrow.
Tot volgende week. - Till next week.
Prettig weekend. - Have a nice weekend.
Eet smakelijk. - Have a nice meal.
Welterusten. - Good night.
Gefeliciteerd. - Congratulations.

back to top