Prepositions are small but mighty words that show the relationship between nouns, pronouns and other words. Dutch prepositions like in, op, aan and bij are used very frequently but don't always match their English equivalents. This guide covers the most essential Dutch prepositions with plenty of real examples.
Don't try to translate Dutch prepositions word-for-word from English. For example, in Dutch you say ik ben goed in tennis (I am good AT tennis), not "goed op". The best approach is to learn prepositions together with the phrases they appear in.
📍 Location Prepositions: Where Things Are
| Dutch | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in | in / inside | De kat zit in de doos. (The cat sits in the box.) |
| op | on / on top of / at | Het boek ligt op de tafel. (The book is on the table.) |
| aan | on / at / to (attached) | Het schilderij hangt aan de muur. (The painting hangs on the wall.) |
| bij | near / at / with | Ik woon bij Amsterdam. (I live near Amsterdam.) |
| naast | next to / beside | De bank staat naast het raam. (The sofa is next to the window.) |
| tussen | between | De sleutel ligt tussen de kussens. (The key is between the cushions.) |
| achter | behind / at the back of | De tuin is achter het huis. (The garden is behind the house.) |
| voor | in front of / before | De auto staat voor de deur. (The car is in front of the door.) |
| boven | above / over | De lamp hangt boven de tafel. (The lamp hangs above the table.) |
| onder | under / below | De hond ligt onder de tafel. (The dog lies under the table.) |
| naast | beside / alongside | Zit naast mij. (Sit next to me.) |
🚶 Direction Prepositions: Where Things Go
| Dutch | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| naar | to (destination) | Ik ga naar Amsterdam. (I go to Amsterdam.) |
| uit | out of / from | Ik kom uit Nederland. (I come from the Netherlands.) |
| van | from / of | Dit is een cadeau van mijn moeder. (This is a gift from my mother.) |
| door | through / by (agent) | We rijden door de tunnel. (We drive through the tunnel.) |
| langs | along / past | We fietsen langs de rivier. (We cycle along the river.) |
| over | over / about / across | We praten over het nieuws. (We talk about the news.) |
⏰ Time Prepositions
| Dutch | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| om | at (a specific time) | De trein vertrekt om drie uur. (The train departs at three o'clock.) |
| op | on (a day) | We vergaderen op maandag. (We meet on Monday.) |
| in | in (a month/year/season) | Ik ben geboren in april. (I was born in April.) |
| voor | before | Bel me voor twaalf uur. (Call me before twelve.) |
| na | after | We eten na de vergadering. (We eat after the meeting.) |
| tijdens | during | Ik slaap tijdens de film. (I sleep during the film.) |
| sinds | since | Ik woon hier sinds 2010. (I have lived here since 2010.) |
| tot | until | De winkel is open tot zes uur. (The shop is open until six.) |
🔗 Fixed Preposition Combinations (Collocations)
Many Dutch verbs and adjectives are always paired with a specific preposition. These must be learned as fixed combinations:
| Dutch combination | English |
|---|---|
| wachten op | to wait for |
| zoeken naar | to look for |
| luisteren naar | to listen to |
| kijken naar | to watch / look at |
| denken aan | to think about/of |
| praten over | to talk about |
| goed in | good at |
| bang voor | afraid of |
| blij met | happy with |
| trots op | proud of |
| houden van | to love / to like |
| beginnen met | to begin with / start |
✏️ Practice: Choose the Right Preposition
- I live ___ Amsterdam (in/bij) → in Amsterdam (inside the city)
- The cat is ___ the table (op/onder) → op de tafel (on top)
- We go ___ school (naar/van) → naar school
- I am proud ___ you (op/van) → trots op jou
- The train departs ___ 9 o'clock (op/om) → om negen uur
🔗 Continue Learning
- 👉 Word Order — preposition phrases and their position
- 👉 Dutch Pronouns — pronouns after prepositions
- 👉 Travel Vocabulary — prepositions used in directions
- 👉 House & Home — location prepositions in practice
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