Education is central to Dutch society and the Netherlands has one of the best education systems in the world. Whether you have children in a Dutch school, are studying yourself, or simply want to discuss education in Dutch, this comprehensive guide covers all the vocabulary you need — from the classroom to the university.
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Wist je dat?Dutch children start school at age 4! By the time they finish secondary school, most Dutch students can hold a conversation in at least 3 languages — Dutch, English and either German or French. Language learning is taken very seriously in Dutch education.
🏫 The Dutch School System
| Dutch | English | Age |
|---|
| de basisschool | primary school | 4–12 |
| de middelbare school | secondary school | 12–18 |
| het vmbo | pre-vocational secondary education | 12–16 |
| de havo | higher general secondary education | 12–17 |
| het vwo | pre-university education | 12–18 |
| het mbo | vocational college | 16–20 |
| de hogeschool / het hbo | university of applied sciences | 17+ |
| de universiteit | research university | 17+ |
🏫 The Classroom: Het Klaslokaal
| Emoji | Dutch | English |
|---|
| 🏫 | de school | school |
| 🏢 | het klaslokaal / de klas | classroom |
| 📚 | het boek / het leerboek | book / textbook |
| 📓 | het schrift / het notitieboek | exercise book / notebook |
| ✏️ | het potlood | pencil |
| 🖊️ | de pen / de balpen | pen / ballpoint pen |
| 📏 | de liniaal | ruler |
| ✂️ | de schaar | scissors |
| 🎒 | de schooltas / de rugzak | school bag / backpack |
| 🖥️ | het bord / het whiteboard | board / whiteboard |
| 💻 | de laptop / de computer | laptop / computer |
| 👩🏫 | de leraar / de lerares | teacher (m/f) |
| 👨🎓 | de leerling / de student | pupil / student |
📖 School Subjects: Vakken
| Dutch | English |
|---|
| Nederlands | Dutch language |
| Engels | English |
| wiskunde | mathematics |
| aardrijkskunde | geography |
| geschiedenis | history |
| biologie | biology |
| scheikunde | chemistry |
| natuurkunde | physics |
| informatica | computer science / ICT |
| tekenen / beeldende vorming | art / visual arts |
| muziek | music |
| lichamelijke opvoeding (LO) | physical education (PE) |
| economie | economics |
| Duits / Frans / Spaans | German / French / Spanish |
💬 Useful Classroom Phrases
| Dutch phrase | English |
|---|
| Mag ik naar de wc? | May I go to the toilet? |
| Ik begrijp het niet. | I don't understand. |
| Kunt u dat herhalen? | Could you repeat that? |
| Wat betekent...? | What does ... mean? |
| Ik heb een vraag. | I have a question. |
| Wanneer is het huiswerk af? | When is the homework due? |
| Hoe schrijf je dat? | How do you write / spell that? |
| Hoe laat begint de les? | What time does the lesson start? |
📝 Grades & Assessment
| Dutch | English |
|---|
| het cijfer (1–10) | grade / mark (Dutch use 1–10 scale) |
| het rapport | report card |
| het huiswerk | homework |
| de toets / het examen | test / exam |
| slagen / zakken | to pass / to fail |
| een herkansing doen | to do a resit |
📊 Dutch grading: Dutch schools use a 1–10 scale. A 10 is perfect (rarely given!). A 6 is the minimum pass mark. Anything below 6 is a fail (onvoldoende).
✏️ Practice Exercises
Translate into Dutch:
- What is your favourite subject? → Wat is jouw lievelingsvak?
- I have homework for maths. → Ik heb huiswerk voor wiskunde.
- I don't understand. Could you repeat that? → Ik begrijp het niet. Kunt u dat herhalen?
- The lesson starts at nine o'clock. → De les begint om negen uur.
- She passed her exam with a good grade. → Ze is geslaagd voor haar examen met een goed cijfer.
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