E-mails op het werk
Email at work · a free Dutch immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Beste Lisa, bedankt voor je snelle reactie op mijn e-mail.
Dear Lisa, thank you for your quick response to my email.
Literal Best Lisa, thanked for your quick reaction to my email.
A standard professional email opener. 'Beste' (Dear) is the go-to salutation for known colleagues; 'Geachte' is more formal for unfamiliar contacts.
- 'Beste' + first name is the standard salutation for colleagues you know
- 'Bedankt voor' + noun = 'thank you for' + noun
Zou je me kunnen laten weten wanneer het rapport klaar is?
Could you let me know when the report is ready?
Literal Would you me can let know when the report ready is?
Uses 'zou je … kunnen' (could you …) to make a polite professional request. 'Laten weten' is a fixed phrase meaning 'to let someone know / to inform'.
- 'Zou je … kunnen' = conditional polite request structure
- 'Laten weten' = to inform / let know
- Verb-final word order in the subordinate clause after 'wanneer'
Ik bevestig graag onze vergadering op dinsdag om tien uur.
I would like to confirm our meeting on Tuesday at ten o'clock.
Literal I confirm gladly our meeting on Tuesday at ten o'clock.
'Graag' (gladly / with pleasure) softens the verb and signals polite willingness. It is very common in professional Dutch communication and functions like 'would like to'.
- 'Graag' after the verb = polite willingness, equivalent to 'would like to'
- Time expressions: day + 'om' + clock time (on Tuesday at …)
Helaas is de levering vertraagd door onvoorziene omstandigheden.
Unfortunately, the delivery has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
Literal Unfortunately is the delivery delayed by unforeseen circumstances.
Starting a sentence with 'Helaas' (unfortunately) triggers subject-verb inversion: the verb moves to position 2, pushing the subject after it. This is standard Dutch word order.
- Adverb-first inversion: adverb → verb → subject ('Helaas is de levering')
- 'Door' + noun phrase = due to / caused by
Het project loopt goed en we liggen op schema.
The project is going well and we are on schedule.
Literal The project runs well and we lie on schedule.
'Lopen' (to run / go) is used idiomatically for ongoing processes. 'Op schema liggen' is a fixed expression meaning 'to be on schedule'.
- 'Lopen' used idiomatically = a process is progressing / going
- 'Op schema liggen' = fixed collocation: to be on schedule
Ik wil graag een voorstel doen voor de aankomende presentatie.
I would like to make a proposal for the upcoming presentation.
Literal I want gladly a proposal do for the upcoming presentation.
'Een voorstel doen' (to make a proposal) is a common professional collocation. The infinitive 'doen' moves to the end of the clause in standard Dutch main-clause word order.
- 'Wil graag' = polite 'would like to'
- 'Een voorstel doen' = to make a proposal (verb-noun collocation)
- Infinitive at clause end: 'wil … doen'
Kun je alsjeblieft de bijlage controleren vóór morgenochtend?
Could you please check the attachment before tomorrow morning?
Literal Can you please the attachment check before tomorrow morning?
'Kun je … alsjeblieft' is a direct but polite request, slightly less formal than 'zou je … kunnen'. The infinitive 'controleren' sits at the end of the verb cluster.
- 'Kun je … alsjeblieft' = direct polite request, less formal than the conditional 'zou je kunnen'
- Infinitive placed at end of clause: 'kun je … controleren'
- 'Vóór' = before (time reference)
We zouden de deadline met een week kunnen verschuiven als dat nodig is.
We could shift the deadline by one week if that is necessary.
Literal We would the deadline by a week can shift if that necessary is.
The conditional 'zouden … kunnen' (could) frames the suggestion diplomatically. The 'als' (if) clause follows with verb-final order, which is required in all Dutch subordinate clauses.
- 'Zouden … kunnen' = conditional modal expressing a diplomatic suggestion
- Subordinate clause with 'als': verb goes to the very end ('nodig is')
- Using conditional rather than imperative to soften a proposal
Ik hoor graag of dit voorstel voor jou haalbaar is.
I would love to hear whether this proposal is feasible for you.
Literal I hear gladly whether this proposal for you feasible is.
'Ik hoor graag' is a polished closing phrase meaning 'I look forward to hearing'. The indirect question with 'of' (whether) requires verb-final order in the subordinate clause.
- 'Ik hoor graag' = I look forward to hearing (professional closing formula)
- Indirect question with 'of' (whether) requires verb-final order: 'haalbaar is'
Met vriendelijke groet, Thomas.
With kind regards, Thomas.
Literal With friendly greeting, Thomas.
'Met vriendelijke groet' (With kind regards) is the standard professional closing in Dutch business emails. It is often abbreviated as 'Mvg' in less formal professional contexts.
- Standard professional sign-off: 'Met vriendelijke groet'
- Abbreviated form 'Mvg' is widely accepted in professional but less formal email
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
bedankt
thank you / thanks
Bedankt voor je snelle reactie.
Thank you for your quick response.
Common in professional emails to colleagues; 'dank u wel' is more formal
de reactie
the response / reaction
Ik wacht op je reactie.
I am waiting for your response.
bevestigen
to confirm
Kun je de vergadering bevestigen?
Can you confirm the meeting?
Core verb for scheduling confirmations in professional email
de vergadering
the meeting
De vergadering begint om negen uur.
The meeting starts at nine o'clock.
'Het overleg' is also common for a consultation or discussion
vertraagd
delayed
De levering is vertraagd.
The delivery is delayed.
de bijlage
the attachment
Zie de bijlage voor meer informatie.
See the attachment for more information.
Literally 'enclosure'; used in both email and formal letter contexts
het voorstel
the proposal
Ik heb een voorstel voor het team.
I have a proposal for the team.
verschuiven
to shift / to move (a date or deadline)
Kunnen we de afspraak verschuiven?
Can we move the appointment?
Common for rescheduling; also means to physically slide something
haalbaar
feasible / achievable
Is dit plan haalbaar?
Is this plan feasible?
Derived from 'halen' (to achieve / fetch) + the suffix '-baar' (-able)
de groet
the greeting / regards
Met vriendelijke groet, Anna.
With kind regards, Anna.
Used almost exclusively in the closing formula of emails and letters
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Thomas werkt als communicatiemanager bij een middelgroot bedrijf in Utrecht. Elke ochtend opent hij zijn inbox en beantwoordt hij e-mails van collega's en klanten. Hij begint altijd met 'Beste' gevolgd door de naam van de ontvanger, en sluit af met 'Met vriendelijke groet'. Wanneer hij een verzoek doet, gebruikt hij graag de beleefdheidsformule 'Zou je … kunnen' om een professionele toon te bewaren.
Sentence by sentence
Thomas werkt als communicatiemanager bij een middelgroot bedrijf in Utrecht.
Thomas works as a communications manager at a medium-sized company in Utrecht.
'Als' here means 'as' (in the role of). 'Middelgroot' is a compound adjective: 'middel-' (medium) + 'groot' (large).
Elke ochtend opent hij zijn inbox en beantwoordt hij e-mails van collega's en klanten.
Every morning he opens his inbox and replies to emails from colleagues and clients.
'Elke ochtend' (every morning) triggers inversion: verb before subject ('opent hij'). 'Beantwoorden' means to answer or reply to something.
Hij begint altijd met 'Beste' gevolgd door de naam van de ontvanger, en sluit af met 'Met vriendelijke groet'.
He always starts with 'Beste' followed by the recipient's name, and closes with 'Met vriendelijke groet'.
'Afsluiten' is a separable verb split into 'sluit … af'. 'Gevolgd door' (followed by) is a fixed participial phrase.
Wanneer hij een verzoek doet, gebruikt hij graag de beleefdheidsformule 'Zou je … kunnen'.
When he makes a request, he likes to use the polite form 'Zou je … kunnen'.
'Wanneer' introduces a subordinate clause with verb-final order ('doet' at the end). The main clause then inverts: 'gebruikt hij' (verb before subject) because the subordinate clause comes first.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Polite Requests with 'Zou je … kunnen'
In professional Dutch emails, 'zou je … kunnen' (could you …) is the standard structure for making a polite, deferential request. 'Zou' is the conditional form of 'zullen', and 'kunnen' (to be able to) is placed at the end of the clause as an infinitive. This is more formal and respectful than the direct 'kun je …?' and is ideal when writing to colleagues or clients.
Zou je [object / phrase] [infinitive] kunnen?
Zou je het document kunnen sturen?
Could you send the document?
Zou je de vergadering kunnen bevestigen?
Could you confirm the meeting?
Zou je me kunnen laten weten wat de status is?
Could you let me know what the status is?
Zou je dit rapport kunnen controleren vóór vrijdag?
Could you check this report before Friday?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Dutch: 'Could you let me know when the report is ready?'
Hint Use the polite 'Zou je … kunnen' structure.
What does this sentence mean in English? 'Het project loopt goed en we liggen op schema.'
Complete the sentence: 'Ik bevestig graag onze ___ op dinsdag om tien uur.'
Hint Think about what you confirm a time and place for in a work email.
Thomas wants to politely ask a colleague to review an attached file. Which sentence fits best in a professional email?
Rewrite this blunt sentence as a polite request using 'Zou je … kunnen': 'Verschuif de deadline met een week.'
Hint Place the infinitive 'verschuiven' at the end of the sentence.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
Make one about your own world
This is a ready-made capsule from our library. Sign up free to generate a daily Dutch capsule about any theme you choose, hear it spoken, and save the bits you want to keep.