YOUR DUTCH WORKBOOK LESSON 3 / 18

Asking for Directions in Dutch

Find your way with a few useful phrases. Tap a speaker icon to hear the Dutch.

Ask where a place is

You already know Waar is het station? from Survival Phrases. Now learn how to ask politely, follow a short answer, and check that you understood. Learn these sentences as whole phrases; you do not need new grammar rules yet.

Start with Pardon to get someone’s attention. U is a polite way to address someone you do not know.

Dutch	English
Pardon, waar is het station?	Excuse me, where is the station?
Kunt u mij helpen?	Can you help me?
Hoe kom ik bij het station?	How do I get to the station?
Waar is de bushalte?	Where is the bus stop?
Is het ver?	Is it far?
Dank u wel!	Thank you!

A useful pattern: Waar is …? means “Where is …?” Add the place with its article: het station or de supermarkt. Learn the article together with the word.

Understand the directions

Listen for three key words: rechtdoor, links, and rechts.

Dutch	English
Ga rechtdoor.	Go straight ahead.
Ga linksaf.	Turn left.
Ga rechtsaf.	Turn right.
Steek de straat over.	Cross the street.
Loop verder.	Keep walking.
Neem de eerste straat links.	Take the first street on the left.
Neem de tweede straat rechts.	Take the second street on the right.
Ga bij het stoplicht linksaf.	Turn left at the traffic light.

Ga means “go” in these instructions, and neem means “take”. De eerste straat is the first street; de tweede straat is the second street.

Turning or location? Linksaf and rechtsaf describe a turn. Links and rechts can describe where something is: Het station is rechts. — The station is on the right.

Places along the way

Use these words in the same question: Waar is …?

Dutch	English
het station	the station
de bushalte	the bus stop
de supermarkt	the supermarket
de apotheek	the pharmacy
het hotel	the hotel

Recognize where things are

Dutch	English
De apotheek is links.	The pharmacy is on the left.
De bushalte is naast het station.	The bus stop is next to the station.
Het hotel is tegenover de supermarkt.	The hotel is opposite the supermarket.
Het is dichtbij.	It is nearby.
Het is ver.	It is far.

Keep these pairs together: naast = next to; tegenover = opposite. Dichtbij = nearby; ver = far.

Follow a route, step by step

People often give several directions at once. Read this route in order: go straight ahead, cross the street, turn left, then turn right at the traffic light.

Ga rechtdoor. Go straight ahead.
Steek de straat over. Cross the street.
Ga linksaf. Turn left.
Ga bij het stoplicht rechtsaf. Turn right at the traffic light.

Connect the steps

Eerst means “first”; dan and daarna mean “then / after that”. En means “and”. Learn the examples below as whole phrases.

Ga eerst rechtdoor. Steek daarna de straat over. Ga dan linksaf. Loop verder en ga bij het stoplicht rechtsaf. First go straight ahead. Then cross the street. Then turn left. Keep walking and turn right at the traffic light.

Ga rechtdoor en steek de straat over. De bushalte is rechts. Go straight ahead and cross the street. The bus stop is on the right.

Keep the phrase together: Steek de straat over means “cross the street”. Remember the final over. If you lose track of the route, use Kunt u dat herhalen? — Can you repeat that?

A short conversation

You are looking for the station. Read both parts, then follow the directions in order.

You: Pardon, kunt u mij helpen? Waar is het station? Excuse me, can you help me? Where is the station?

Passer-by: Ga rechtdoor. Neem de eerste straat links. Het station is rechts. Go straight ahead. Take the first street on the left. The station is on the right.

You: Is het ver? Is it far?

Passer-by: Nee, het is dichtbij. No, it is nearby.

You: Dank u wel! Thank you!

Passer-by: Graag gedaan. You’re welcome.

Follow the order: straight ahead → first street on the left → station on the right. Links tells you where to turn here; rechts tells you where to look afterward.

If the answer is too fast

You do not need to understand every word. Use the phrases from Survival Phrases to ask for help, then repeat the important part back.

Dutch	English
Ik begrijp het niet.	I do not understand.
Kunt u dat herhalen?	Can you repeat that?
Kunt u wat langzamer spreken?	Can you speak a little more slowly?
Dus de eerste straat links?	So, the first street on the left?

Check before you go

You: Pardon, waar is de apotheek? Excuse me, where is the pharmacy?

Passer-by: Neem de tweede straat rechts. De apotheek is naast de supermarkt. Take the second street on the right. The pharmacy is next to the supermarket.

You: Kunt u dat herhalen? De tweede straat rechts? Can you repeat that? The second street on the right?

Passer-by: Ja, dat klopt. Yes, that’s right.

You: Dank u wel! Thank you!

PRACTICE

Practice asking for directions

Explore a little Dutch neighborhood. Build a connected Dutch sentence to describe a marked route, or read a sentence and draw the route yourself. A phrase guide is there whenever you need it.

Try Directions practice →

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