--- title: "False friends between Dutch and English" level: A2 chapter: "Start here" canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/false-friends updated: 2026-10-08 author: Dutch Fluency license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) --- # False friends between Dutch and English Some Dutch words look exactly like English words but mean something else: _slim_ means clever, not thin, and _een kind_ is a child, not a nice person. These look-alikes are called false friends: words that seem familiar but quietly lead you astray. The way to beat them is to learn each one as a pair, with a short example sentence you can picture. ## The pattern > A false friend is a Dutch word that looks like an English word but has a different meaning. Learn its real meaning together with the Dutch word for the English meaning. - _slim_ = clever (English slim is _slank_) - _eventueel_ = possibly, if needed (eventually is _uiteindelijk_) - _actueel_ = current, up to date (actually is usually _eigenlijk_) - _brutaal_ = cheeky, bold in a rude way (brutal is _wreed_ or _bruut_) - _het kind_ = child (kind is _aardig_) - _het monster_ = sample (it can also mean a monster) - _door_ = through, or by (a door is _de deur_) - _bellen_ = to phone, to ring a bell (for call meaning give a name, use _noemen_) ## Examples | Mei is heel **slim**: ze spreekt vier talen. | Mei is very clever: she speaks four languages. | | Yara kan **eventueel** op zaterdag werken. | Yara can work on Saturday if needed. | | Is dit telefoonnummer nog **actueel**? | Is this phone number still up to date? | | Die meeuw is echt **brutaal**: hij heeft mijn broodje gestolen! | That seagull is really cheeky: it stole my sandwich! | | Lotte heeft een **kind** van drie. | Lotte has a three-year-old child. | | Ik heb bij de drogist een gratis **monster** gekregen. | I got a free sample at the chemist's. | | We fietsen **door** het park naar huis. | We cycle home through the park. | | Deze taart is **door** Fatima gemaakt. | This cake was made by Fatima. | | Ik **bel** je vanavond even. | I'll give you a quick call tonight. | | Er wordt **gebeld**! Doe jij even open? | Someone's at the door! Can you get it? | ## Why it works this way Dutch and English are close relatives, so they share hundreds of old words. Over the centuries, some of those words drifted apart. English even borrowed _slim_ from Dutch in the 1600s, and then each language took it in a different direction. Dutch _door_ is related to English "through", while English "door" is related to Dutch _deur_: same letters, crossed wires. You will meet _door_ meaning by again in [the passive](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/passive). Another group came into Dutch from French. _Eventueel_ and _actueel_ kept the French meanings: possibly and current. Good news if you speak Spanish or German: Spanish "actual" and German "aktuell" also mean current, and German "eventuell" means possibly. German speakers have their own trap, though: _slim_ looks like "schlimm" but means clever, and _brutaal_ is much milder than German "brutal". You will see _eventueel_ a lot in letters from the _gemeente_, often as _eventuele_: _Bij eventuele vragen kunt u ons bellen_ simply means "If you have any questions, you can call us." And when the GP asks for _een urinemonster_, relax: it is a sample, nothing scary. Learning pairs works because the trap and the way out are stored together. [How to learn Dutch grammar so it sticks](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/how-to-learn-grammar) has more ways to make words stay. Remember: same face, different job. When a Dutch word looks just like an English one, you recognise the face, but check the job before you trust it. ## Watch out - Not: _Eventueel heb ik een baan gevonden._ Say: _Uiteindelijk heb ik een baan gevonden._ (eventually, meaning in the end, is _uiteindelijk_) - Not: _Actueel wil ik liever thee._ Say: _Eigenlijk wil ik liever thee._ (actually is _eigenlijk_; _actueel_ means current) - Not: _Kun je de door even dichtdoen?_ Say: _Kun je de deur even dichtdoen?_ (a door is _de deur_; _door_ means through or by) - Not: _Iedereen belt me Bas._ Say: _Iedereen noemt me Bas._ (_bellen_ is for phone calls and bells; giving a name is _noemen_) ## Quick check 1. Choose: _Na drie keer heb ik ... mijn rijbewijs gehaald._ (_eventueel_ / _uiteindelijk_) 2. What does _Deze brief is door de gemeente gestuurd_ mean? (a) This letter was sent to the council. (b) This letter was sent by the council. 3. Fix the verb: _Wij bellen onze hond Max._ 4. What does _Zijn uw gegevens nog actueel?_ mean? (a) Are your details actually correct? (b) Are your details still up to date? ## Answers 1. _uiteindelijk_ (it means in the end; _eventueel_ means possibly) 2. (b) (_door_ before the one who does the action means by) 3. _Wij noemen onze hond Max._ (naming is _noemen_; _bellen_ needs a phone or a bell) 4. (b) (_actueel_ means current, not actually) ## Use it today Make three flashcards, each with one pair and a sentence of your own, for example: _slim_ means clever, and English slim is _slank_. Then use one out loud today, perhaps by telling a colleague that the seagulls in town are _brutaal_. ## Questions learners ask **What does slim mean in Dutch?** Slim means clever or smart, not thin. If you want to say someone is slim in the English sense, use slank. **What is the difference between eventueel and eventually?** Eventueel means possibly or if needed, as in "Bij eventuele vragen kunt u ons bellen" (if you have any questions, you can call us). Eventually, meaning in the end, is uiteindelijk in Dutch. **What are common Dutch false friends for English speakers?** Common ones are slim (clever), eventueel (possibly), actueel (current), brutaal (cheeky), kind (child), monster (sample), door (through or by) and bellen (to phone). Learn each one as a pair with its real meaning and one example sentence. From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.