The pattern
An e in a syllable without stress is usually a quick "uh". The unstressed endings -ig and -lijk use the same "uh", even though they are spelled with i and ij.
- Small words: de, je, me and te sound like "duh", "yuh", "muh" and "tuh". Het sounds like "ut", and een (a) like "un".
- Weak beginnings and endings: the e in bedankt, gezellig, morgen and grote.
- -en: many speakers drop the n, so lopen sounds like "LO-puh". In writing, the n always stays.
- -ig sounds like "uch", with the rough Dutch ch (The Dutch g and ch): aardig, gezellig, twintig.
- -lijk sounds like "luk": eigenlijk, natuurlijk, moeilijk.
Examples
| De trein naar Utrecht is laat. | The train to Utrecht is late. |
| Hoe heet je? | What's your name? |
| Priya, kun je me helpen? | Priya, can you help me? |
| Daan en Fatima wonen in Leiden. | Daan and Fatima live in Leiden. |
| Mijn buurman Ahmed is heel aardig. | My neighbour Ahmed is very nice. |
| Bij Sanne is het altijd gezellig. | It's always cosy at Sanne's. |
| Het is vandaag twintig graden. | It's twenty degrees today. |
| Ik ben eigenlijk moe. | Actually, I'm tired. |
| Nederlands is soms moeilijk. | Dutch is sometimes difficult. |
| Ja, natuurlijk! | Yes, of course! |
Why it works this way
Dutch words with more than one syllable usually have one main stressed syllable, the strong beat. Many unstressed syllables, most of all those spelled with e, relax into a quick "uh", called the schwa. It is one of the most frequent sounds in Dutch. English does something similar: in "banana", only the middle a is a full a. Not every unstressed vowel relaxes, though: the o at the end of auto stays a clear o. Word stress shows where the strong beat falls.
So why not write "uh"? Because spelling shows how a word is built. Eigenlijk is eigen (own) plus -lijk, and the -en of lopen is the same ending you write in wij werken. A fixed spelling lets readers spot those parts, however fast people talk.
The "uh" belongs to weak syllables: unstressed endings, weak prefixes such as be- and ge-, and small words such as de and je. When lijk itself is stressed, as in gelijk (equal, right), you hear the full ij of wijn. Dropping the n of -en is normal relaxed speech in much of the Netherlands, even on radio and TV. Some speakers keep it, and that is fine too.
If you speak German, don't say -ig and -lijk like the clear "ich" and "lich" of German "fertig" and "eigentlich". Spanish speakers often give every e a clear "eh"; here, let it go soft.
Remember: say it lazy, write it in full. A weak e, -ig and -lijk are a small "uh" in your mouth and a fixed spelling on paper.
Watch out
NotWij lope naar huis.
SayWij lopen naar huis.
drop the n in speech if you like, never in writing
NotMijn buurvrouw is aardug.
SayMijn buurvrouw is aardig.
you hear "uch", you write -ig
NotDat is moeiluk.
SayDat is moeilijk.
you hear "luk", you write -lijk
NotIk heb eigelijk geen tijd.
SayIk heb eigenlijk geen tijd.
fast speech swallows that n, yet the word is eigen plus -lijk
Quick check
- Fix the sentence: Daan en Mei fietse naar het station.
- Fill in the ending that sounds like "luk": Ja, natuur...!
- Fix the spelling: Ik betaal twintug euro.
- Choose: in Hoe heet je?, the e of je sounds like (a) the ay in English "day" or (b) the a in English "about".
Show the answers
- Daan en Mei fietsen naar het station. (in writing, -en keeps its n)
- natuurlijk (the "luk" ending is spelled -lijk)
- twintig (the "uch" ending is spelled -ig)
- (b) (a weak e is a relaxed "uh")
Use it today
At the next birthday or borrel (drinks), tell the host Het is heel gezellig! with a small "uch" at the end. On your bike ride home, say Ja, natuurlijk! and Ik ben eigenlijk moe. out loud, keeping every ending lazy.