--- title: "The neutral e and the endings -en, -ig and -lijk" level: A1 chapter: "Sounds and spelling" canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/schwa-and-endings updated: 2026-10-08 author: Dutch Fluency license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) --- # The neutral e and the endings -en, -ig and -lijk In Dutch, an _e_ in a weak syllable (one you don't say louder) is usually a quick, relaxed "uh", close to the a in English "about" or the u in "but", so _de_ sounds like "duh". The endings _-ig_ and _-lijk_ shrink to the same sound: _aardig_ (nice) sounds like "AAR-duch" and _eigenlijk_ (actually) like "EI-gun-luk". Many people also drop the n of _-en_, so _lopen_ (to walk) often sounds like "LO-puh". ## 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](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/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](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/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 - Not: _Wij lope naar huis._ Say: _Wij lopen naar huis._ (drop the n in speech if you like, never in writing) - Not: _Mijn buurvrouw is aardug._ Say: _Mijn buurvrouw is aardig._ (you hear "uch", you write _-ig_) - Not: _Dat is moeiluk._ Say: _Dat is moeilijk._ (you hear "luk", you write _-lijk_) - Not: _Ik heb eigelijk geen tijd._ Say: _Ik heb eigenlijk geen tijd._ (fast speech swallows that n, yet the word is _eigen_ plus _-lijk_) ## Quick check 1. Fix the sentence: _Daan en Mei fietse naar het station._ 2. Fill in the ending that sounds like "luk": _Ja, natuur...!_ 3. Fix the spelling: _Ik betaal twintug euro._ 4. Choose: in _Hoe heet je?_, the _e_ of _je_ sounds like (a) the ay in English "day" or (b) the a in English "about". ## Answers 1. _Daan en Mei fietsen naar het station._ (in writing, _-en_ keeps its n) 2. _natuurlijk_ (the "luk" ending is spelled _-lijk_) 3. _twintig_ (the "uch" ending is spelled _-ig_) 4. (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. ## Questions learners ask **How do you pronounce de, je and me in Dutch?** The e in these short words has no stress, so it is a quick, relaxed "uh", close to the a in English "about" or the u in "but". De sounds like "duh", not like "day" or "dee". **Do Dutch people pronounce the n at the end of words like lopen?** Many speakers in the Netherlands drop it in everyday speech, so lopen sounds like "LO-puh", while others keep it. Both are normal, but in writing the n is always there. **How do you pronounce -ig and -lijk in Dutch words like aardig and eigenlijk?** Both unstressed endings shrink to the relaxed "uh" sound: -ig sounds like "uch" with the Dutch ch, and -lijk sounds like "luk". So aardig sounds roughly like "AAR-duch" and eigenlijk like "EI-gun-luk". From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.