DutchPhoning in a new language is hard: no face, no gestures, and the other person talks fast. These are the Dutch habits and phrases that make it a lot easier.
Short answer: the Dutch answer the phone with Met and their name: Met Sanne, or at work Met Sanne de Vries, TaalTaal. Do the same, and start your call with your name and why you call: Goedemorgen, u spreekt met Amal. Ik bel over mijn afspraak.
1 Answering the phone
Met is short for u spreekt met: "you are speaking with". It sounds strange at first, but after a week you will do it yourself. A plain Hallo? is fine with friends, but at work it sounds unsure.
| You hear | It means |
|---|---|
| Met Sanne. | Sanne speaking. |
| Met wie spreek ik? | Who am I speaking to? |
| Ik verbind u even door. | I'll put you through. |
| Kan ik u terugbellen? | Can I call you back? |
2 Making a call
PlanningMet Nathalie, planning.
YouGoedemorgen, u spreekt met Tesfay. Ik bel omdat ik vandaag te laat ben. De bus rijdt niet.
PlanningDank je dat je belt. Hoe laat ben je er?
YouOm half tien, denk ik.
Tip: did you miss something? Say Sorry, kunt u dat herhalen? or Kunt u iets langzamer praten? Nobody minds, and it saves you a second call.
3 Voicemail
Keep it short: who you are, why you call, and how they can reach you. Hallo, met Amal Haddad. Ik bel over de afspraak van donderdag. Wilt u mij terugbellen op 06-12345678? Dank u wel. Say your number slowly, in pairs: nul zes, twaalf, vierendertig, ...
4 Fake texts
Text messages and WhatsApps that pretend to be your bank, a parcel service or your child are common. The language often gives them away:
- Haste: Direct actie vereist! (action required immediately), Uw rekening wordt geblokkeerd.
- A link to "check" something, or a payment request (betaalverzoek) you did not expect.
- Hoi mam, dit is mijn nieuwe nummer (Hi mum, this is my new number): call your child on the old number first.
Your bank will never ask you for your PIN or codes by text or phone.
Dutch phone calls are famously short. If you hang up after "Tot morgen, doei!" within a minute, you are doing it right.
Partner tip Call each other from two rooms. The learner answers in Dutch with their own name, and the partner asks for someone who isn't there, so the learner has to say Die is er niet. Kan ik iets doorgeven? Thirty seconds, hang up, swap. Answering the phone gets a lot less scary once you've done it ten times in your own living room.
Test yourself
Your phone rings at work. What do you say?
Met and your name, for example: Met Amal Haddad.
"Uw pakket kan niet worden bezorgd. Betaal €1,99 via deze link." Real or fake?
Almost certainly fake: an unexpected payment through a link. Delete it.
