Amsterdam
/am.stɛʁ.dam/masculine
Amsterdam is the French name for the capital of the Netherlands.
Amsterdam is the most common way to refer to the capital of the Netherlands in formal settings.
Meaning: capital of the Netherlands (name)
Which one should you use?
La Ville d'Amsterdam is used in official documents or to speak about the city in a dignified manner. La Venise du Nord is a commonly used nickname for Amsterdam in casual conversations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The name Amsterdam is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /am.stɛʁ.dam/.
Did you know?
- Although Amsterdam is spelled the same in French and English, the French pronunciation shifts the stress to the final syllable, which can make the city sound unrecognizable to native Dutch speakers.
- The word Amsterdam in French is a direct loanword from Dutch, maintaining its original spelling despite the language's tendency to adapt foreign names.
Examples in context
- Amsterdam est célèbre pour ses canaux.Amsterdam is famous for its canals.This sentence uses Amsterdam to show what the city is famous for.Tatoeba #5707613 by Aiji, translation #5119487 by Hybrid
- Il vit dans un village près d'Amsterdam.He lives in a village near Amsterdam.This sentence uses Amsterdam to describe a location near the city.Tatoeba #12282621 by Rovo, translation #8963856 by Nylez
- Il habite dans un petit village près d'Amsterdam.He lives in a small village near Amsterdam.This sentence uses Amsterdam to describe a person's residence near the city.Tatoeba #12282620 by Rovo, translation #12282990 by Miktsoanit
- Je prévois de visiter Amsterdam l'année prochaine pour un congrès international.I am planning to visit Amsterdam next year for an international conference.
- Chérie, souviens-toi de ce vélo typique que nous avons vu à Amsterdam .Darling, remember that typical bike we saw in Amsterdam.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are planning a trip to Europe.
- GabrielTu veux aller à Amsterdam ?Do you want to go to Amsterdam?
- ManonOui, j'adore Amsterdam.Yes, I love Amsterdam.
- GabrielC'est une ville magnifique.It is a magnificent city.
- ManonOn y va ensemble ?Shall we go there together?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “amsterdam” translations and entries Amsterdam, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Amsterdam, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
