vervelend
/vərˈveːlənt/
The English word 'annoying' can be translated into Dutch as vervelend or irritant.
Meaning: causing irritation or annoyance (adj)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA |
|---|---|
| vervelend | /vərˈveːlənt/ |
| irritant | /ˌi.riˈtɑnt/ /ˌɪ.riˈtɑnt/ |
The word vervelend is the most common and versatile way to describe a situation, event or thing that is annoying or unpleasant. It can also be used to mean 'boring' or 'unpleasant' depending on the context. The word irritant is used to describe something that causes active irritation or is 'rubbing someone the wrong way'.
Which one should you use?
Vervelend is a general term used for annoying, boring or unpleasant things. In contrast, irritant is more direct and specifically describes something that is actively irritating.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the adjective irritant is used before a de-word (a feminine or masculine noun), it takes an -e ending, becoming irritante, such as in een irritante persoon.
How do you pronounce it?
/vərˈveːlənt/
Did you know?
- While vervelend often means 'annoying', it is also the standard way to express sympathy, such as saying 'that is a shame' when someone tells you bad news.
- While irritant sounds very similar to the English 'irritating', using it in a professional Dutch setting can sound much more aggressive or blunt than its English counterpart.
- A Dutch person might say wat een gedoe! to express that a situation is annoying or a hassle, rather than using an adjective at all.
Examples in context
- Tom is zo irritant.Tom is so annoying.This sentence shows how to describe a person using irritant.Tatoeba #5808069 by doemaar14, translation #2647939 by CK
- Het is erg vervelend.It's really annoying.This sentence shows how to describe a situation using vervelend.Tatoeba #4609241 by simonbr, translation #3866007 by CK
- Vind je dat irritant?Do you find that annoying?This sentence shows how to ask if someone finds something irritant.Tatoeba #9713849 by Nylez, translation #1929644 by CK
- Dat geluid is echt irritant!That sound is really annoying!
- Wat een vervelende situatie!What an annoying situation!
- Hij is zo'n lastige klant!He's such a difficult customer!
- Deze geluiden zijn storend tijdens het werk.These sounds are annoying during work.
- Zijn luide stem is een bron van ergernis.His loud voice is a source of annoyance.
- De buurman maakt altijd zo'n irritant lawaai.The neighbor always makes such an annoying noise.
- Ik vind het storend wanneer mijn buurman zo'n lawaai maakt.I find it annoying when my neighbor makes such noise.
- Dat geklets irriteert me mateloos.That chatting annoys me immensely.
- Hij is zo'n vervelende betweter.He is such an annoying know-it-all.
- Hij gedraagt zich erg onaangenaam door altijd alles te willen weten.He behaves very unpleasantly by always wanting to know everything.
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lisa and Daan are talking about a loud neighbor.
- LisaDe buurman is erg luid vandaag.The neighbor is very loud today.
- DaanJa, dat is echt vervelend.Yes, that is really annoying.
- LisaKun je hem vragen stil te zijn?Can you ask him to be quiet?
- DaanIk probeer het morgen.I will try tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “annoying” translations and entries vervelend, irritant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
