tante
/ˈtɑn.tə/feminine
The Dutch word for aunt is tante.
tante is a feminine noun used to refer to a parent's sister or a sister-in-law.
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
Which one should you use?
While tante is the standard term, you may encounter tantetje and tantie, which are diminutive forms used to express affection or as endearments.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of tante is tantes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtɑn.tə/. The first of the two syllables is stressed.
Did you know?
- In some Dutch dialects, particularly in the south, older women are sometimes addressed as tante even if they are not related to you, as a sign of respect or familiarity.
- The English word 'aunt' and the Dutch tante both trace their distant ancestry back to the Proto-Indo-European root *amma, which was an ancient word for 'mother'.
- Dutch speakers often use tante followed by a first name, such as tante Janneke, even when the person is not a biological aunt but a close family friend.
Examples in context
- Wat doet je tante?What does your aunt do?This sentence is useful for asking about the occupation or activities of your tante.Tatoeba #6106713 by Mandalay, translation #17411 by CK
- Dit is mijn tante.This is my aunt.This sentence is useful for introducing your tante.Tatoeba #10703715 by MarijnKp, translation #10701242 by AlanF_US
- Waar is jouw tante?Where's your aunt?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a tante.Tatoeba #7455438 by MarijnKp, translation #7453787 by CK
- Goedemiddag, tante. Hoe gaat het met u?Good afternoon, aunt. How are you?
- Hé tante, hoe gaat het met je?Hey aunt, how are you?
- Bedankt voor alles, tantetje. Je bent geweldig!Thank you for everything, dear aunt. You are incredible!
- 51 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lisa and Lucas are talking about family during a walk.
- LisaHoe gaat het met je tante?How is your aunt doing?
- LucasMet mijn tante gaat het goed.My aunt is doing well.
- LisaDat is fijn om te horen.That is good to hear.
- LucasDank je, Lisa.Thank you, Lisa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries tante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
