Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| auto | /ˈɑu̯.toː/ /ˈoː.toː/ |
masculine |
| wagen | /ˈʋaːɣə(n)/ | masculine |
| automobiel | /ɑu̯.toː.moːˈbil/ | dated, masculine |
All forms of the word refer to an automobile or a vehicle steered by a driver.
Which one should you use?
auto is the common, standard way to say car in everyday Dutch. wagen is a more formal or slightly more old-fashioned term for a vehicle and is often found in compound words like personenwagen. automobiel is a formal and somewhat dated term that is rarely used in casual conversation today.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the south of the Netherlands and parts of Belgium, wagen is used as a more general term for a vehicle, including cars.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural of auto, use auto's. The apostrophe is used before the 's' to prevent a double vowel 'oo' that would otherwise change the pronunciation.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of auto is /ˈɑu̯.toː/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- Dutch has a specific word for a 'carpool' or 'ride-sharing' called carpoolen, borrowing the English term directly as a verb.
- While auto means car, the word wagen can also refer to a carriage or a train car, making it much broader in meaning.
- The Dutch word wagen is a linguistic relative of the English word 'wagon'. Both stem from the same Proto-Germanic root *wagnaz.
Examples in context
- Is dit uw auto?Is this your car?This sentence is useful for asking if the car belongs to someone using the form auto.Tatoeba #3211247 by PaulP, translation #55937 by TRANG
- De auto is geel.The car is yellow.This sentence is useful for describing the color of the car using the form auto.Tatoeba #4229437 by PaulP, translation #3050133 by sundown
- Waar is je auto?Where's your car?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of someone's car using the form auto.Tatoeba #5171573 by Rosemarie, translation #2254675 by CK
- Ik heb een nieuwe auto gekocht.I have bought a new car.
- De auto staat buiten.The car is outside.
- Heb je je nieuwe wagen al?Do you already have your new car?
- Wat vind je van mijn nieuwe bak?What do you think of my new ride?
- 1055 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daan and Emma are standing in a parking lot.
- DaanIs dit jouw nieuwe auto?Is this your new car?
- EmmaJa, de auto is erg snel.Yes, the car is very fast.
- DaanHij ziet er erg mooi uit.It looks very beautiful.
- EmmaDank je, ik ben er erg blij mee.Thank you, I am very happy with it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “car” translations and entries auto, wagen, automobiel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries auto, automobiel, wagen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
