katoen
/kaːˈtun/neuter
The Dutch word for the fabric cotton is katoen.
katoen is a neuter noun used to refer to the fabric itself. When you want to describe an object as being made of this material, you can use the adjective katoenen or the prepositional phrase van katoen.
Meaning: fabric (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use the adjective katoenen when it is placed directly before a noun, such as in katoenen shirt (cotton shirt). Alternatively, you can use the phrase van katoen to express that something is made of cotton.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective form katoenen is used when describing a noun, such as katoenen shirt (cotton shirt). To say something is made of cotton, you often use the prepositional phrase van katoen instead of using an adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaːˈtun/
Did you know?
- The word katoen travels a long linguistic road from its Arabic roots, quṭun, through Old Italian and Old French before arriving in Dutch.
- Historically, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was instrumental in bringing cotton textiles from Asia to the Netherlands, shaping the modern use of katoen.
- Dutch speakers use the word watten to describe the soft, processed cotton balls used for medical or cosmetic purposes, rather than katoen.
Examples in context
- Katoen neemt water op.Cotton sucks up water.This sentence shows how katoen interacts with water.Tatoeba #450644 by PaulP, translation #323501 by jakov
- Deze bloes is van katoen.This blouse is cotton.This sentence uses the phrase van katoen to describe a blouse.Tatoeba #381342 by Dorenda, translation #60571 by CK
- Is dit een katoenen handdoek?Is this a cotton towel?This sentence shows the use of the adjective katoenen to describe a towel.Tatoeba #10773252 by megamanenm, translation #8549730 by Amastan
- Ik heb een shirt gemaakt van katoen.I have a shirt made of cotton.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Levi are shopping for new bed sheets.
- EmmaWat vind je van deze lakens, Levi?What do you think of these sheets, Levi?
- LeviIk hou meer van puur katoen.I prefer pure cotton.
- EmmaDeze zijn inderdaad van katoen.These are indeed made of cotton.
- LeviDan nemen we deze set.Then we'll take this set.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cotton” translations and entries katoen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries katoen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
