Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA |
|---|---|
| (teer)geliefd | |
| lief | /lif/ |
| beminnelijk | /bəˈmɪ.nə.lək/ |
| kostbaar | /ˈkɔst.baːr/ |
Use lief to describe someone or something as sweet, kind or dear. Use beminnelijk to mean lovable or pleasant. When "dear" refers to something of great value or preciousness, use kostbaar. If you are referring to a person who is loved, such as a beloved, use (teer)geliefd.
Which one should you use?
While geliefd translates to "beloved" and carries a deep, often romantic or poetic sense, lief is a much more common way to describe someone or something as "dear", "sweet" or "kind". Use kostbaar specifically when "dear" implies something is precious or of high value, which carries a more formal or heavy emotional weight than lief.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say that someone is dear to you, do not use a direct adjective-noun pairing. Instead, use the construction iemand is mij lief (someone is dear to me).
Did you know?
- Kostbaar is a calque, meaning it was intentionally modeled after the German word 'kostbar'.
- In Dutch, calling a child lief is the standard way to describe them as 'well-behaved', which goes beyond just being 'dear'.
- The word beminnelijk contains the root minnen, an archaic verb for 'to love' that is rarely used in modern spoken Dutch.
Examples in context
- Mary is mij zeer lief.Mary is very dear to me.This sentence shows how to use lief to express that someone is dear to you.Tatoeba #8171027 by Elsofie, translation #2509453 by sharptoothed
- Mijn lief katje is al een week verdwenen.My dear little cat has been missing for a week.This sentence uses lief as an adjective for a pet.Tatoeba #664322 by martinod, translation #250424 by shekitten
- Eerlijk, liefje, het kan mij niet schelen.Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.This sentence uses liefje as an informal term of endearment.Tatoeba #590362 by martinod, translation #573559 by Leono
- Beste mevrouw Jansen,Dear Mrs. Jansen,
- Geachte heer Van den Berg,Dear Mr. Van den Berg,
- Lieve oma,Dear grandma,
- Lieve schat,Dear treasure,
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dear” translations and entries lief, beminnelijk, kostbaar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beminnelijk, kostbaar, lief, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
