sterven
/ˈstɛrvə(n)/
To die in Dutch is to say sterven. Wiktionary also lists doodgaan and overlijden.
Meaning: to stop living (verb)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA |
|---|---|
| sterven | /ˈstɛrvə(n)/ |
| doodgaan | /ˈdoːtɣaːn/ |
| overlijden | /ˌoː.vərˈlɛi̯.də(n)/ |
The verbs in this group describe the act of ceasing to live. While sterven is the standard term, other forms exist depending on whether you are speaking about people, machines or using specific levels of politeness.
Which one should you use?
Doodgaan is a colloquial term that can refer to both living beings and inanimate objects, such as a machine or a battery that stops working. Sterven is the standard verb for the biological process of dying. Overlijden is a more polite way to say 'to pass away', which is commonly used in official contexts or obituaries.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of sterven is gestorven, which is used with the auxiliary verb zijn to form perfect tenses.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈstɛrvə(n)/
Did you know?
- The word sterven shares an ancient root with the English word 'starve', meaning both to cease living and to die from lack of food.
- The verb sterven is a distant relative of the English word 'stark', which originally described the stiffness of a dead body.
- In Dutch, the word lijden inside overlijden can also mean 'to suffer' or 'to undergo'.
Examples in context
- Ik ga niet sterven.I won't die.This sentence uses sterven to express a refusal of death.Tatoeba #4755881 by PaulP, translation #1792644 by BraveSentry
- Tijd om te sterven.Time to die.This sentence uses sterven to indicate the time of death.Tatoeba #7914868 by MarijnKp, translation #1453235 by Spamster
- Ik wil niet sterven.I don't wanna die.This sentence uses sterven to express a desire to avoid death.Tatoeba #12496600 by megamanenm, translation #12482305 by cost_
- Helaas, Piet is overledenUnfortunately, Piet has passed away
- Mevrouw de Vries is heengegaan na een lang ziekbedMrs. de Vries passed away after a long illness
- Mijn kat is doodgegaanMy cat died
- Toen hij hoorde dat hij ontslagen was, ging hij bijna de pijp uit van schrikWhen he heard he was fired, he was scared to death
- 142 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Levi and Julia are talking about an old tree in the garden.
- LeviKijk, die oude boom begint te sterven.Look, that old tree is starting to die.
- JuliaDat is echt jammer, Levi.That is really a pity, Levi.
- LeviHij zal waarschijnlijk deze winter sterven.He will probably die this winter.
- JuliaWe moeten een nieuwe boom planten.We should plant a new tree.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “die” translations and entries sterven, doodgaan, overlijden, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries doodgaan, overlijden, sterven, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
