eten
/ˈeː.tə(n)/
To eat in Dutch is eten.
The term is used to describe the act of eating a meal. It is a versatile word that can function as both the verb 'to eat' and the noun meaning 'food' or 'meal'.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
Which one should you use?
While eten is the standard term for both the action and the food itself, other verbs exist for specific contexts. For example, smullen is used when eating with enjoyment, while nuttigen is a more formal way to express eating.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈeː.tə(n)/. The first of two syllables is stressed.
Did you know?
- In some Dutch dialects, you might encounter the word vreten to describe eating. While it means 'to eat', it is almost exclusively used for animals or is used insultingly toward humans eating like beasts.
- In a casual setting, a Dutch person might say Eet smakelijk!, which translates literally to 'Eat tasty!', to wish you a good meal. This is the standard equivalent of the English 'Enjoy your meal'.
- The word eten is a direct relative of the English word 'eat' through their shared Proto-Germanic ancestor *etaną.
Examples in context
- Ik ga zo eten.I'll eat in a moment.This sentence shows how to use eten when talking about a future action.Tatoeba #10731730 by megamanenm, translation #8928428 by CK
- Kan ik dit eten?Can I eat this?This sentence uses eten to ask for permission to eat something.Tatoeba #375889 by megamanenm, translation #54937 by CK
- Wat wilt u eten?What do you want to eat?This sentence uses eten to ask what someone wants to eat.Tatoeba #3249514 by PaulP, translation #372015 by saeb
- Ik wil etenI want to eat
- Hij moet etenHe has to eat
- Zij gaan etenThey are going to eat
- U mag de maaltijd nuttigenYou may have the meal
- Hij nuttigt zijn lunchHe is having his lunch
- Wij kunnen samen een hapje nuttigenWe can have a snack together
- Laten we samen etenLet's eat together
- Ik heb zin om te etenI feel like eating
- Heb je al gegeten?Have you eaten already?
- We hebben gesmuld van het dinerWe enjoyed the dinner
- Laten we smullen van deze heerlijke taartLet's indulge in this delicious cake
- Ik heb echt zitten smullenI really enjoyed eating
- 647 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Sophie are deciding on dinner.
- LucasZullen we nu gaan eten?Shall we eat now?
- SophieJa, ik heb erg veel honger.Yes, I am very hungry.
- LucasWat wil je vanavond eten?What do you want to eat tonight?
- SophieLaten we pasta maken.Let's make pasta.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eat” translations and entries eten, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
