tuin
/tœy̯n/masculine
The Dutch word for garden is tuin. Wiktionary also lists gaard.
Meaning: piece of land outside with flowers and plants (noun)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tuin | /tœy̯n/ | masculine |
| gaard | /ɣaːrt/ | masculine |
A tuin refers to a piece of land outside with flowers and plants. If you are referring to a specific type of garden, you can use bloementuin for a flower garden or moestuin for a vegetable garden. To describe the act of growing plants, the related verb tuinieren is used.
Which one should you use?
tuin is the standard modern word for a garden, whereas gaard is an archaic or dialectal form that is not used in everyday modern Dutch to mean a garden.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form gaard is considered dialectal or archaic.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
tuin is a masculine noun. It takes the definite article de (de tuin) and the indefinite article een (een tuin). The plural form of tuin is tuinen.
How do you pronounce it?
/tœy̯n/
Did you know?
- The word tuin shares a common ancestor with the Proto-Celtic word for 'fortress', reflecting a time when a garden was any enclosed space.
- In the Netherlands, a tuin is often a meticulously managed 'lapje grond' or small patch of land, reflecting the country's high population density.
- While tuin is used for gardens, the term hof is used for a courtyard, yet both describe enclosed green spaces depending on the architecture.
Examples in context
- Ik heb een tuin.I have a garden.This sentence demonstrates the use of tuin to express possession.Tatoeba #10651898 by rose_d, translation #8822623 by CK
- Waar is de tuin?Where's the garden?This sentence shows how to ask for the location of the tuin.Tatoeba #10651899 by rose_d, translation #9210851 by CK
- Ga naar de tuin.Go to the garden.This sentence is an instruction to go to the tuin.Tatoeba #10651901 by rose_d, translation #10312506 by Amastan
- Ik hou van bloemen in mijn tuin.I love flowers in my garden.
- Ons huis heeft een prachtige tuin.Our house has a beautiful garden.
- Hij werkt graag in de tuin.He enjoys working in the garden.
- Ik heb een mooie tuin met een klein hofje achterin.I have a beautiful garden with a small backyard.
- 216 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Levi and Julia are looking at a house together.
- LeviKijk eens naar deze grote tuin!Look at this big garden!
- JuliaJa, de tuin is echt prachtig.Yes, the garden is truly beautiful.
- LeviZullen we in de tuin gaan zitten?Shall we go sit in the garden?
- JuliaDat is een goed idee, Levi.That is a good idea, Levi.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garden” translations and entries tuin, gaard, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gaard, tuin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
