Hallo, leuk je te ontmoeten
/ɦɑˈloː løːk jə tə ˌɔntˈmu.tə(n)/word by word
Hello nice to meet you in Dutch is Hallo, leuk je te ontmoeten.
This phrase is a polite greeting used when meeting someone for the first time. You can also use the word Hoi as a common and friendly way to say hi.
Which one should you use?
While Hallo, leuk je te ontmoeten is a standard polite greeting, you can use Hoi, leuk je te ontmoeten to make the greeting more casual and informal by replacing the greeting. In more formal or traditional settings, some speakers might simply say Aangenaam as a shorthand for "Nice to meet you".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more casual and informal tone, you can replace Hallo with Hoi, resulting in Hoi, leuk je te ontmoeten.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase more formal or polite when addressing a stranger or an elder, replace the pronoun je with u, creating leuk u te ontmoeten.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɦɑˈloː løːk jə tə ˌɔntˈmu.tə(n)/. The word has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- While leuk means 'nice' in this phrase, it is believed to have evolved from a word meaning 'lukewarm', similar to the English word 'luke' in 'lukewarm'.
- In many Dutch social circles, a greeting like Hallo, leuk je te ontmoeten is often accompanied by a firm handshake and direct eye contact, which are highly valued signs of sincerity.
- When using Aangenaam as a greeting, you are actually using a single adjective that means 'pleasant'. The rest of the sentence 'It is pleasant to meet you' is simply implied.
Examples in context
- Hallo, leuk je te ontmoeten.Hello, nice to meet you.
- Hallo, leuk je te ontmoeten, ik ben Mark.Hello, nice to meet you, I am Mark.
- Hallo, leuk je te ontmoeten, eindelijk!Hello, nice to meet you, finally!
Example conversation
Daan and Julia are meeting for the first time at a social event.
- DaanHallo, leuk je te ontmoeten, Julia.Hello, nice to meet you, Julia.
- JuliaInsgelijks, Daan. Hoe gaat het?Likewise, Daan. How are you?
- DaanGoed, dank je wel.Good, thank you.
- JuliaWat fijn dat je hier bent.How nice that you are here.
