hoe
/ɦu/
The Dutch word for "how" is hoe.
The word hoe is used to ask about the manner in which an action is performed. It is also used to ask about the degree of an adjective, such as in hoe groot for "how big".
Meaning: in what manner (adv)
Which one should you use?
While hoe is the standard form, the contraction hoezo is commonly used in informal speech to mean "how come" or "why".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain Dutch dialects, you may hear Hoe maak je't? as a way to ask "How are you?"
How do you pronounce it?
/ɦu/
Did you know?
- In Dutch, hoe is used to ask for the time of day, as in Hoe laat is het?, which literally translates to 'How late is it?'
- The word hoe is used in the expression Hoe dan ook, which means 'regardless' or 'anyway', moving beyond its role as a question word.
- The Dutch word hoe is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'how', both descending from the same Proto-Germanic ancestor *hwō.
Examples in context
- Hoe ken je me?How do you know me?This example shows how to ask about the manner of knowing someone using hoe.Tatoeba #8436075 by MarijnKp, translation #7729071 by soliloquist
- Hoe oud bent u?How old are you?This example demonstrates using hoe to ask about the degree of age.Tatoeba #5947 by Dorenda, translation #436243 by lukaszpp
- Hoe voelt ge u?How do you feel?This example shows using hoe to ask about a state of being or feeling.Tatoeba #940583 by martinod, translation #25724 by CK
- Hoe gaat het?How are you?
- Ik voel me prima, dank u.I'm feeling great, thank you.
- 3166 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lisa is teaching Noah how to use a coffee machine.
- LisaKijk goed hoe ik dit doe.Watch carefully how I do this.
- NoahHoe moet ik de bonen vullen?How should I fill the beans?
- LisaJe moet deze knop indrukken.You have to press this button.
- NoahOké, ik snap hoe het werkt.Okay, I understand how it works.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how” translations and entries hoe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hoe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
