Jan
/jɑn/
Jan is the Dutch male given name for Jan.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Groningen, someone named Jan might be called Jannie.
How do you pronounce it?
/jɑn/
Did you know?
- The name Jan is so common that it is used in the expression Jan en alleman, which means 'everyone' or 'every Tom, Dick and Harry'.
- Because of its brevity, 'Jan' is frequently used in Dutch literature as a generic name for an 'everyman' or an average person.
- The name Jan is a shortened form of the much longer, more formal name Johannes.
Examples in context
- Jan Koum is de oprichter van WhatsApp Inc.Jan Koum is the founder of WhatsApp Inc.This sentence uses Jan to identify a specific person.Tatoeba #10784113 by megamanenm, translation #3058199 by Hybrid
- Jan zei dat jij en ik hem niet konden horen.Jan said that you and I couldn’t hear him.This sentence uses Jan as the subject of the sentence.Tatoeba #13992922 by Tom9358, translation #13992923 by Tom9358
- Jan is klein.Jan is small.This sentence uses Jan to describe a person's size.Tatoeba #9233913 by MarijnKp, translation #7840246 by LaPingvino
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Noah are talking about their mutual friend.
- EmmaHeb jij Jan al gezien?Have you seen Jan already?
- NoahNee, ik heb Jan vandaag nog niet gesproken.No, I haven't spoken to Jan today yet.
- EmmaIk denk dat Jan in de tuin is.I think Jan is in the garden.
- NoahIk ga Jan nu even opzoeken.I'm going to look for Jan now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Jan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Jan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
