politie
/poː.ˈli.(t)si/feminine
The Dutch word for police is politie.
politie refers to a local or general law enforcement agency.
Meaning: local or general law enforcement agency (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
In Dutch, politie is a feminine singular noun. Unlike the English word 'police', which is treated as a plural collective noun, politie is singular and does not have a plural form when referring to the police force as a whole.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /poː.ˈli.(t)si/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use de politie to refer to a single officer. To refer to an individual, you must use politieagent or politieman instead.
Did you know?
- The word politie shares its origins with the English word 'policy', as both derive from the same root describing the management of a city or state.
- In the Netherlands, the national police force was centralized into one single organization in 2013, meaning de politie now refers to one massive national entity rather than separate regional forces.
- While politie refers to the force, a single officer is often called a agent, which is the same root as the English 'agent' but used as the standard everyday term for a cop.
Examples in context
- De politie is hier.The police are here.This sentence shows how to state that the police are present using politie.Tatoeba #7759368 by Micsmithel, translation #3434460 by CK
- Waar was de politie?Where was the police?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of the politie.Tatoeba #1531755 by megamanenm, translation #1531030 by Spamster
- De politie zei niks.The police said nothing.This sentence demonstrates using politie to describe an action or lack thereof.Tatoeba #10734588 by megamanenm, translation #10234822 by Amastan
- Weet jij waar de politie is?Do you know where the police are?
- Ik heb met spoed de politie nodig.I urgently need the police.
- 219 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lucas are discussing a crime they saw on the news.
- JuliaHeb je de politie al gebeld?Have you called the police already?
- LucasNee, de politie is nog onderweg.No, the police are still on their way.
- JuliaIk hoop dat de politie snel komt.I hope the police come quickly.
- LucasMaak je geen zorgen, Julia.Don't worry, Julia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “police” translations and entries politie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries politie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
