zee
/zeː/feminine
The Dutch word for sea is zee.
zee refers to a body of water. The specific phrase aan zee is commonly used to describe being located at the seaside or by the coast.
Meaning: body of water (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of zee is zeeën. zee is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/zeː/
Did you know?
- The Netherlands has a unique word, polder, for land reclaimed from the zee, creating a landscape that is physically lower than the sea level.
- The word zee is a cognate of the English 'sea', but unlike English, the Dutch word 'zee' can also be part of names for inland lakes, such as 'de Bodemzee'.
- In Dutch maritime history, the 'zee' was often personified in literature as a powerful, fickle character that could grant or take life.
Examples in context
- De zee is ruig.The sea is rough.This sentence illustrates how to describe the state of the zee.Tatoeba #7489098 by MarijnKp, translation #841233 by CM
- Ze zijn aan zee.They are at the sea.This sentence shows the usage of being located aan zee.Tatoeba #3152964 by martinod, translation #13324308 by SunnyMoon
- De zee is blauw.The sea is blue.This sentence describes the color of the zee.Tatoeba #7489099 by MarijnKp, translation #2396999 by Hayabusa
- We maakten een prachtige wandeling langs de zee.We had a beautiful walk along the sea.
- Laten we vanmiddag gaan zwemmen in de zee.Let's go swimming in the sea this afternoon.
- 119 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noah and Sophie are standing on a beach.
- NoahKijk eens naar de zee, Sophie!Look at the sea, Sophie!
- SophieJa, de zee ziet er prachtig uit.Yes, the sea looks beautiful.
- NoahZullen we nu in de zee zwemmen?Shall we swim in the sea now?
- SophieDat is een goed idee, Noah.That is a good idea, Noah.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sea” translations and entries zee, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
