zoon
/zoːn/masculine
The Dutch word for son is zoon.
The noun zoon refers to a male person in relation to his parents.
Meaning: a male person in relation to his parents (noun)
Which one should you use?
While zoon is the standard term, you can use the diminutive Zoontje when referring to a young son or when you want to express affection. The female counterpart to zoon is dochter, meaning daughter. For an informal way to say boy or guy, you can use jongen.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of zoon is zonen. In a religious context, the capitalized form Zoon refers to one of the three persons of the Trinity.
How do you pronounce it?
/zoːn/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse zoon with zon, which means sun. Although they look similar, they are entirely different words.
Did you know?
- Dutch uses the diminutive zoontje not just for children, but as a term of endearment for adult sons of any age.
- While zoon means son, the Dutch word for 'grandson' is kleinzoon, which literally translates to 'small son'.
- The Dutch word zoon is a direct relative of the English 'son' and the German 'Sohn' because all three evolved from the Proto-Germanic word *sunuz.
Examples in context
- Is dat uw zoon?Is that your son?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a person's zoon.Tatoeba #7861555 by Plutone, translation #6645802 by CK
- Ik ken je zoon.I know your son.This sentence is useful for stating that you know someone's zoon.Tatoeba #8551131 by Elsofie, translation #1841674 by CK
- Is hij uw zoon?Is he your son?Tatoeba #13924958 by martinod, translation #12153256 by shekitten
- Dit is mijn zoonThis is my son
- Mijn zoontje is zo schattigMy little son is so cute
- 280 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lisa and Noah are talking about their families.
- LisaHeb je een zoon?Do you have a son?
- NoahJa, ik heb een zoon van vijf.Yes, I have a five-year-old son.
- LisaWat leuk, hij is nog klein!How nice, he is still small!
- NoahJa, mijn zoon is erg energiek.Yes, my son is very energetic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “son” translations and entries zoon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zoon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
