lekker
/ˈlɛ.kər/
The English phrase "tasty" is translated into Dutch as lekker.
lekker is used to describe food or drink that has a pleasant flavor.
Which one should you use?
lekker is the common everyday word for tasty, whereas heerlijk is a stronger, more formal or emphatic way to say something is delicious or wonderful.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Netherlands, lekker is commonly used across the country to convey tastiness.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a predicate, lekker is an uninflected adjective, meaning it does not change form based on the gender or number of the noun it describes.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈlɛ.kər/. The stress is on the first of two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might mistakenly use lekker only for food. However, it is very common to use it for other pleasant things, such as in lekker slapen (to sleep well) or lekker weer (nice weather).
Did you know?
- In South Africa, the Afrikaans version of lekker is used as a general term for 'cool', 'great' or 'fun'.
- In some contexts, lekker can be used sarcastically to mean the opposite, such as when something is actually annoying or inconvenient.
- The word lekker is actually a descendant of the verb lekken, which means 'to lick'.
Examples in context
- Deze bes is lekker.This berry's tasty.This sentence is useful for saying a specific berry is tasty using lekker.Tatoeba #1083998 by martinod, translation #8553770 by sundown
- Alles was erg lekker.Everything was very tasty.This sentence is useful for saying that everything was very tasty using lekker.Tatoeba #12743260 by doemaar14, translation #11516368 by totpreussen
- De peer is erg lekker.The pear is very tasty.This sentence is useful for saying a pear is very tasty using lekker.Tatoeba #11782078 by doemaar14, translation #9701779 by Taam
- Het eten was erg lekkerThe food was very tasty.
- De maaltijd was smaakvol bereidThe meal was prepared in a tasty manner.
- De taart smaakte heerlijkThe cake tasted delicious.
- De pasta was verrukkelijk lekkerThe pasta was incredibly tasty.
- De koffie smaakt erg lekker.The coffee tastes very tasty.
- De chocoladetaart is om je vingers bij af te likken.The chocolate cake is finger-licking good.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Levi are eating lunch at a cafe.
- JuliaIs het eten lekker?Is the food tasty?
- LeviJa, deze soep is erg lekker.Yes, this soup is very tasty.
- JuliaDat klinkt goed.That sounds good.
- LeviWil je ook een beetje proeven?Do you want to taste a little bit too?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry lekker, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lekker, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
