welkom!
The English phrase "welcome" is translated into Dutch as welkom!
The phrase is primarily used as a greeting given upon someone's arrival.
Meaning: greeting given upon someone's arrival (intj)
Which one should you use?
As an interjection, welkom! is used as a greeting. This is distinct from the adjective welkom, which describes whether something is welcome or desired.
Related words
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use welkom as a verb. To express the action of welcoming someone, you should use the verbs verwelkomen or welkom heten instead.
Did you know?
- While welkom is the greeting, Dutch speakers often respond to 'thank you' with geen dank, which literally means 'no thanks'. Using welkom in response to 'thank you' is a common mistake for English speakers and is not understood in the Netherlands.
- Dutch has a specific word, gastvrijheid, which describes the quality of being welcoming. It translates literally to 'guest-friendship', emphasizing the bond between the host and the visitor.
- In a formal business setting, you might hear the phrase welkom geheten, which implies the person is being 'called' or 'named' welcome. This reflects an old linguistic habit of attributing a status to a guest rather than just greeting them.
Examples in context
- Welkom!Welcome.This example shows the use of welkom! as a direct greeting.Tatoeba #375832 by megamanenm, translation #138919 by CM
- Waarheid is niet altijd welkom!The truth isn't always welcome!This sentence uses welkom! as an adjective to describe how something is received.Tatoeba #540662 by rabbel, translation #3250345 by Vincinho
- De koude winter is nabij, een sneeuwstorm zal komen. Kom in mijn warme huis, mijn vriend. Welkom! Kom hier, zing en dans, eet en drink. Dat is mijn plan. We hebben water, bier en melk vers van de koe. Oh, en warme soep!The cold winter is near, a snowstorm will come. Come into my warm home, my friend. Welcome! Come here, sing and dance, eat and drink. That is my plan. We have water, beer and milk fresh from the cow. Oh, and hot soup!This passage uses welkom! as a greeting within a friendly invitation.Tatoeba #13080842 by rdgscratch, translation #13080843 by rdgscratch
- Welkom in ons huisWelcome to our house
- Hartelijk welkom bij onze bijeenkomstCordially welcome to our gathering
- Van harte welkom in ons restaurantMost welcome to our restaurant
- Welkom, man! Hoe gaat het met je?Welcome, man! How are you doing?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia arrives at Noah's front door for a visit.
- NoahHoi Julia, welkom!Hi Julia, welcome!
- JuliaDank je wel, Noah.Thank you, Noah.
- NoahKom maar binnen.Come on in.
- JuliaWat ziet het er gezellig uit!How cozy it looks!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
