wit
/ʋɪt/neuter
The English word white is translated into Dutch as wit.
wit is used as a noun to refer to the color white. It can also function as an adjective meaning bright and colourless, or specifically in board games to describe pieces that belong to the white set.
Meaning: color (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective wit changes depending on the noun it describes. It takes the inflected form witte when it precedes a plural noun or a common gender noun (a de-word).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʋɪt/
Did you know?
- In Dutch, wit is a homonym. While it means 'white', it also means 'wit' or 'intellect', just as it does in English.
- The Dutch word for 'intellect', wit, is closely related to the verb weten, which means 'to know'.
- The color wit originates from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'shine' or 'bright', rather than a specific hue.
Examples in context
- De kom is wit.The bowl is white.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe the color of an object with wit.Tatoeba #11749753 by doemaar14, translation #10112162 by ddnktr
- De hond is wit.The dog is white.This sentence shows how to use wit to describe an animal.Tatoeba #444523 by Globetrotter, translation #526365 by wma
- Je bent zo wit!You are so white!This sentence demonstrates using wit to describe a person.Tatoeba #3120203 by megamanenm, translation #2342347 by Hybrid
- De muren zijn wit.The walls are white.
- Ik draag een witte jurk.I am wearing a white dress.
- De sneeuw is wit en zacht.The snow is white and soft.
- De zeilen van de boot waren blank.The sails of the boat were white.
- Hij heeft blond haar en blauwe ogen, maar een blanke huid.He has blond hair and blue eyes, but a white complexion.
- 252 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sophie and Noah are looking at a new rug for the living room.
- NoahIs dit wit?Is this white?
- SophieNee, het is heel lichtgrijs.No, it is very light grey.
- NoahIk wilde graag een wit kleed.I really wanted a white rug.
- SophieDat is misschien wel makkelijker schoon te maken.That might be easier to clean.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “white” translations and entries wit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries wit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
