Physical appearance
Het uiterlijk
- Describe people's physical appearance
- Use adjectives to describe people.
- Adjectives
This lesson covers Dutch vocabulary related to physical appearance, including adjectives like groot (big), klein (small), kaal (bald), and descriptive words for hair types such as baard (beard), snor (mustache), and krullen (curls). You'll learn to describe people’s looks and practice common phrases for everyday conversations.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (18) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Divide the words into two groups: words that describe hair types and words that describe body characteristics.
Haartypes
Lichaamskenmerken
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Dik
Fat
2
Kort
Short
3
Steil
Steep
4
Kaal
Bald
5
Roodharig
Red-haired
Oefening 5: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- Describe the people and animals in the pictures. (Describe the people and animals in the pictures.)
- Describe the person sitting next to you. (Describe the person sitting next to you.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
De eerste vrouw heeft kort blond haar. The first woman has short blond hair. |
|
Hij heeft kort zwart haar. Hij scheert zich. He has short black hair. He shaves himself. |
|
De hond is erg lang en dun. The dog is very tall and thin. |
|
Claire is lang en heeft lang blond haar. Claire is tall and has long blond hair. |
|
Hij heeft kort donker haar. He has short dark hair. |
|
Hij is erg lang. He is very tall. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Hij ___ groot en vriendelijk.
(He ___ tall and friendly.)2. Zij ___ blond en heeft een bril.
(She ___ blonde and wears glasses.)3. Mijn collega ___ vriendelijk en behulpzaam.
(My colleague ___ friendly and helpful.)4. Jouw vriend ___ kaal en heeft een snor.
(Your friend ___ bald and has a mustache.)Exercise 8: A meeting in the park
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Lijken - To look
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- Ik lijk
- Jij lijkt
- Hij/Zij/Het lijkt
- Wij lijken
- Jullie lijken
- Zij lijken
Lopen - To walk
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- Ik loop
- Jij loopt
- Hij/Zij/Het loopt
- Wij lopen
- Jullie lopen
- Zij lopen
Zien - To see
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- Ik zie
- Jij ziet
- Hij/Zij/Het ziet
- Wij zien
- Jullie zien
- Zij zien
Zeggen - To say
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- Ik zeg
- Jij zegt
- Hij/Zij/Het zegt
- Wij zeggen
- Jullie zeggen
- Zij zeggen
Vinden - To like
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- Ik vind
- Jij vindt
- Hij/Zij/Het vindt
- Wij vinden
- Jullie vinden
- Zij vinden
Exercise 9: Bijvoeglijke naamwoorden
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Adjectives
Show translation Show answerswarme, blonde, kleine, dik, dunne, oud, zwarte, vriendelijke
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Lijken to seem Share Copied!
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd (OTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) lijk | I seem |
| (jij) lijkt/lijk | you seem/seems |
| (hij/zij/het) lijkt | he/she/it seems |
| (wij) lijken | we seem |
| (jullie) lijken | you seem |
| (zij) lijken | they seem |
Don't see progress when learning on your own? Study this material with a certified teacher!
Do you want to practice Dutch today? That is possible! Just contact one of our teachers today.
Lesson Overview: Physical Appearance in Dutch
This lesson focuses on describing physical appearance using basic Dutch vocabulary and adjectives. You will learn how to talk about hair types, facial features, and body characteristics through illustrative sentences and dialogues. The lesson covers important adjectives like groot (big), klein (small), and kaal (bald), as well as nouns related to hair such as de baard (the beard) and de krullen (the curls).
Key Vocabulary and Examples
- Hair types: de baard, de snor (the mustache), de krullen, blond, bruin
- Body features: groot, klein, kaal, dik (fat)
Example sentences to illustrate usage include: "De man met de baard is erg groot." (The man with the beard is very tall.) and "Mijn broer is kaal en heeft een snor." (My brother is bald and has a mustache.) These practical phrases help you build descriptive sentences naturally.
Using Adjectives in Descriptions
The lesson teaches how to combine adjectives correctly with nouns, for instance, "De grote man heeft een dikke baard." Notice how adjectives agree with the noun they describe and follow Dutch sentence structure.
Practice with Dialogues
You will find dialogues useful for practicing descriptions in everyday situations, such as at work, on the street, or in a café. For example, "Ken je Anna? Ze is een kleine vrouw met lang blond haar." (Do you know Anna? She is a small woman with long blond hair.) These dialogues help you learn conversational descriptions and build your vocabulary.
Verb Focus: Conjugation of 'Lijken' (to seem)
An important verb in this lesson is lijken, used to express appearance or impression, e.g., "Hij lijkt groot en vriendelijk." (He seems tall and friendly.) The lesson provides conjugations in the present tense and multiple-choice exercises to practice this verb form.
Thematic Short Story
A short story titled "Een ontmoeting in het park" (A meeting in the park) reinforces vocabulary and verbs related to physical appearance and meeting new people, with sentences to fill in and verb tables for reference.
Notes on Language Differences and Useful Phrases
In Dutch, adjectives usually precede nouns and agree in form but are often simpler than English because they do not decline for gender or number as extensively. For example, "De grote man" translates to "The tall/big man," with grote as the adjective form before the noun. English often uses "has" where Dutch uses "heeft," but the structure is comparable for possession.
Useful phrases include:
- Hij lijkt ... — "He seems ..."
- Ze draagt een ... — "She wears a ..."
- De vriendelijke vrouw — "The friendly woman"
- Het kind is klein — "The child is small"
These expressions will help you describe people naturally and clearly in Dutch conversation.
These lessons would not be possible without our amazing partners🙏
