Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn how to express your likes and dislikes in Dutch with common verbs such as houden van, leuk vinden, and haten. This lesson covers sentence structure and includes practical examples for beginners at A1 level to talk about preferences and aversions naturally.
  1. Structure: persoon + werkwoord + object. For example: 'Ik houd van muziek'.
 Uitdrukking (Expression)Voorbeeld (Example)
Voorkeuren (Preferences)Houden van
Leuk vinden
Dol zijn op
Ik houd van blauw. (I like blue.)
Ik vind dansen leuk. (I like dancing.)
Ik ben dol op chocolade. (I love chocolate.)
Afkeuren (Disapprove)Niet houden van
Niet leuk vinden
Haten
Ik houd niet van geel. (I don't like yellow.)
Ik vind dansen niet leuk. (I don't like dancing.)
Ik haat geweld. (I hate violence.)

Exercise 1: Het uitdrukken van voorkeuren en afkeuren

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

houd, haten, zijn, houdt, vindt

1. Dol zijn op:
Wij ... dol op groene appels.
(We love green apples.)
2. Niet leuk vinden:
Hij ... die gele jas niet leuk.
(He doesn't like that yellow jacket.)
3. Houden van:
Ik ... van de kleur blauw.
(I love the colour blue.)
4. Haten:
Zij ... rode tomaten.
(They hate red tomatoes.)
5. Niet houden van:
Jij ... niet van oranje.
(You don't like orange.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ik houd ___ blauwe muren in de woonkamer.

(I love ___ blue walls in the living room.)

2. Zij vindt rood haar ___ omdat het opvallend is.

(She likes red hair ___ because it is striking.)

3. Wij zijn dol ___ groene planten in het kantoor.

(We are fond ___ green plants in the office.)

4. Hij houdt niet ___ gele muren, ze zijn te fel.

(He does not like ___ yellow walls, they are too bright.)

5. Jij ___ zwarte kleding omdat het somber is.

(You ___ black clothes because they are gloomy.)

6. Ik vind oranje bloemen niet ___ in het huis.

(I do not like orange flowers ___ in the house.)

Expressing Preferences and Dislikes in Dutch

This lesson focuses on how to express what you like and dislike using simple and common Dutch phrases. It is designed for beginners at the A1 level who want to confidently talk about their personal preferences and aversions.

Key Expressions for Preferences

You will learn phrases such as houden van (to love), leuk vinden (to like), and dol zijn op (to be fond of). For example, Ik houd van blauw means "I love blue," and Ik ben dol op chocolade means "I am fond of chocolate." These expressions help you clearly communicate what you enjoy.

Expressions for Dislikes

To express dislike or disapproval, this lesson teaches you phrases like niet houden van (not to like), niet leuk vinden (to find not fun), and haten (to hate). Examples include Ik houd niet van geel (I do not like yellow) and Ik haat geweld (I hate violence).

Sentence Structure

The typical sentence structure to express preferences is:
person + verb + object.
For example: Ik houd van muziek (I love music). This straightforward construction makes sentences easy to form and understand.

Important Notes

  • The verbs houden van and dol zijn op both imply strong liking, but dol zijn op often feels more affectionate.
  • To express dislikes, negation is placed before the verb: houd niet van.
  • Using haten is stronger and expresses hatred, so use it carefully.

Differences from English

In Dutch, expressions for liking something often include a preposition (van or op) after the verb. For example, houden van literally means "hold of" but translates as "love" or "like." English simply uses "like" directly followed by the object. The placement of negation in dislike expressions (niet houden van) differs from English "not like," making Dutch sentence patterns unique but consistent once learned.

Useful phrases:
Ik houd van koffie. - I like coffee.
Ik ben dol op lezen. - I am fond of reading.
Ik houd niet van regen. - I do not like rain.
Ik haat wachten. - I hate waiting.

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 29/05/2025 19:08