Learn key Dutch prepositions of place and direction such as binnen, rond, tegen, vanuit, and via. This lesson explains their meanings, usage, and differences with practical examples to help you describe locations, movements, and spatial relationships accurately in Dutch.
- These prepositions express a place or direction.
| Voorzetsel (Preposition) | Betekenis (Meaning) | Voorbeeld (Example) |
|---|---|---|
| binnen | In of binnenin iets (In or inside something) | Ik ben binnen in het winkelcentrum. (I am inside the shopping centre.) |
| rond | Om iets heen (Around something) | We lopen rond het winkelcentrum. (We walk round the shopping centre.) |
| rondom | Synoniem voor 'rond' (Synonym for 'around') | De winkels zijn rondom het park. (The shops are around the park.) |
| tegen | Aanliggend of contact (Adjacent or in contact) | Hij staat tegen de muur van de bakkerij. (He is standing against the wall of the bakery.) |
| vanuit | Vanaf een plek van vertrek (From a place of departure) | Ik kom vanuit de stad. (I come from the city.) |
| via | Langs een tussenstop of route (Along a stopover or route) | We reizen via Amsterdam naar Parijs. (We travel via Amsterdam to Paris.) |
Exercise 1: Voorzetsels binnen, rond, tegen, vanuit
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Binnen, rond, tegen, via, vanuit, Rondom
1.
... het winkelcentrum zijn er nog veel andere winkels.
(There are still many other shops around the shopping centre.)
2.
Je kunt ... de hoofdingang binnen in het winkelcentrum.
(You can enter the shopping centre through the main entrance.)
3.
De man leunt ... de muur van het kapsalon.
(The man is leaning against the wall of the hairdresser's.)
4.
Ik rijd met de fiets ... de stad naar de kledingzaak.
(I cycle from the city to the clothing shop.)
5.
... in het winkelcentrum is er een cadeauwinkel.
(Inside the shopping centre there is a gift shop.)
6.
De klant loopt ... het plein en zoekt een bakkerij.
(The customer is walking around the square and is looking for a bakery.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence with the correct preposition for place or direction.
1.
'Against' means that you stand against something, not that you walk around it.
'Inside' means that you are inside something, not walking around it.
2.
'Against' means that something lies beside or makes contact, not the starting point.
'Around' means around something, not a starting point.
3.
'Against' means that something is directly adjacent to something else, but the supermarket is usually inside the center.
'From' indicates the starting point, not the location.
4.
'Inside' means within, but bank and pharmacy are separate buildings.
'From' indicates a starting point, not a location next to something else.
