Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn Dutch prepositions of direction such as door, naar, langs, om, over, and tot. This lesson teaches how to use these words to describe movement and destinations with practical examples and common phrases for everyday situations.
VoorzetselVoorbeeld
door (through)De auto rijdt door de straat. (The car drives through the street.)
naar (to)Ik ga naar de stad. (I am going to the city.)
langs (along)We lopen langs de rivier. (We walk along the river.)
om (around)De bus rijdt om het gebouw. (The bus drives around the building.)
over (over)Het vliegtuig vliegt over de stad. (The plane flies over the city.)
tot (to)We lopen tot het einde van de straat. (We walk until the end of the street.)
van ... naar ... (from ... to ...)Ik reis van Amsterdam naar Rotterdam. (I travel from Amsterdam to Rotterdam.)

Exercise 1: Voorzetsels van richting ( door, langs, naar, ...)

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

tot, naar, over, langs, door, om, van

1.
De auto rijdt ... de straat.
(The car drives through the street.)
2.
Het vliegtuig vliegt ... Spanje.
(The plane flies to Spain.)
3.
Ik ga ... de stad.
(I am going to the city.)
4.
De trein rijdt ... het spoort.
(The train runs over the track.)
5.
We lopen ... de rivier.
(We walk along the river.)
6.
De auto rijdt ... het einde van de weg.
(The car drives to the end of the road.)
7.
Mijn fiets staat ... de hoek.
(My bike is around the corner.)
8.
Ik fiets ... school naar huis.
(I cycle from school to home.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ik fiets elke dag _____ het park naar mijn werk.

(I cycle every day _____ the park to my work.)

2. Wij lopen _____ de gracht om bij de supermarkt te komen.

(We walk _____ the canal to get to the supermarket.)

3. De bus rijdt _____ het station om daar te stoppen.

(The bus drives _____ the station to stop there.)

4. We rijden met de auto _____ het nieuwe gebouw heen.

(We drive the car _____ the new building.)

5. De tram rijdt _____ het water naar de andere kant van de stad.

(The tram drives _____ the water to the other side of the city.)

6. Ik reis vandaag _____ Amsterdam _____ Utrecht met de trein.

(I travel today _____ Amsterdam _____ Utrecht by train.)

Prepositions of Direction in Dutch

This lesson covers important Dutch prepositions that indicate direction, such as door (through), naar (to), langs (along), and others. You will learn how to use these prepositions naturally in everyday sentences to describe movement, travel, and locations.

Key Prepositions and Examples

  • door: used to express movement through a place. Example: "De auto rijdt door de straat." (The car drives through the street.)
  • naar: indicates the destination. Example: "Ik ga naar de stad." (I am going to the city.)
  • langs: means alongside or along a path. Example: "We lopen langs de rivier." (We walk along the river.)
  • om: used to describe going around something. Example: "De bus rijdt om het gebouw." (The bus drives around the building.)
  • over: indicates movement over or across an area. Example: "Het vliegtuig vliegt over de stad." (The plane flies over the city.)
  • tot: means ‘up to’ a point. Example: "We lopen tot het einde van de straat." (We walk up to the end of the street.)
  • van ... naar ...: expresses movement from one place to another. Example: "Ik reis van Amsterdam naar Rotterdam." (I travel from Amsterdam to Rotterdam.)

Common Phrases and Usage Tips

The lesson also includes practical sentences for daily use, such as "Ik fiets elke dag door het park naar mijn werk." (I cycle through the park to my work.) and "Wij lopen langs de gracht om bij de supermarkt te komen." (We walk along the canal to get to the supermarket.) These help you practice contextual usage of direction prepositions.

Notes on English-Dutch Differences

In Dutch, prepositions of direction often correspond closely to English, but the construction can vary. For example, "van ... naar ..." literally means "from ... to ..." and is used for expressing travel routes. Also, some Dutch prepositions combine with articles in ways English does not, affecting word order and meaning. Understanding these nuances is essential for fluent, natural speech.

This lesson will help you form accurate and meaningful sentences about direction and movement, which are fundamental for everyday communication in Dutch.

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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 16:33