Colours
Kleuren
- Describe the colours of common objects.
- Basic, compound and hair colours.
- Expressing preferences and dislikes
Learn how to express likes and dislikes about colors in Dutch, focusing on vocabulary, common phrases, and verb conjugations. Practice everyday conversations about clothing, hair color, and food, plus explore grouping colors by usage to enhance your Dutch language skills.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (14) 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: colors often used as hair colors and colors mainly mentioned for other things.
Haarkleuren
Algemene kleuren
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Roze
Pink
2
Zwart
Black
3
Grijs
Grey
4
De kleur
The colour
5
Geel
Yellow
Oefening 5: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- Describe the colours of the clothes. (Describe the colours of the clothes.)
- Describe the hair colour of each person. (Describe the hair colour of each person.)
- Describe your own appearance. (Describe your own appearance.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
De schoenen zijn wit. The shoes are white. |
|
Zij heeft bruin haar. She has brown hair. |
|
De vrouw draagt een gele jurk. The woman is wearing a yellow suite. |
|
Zij heeft blond haar. She has blond hair. |
|
Ik draag een paarse blouse. I'm wearing a purple blouse. |
|
Alice draagt zwarte laarzen. Alice is wearing black boots. |
|
Zij draagt een spijkerbroek. She is wearing a pair of jeans. |
| ... |
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. Ik ___ van de blauwe jas die je draagt.
(I ___ the blue coat you are wearing.)2. Zij ___ de gele stoel niet leuk.
(She ___ the yellow chair not like.)3. Wij ___ de grijze wolk boven het huis.
(We ___ the gray cloud above the house.)4. Jij ___ de groene plant heel mooi.
(You ___ the green plant very beautiful.)Exercise 8: Colors in the house
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Vinden - To like
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik vind
- jij vindt
- hij/zij/het vindt
- wij vinden
- jullie vinden
- zij vinden
Houden - To like
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik houd
- jij houdt
- hij/zij/het houdt
- wij houden
- jullie houden
- zij houden
Haten - To hate
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik haat
- jij haat
- hij/zij/het haat
- wij haten
- jullie haten
- zij haten
Exercise 9: Het uitdrukken van voorkeuren en afkeuren
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Expressing preferences and dislikes
Show translation Show answershoud, haten, zijn, houdt, vindt
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!
Vinden find Share Copied!
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd (OTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) vind | I find |
| (jij) vindt/vind | you find |
| (hij/zij/het) vindt | he/she/it finds |
| (wij) vinden | we find |
| (jullie) vinden | you find |
| (zij) vinden | they find |
Haten hate Share Copied!
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd (OTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) haat | I hate |
| (jij) haat/haat | you hate/hates |
| (hij/zij/het) haat | he/she/it hates |
| (wij) haten | we hate |
| (jullie) haten | you hate |
| (zij) haten | they hate |
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Welcome to the Colours Lesson
In this lesson, you will learn how to express preferences and dislikes about colors in Dutch, focusing on everyday situations such as choosing outfits, discussing home decoration, and talking about food. You will explore vocabulary related to common colors like blauw (blue), rood (red), groen (green), geel (yellow), and more, including how these colors are used in various contexts.
Expressing Likes and Dislikes
This lesson teaches essential phrases to share your opinions about colors, for example: Ik houd van de kleur blauw (I like the color blue) and Ik houd niet van zwart (I don’t like black). You will practice these expressions in dialogues set in everyday scenarios such as at the clothing store or hair salon.
Vocabulary Grouping
You will also learn to categorize colors into groups based on their common uses, like hair colors (grijs, zwart, blauw, oranje) and general colors (rood, geel, groen, paars), helping you to better understand and remember vocabulary by topic.
Verb Conjugations for Preferences
The lesson integrates verb practice with important verbs such as houden (to like/love), vinden (to find/think), and haten (to hate). You will fill gaps in sentences and conjugate these verbs correctly in the present tense, e.g., Ik houd van de blauwe jas, Zij vindt de gele stoel niet leuk.
Practical Conversations and Exercises
Practical dialogues will help you to describe clothing colors, discuss hair colors and preferences, and talk about the colors of food items you enjoy or dislike. A short story about colors in the home setting will reinforce your understanding by showing how color preferences appear in real life.
Note on Language Differences
In Dutch, color preferences often use the verb houden van, which translates to "to like" or "love" in English. However, it requires a different word order than English, typically placing "van" (of) after houden (e.g., "Ik houd van blauw," literally "I hold of blue"). Another important verb is vinden, meaning "to find" or "think," which often expresses opinions ("Ik vind de jas mooi" – "I think the jacket is nice"). These expressions may seem unfamiliar at first but are essential for natural communication. Understanding these small grammatical phrases will improve your ability to express opinions accurately in Dutch.
Key phrases to remember:
- Ik houd van... – I like...
- Ik houd niet van... – I don’t like...
- Ik vind... – I find/think...
- Ik haat... – I hate...
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