Dutch A2 Word List & Inburgering Vocabulary Guide
Master the official high-yield Dutch A2 word list required to pass the DUO Inburgering examination. Every word in this vocabulary list includes grammatical gender (“de” / “het”), clear English translations, phonetic pronunciations, and real exam context sentences.
800 Words
Tier 1-3 DUO Inburgering Syllabus
311
~75% Common gender nouns
102
~25% Neuter gender nouns
152+
Active verbs & transition words
Searchable Dutch A2 Word List with English Translations
Filter by grammatical gender (de / het), verbs, or topic domain. Click the speaker icon to hear native Dutch audio pronunciation.
Showing 36 of 800 Dutch A2 words
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[ik]
I
“Ik leer elke dag Nederlands.”
I learn Dutch every day.
jij
[yay]
you (informal stressed)
“Kom jij vanavond naar de les?”
Are you coming to the lesson tonight?
je
[yuh]
you / your (informal unstressed)
“Hoe heet je?”
What is your name?
u
[ew]
you (formal)
“Kunt u mij alstublieft helpen?”
Could you please help me?
hij
[hay]
he
“Hij woont in Amsterdam.”
He lives in Amsterdam.
zij
[zay]
she / they
“Zij werkt als lerares.”
She works as a teacher.
we
[wuh]
we (conversational)
“We gaan samen lunchen.”
We are going to have lunch together.
wij
[way]
we (stressed)
“Wij wonen al drie jaar in Nederland.”
We have lived in the Netherlands for three years.
jullie
[YUL-lee]
you (plural)
“Komen jullie morgen op bezoek?”
Are you guys coming to visit tomorrow?
het
[hut]
it / the (neuter)
“Het regent vandaag flink.”
It is raining heavily today.
mijn
[mayn]
my
“Dit is mijn telefoonnummer.”
This is my telephone number.
jouw
[yow]
your (stressed)
“Is dit jouw jas?”
Is this your coat?
uw
[ew]
your (formal)
“Wat is uw adres?”
What is your address?
haar
[hahr]
her
“Zij bezoekt haar familie.”
She visits her family.
ons
[awns]
our / us
“Dit is ons nieuwe appartement.”
This is our new apartment.
mensen
[MEN-suhn]
people
“Veel mensen fietsen naar het werk.”
Many people cycle to work.
de persoon
[per-SOHN]
person
“De prijs is vijftien euro per persoon.”
The price is fifteen euros per person.
de man
[mahn]
man / husband
“Mijn man werkt bij een transportbedrijf.”
My husband works at a transport company.
de vrouw
[vrow]
woman / wife
“Mijn vrouw studeert aan de universiteit.”
My wife studies at the university.
het kind
[kint]
child
“Het kind leert zwemmen.”
The child is learning to swim.
de jongen
[YONG-uhn]
boy
“De jongen fietst naar de voetbalclub.”
The boy cycles to the football club.
het meisje
[MAY-shuh]
girl
“Het meisje zingt een Nederlands liedje.”
The girl sings a Dutch song.
de vriend
[vreent]
friend (male) / boyfriend
“Ik ontmoet een vriend in het café.”
I meet a friend in the café.
de vriendin
[vreen-DIN]
friend (female) / girlfriend
“Mijn vriendin helpt mij met de verhuizing.”
My girlfriend/friend helps me with the move.
de buurman
[BEWR-mahn]
male neighbor
“De buurman neemt het pakketje aan.”
The neighbor accepts the package.
de buurvrouw
[BEWR-vrow]
female neighbor
“Mijn buurvrouw bakt koekjes voor de straat.”
My neighbor bakes cookies for the street.
de familie
[fah-MEE-lee]
family
“Mijn familie komt volgend weekend op bezoek.”
My family is visiting next weekend.
de vader
[VAH-duhr]
father
“Mijn vader woont in het buitenland.”
My father lives abroad.
de moeder
[MOO-duhr]
mother
“Haar moeder kookt vanavond.”
Her mother is cooking tonight.
de ouder
[OW-duhr]
parent
“De ouders praten met de leraar.”
The parents talk to the teacher.
de zoon
[zohn]
son
“Hun zoon slaagt dit jaar voor zijn examen.”
Their son passes his exam this year.
de dochter
[DAWKH-tuhr]
daughter
“Mijn dochter gaat naar de kinderopvang.”
My daughter goes to daycare.
de broer
[broor]
brother
“Mijn broer belt mij elke zaterdag.”
My brother calls me every Saturday.
de zus
[zus]
sister
“Mijn zus woont in Den Haag.”
My sister lives in The Hague.
de naam
[nahm]
name
“Kunt u uw naam spellen?”
Can you spell your name?
de leeftijd
[LAYF-tayt]
age
“Wat is de leeftijd van de patiënt?”
What is the age of the patient?
Dutch A2 Words by Inburgering Domain
View All in AppCommunication (Gesprek & Connectors)
Connecting words, conjunctions, questions, feelings, conversation
Daily Life (Dagelijks Leven)
Daily routines, habits, verbs, movement, activities
Time & Dates (Tijd & Afspraken)
Calendar, days, months, frequencies, planning, appointment times
Home & Living (Wonen & Huis)
Housing, rent, rooms, furniture, neighbors, repairs
Transport (Vervoer & Reizen)
Trains, buses, OV-chipkaart, delays, directions, traffic
Government & Society (Overheid & Diensten)
Municipality registration, taxes, DigiD, civic rights, forms
Shopping (Winkelen & Kassa)
Supermarket, prices, discounts, returns, customer service
Food & Meals (Eten & Boodschappen)
Groceries, cooking, meals, drinks, café, recipes
People & Family (Mensen & Familie)
Personal pronouns, relatives, neighbors, relationships
Health & Medical (Gezondheid & Zorg)
GP visits, pharmacy, body parts, illness, medicine
Work & Jobs (Werk & Beroep)
Workplace, contracts, colleagues, job tasks, colleagues
Education & Learning (Onderwijs & School)
Courses, exams, homework, school memos, studying
Money & Banking (Geld & Betalen)
Bank accounts, PIN payments, salary, bills, fees
Reading & Signs (DUO Lezen & Borden)
Public notices, official signposts, letters, safety signs
Weather & Climate (Het Weer & Seizoenen)
Rain, sun, wind, temperature, seasonal weather
Culture & Traditions (Cultuur & Tradities)
National holidays, traditions, celebrations, customs
KNM Society (Kennis van de Maatschappij)
Dutch society, history, institutions, civic participation
Why You Need a Dedicated Dutch A2 Word List for Inburgering
Unlike generic Dutch language apps that teach random phrases like “the turtle drinks milk”, the DUO Inburgering A2 examination tests very specific communicative situations: speaking with your GP (huisarts), renting an apartment (huren), reporting a broken radiator, communicating with your child's school, reading train delay notices on NS boards, and completing municipal registration at the Gemeente.
Reading (Lezen)
Requires passive recognition of high-frequency administrative words (bijlage, formulieren, openingstijden, geldig, legitimatiebewijs).
Listening (Luisteren)
Relies on distinguishing tricky phonetics (spoor vs spoorweg, afspraak vs afscheid, kwart voor vs kwart over).
Speaking (Spreken)
Demands prompt verbal recall of essential Dutch verbs, modal verbs (moeten, kunnen, willen), and connectors (omdat, want, dus).
Frequently Asked Questions About the Dutch A2 Word List
Where can I find an official Dutch A2 word list for the Inburgering exam?
MoDutch provides an organized, searchable Dutch A2 word list covering all domains tested on the DUO Inburgering exam (Housing, Healthcare, Work, Shopping, Municipality, Transport) complete with English translations, audio pronunciation, and de/het gender articles.
What vocabulary level is needed for the Dutch A2 Inburgering exam?
DUO requires familiarity with approximately 2,000 core words across common daily topics (Housing, Shopping, Healthcare, Work, Transport, and Government) with at least 1,000 to 1,200 words actively usable for speaking and writing.
What are the most important words on the Dutch A2 word list?
The high-yield A2 word list consists of high-frequency everyday nouns (with “de” or “het”), regular and irregular verbs (zoals wonen, werken, gaan, komen), modal verbs (moeten, mogen, willen, kunnen), and conjunctions/connectors (omdat, want, maar, dus, daarna).
What is the easiest way to remember de vs het words?
Always learn the article together with the noun as a single audio unit (e.g., learn “de afspraak” instead of just “afspraak”). Remember key heuristics: all plurals are “de”, and all diminutives ending in -je are “het”.
How can I practice Dutch A2 words with audio pronunciation?
You can use the interactive audio speaker buttons in the table above or launch the MoDutch 3D Flashcard deck. MoDutch features native Dutch teacher voices with phonetics breakdowns for tricky Dutch diphthongs (UI, IJ, OE, SCH, and guttural G).