Family words are some of the first you want when you have a Dutch partner or are getting to know people. Most are logical, but Dutch has a couple of famous overlaps that catch everyone out. Here is the full set.
The big trap: neef and nicht
The classic surprise: neef and nicht each mean two things.
- neef = cousin (male) and nephew
- nicht = cousin (female) and niece
Context decides which. Mijn neef, de zoon van mijn oom is your cousin; mijn neef, de zoon van mijn zus is your nephew. If you must be precise, you describe the link. As Onze Taal notes, Dutch simply does not split these the way English does, and in practice it rarely confuses anyone.
The core family
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de ouders | parents |
| de vader / moeder | father / mother |
| de broer / zus | brother / sister |
| de zoon / dochter | son / daughter |
| de opa / oma | grandpa / grandma |
| de oom / tante | uncle / aunt |
| de neef / nicht | cousin or nephew / niece |
| het kleinkind | grandchild |
More formally, grandparents are grootvader and grootmoeder, and great-grandparents overgrootouders. Dutch grammar and vocabulary guides list the full tree.
The schoonfamilie (in-laws)
Your partner’s family is the schoonfamilie. The schoon- prefix here marks the in-law bond (nothing to do with schoon meaning “clean”):
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de schoonouders | parents-in-law |
| de schoonmoeder / schoonvader | mother- / father-in-law |
| de schoonzus | sister-in-law |
| de zwager | brother-in-law |
Note that “brother-in-law” has its own word, zwager, rather than schoonbroer (though you may hear the latter in Flanders). Meeting them is its own event, covered in impressing your Dutch in-laws at dinner.
Step and half relatives
- Step-: stief-. stiefvader (stepfather), stiefmoeder, stiefzus.
- Half-: half-. halfbroer, halfzus.
These are regular, so once you know the base words you can build them. The Van Dale dictionary is a quick check if you are unsure.
Partners and spouses
Modern Dutch is relaxed here:
- mijn vriend / vriendin = my boyfriend / girlfriend (also just “friend”, so context matters).
- mijn partner = my partner (neutral, common).
- mijn man / vrouw = my husband / wife.
- de echtgenoot / echtgenote = spouse (formal).
The vriend/vriendin overlap (friend vs partner) is its own small trap; tone and context usually clarify it.
Where it connects
Family vocabulary supports social life: greetings and the three kisses you will exchange with relatives, surviving the birthday circle where you congratulate the whole family, and dinner with the in-laws.
The bottom line
Dutch family words are mostly logical, with two overlaps to remember: neef and nicht each mean cousin and nephew/niece, sorted out by context. In-laws are the schoonfamilie (schoonmoeder, schoonzus, plus zwager for brother-in-law), step-relatives take stief- and half-siblings half-. Learn the base set, mind the vriend/vriendin friend-or-partner trap, and you can place everyone at the next family gathering.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the family words and their tricky overlaps, neef and nicht for both cousin and nephew/niece, the schoonfamilie, opa and oma, in five-minute lessons, so you can talk about relatives without confusion.
Frequently asked questions
Why does ‘neef’ mean both cousin and nephew in Dutch?
Dutch simply uses one word for both male relations of that kind: neef covers cousin (male) and nephew, and nicht covers (female) cousin and niece. Context makes it clear, for example mijn neef van mijn oom (my uncle’s son, so cousin) versus mijn neef, de zoon van mijn zus (my sister’s son, so nephew). If you need to be precise, you describe the relationship. This overlap surprises English speakers but rarely causes real confusion.
What is the Dutch word for in-laws?
The in-law family collectively is the schoonfamilie. Individual in-laws take schoon-: schoonmoeder (mother-in-law), schoonvader (father-in-law), schoonzus (sister-in-law) and, for brother-in-law, the separate word zwager. Your partner’s parents are your schoonouders. The schoon- prefix here is unrelated to schoon meaning ‘clean’; it marks the in-law relationship.
What are the Dutch words for grandparents, aunts and uncles?
Grandparents are opa (grandpa) and oma (grandma); more formally grootvader and grootmoeder. Aunt is tante and uncle is oom. Step-relatives use the prefix stief- (stiefvader = stepfather, stiefmoeder = stepmother), and half-siblings use half- (halfbroer, halfzus). Great-grandparents are overgrootouders. These are mostly regular, so once you know the base words the rest follow a clear pattern.
What is the best app to learn Dutch family and relationship vocabulary?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches family vocabulary with the tricky overlaps made clear, neef and nicht for both cousin and nephew/niece, the schoonfamilie, stief- and half- relatives, in five-minute real-situation lessons, so you can talk about your family and your partner’s without mixing words up.
