het hoofd
Head
Usage
Show it at a clinic and point to your head. "Ik heb hoofdpijn" means I have a headache
Grammar Note
A neuter noun, so it takes "het". Dutch builds pain as a compound: the body part plus "pijn"
het haar
Hair
Usage
Used at a salon or barber. "Ik wil mijn haar laten knippen" — I would like a haircut
Grammar Note
Neuter, and singular for the hair on your head as a whole
het gezicht
Face
Usage
Marks the treatment area at a spa or the spot of a rash at a clinic. The same word also means eyesight, so for vision problems say "ik zie slecht"
het oog
Eye
Usage
Point to it for pain or redness, or to ask for "de oogdruppels" — eye drops
Grammar Note
The plural is "de ogen" — in Dutch every plural takes "de"
het oor
Ear
Usage
For earache or blocked ears on a plane: "ik heb oorpijn"
de neus
Nose
Usage
A blocked nose is "een verstopte neus" and a nosebleed "een bloedneus". Hay fever is "hooikoorts", and the Dutch spring is heavy with pollen
de mond
Mouth
Usage
For the dentist or a mouth ulcer, "een aft"
de tand
Tooth
Usage
Show it at the dentist and point to the tooth. Dutch splits the front tooth ("de tand") from the molar ("de kies"), and toothache from a molar is "kiespijn"
de tong
Tongue
Usage
Point out a burn or an ulcer. The same word is the fish "sole", so "tong" on a menu is the fish
de nek
Neck (back of)
Usage
Dutch splits the back of the neck ("de nek") from the throat side and neck as a whole ("de hals"). A stiff neck is "de nek"; a collar or the throat is "de hals"
de keel
Throat
Usage
"Ik heb keelpijn" — I have a sore throat, and how to ask a pharmacist for lozenges. Pain on swallowing is here; pain at the back of the neck is "de nek"
de schouder
Shoulder
Usage
Point to it at a massage to say where you want the work done
de arm
Arm
Usage
Used for blood draws and vaccinations. Dutch keeps the arm ("de arm") separate from the hand ("de hand")
de elleboog
Elbow
Usage
For a bang from a fall — and the first thing you land on when a bike goes over
de hand
Hand
Usage
For injuries and security checks. The plural is "de handen"
de vinger
Finger
Usage
A toe is a different word, "de teen"; the thumb is "de duim"
de nagel
Nail
Usage
For a nail salon or an ingrown or broken nail. Nail clippers are "de nagelknipper"
de borst
Chest
Usage
For chest pain or breathlessness — urgent, so show it together with "het doet hier pijn" (it hurts here)
de buik
Belly / Abdomen
Usage
The belly you can point at from outside: "ik heb buikpijn". The stomach organ itself is "de maag"
de rug
Back
Usage
For a massage or an orthopaedist: "ik heb rugpijn"
de onderrug
Lower back
Usage
Dutch has no single word for the Japanese "koshi", so this compound — lower back — does the job. A sudden lumbago is also called "spit"
de heup
Hip
Usage
For hip pain or explaining a replacement — a new hip is "een nieuwe heup"
de billen
Buttocks
Usage
The everyday neutral word — where an injection goes, or what aches after a long day on a bike
Grammar Note
Normally plural; the singular "de bil" is just one side
het been
Leg
Usage
From thigh to ankle; the part below the ankle is "de voet". The same word also means bone, so for a bone say "het bot" to avoid confusion
de knie
Knee
Usage
For a fall off a bike or a football injury
de voet
Foot
Usage
At a shoe shop or a massage. "Te voet" means on foot
de enkel
Ankle
Usage
A sprain is "een verstuikte enkel". "Ik heb mijn enkel verzwikt" — I twisted my ankle
de huid
Skin
Usage
For a rash, sunburn or insect bites. Sunscreen is "de zonnebrandcrème"; sunburnt is "verbrand"
het bot
Bone
Usage
A fracture is "een botbreuk". "Ik denk dat er iets gebroken is" — I think something is broken
het bloed
Blood
Usage
A blood test is "het bloedonderzoek" and your blood type "de bloedgroep". "Ik bloed" — I am bleeding
het hart
Heart
Usage
For explaining a condition: heart disease is "de hartziekte" and a pacemaker "de pacemaker"
de maag
Stomach
Usage
Use it to ask a pharmacist for something: "ik heb maagpijn". The visible belly is "de buik", a different word
de darmen
Intestines / Bowels
Usage
For diarrhoea ("diarree") or constipation ("verstopping")
Grammar Note
Normally plural; the singular "de darm" is one section of the gut
de longen
Lungs
Usage
For asthma ("astma") or pneumonia ("een longontsteking")
Grammar Note
The singular is "de long"; both lungs take the plural
de lever
Liver
Usage
Comes up when a doctor asks about hepatitis or drinking. The same word is liver on a menu
de nier
Kidney
Usage
A stone is "een niersteen" and dialysis "de dialyse". The plural is "de nieren"
More Dutch phrases
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