Days, Months & Seasons in Dutch (A1–B2)

Level: A1–B2 • Estimated reading: 12–20 min •

All the calendar words you need — names, abbreviations, date formats, prepositions (op/in/om), capitalization, and lots of real examples + micro-drills.

Days of the week (de dagen van de week)

Lowercase in Dutch: maandag, not Maandag. Pronunciation tip: stress the first syllable for most days.

Dutch
English • Abbreviation
maandag
Monday • ma
dinsdag
Tuesday • di
woensdag
Wednesday • wo
donderdag
Thursday • do
vrijdag
Friday • vr
zaterdag
Saturday • za
zondag
Sunday • zo
Ik werk op maandag en donderdag. — I work on Mondays and Thursdays.

Plural/habitual: Use the singular with op for habitual action (op maandag = on Mondays). You can also say maandags (dated/regionally: “on Mondays”).

Months (de maanden) & abbreviations

Dutch
English • Abbreviation
januari
January • jan
februari
February • feb
maart
March • mrt
april
April • apr
mei
May • mei (no dot)
juni
June • jun
juli
July • jul
augustus
August • aug
september
September • sep
oktober
October • okt
november
November • nov
december
December • dec
In juli ga ik op vakantie. — In July I’m going on holiday.

Capitalization: Months are lowercase in Dutch.

Seasons (de seizoenen)

de lente — spring
in de lente
de zomer — summer
in de zomer
de herfst — autumn/fall
in de herfst
de winter — winter
in de winter
In de winter wordt het vroeg donker. — In winter, it gets dark early.

Relative time words you’ll use daily

Dutch
Meaning / note
vandaag
today
morgen / overmorgen
tomorrow / the day after tomorrow
gisteren / eergisteren
yesterday / the day before yesterday
straks / zo meteen
later today / in a moment
binnenkort / dadelijk
soon / right away (regional)
deze week / volgende week / vorige week
this / next / last week
Zie ik je morgen of pas overmorgen? — Do I see you tomorrow or only the day after?

Prepositions: op, in, om

  • op + days/dates: op maandag, op 3 mei
  • in + months/seasons/years: in januari, in de zomer, in 2026
  • om + clock time: om 9:30, om middernacht
  • in het weekend (NL) • Belgium often says op het weekend
We spreken af op vrijdag om 19:00 in juni. — We meet on Friday at 19:00 in June.

How to say and write dates

Order: day–month–year in Dutch writing. Spoken dates usually take de + ordinal + month.

Format
Example
Numeric (common)
03-01-2024 → 3 January 2024
Spelled
3 januari 2024
Spoken
de derde januari tweeduizendvierentwintig (often just drie januari)
ISO (systems)
2024-01-03

Ordinals: 1e (eerste), 2e (tweede), 3e (derde), 4e (vierde) … 21e (eenentwintigste).

De afspraak is op 17 oktober. — The appointment is on October 17.

Articles: “op de derde” is possible but often you’ll say “op 3 oktober”.

Weeks, weekends & week numbers

  • Week starts on maandag in most Dutch contexts.
  • Week numbers are common: in week 32.
  • het weekend: in het weekend (NL). Weekdays are werkdagen; doordeweeks = on weekdays.
Kun je in week 12? — Are you free in week 12?

Holidays & culture notes

Big national moments you’ll hear about:

  • Koningsdag (King’s Day, 27 april) — orange everywhere, city festivals.
  • Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day, 5 mei).
  • Sinterklaas (5 december) — family gifts with playful poems.
Wat doe je met Koningsdag? — What are you doing on King’s Day?

Capitalization: Holidays are capitalized; days/months are not.

Useful phrases & mini-dialogues

Making plans
— Kun je volgende dinsdag om 10:00?
— Liever donderdag. Zullen we om 11:30 afspreken?
Setting a date
— De afspraak staat op 14 juni, om 9 uur.
Talking seasons
— In de lente fiets ik elke dag.
Checking availability
— Ben je dit weekend thuis?
— Nee, pas volgende week.

Practice & micro-drills

A) Fill the preposition

  • We vertrekken __ vrijdag __ 18:45.
  • __ augustus ga ik naar Spanje.
  • __ de winter drink ik meer thee.
Show answers

op, om • In • In

B) Convert to Dutch order

Write “October 3, 2024” → 3 oktober 2024 or 03-10-2024.

C) Pick the word

  • __ (Deze/Volgende) week heb ik weinig tijd.
  • We zien elkaar __ (morgen/overmorgen).
Show answers

Deze • Depends on your plan — both are possible.

D) Say the date aloud

1 mei 2026 → de eerste mei tweeduizendzesentwintig (or simply een mei).

FAQ

Are days and months capitalized?

No. They are lowercase in Dutch: maandag, juni. Holidays like Koningsdag are capitalized.

Which preposition do I use?

op for days/dates, in for months/seasons/years, om for clock times.

How do week numbers work?

They label weeks through the year: week 1, week 2, … Often Monday–Sunday.

Is “maandags” correct?

It exists but sounds old-fashioned/regional. Prefer op maandag for learners.

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