To like in Dutch: graag

How do you say ‘I like to dance’ in Dutch? If you ask this question as a beginner,  your teacher will probably say it’s too soon. Why? Because ‘to like’ isn’t as easy in Dutch as it is in English.

No verb, no like

There is no specific verb for ‘to like’ in Dutch. At best, you can use ‘houden van.’ So, the translation would be:

• Ik hou van dansen. (I like/love to dance)

But the literal translation is: I love to dance. Yes, houden van is to love. So it can also mean to like a lot, just as well as to love. To a loved one, you’d say:

• Ik hou van jou. (I love you)

Graag: no verb

Dutch persons usually use ‘graag’ as a way to express they like something. Graag is no verb but it always stands with a verb. And to be more precise, usually just after the verb.

• Ik dans graag. (I like to dance)

So if you’d like to make the sentence longer, you’ll add the words after graag:

• Ik dans graag salsa met mijn vrienden. (I like to dance salsa with my friends)

If there is no verb, you use ‘hebben’, to have, with graag.

• Ik heb graag kinderen. (I like kids)

Other uses of graag

Graag is also used for other purposes, which can be confusing. But here’s the other uses:

1. Yes in a polite way.
2. Politeness. Used in combination with zouden (would) or willen (want), or both zouden and willen.

• Water, meneer? (water, mister)
• Graag (yes, with pleasure)
• En wat wil u drinken? (and what do you want to drink)
• Ik zou graag een glas cola willen, alstublieft (I’d like a glass of cola, please)

Exercises

Translate (with graag):

1. He likes to eat.
2. I like dancing in the dark.
3. Do we like to go to the cinema?
4. They like ice cream.

Put the words in the right order:

1. graag – drinkt – water – ze .
2. weer – in – van – houden -zij – België – het .
3. zou – krijgen – koffie – graag – je – tas – een .

Solutions

1. Hij eet graag.
2. Ik dans graag in het donker.
3. Gaan we graag naar de cinema?
4. Zij hebben graag ijsjes.

 

1. Ze drinkt graag water.
2. Zij houden van het weer in België.
3. Je zou graag een tas koffie krijgen.

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