Bedeutung
Stating an opinion.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The phrase is a cornerstone of 'polderen'—the Dutch art of reaching consensus. It allows speakers to contribute to a discussion without sounding like they are dictating the truth. Flemish speakers use this phrase too, but they might often opt for 'Ik denk het wel' or 'Ik geloof van wel,' which can sound slightly softer or more polite in a Southern context. In Surinamese Dutch, the phrase is common but might be delivered with a different intonation. The Dutch influence remains strong in formal and semi-formal communication. In Afrikaans, the equivalent is 'Volgens my wel.' It shows the deep linguistic roots shared between Dutch and Afrikaans in expressing personal opinion.
Sound like a local
Add 'hoor' at the end ('Volgens mij wel hoor') to sound extra friendly and natural.
Don't use with 'ik'
Never say 'Volgens ik'. It's always 'mij' because 'volgens' is a preposition.
Bedeutung
Stating an opinion.
Sound like a local
Add 'hoor' at the end ('Volgens mij wel hoor') to sound extra friendly and natural.
Don't use with 'ik'
Never say 'Volgens ik'. It's always 'mij' because 'volgens' is a preposition.
The 'Polder' response
Use this phrase to avoid sounding too 'eigenwijs' (stubborn/know-it-all).
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word to say 'I think so.'
Is de film al begonnen? Volgens ___ wel.
'Volgens' is a preposition that must be followed by the object pronoun 'mij'.
Which response is the most natural Dutch way to say 'I think so'?
Hebben we nog brood?
'Volgens mij wel' is the standard idiomatic expression.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Komt Sarah ook naar het feestje? B: ________. Ze zei dat ze rond acht uur zou komen.
The second sentence confirms that Sarah is likely coming, so 'Volgens mij wel' fits best.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are 80% sure the train leaves from platform 4.
This phrase expresses high but not absolute certainty.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenIs de film al begonnen? Volgens ___ wel.
'Volgens' is a preposition that must be followed by the object pronoun 'mij'.
Hebben we nog brood?
'Volgens mij wel' is the standard idiomatic expression.
A: Komt Sarah ook naar het feestje? B: ________. Ze zei dat ze rond acht uur zou komen.
The second sentence confirms that Sarah is likely coming, so 'Volgens mij wel' fits best.
You are 80% sure the train leaves from platform 4.
This phrase expresses high but not absolute certainty.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, 'Volgens mij' on its own is incomplete. You need 'wel' or 'niet' or a full sentence following it.
They are very similar. 'Volgens mij wel' is slightly more common and feels a bit more like 'from my perspective,' while 'Ik denk het wel' focuses more on your thought process.
It's neutral. You can use it in almost any situation, from a job interview to a bar.
In Dutch, 'wel' is used to affirm a statement, especially when there's an implied question or doubt. 'Ja' is a direct answer, but 'wel' is used in these idiomatic structures.
Yes! You can say 'Volgens hem wel' (According to him, yes) or 'Volgens de krant wel' (According to the newspaper, yes).
Not at all. It's actually more polite than a blunt 'Ja' because it acknowledges that you might be wrong.
Simply replace 'wel' with 'niet': 'Volgens mij niet.'
Yes, it is perfectly understood and used in Flanders, though they have their own local variations too.
Yes, it's very common in work emails for tentative confirmation.
Then say 'Zeker weten!' or 'Ja, absoluut!' instead.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Volgens mij niet.
contrastI don't think so.
Ik denk het wel.
synonymI think so.
Naar mijn mening
similarIn my opinion
Ik vind van wel.
specialized formI think so (opinion-based).
