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A1 noun 3 min de lecture

thee

Entraîne-toi Notes et astuces

§ Basic Meaning of Thee

Definition: Tea

Alright, let's get straight to it. If you're learning Dutch, one of the first words you'll want to know is "thee." It's pronounced like the English word "tea." Simple, right? This is a core word, and you'll hear it constantly.

Ik drink graag thee.

This literally means, "I drink gladly tea." In plain English, "I like to drink tea." Pay attention to the word order here. The verb (drink) comes before 'graag' (gladly/like to).

§ Common Phrases with Thee

You won't just hear "thee" by itself. It's almost always part of a phrase. Here are a few common ones you should know:

Kopje thee: A cup of tea. This is probably the most frequent.
Glas thee: A glass of tea. Less common, but still used, especially for iced tea.
Zakje thee: A tea bag.
Zet thee: Make tea.

Zullen we een kopje thee drinken?

Translation: "Shall we drink a cup of tea?" This is a polite way to suggest having tea with someone.

Ik wil graag een zakje thee, alsjeblieft.

Translation: "I would like a tea bag, please." Useful if you're specifying you want to make it yourself.

§ Thee in Daily Life: Where You'll Hear It

The Dutch love their tea, maybe not as much as coffee, but it's a staple. You'll encounter "thee" in various settings:

§ At Home

This is where you'll hear it most. Families often have tea in the morning, afternoon, or evening. It's a sign of hospitality to offer someone "thee" when they visit.

Wil je ook thee?

Translation: "Do you also want tea?" This is a common question from a host.

§ At Work or School

Many workplaces and schools have kitchens where people can make "thee." It's a common break-time beverage.

De automaat heeft vandaag geen thee.

Translation: "The machine has no tea today." (A common workplace complaint!)

§ In Cafés and Restaurants

Just like in English-speaking countries, you can order "thee" in almost any café or restaurant.

Ik wil graag een thee met melk.

Translation: "I would like a tea with milk." (Note: Dutch people usually drink black tea, often with sugar and sometimes milk or lemon.)

§ In Shops (Supermarkets, etc.)

You'll see "thee" on packaging in the tea aisle of any supermarket.

Welke thee is in de aanbieding?

Translation: "Which tea is on offer/on sale?"

Astuces

Hear the 'th' sound

In Dutch, the 'th' in 'thee' sounds like the 't' in English 'tea'. It's not like the 'th' in 'think'.

Common usage

Just like in English, 'thee' is a very common word in Dutch. You'll hear it a lot.

Practice pronunciation

Say 'thee' out loud several times. Focus on making the 'ee' sound long, like in English 'see'.

Associated words

Learn words that go with 'thee': 'kopje thee' (a cup of tea), 'thee drinken' (to drink tea).

Use it in sentences

Try making simple sentences: 'Ik drink thee.' (I drink tea.) 'Wil je thee?' (Do you want tea?)

Tea time in the Netherlands

While coffee is very popular, Dutch people also enjoy 'thee', often with a cookie or cake. It's a common offering when visiting someone's home.

Listen to Dutch audio

Find a Dutch podcast or video and listen for 'thee'. Hearing it in context helps with recognition.

Don't confuse with 'the'

While 'thee' sounds similar to the English word 'the', they have completely different meanings. Be careful not to mix them up.

Types of tea

As you advance, you can learn different types of tea: 'zwarte thee' (black tea), 'groene thee' (green tea), 'kruidenthee' (herbal tea).

Flashcards for memorization

Make a flashcard for 'thee' with the Dutch word on one side and 'tea' on the other. Add a simple picture for better recall.

Questions fréquentes

10 questions

You pronounce 'thee' like the English word 'tea'. The 'th' sound is like in 'thing', but it's a 't' sound. The 'ee' is a long 'e' sound.

In Dutch, 'thee' is a masculine noun. This means you would use 'de' as its definite article, so 'de thee'.

The word 'thee' is generally considered an uncountable noun in Dutch, just like in English. So, there isn't really a plural form. If you want to talk about multiple cups of tea, you'd say 'kopjes thee' (cups of tea).

You can say 'Ik wil thee' (I want tea) or 'Ik lust graag thee' (I'd like some tea).

'Thee' is tea, and 'koffie' is coffee. They are two different beverages.

No, you usually don't say 'een thee'. Since 'thee' is uncountable, you'd say 'een kop thee' (a cup of tea) if you're referring to a single serving.

You can ask 'Wil je thee?' (Do you want tea?) or 'Lust je thee?' (Do you fancy some tea?).

Common types include 'zwarte thee' (black tea), 'groene thee' (green tea), 'kruidenthee' (herbal tea), and 'muntthee' (mint tea).

You could say 'theetijd' (tea time), or more commonly, 'een kopje thee drinken' (to drink a cup of tea) when referring to the activity.

A common saying is 'Dat is een pak van mijn hart' (That's a weight off my mind), which isn't directly with 'thee' but often used in a similar comforting context. For tea itself, it's more about the drink than idioms.

Teste-toi 12 questions

writing A1

Write a short sentence saying 'I drink tea.'

Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.

Sample answer

Ik drink thee.

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :

writing A1

Translate 'Do you want tea?' into Dutch.

Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.

Sample answer

Wil je thee?

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :

writing A1

Write a sentence saying 'The tea is hot.'

Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.

Sample answer

De thee is heet.

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :

reading A1

What does the person like to drink in the morning?

Read this passage:

Ik drink graag thee in de ochtend. Het is een warme drank. Mijn moeder drinkt ook thee.

What does the person like to drink in the morning?

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Thee (Tea)

The passage says 'Ik drink graag thee in de ochtend,' which means 'I like to drink tea in the morning.'

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Thee (Tea)

The passage says 'Ik drink graag thee in de ochtend,' which means 'I like to drink tea in the morning.'

reading A1

When does the person drink tea?

Read this passage:

Na het eten drink ik altijd een kopje thee. Het helpt me ontspannen. Mijn vriend drinkt liever koffie.

When does the person drink tea?

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Na het eten (After eating)

The passage states 'Na het eten drink ik altijd een kopje thee,' meaning 'After eating, I always drink a cup of tea.'

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Na het eten (After eating)

The passage states 'Na het eten drink ik altijd een kopje thee,' meaning 'After eating, I always drink a cup of tea.'

reading A1

Where is the tea?

Read this passage:

Waar is de thee? Is het in de keuken? Ja, de thee staat op de tafel.

Where is the tea?

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : In de keuken (In the kitchen)

The passage asks 'Is het in de keuken?' (Is it in the kitchen?) and then confirms 'Ja, de thee staat op de tafel,' implying it's in the kitchen.

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : In de keuken (In the kitchen)

The passage asks 'Is het in de keuken?' (Is it in the kitchen?) and then confirms 'Ja, de thee staat op de tafel,' implying it's in the kitchen.

fill blank C1

De complexe aroma's van de ____ uit Darjeeling onthullen een verfijnde smaak die kenners waarderen.