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De krant lezen.

A1 Collocation Neutral

De krant lezen.

Read the newspaper.

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A fundamental Dutch phrase for describing your morning routine or how you stay informed about the world.

Means: To read the newspaper as a regular activity.
Used in: Morning conversations, hobby descriptions, and small talk.
Don't confuse: 'De krant' (the paper) with 'Het boek' (the book).

☕ + 📰 + 👀 = De krant lezen

Explanation at your level:

At this level, 'de krant lezen' is a simple hobby. You use it to talk about what you do every day. It helps you practice the verb 'lezen' and the word 'de krant'. You can say 'Ik lees de krant' to describe your morning.

You can now use the phrase to talk about the past. 'Gisteren las ik de krant.' You can also combine it with other activities using 'en' or 'terwijl'. It's useful for describing routines in more detail and explaining where you found specific information.

At B1, you use the phrase to discuss opinions. 'Ik las in de krant dat de prijzen stijgen, wat vind jij?' You understand the difference between 'de krant lezen' and 'het nieuws volgen'. You can use it in more complex sentences with sub-clauses and conjunctions like 'omdat' or 'hoewel'.

You recognize the nuance between different types of newspapers. You might discuss the 'kwaliteitskrant' (quality paper) versus 'de roddelpers' (tabloids). You can use the phrase in professional contexts to explain how you stay informed about market trends or societal shifts.

You can analyze the role of 'de krant lezen' in modern society. You might discuss the decline of print media or the 'filter bubble' created by digital news. Your usage of the phrase includes idiomatic variations and you can use it metaphorically in debates about media literacy.

You master the phrase within the broader context of Dutch intellectual history. You can discuss the 'ontzuiling' (depillarization) of the Dutch press and how the act of 'de krant lezen' has evolved from a collective social identity to an individualistic digital consumption pattern, using sophisticated linguistic structures.

Bedeutung

Daily habit.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

The 'Zaterdagkrant' (Saturday paper) is a major cultural event. It is often three times thicker than the weekday version and is read slowly throughout the weekend. In Flanders, 'de krant' is equally popular, but the names of the papers differ (e.g., De Standaard, De Morgen). The phrase remains identical. It is common to find newspapers in office canteens. Taking 10 minutes to 'de krant lezen' during a break is generally accepted. Many Dutch people now have 'digitaal-only' subscriptions, but they still say 'de krant lezen' when using their tablet.

💡

Free Papers

In Dutch train stations, you can find 'Metro', which is a free paper. It's a great way to practice 'de krant lezen' for free!

🎯

Use the Diminutive

Use 'krantje' to sound more like a native speaker when you're talking about a relaxing moment.

Bedeutung

Daily habit.

💡

Free Papers

In Dutch train stations, you can find 'Metro', which is a free paper. It's a great way to practice 'de krant lezen' for free!

🎯

Use the Diminutive

Use 'krantje' to sound more like a native speaker when you're talking about a relaxing moment.

⚠️

Word Order

Remember: 'Ik lees de krant' but 'Ik wil de krant lezen'. The infinitive goes to the end!

Teste dich selbst

Fill in the correct form of the verb 'lezen'.

Ik ___ elke ochtend de krant.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: lees

For the first person singular 'Ik', the verb stem 'lees' is used.

Which sentence is a natural Dutch habit?

A: Ik lees een krant. B: Ik lees de krant.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: B

Dutch speakers prefer the definite article 'de' for general habits.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Wat heb je gisteren gedaan? B: Ik ___ de krant ___.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: heb / gelezen

The perfect tense uses 'heb' + 'gelezen'.

Match the phrase to the context.

Context: You are in a hurry and just want to see the headlines.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: De krant doornemen

'Doornemen' implies a quick look-through.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Types of News Media

📰

Physical

• De krant
• Het tijdschrift
• Het weekblad

📱

Digital

• De nieuws-app
• De website
• Sociale media

Häufig gestellte Fragen

10 Fragen

Yes, it is very common to use this phrase for digital reading as well.

De Telegraaf has the highest circulation, but NRC and Volkskrant are very popular for 'quality' news.

No, it is a strong verb. The past tense is 'las' and the past participle is 'gelezen'.

It's a linguistic habit. Using 'de' makes it sound like a specific, regular activity rather than a random one.

It literally means 'to grab a little paper', but it's an informal way to say you're going to read the news.

You say: 'Ik heb het in de krant gelezen' or 'Ik las het in de krant'.

Usually, we say 'op Facebook kijken' or 'berichten lezen', but not 'de krant lezen' for social media.

'Dagblad' specifically means a daily paper. Most 'kranten' are 'dagbladen'.

You say: 'Ik heb de krant uit.'

Yes, though they might be 'de krant lezen' on an app rather than physical paper.

Wo du es verwendest

🍳

At the breakfast table

Partner A: Wat ben je aan het doen?

Partner B: Ik lees even de krant.

informal

🏢

Small talk at work

Collega: Heb je het nieuws over de treinen gehoord?

Jij: Ja, ik las het vanmorgen in de krant.

neutral

☕

In a cafe

Ober: Wilt u nog iets bestellen?

Klant: Nee bedankt, ik wil alleen even rustig de krant lezen.

neutral

🚆

On the train

Reiziger A: Mag ik de krant van u lenen?

Reiziger B: Natuurlijk, ik ben klaar met de krant lezen.

neutral

💼

Job Interview

Interviewer: Hoe blijft u op de hoogte van de markt?

Sollicitant: Ik lees elke dag de krant en volg vakbladen.

formal

🏡

Talking to a neighbor

Buurman: Mooi weer vandaag, hè?

Jij: Zeker! Ideaal om in de tuin de krant te lezen.

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Krant' as 'Current' news. You 'Lezen' (Listen with your eyes) to the 'Krant'.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant orange (Dutch color) newspaper with a steaming cup of coffee next to it on a wooden table.

Rhyme

In de ochtendzon, met een croissant, lees ik rustig de krant.

Story

Karel the King loves his morning. He sits on his throne, drinks his 'Koffie', and reads his 'Krant' to know what his 'Koninkrijk' (Kingdom) is doing.

Word Web

NieuwsKoffieOchtendInformatiePapierLezenJournalistArtikel

Herausforderung

Tomorrow morning, find a Dutch news website (like NOS.nl) and 'lees de krant' for 5 minutes. Try to find three words you recognize.

In Other Languages

German high

Zeitung lesen

German uses 'Zeitung' (Time-ing) while Dutch uses 'Krant' (Current).

Spanish high

Leer el periódico

Spanish uses 'periódico' (periodic) emphasizing the frequency.

French high

Lire le journal

The word 'journal' is also used for a diary in French, which 'krant' is not.

Japanese moderate

新聞を読む (Shinbun o yomu)

The use of the particle 'o' to mark the newspaper as the object.

Arabic moderate

قراءة الصحيفة (Qira'at al-sahifa)

Arabic often places the action (reading) first in a sentence.

Chinese partial

看报纸 (Kàn bàozhǐ)

The verb 'kàn' is much broader than the Dutch 'lezen'.

Korean moderate

신문을 읽다 (Sinmuneul ikda)

Korean has specific politeness levels attached to the verb 'read'.

Portuguese high

Ler o jornal

Pronunciation of 'jornal' differs significantly from the French 'journal'.

Easily Confused

De krant lezen. vs. De krant halen

Learners think it means reading, but it means 'to go and buy/get' the paper.

Halen = Fetch/Get, Lezen = Read.

De krant lezen. vs. In de krant staan

Means 'to be in the paper' (as a subject of a story).

Use 'staan' for the news itself, 'lezen' for the person.

FAQ (10)