Signification
A polite and common way to express gratitude.
Contexte culturel
Dutch people are often seen as frugal, but they are very generous with 'social' words. Saying 'Heel erg bedankt' is expected even for small services to maintain a friendly atmosphere. In Flanders, 'Dank u wel' is often preferred over 'Heel erg bedankt' because it sounds slightly softer and more polite to the Belgian ear. In a business meeting, using 'Heel erg bedankt' at the end of a presentation shows you value the audience's time and attention. On Dutch Instagram or TikTok, you will often see 'Heel erg bedankt' shortened to 'Heel erg bedankt!' with many heart emojis, showing it's the standard for 'influencer' gratitude.
The 'Voor' Rule
Always follow up with 'voor' if you want to say what you are thanking them for. It makes you sound much more fluent.
Don't overdo it
If you say 'Heel erg bedankt' for every tiny thing, it loses its meaning. Save it for when you actually mean it!
Signification
A polite and common way to express gratitude.
The 'Voor' Rule
Always follow up with 'voor' if you want to say what you are thanking them for. It makes you sound much more fluent.
Don't overdo it
If you say 'Heel erg bedankt' for every tiny thing, it loses its meaning. Save it for when you actually mean it!
Add a name
Adding the person's name at the end ('Heel erg bedankt, Jan!') makes it feel much more personal and sincere.
The Smile Factor
Dutch culture is direct, so a sincere 'Heel erg bedankt' accompanied by eye contact is highly valued.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing words to say 'Thank you very much for the coffee'.
Heel ___ ___ bedankt ___ de koffie.
The full phrase is 'Heel erg bedankt' followed by 'voor'.
Which of these is the most natural way to thank a friend for a big favor?
Je vriend heeft je geholpen met verhuizen. Wat zeg je?
'Heel erg bedankt' shows the appropriate level of gratitude for a big task like moving.
Match the Dutch phrase to its English equivalent.
Match the pairs
These are the standard translations for these common social phrases.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Hier is je verjaardagscadeau! B: Wauw! ________ voor het mooie cadeau!
When receiving a gift, you should express strong gratitude.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesHeel ___ ___ bedankt ___ de koffie.
The full phrase is 'Heel erg bedankt' followed by 'voor'.
Je vriend heeft je geholpen met verhuizen. Wat zeg je?
'Heel erg bedankt' shows the appropriate level of gratitude for a big task like moving.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the standard translations for these common social phrases.
A: Hier is je verjaardagscadeau! B: Wauw! ________ voor het mooie cadeau!
When receiving a gift, you should express strong gratitude.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
Yes, but it sounds a bit short. 'Heel erg bedankt' is the standard full version.
'Bedankt' is a participle (thanked), 'Dank je' is 'Thank you'. 'Bedankt' is slightly more versatile.
The most common response is 'Graag gedaan' (Gladly done/You're welcome).
Absolutely! It's a great way to end an email to a colleague or client.
Because you are saying 'You are thanked' (participle), not 'I thank' (verb).
Yes, it's very polite and safe for strangers.
No, in this context it only means 'very'.
Yes, this means 'Thank you very much for everything' and is very common.
In informal and neutral settings, yes. 'Dank u wel' is specifically for formal 'u' situations.
Expressions liées
Hartelijk bedankt
similarHeartily thanked
Dank u wel
similarThank you (formal)
Graag gedaan
contrastYou're welcome
Duizendmaal dank
specialized formA thousand thanks
