Meaning
Item costs a lot.
Cultural Background
The Dutch are famous for 'Tikkies'. If something is 'duur', they might split the cost down to the cent using this payment app. Bargaining (afdingen) is not common in regular shops, but it is expected at flea markets like the one on King's Day (Koningsdag). If you say 'Het is duur' there, the seller might lower the price. Flemish people use 'duur' in the same way, but they might sound slightly more formal and use 'prijzig' more often in social settings to avoid being too blunt. The phrase 'Goedkoop is duurkoop' is a national proverb. It means if you buy something cheap, it will break soon and you'll have to buy it again, making it expensive in the long run.
Use 'te' for emphasis
If a price is not just high but unacceptable, say 'Het is TE duur'.
Don't be afraid to say it
Dutch people appreciate honesty about prices. It's not considered 'poor' to call something expensive.
Meaning
Item costs a lot.
Use 'te' for emphasis
If a price is not just high but unacceptable, say 'Het is TE duur'.
Don't be afraid to say it
Dutch people appreciate honesty about prices. It's not considered 'poor' to call something expensive.
Watch the -e
Remember: 'Het is duur' but 'Een dure auto'. This is the most common grammar mistake.
Test Yourself
Choose the correct form of the adjective.
Ik koop die auto niet. Het is ____.
After 'is', we use the base form 'duur'.
Fill in the missing word.
Deze schoenen zijn 200 euro. Dat is erg ____.
The sentence describes the price of the shoes.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Wil je deze kaas?' B: 'Nee, ____.'
In a shopping context, 'het is duur' is a logical reason to say no.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You see a coffee for 8 euros.
8 euros for a coffee is considered expensive in the Netherlands.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Cheap vs. Expensive in Dutch
Practice Bank
4 exercisesIk koop die auto niet. Het is ____.
After 'is', we use the base form 'duur'.
Deze schoenen zijn 200 euro. Dat is erg ____.
The sentence describes the price of the shoes.
A: 'Wil je deze kaas?' B: 'Nee, ____.'
In a shopping context, 'het is duur' is a logical reason to say no.
You see a coffee for 8 euros.
8 euros for a coffee is considered expensive in the Netherlands.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questionsNo, use 'dierbaar' for people you love. Using 'duur' makes it sound like they cost a lot of money to maintain!
'Duur' is the standard word. 'Prijzig' is like 'pricy'—it sounds a bit more casual or slightly more polite depending on the tone.
Not at all. It's a normal observation. However, saying it with a rude tone might be seen as complaining.
You can say 'erg duur', 'heel duur', or the idiomatic 'peperduur'.
This is due to adjective inflection. When an adjective comes before a noun, it usually gets an -e ending (except for 'het-words' with 'een').
Related Phrases
Peperduur
specialized formExtremely expensive
Prijzig
similarPricy
Kostbaar
similarValuable/Costly
Goedkoop
contrastCheap
Onbetaalbaar
builds onPriceless
