Meaning
Something very impressive or nice.
Cultural Background
In the urban west, 'vet' is often used alongside English loanwords. It's the 'default' slang. In the south, you might hear 'keivet' (stone-fat), where 'kei' acts as an extra intensifier common in southern dialects. While 'vet' is traditional Dutch slang, it often mixes with 'straattaal' words like 'faya' or 'dope' in multicultural neighborhoods. In Dutch tech startups, 'vet' is often used by CEOs to sound accessible and energetic.
The Person Rule
Never call a person 'vet' unless you are talking about their weight in a medical or insulting way.
The Intensifier Trick
Use 'vet' before any adjective to sound more like a native speaker (e.g., vet lekker, vet mooi).
Meaning
Something very impressive or nice.
The Person Rule
Never call a person 'vet' unless you are talking about their weight in a medical or insulting way.
The Intensifier Trick
Use 'vet' before any adjective to sound more like a native speaker (e.g., vet lekker, vet mooi).
Age Appropriateness
If you are over 50, use 'vet' sparingly or it might sound like you're trying too hard to be young.
Test Yourself
Which sentence uses 'vet' correctly to mean 'cool'?
A) Die man is echt vet. B) Die film is echt vet. C) Ik ben vet.
B is correct because 'vet' describes an object (a movie). A and C describe people, which means 'physically fat'.
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'vet'.
Kijk naar die ______ motor daar!
Because 'motor' is a noun following the adjective, we add the -e ending: 'vette motor'.
Match the 'vet' phrase to the situation.
1. Vet irritant! 2. Echt vet! 3. Vet koud!
'Vet' intensifies the negative feeling of a line, the positive feeling of a car, and the physical sensation of cold.
Complete the dialogue with a natural slang response.
Sander: 'Ik heb kaartjes voor het kampioenschap!' Jij: 'Wat?! ______!'
'Echt vet' is the most natural enthusiastic slang response for a friend.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Vet vs. Gaaf vs. Tof
Practice Bank
4 exercisesA) Die man is echt vet. B) Die film is echt vet. C) Ik ben vet.
B is correct because 'vet' describes an object (a movie). A and C describe people, which means 'physically fat'.
Kijk naar die ______ motor daar!
Because 'motor' is a noun following the adjective, we add the -e ending: 'vette motor'.
1. Vet irritant! 2. Echt vet! 3. Vet koud!
'Vet' intensifies the negative feeling of a line, the positive feeling of a car, and the physical sensation of cold.
Sander: 'Ik heb kaartjes voor het kampioenschap!' Jij: 'Wat?! ______!'
'Echt vet' is the most natural enthusiastic slang response for a friend.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNot inherently, but it is very informal. It's like 'cool' or 'sick' in English.
Yes! If a burger is 'vet', it can mean both greasy (literal) and awesome (slang). Context is key.
Yes, it has become a 'classic' slang term that hasn't really gone out of style.
'Gaaf' is a bit more 'clean' and is often used by parents or teachers. 'Vet' is more 'street'.
You say 'echt vet' or 'vet cool'.
Only if it's a very casual, creative environment. Otherwise, use 'indrukwekkend'.
As an adjective, yes: 'vette'. As an exclamation, no.
They are using 'vet' as an intensifier for 'klef' (sticky/cheesy). It means 'extremely cheesy'.
Yes, but 'wijs' or 'graaf' are more common in Flanders.
Yes! 'Dat is een vet idee' is a great compliment.
Related Phrases
gaaf
synonymcool/awesome
tof
synonymcool/nice
gruwelijk
similarhorrible (literally) / awesome (slang)
lauw
similarlukewarm (literally) / cool (slang)
dik
builds onthick/fat
