Bedeutung
High price.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The Dutch are famous for their 'zuinigheid' (thriftiness). Complaining that something is 'te duur' is not seen as being cheap, but as being sensible and realistic about value. While Flemish people also use 'te duur,' they might be slightly more indirect or polite about it in social settings compared to the direct Northern Dutch. In the Surinamese-Dutch community, you might hear 'duur' used with more emphasis or different intonation, often followed by 'tori' (story/thing). Expats often find the Dutch directness about prices shocking. Learning to say 'Het is te duur' helps expats integrate into the local way of negotiating and budgeting.
Add 'veel' for emphasis
If something is way over budget, say 'Het is veel te duur!'
Don't say 'teveel duur'
This is a common mistake for English speakers. Stick to 'te duur'.
Bedeutung
High price.
Add 'veel' for emphasis
If something is way over budget, say 'Het is veel te duur!'
Don't say 'teveel duur'
This is a common mistake for English speakers. Stick to 'te duur'.
Use 'prijzig' to be polite
If you are at a friend's house and they show you something expensive, 'prijzig' sounds more like a compliment on the item's value.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word to say 'The bread is too expensive.'
Het brood is ___ duur.
We use 'te' before an adjective to mean 'too'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to complain about a high price?
You see a shirt for 200 euros. What do you say?
'Duur' means expensive, which fits the context of a 200 euro shirt.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Wil je deze auto kopen? B: Nee, ik heb niet genoeg geld. ___.
If you don't have enough money, the reason is that it's too expensive.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: You are at a market and the cheese is 20 euros for a small piece.
20 euros for a small piece of cheese is objectively expensive.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Price Levels in Dutch
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenHet brood is ___ duur.
We use 'te' before an adjective to mean 'too'.
You see a shirt for 200 euros. What do you say?
'Duur' means expensive, which fits the context of a 200 euro shirt.
A: Wil je deze auto kopen? B: Nee, ik heb niet genoeg geld. ___.
If you don't have enough money, the reason is that it's too expensive.
Situation: You are at a market and the cheese is 20 euros for a small piece.
20 euros for a small piece of cheese is objectively expensive.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
4 FragenIn the Netherlands, it is generally not considered rude. It is seen as a direct and honest statement of your opinion or budget.
'Duur' is common and used for everything. 'Kostbaar' is more formal and often implies that something is valuable or precious.
Only in a business sense (e.g., an employee's salary). Using it personally about a person is not common and would sound strange.
You say: 'Het is te duur voor mij.'
Verwandte Redewendungen
Het is een koopje
contrastIt is a bargain
Het is prijzig
similarIt is pricey
Het is onbetaalbaar
builds onIt is priceless/unaffordable
Het kost een fortuin
specialized formIt costs a fortune
