Significado
Commenting on a busy place.
Contexto cultural
The Dutch love to complain about 'drukte' while simultaneously seeking out 'gezellige drukte' at festivals and markets. It's a national pastime to comment on how busy things are. In Flanders, the phrase is also used, but you might also hear 'Wat een volk!' (What a people!) more frequently to describe a crowd. In the Randstad (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague), 'drukte' is expected. In the northern provinces like Friesland, 'Wat een drukte' might be said even if there are only ten people in a shop. Using 'Wat een drukte' at work is a socially acceptable way to signal that you are working hard without sounding like you are bragging.
The 'Hè' Trick
Add 'hè?' to the end to turn the statement into a conversation starter. It makes you sound very native.
Noun vs Adjective
Never say 'Wat een druk'. It's the #1 mistake for English speakers.
Significado
Commenting on a busy place.
The 'Hè' Trick
Add 'hè?' to the end to turn the statement into a conversation starter. It makes you sound very native.
Noun vs Adjective
Never say 'Wat een druk'. It's the #1 mistake for English speakers.
Positive Drukte
Use 'Gezellige drukte' if you want to say the busyness is actually nice and lively.
Bonding through complaining
Don't be afraid to sound slightly annoyed. Complaining about the crowd is a great way to bond with Dutch people.
Teste-se
Fill in the missing word to complete the exclamation.
Wat een ______ op het station!
After 'Wat een', you must use the noun form 'drukte'.
Match the phrase to the most appropriate situation.
In which situation would you say 'Wat een drukte'?
The phrase is used to comment on busy or crowded environments.
Which of these is a common way to make the phrase more informal?
Choose the informal variation:
Adding 'hè?' is the most common way to make the phrase interactive and informal.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Zullen we naar de stad gaan? B: Nee, het is zaterdag. ______.
This is the standard way to express that it will be too busy in the city.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Noun vs Adjective
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosWat een ______ op het station!
After 'Wat een', you must use the noun form 'drukte'.
In which situation would you say 'Wat een drukte'?
The phrase is used to comment on busy or crowded environments.
Choose the informal variation:
Adding 'hè?' is the most common way to make the phrase interactive and informal.
A: Zullen we naar de stad gaan? B: Nee, het is zaterdag. ______.
This is the standard way to express that it will be too busy in the city.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
14 perguntasIt can be neutral, positive ('gezellige drukte'), or negative depending on your tone. Usually, it's just a factual observation.
Yes, you can say 'Wat een drukte deze week!' to describe a hectic week.
The plural is 'druktes', but it is almost never used in this exclamation.
No, it's too informal. Use 'Vanwege de huidige drukte...' instead.
No, 'drukke' is an inflected adjective and needs a noun after it, like 'Wat een drukke dag'.
You would say 'Het is rustig' (It is quiet).
Yes, it is perfectly understood and used in Flanders.
It's an intensifier meaning 'huge' or 'massive'.
Yes, 'Wat een drukte op de weg' is very common.
No, it's more like the 'u' in the German 'Hütte' or a very short 'oo' with rounded lips.
No, for a person use 'Hij is druk' or 'Zij is een druk persoon'.
Yes, it's one of the best things to say to a stranger in a crowd.
'Drukte' is just busy; 'chaos' implies things are going wrong.
Yes, that's a slightly more formal/literary way to say it's very busy.
Frases relacionadas
Druk, hè?
similarBusy, right?
Wat een gedoe
similarWhat a fuss
Een drukte van jewelste
specialized formA massive busyness
Het is hier een mierenhoop
similarIt's an anthill here
Rustig aan
contrastTake it easy
