When talking about moving quickly, snelheid is your go-to word. It refers to speed, velocity, or pace. Think of it like this: the snelheid of a car on the highway, or the snelheid at which you're learning Dutch! It's a versatile word for describing how fast something happens or moves. This word is very common and useful in everyday Dutch conversation.
§ What 'snelheid' Means
The Dutch word 'snelheid' (pronounced: SNELL-hayt) is a noun. It means 'speed' or 'velocity'. You'll use it to talk about how fast something or someone is moving. This is a very practical word to know, as it comes up in many everyday situations.
- DEFINITION
- The rate at which someone or something moves.
§ 'Snelheid' in Everyday Conversation
You will hear 'snelheid' often. Think about when you talk about driving, sports, or even how fast a project is progressing. Here are some common situations:
- Traffic and Driving: This is probably where you'll hear 'snelheid' the most.
- Sports: When discussing how fast athletes are.
- Technology: Talking about internet speed, computer processing speed.
- Work: Describing the pace of tasks or projects.
- News: Reporting on accidents, records, or new developments.
§ Examples of 'Snelheid' in Sentences
Let's look at some examples of 'snelheid' in action. Pay attention to how it's used in context.
De auto reed met hoge snelheid over de snelweg.
(The car drove at high speed on the highway.)
Wat is de maximale snelheid hier?
(What is the maximum speed here?)
De snelheid van het internet is erg langzaam vandaag.
(The internet speed is very slow today.)
We moeten de snelheid van de productie verhogen.
(We need to increase the speed of production.)
De sporter verbeterde zijn snelheid door veel te trainen.
(The athlete improved his speed by training a lot.)
De politie controleerde de snelheid op de weg.
(The police checked the speed on the road.)
§ Related Words and Phrases
To expand your vocabulary around 'snelheid', here are a few related terms:
- Snel: (adjective) fast, quick. (e.g., een snelle auto - a fast car)
- Haast: (noun) hurry, rush. (e.g., Ik heb haast - I am in a hurry)
- Tempo: (noun) tempo, pace. (e.g., Een goed tempo aanhouden - to maintain a good pace)
- Versnellen: (verb) to accelerate, to speed up. (e.g., De auto versnelde - The car accelerated)
- Afremmen: (verb) to slow down, to brake. (e.g., Hij remde af voor het stoplicht - He slowed down for the traffic light)
Understanding 'snelheid' and its related words will significantly improve your ability to talk about movement and pace in Dutch. Keep practicing these examples, and you'll soon use them naturally.
Exemples par niveau
De snelheid van de auto is hoog.
The speed of the car is high.
Ik fiets met lage snelheid.
I cycle at a low speed.
De snelheid is 50 kilometer per uur.
The speed is 50 kilometers per hour.
Let op de snelheid op de weg.
Pay attention to the speed on the road.
De snelheid van het licht is erg snel.
The speed of light is very fast.
Hij verhoogt de snelheid.
He increases the speed.
De snelheid is te langzaam.
The speed is too slow.
Met welke snelheid rijd jij?
At what speed do you drive?
De snelheid waarmee de auto reed, was indrukwekkend hoog.
The speed at which the car drove was impressively high.
Here, 'snelheid' is used with 'waarmee' (at which) to specify the rate of movement.
Verlaag je snelheid als je een woonwijk binnenrijdt, dat is veiliger voor iedereen.
Lower your speed when you enter a residential area, that is safer for everyone.
'Verlagen' (to lower) is often used with 'snelheid' when talking about reducing speed.
De snelheid van het internet in dit café is verrassend goed voor zo'n drukke plek.
The speed of the internet in this cafe is surprisingly good for such a busy place.
'Snelheid' can also refer to the rate of data transfer, like internet speed.
De atleet verhoogde zijn snelheid in de laatste ronde om de concurrentie voor te blijven.
The athlete increased his speed in the last lap to stay ahead of the competition.
'Verhogen' (to increase) is the opposite of 'verlagen' and is used when speeding up.
We moeten de snelheid van de productie opvoeren om aan de vraag te voldoen.
We need to ramp up the speed of production to meet demand.
'Opvoeren' (to increase/ramp up) is another verb used to express increasing speed or pace, often in a more formal or industrial context.
De maximale snelheid op deze weg is tachtig kilometer per uur, dus let goed op je teller.
The maximum speed on this road is eighty kilometers per hour, so pay close attention to your meter.
'Maximale snelheid' means 'maximum speed' and is a common term in traffic regulations.
Met de huidige snelheid zullen we de deadline nooit halen, we moeten efficiënter werken.
At the current speed, we will never meet the deadline; we need to work more efficiently.
'Met de huidige snelheid' means 'at the current speed' and is used to describe the ongoing pace.
De wetenschappers bestuderen de snelheid waarmee gletsjers smelten als gevolg van klimaatverandering.
The scientists are studying the rate at which glaciers are melting as a result of climate change.
'De snelheid waarmee iets gebeurt' (the rate at which something happens) is a versatile phrase for describing the pace of a process.
De politie heeft de snelheid gemeten van de auto die te hard reed op de snelweg.
The police measured the speed of the car that was speeding on the highway.
Om een project succesvol af te ronden, is het belangrijk om de juiste balans te vinden tussen snelheid en precisie.
To successfully complete a project, it is important to find the right balance between speed and precision.
De atleet verhoogde zijn snelheid in de laatste honderd meter van de race om zijn concurrenten voor te blijven.
The athlete increased his speed in the last hundred meters of the race to stay ahead of his competitors.
Met de constante vooruitgang in technologie, neemt de snelheid waarmee informatie zich verspreidt exponentieel toe.
With constant advancements in technology, the speed at which information spreads is increasing exponentially.
De snelheid van geluid is afhankelijk van het medium waardoor het reist; in water is het bijvoorbeeld veel hoger dan in lucht.
The speed of sound depends on the medium through which it travels; in water, for example, it is much higher than in air.
Hoewel hij de snelheid van het spel moest verhogen, bleef de jonge voetballer kalm en controleerde hij de bal goed.
Although he had to increase the speed of the game, the young footballer remained calm and controlled the ball well.
De snelheid waarmee de economie zich herstelt na de crisis heeft velen verrast, zowel positief als negatief.
The speed at which the economy is recovering after the crisis has surprised many, both positively and negatively.
Voor optimale prestaties van de computer is het essentieel dat de processor een hoge snelheid heeft en efficiënt werkt.
For optimal computer performance, it is essential that the processor has a high speed and works efficiently.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
Wat is de snelheid van deze auto?
What is the [speed] of this car?
Hij reed met hoge snelheid over de snelweg.
He drove at high [speed] on the highway.
De maximale snelheid hier is 50 kilometer per uur.
The maximum [speed] here is 50 kilometers per hour.
Kun je de snelheid van de ventilator verlagen?
Can you lower the [speed] of the fan?
De trein haalt een indrukwekkende snelheid.
The train reaches an impressive [speed].
We moeten de snelheid aanpassen aan de wegomstandigheden.
We need to adjust the [speed] to the road conditions.
Met welke snelheid fiets je?
At what [speed] do you cycle?
De loper verhoogde zijn snelheid in de laatste ronde.
The runner increased his [speed] in the last lap.
Houd een constante snelheid aan voor een soepele rit.
Maintain a constant [speed] for a smooth ride.
De geluidssnelheid is veel hoger dan de snelheid van een auto.
The [speed] of sound is much higher than the [speed] of a car.
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsBoth 'snelheid' and 'vaart' refer to speed. However, 'snelheid' is the more common and general term for speed or velocity. 'Vaart' often implies movement forward or progress, and can sometimes refer to the speed of a boat or ship. Think of 'snelheid' as the objective measurement, and 'vaart' as more about the act of moving quickly. For example: 'De snelheid van de auto was hoog.' (The speed of the car was high.) vs. 'De boot maakte goede vaart.' (The boat made good progress/speed).
Not really. While you might talk about the 'rate' at which you learn, 'snelheid' is typically reserved for physical speed or velocity. For learning, you'd more likely use phrases like 'snel leren' (to learn quickly) or 'het tempo van mijn studie' (the pace of my studies). For example: 'Ik leer snel Nederlands.' (I learn Dutch quickly.)
The most common way to say 'speed limit' is 'snelheidslimiet'. You can also see 'maximumsnelheid' which means maximum speed. For example: 'De snelheidslimiet op deze weg is 100 km/u.' (The speed limit on this road is 100 km/h.)
Yes, 'snelheid' is always a noun. It refers to the concept of speed. If you want to describe something as fast, you would use the adjective 'snel'. For example: 'De auto is snel.' (The car is fast.)
A very common phrase is 'op snelheid komen', which means 'to pick up speed' or 'to get up to speed'. For example: 'De trein kwam langzaam op snelheid.' (The train slowly picked up speed.)
Yes, it can be used metaphorically, especially when referring to the pace or rate of abstract things. For instance, 'de snelheid van ontwikkeling' (the speed of development). For example: 'De snelheid van technologische vooruitgang is enorm.' (The speed of technological progress is enormous.)
The plural of 'snelheid' is 'snelheden'. For example: 'Er zijn verschillende snelheden toegestaan op de weg.' (Different speeds are allowed on the road.)
While there isn't a single direct opposite noun that means 'slowness' in the same way, you could use 'traagheid' (sluggishness, inertia) or simply describe something as having 'lage snelheid' (low speed). For example: 'De traagheid van het systeem was frustrerend.' (The sluggishness of the system was frustrating.)
Not many common idioms directly use 'snelheid'. However, you might hear 'met de snelheid van het licht' (with the speed of light) to emphasize extreme quickness. For example: 'Hij reageerde met de snelheid van het licht.' (He reacted with the speed of light.)
It's pronounced something like 'SNELL-hide'. The 'sn' is like in 'snow', 'el' like in 'bell', and 'heid' is similar to the English 'hide', but with a softer 'd' sound, almost like a 't'. Practice saying: 'De snelheid van het licht is ongelooflijk.' (The speed of light is incredible.)
Teste-toi 12 questions
Write a short sentence about how fast a car drives, using 'snelheid'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
De auto rijdt met hoge snelheid. (The car drives at high speed.)
Imagine you are running. Write a sentence saying you increased your speed, using 'snelheid'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Ik verhoog mijn snelheid. (I increase my speed.)
Write a simple sentence describing the speed of a train, using 'snelheid'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
De trein heeft een hoge snelheid. (The train has a high speed.)
Welk vervoersmiddel heeft de laagste snelheid?
Read this passage:
De fiets heeft een lage snelheid. Ik loop sneller dan de fiets. De auto heeft de hoogste snelheid.
Welk vervoersmiddel heeft de laagste snelheid?
The passage says 'De fiets heeft een lage snelheid.'
The passage says 'De fiets heeft een lage snelheid.'
Wie is het snelst?
Read this passage:
De man rent met grote snelheid. Hij is heel snel. De hond rent ook, maar langzamer.
Wie is het snelst?
The passage states 'De man rent met grote snelheid. Hij is heel snel.'
The passage states 'De man rent met grote snelheid. Hij is heel snel.'
Wat verandert er niet?
Read this passage:
De boot vaart met een constante snelheid. De wind verandert niet, dus de boot gaat even snel.
Wat verandert er niet?
The passage says 'De wind verandert niet, dus de boot gaat even snel.'
The passage says 'De wind verandert niet, dus de boot gaat even snel.'
Welk woord past het beste bij 'snelheid'?
'Vaart' is a synonym for 'snelheid'. 'Langzaam' means slow, 'kleur' means color, and 'grootte' means size.
In welke zin is 'snelheid' correct gebruikt?
'Snelheid' refers to the rate of movement, which applies to wind. The other options use 'snelheid' incorrectly.
Welke zin betekent 'The train's speed was very fast'?
'De snelheid van de trein was erg hoog' directly translates to 'The speed of the train was very high', which means it was very fast.
Je kunt je 'snelheid' verminderen als je te hard rijdt.
Yes, 'snelheid verminderen' means to reduce your speed, which is what you do if you are driving too fast.
Het woord 'snelheid' wordt alleen gebruikt voor voertuigen.
No, 'snelheid' can also refer to the speed of people, animals, or even abstract things like the speed of light or sound.
Als iets 'snel' is, heeft het een hoge 'snelheid'.
Correct, 'snel' means fast, and a high 'snelheid' means a high speed.
/ 12 correct
Perfect score!
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