# Numbers, telling the time and dates in Dutch

> Dutch from scratch: counting, twenty-one and beyond, half acht and kwart over, the days, the months and reading a date. With tips if you speak Farsi or Dari.

Published on 2026-09-24, last checked against official sources on 2026-09-24.
URL: https://taalpro.nl/en/guides/dutch-numbers-time/

## In short

- For the numbers 21 to 99, Dutch says the unit first and then the ten: 21 is eenentwintig, literally ‘one-and-twenty’.
- In Dutch, half acht means 7:30, half an hour before eight; kwart over zeven is 7:15 and kwart voor acht is 7:45.
- In a Dutch date, the day comes first, then the month, then the year: 03-04-2026 is 3 April 2026.
- In Dutch, the names of the days and months are written with a lower-case letter, such as maandag (Monday) and januari (January).

You need numbers every day: for your age, an appointment, your house number or the price in a shop. In this lesson you learn to count, tell the time and read a date in Dutch.

## Counting from 0 to 20

| Numbers | How you say them |
| --- | --- |
| 0–5 | nul, een, twee, drie, vier, vijf |
| 6–10 | zes, zeven, acht, negen, tien |
| 11–15 | elf, twaalf, dertien, veertien, vijftien |
| 16–20 | zestien, zeventien, achttien, negentien, twintig |

*Een* means both ‘a’ and ‘one’. If you really mean the number 1 and it could be confusing, write *één*: *Ik heb één broer.* (I have one brother.)

## Tens and bigger numbers

| Number | How you say it |
| --- | --- |
| 30, 40, 50 | dertig, veertig, vijftig |
| 60, 70 | zestig, zeventig |
| 80, 90 | tachtig, negentig |
| 100 | honderd |
| 1000 | duizend |

From 21 to 99 you say the unit first, then *en* (and), then the ten:

- 21 = eenentwintig (one-and-twenty)
- 35 = vijfendertig
- 48 = achtenveertig
- 22 = tweeëntwintig and 23 = drieëntwintig: here the e gets two dots (ë).

In words, you write a number as one word up to and including *duizend*: 150 = honderdvijftig. After *duizend* comes a space: 2026 = tweeduizend zesentwintig. Years before 2000 are usually said in hundreds: 1995 = negentienhonderdvijfennegentig (nineteen hundred ninety-five).

For money, Dutch uses a comma: € 2,50 is said as *twee euro vijftig*.

## What time is it?

With the clock, Dutch usually divides the hour into quarters:

| Time | How you say it |
| --- | --- |
| 7:00 | zeven uur |
| 7:05 | vijf over zeven |
| 7:15 | kwart over zeven |
| 7:20 | tien voor half acht |
| 7:30 | half acht |
| 7:40 | tien over half acht |
| 7:45 | kwart voor acht |
| 7:50 | tien voor acht |

- **Half acht** is 7:30: half an hour *before* eight. This is different from British English ‘half eight’. When you hear *half*, think of the next hour.
- **Kwart over** is a quarter (15 minutes) past the hour: *kwart over zeven* = 7:15.
- **Kwart voor** is 15 minutes before the hour: *kwart voor acht* = 7:45.
- You may also write *half acht* as one word: *halfacht*.

In conversation, 19:30 is usually also *half acht*. If it is not clear, say *half acht ’s ochtends* (in the morning) or *half acht ’s avonds* (in the evening). At the station and in letters you often see 19.30 uur, written with a full stop. You read it as *negentien uur dertig*.

Questions you will often hear:

- *Hoe laat is het?* (What time is it?) – *Het is kwart over drie.* (It is a quarter past three.)
- *Hoe laat begint de les?* (What time does the lesson start?) – *Om half tien.* (At half past nine.)
- *Hoe laat staat u meestal op?* (What time do you usually get up?) – *Om zeven uur.* (At seven.)

## Days, months and dates

- **The days:** maandag, dinsdag, woensdag, donderdag, vrijdag, zaterdag, zondag (Monday to Sunday).
- **The months:** januari, februari, maart, april, mei, juni, juli, augustus, september, oktober, november, december.

They are written with a lower-case letter. In a date, the day comes first, then the month, then the year:

| In full | Short |
| --- | --- |
| 5 oktober 2026 | 05-10-2026 |
| 3 april 2026 | 03-04-2026 |

Note: 05-10-2026 is 5 October, not 10 May.

In a date you usually just say the number: *Mijn afspraak is op maandag 5 oktober.* (My appointment is on Monday 5 October; say *vijf oktober*.)

- *Wanneer bent u jarig?* (When is your birthday?) – *Op 12 mei.* (On 12 May.)
- *Wat is uw geboortedatum?* (What is your date of birth?) – *3 maart 1994.*

For a place in a row you use: eerste (1e, first), tweede (2e), derde (3e), vierde (4e), twintigste (20e). For example: *Ik woon op de derde verdieping.* (I live on the third floor.)

## Note if you speak Farsi or Dari

- **Half acht is 7:30.** In Persian, 7:30 is ‘seven and a half’. In Dutch you think of the next hour: *half acht*. To be sure, write appointments down in numbers.
- **The unit comes first.** In Persian, 21 is ‘twenty and one’. In Dutch it is the other way round: *eenentwintig*. So listen carefully to prices and house numbers.
- **A different calendar.** In Iran and Afghanistan, people often use a different calendar. In the Netherlands you always use the calendar from January to December, with the day first. So check your date of birth carefully on forms.
- **Two consonants at the start.** Say *twee*, *drie*, *twaalf* and *twintig* without a vowel before or between the consonants.
- **W and v.** *Vier* and *vijf* start with a v. *Twee*, *twaalf* and *twintig* have a w.

Practise telling the time out loud with questions like *Hoe laat staat u meestal op?* on [MVV exam practice](https://taalpro.nl/en/mvv-exam-practice/). You can also practise this in the [A1 course](https://taalpro.nl/en/courses/a1-civic-integration-exam-abroad-mvv/) or with the free [Dutch A1 word list](https://taalpro.nl/en/dutch-a1-word-list/) (topic Numbers and time).

## Sources

- Taaladvies.net (Taalunie): https://taaladvies.net/kloktijden-acht-uur-zeventien-of-zeventien-over-acht-of-dertien-voor-halfnegen/
- Taaladvies.net (Taalunie): https://taaladvies.net/datumnotatie/
- Woordenlijst (Taalunie): https://woordenlijst.org/zoeken/leidraad/6/9.html

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Source: TaalPro, online institute for Dutch as a second language (https://taalpro.nl/en/guides/dutch-numbers-time/). Rules can change: the official websites (DUO, IND, CvTE) always take precedence.