So you’ve traveled to one of the Dutch countries, or one of the countries in the world that speaks the Dutch language and you happen to look at a map. You may notice that a word or two look different. You may not be able to make the distinction between places that you thought you were familiar with.
This is because countries and nationalities in Dutch may be different from western names!
This article will guide you through each continent, providing a list of country names in Dutch. It will also educate you on how to say and discuss nationalities in Dutch, such as what is an Italian or Spanish person called.
Note: With 195 officially recognized countries in the world, it simply wasn’t feasible to add every single country. However, if you’d like to see a country or nationality added to any list below, please let us know.
Let’s go!
Interesting Travel Facts About The Netherlands
Quick Facts
- The Netherlands’ official name is the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- The Netherlands is also known as Holland
- The national color is orange
- The Netherlands joined the European Union (EU) in 1999
- The Netherlands is a member of NATO
- In the Dutch language, The Netherlands is called (Koninkrijk der) Nederlanden
- The capital city of The Netherlands is Amsterdam
- As the country is a part of the EU, they use the Euro
Geography
- Geographically, the Dutch Republic is divided into 12 provinces and each province has its own capital
- The Netherlands is located in North Western Europe in an area known as The Low Lands
- The country is very flat and the majority of the country sits on reclaimed land
- The climate in The Netherlands is a moderate maritime climate. The average temperatures in summer are around 63°F (17°C) in summer and 37°F (3°C) in winter
Language
- Dutch is spoken by about 23 million people the world over
- Dutch is most similar to German and English
Now let’s find out what the countries and nationalities are called in Dutch. What is your country called in Dutch?
Continents In The Dutch Language
To begin, let’s take a look at what the continents of our world are called. We’ll start with the biggest land masses and make our way through each continent’s countries after that.
| English | Dutch | Pronunciation |
| Asia | Azië | |
| Africa | Afrika | |
| North America | Noord Amerika | |
| South America | Zuid-Amerika | |
| Antarctica | Antarctica | |
| Europe | Europa | |
| Australia/Oceania | Australië/Oceanië | / |
What Are The Countries And Nationalities In Dutch Called?
Let’s see how the Dutch translate some of the more well-known nations around the world. Each section is organized into continents to make it easier for you to search for the country name you’re looking for. After this, we’ll take a closer look at nationality.
North American Countries
| English | Dutch | Pronunciation |
| Canada | Canada | |
| United States/America | Verenigde Staten van Amerika | |
| Mexico | Mexico | |
| Greenland | Groenland |
Caribbean Country Names
The Dutch colonized parts of the Caribbean throughout history and there are some islands here that speak Dutch. You’re also likely to meet people living in the Netherlands from the Caribbean too! It would be nice to ask them in Dutch where they or their ancestors are from.
| English | Dutch | Pronunciation |
| Bahamas | Bahamas | |
| Cuba | Cuba | |
| Dominican Republic | Dominicaanse Republiek | |
| Haiti | Haïti | |
| Jamaica | Jamaica | |
| Lesser Antilles | Kleine Antillen |
Central America Country Names
Central America, while not its own continent, is often given a separate designation as it’s not quite in South America. It consists of seven nations that provide a bridge or are sometimes referred to as being sandwiched between North and South America.
| English | Dutch | Pronunciation |
| Belize | Belize | |
| Costa Rica | Costa Rica | |
| El Salvador | El Salvador | |
| Guatemala | Guatemala | |
| Honduras | Honduras | |
| Nicaragua | Nicaragua | |
| Panama | Panama |
South American Country Names
South America is another part of the world the Dutch tried to colonize. They laid down roots in the country of Suriname, the only nation they were successfully able to conquer.
African Countries
Did you know that South Africa was once part of the Dutch empire?! Well, it was. So were these African nations; the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Angola, Namibia, and Senegal
| English | Dutch | Pronunciation |
| Egypt | Egypte | |
| Ethiopia | Ethiopië | |
| Kenya | Kenia | |
| Madagascar | Madagascar | |
| Morocco | Marokko | |
| Mozambique | Mozambique | |
| Nigeria | Nigeria | |
| Somalia | Somalië | |
| South Africa | Zuid-Afrika | |
| Uganda | Oeganda |
European Countries
We’ve divided Europe into some distinctive regions. We realize there are many more regions within Europe, however, these are the most known ones around the world.
Scandinavia – Scandinavië
United Kingdom (UK) – Verenigd Koninkrijk (VK)
| English | Dutch | Pronunciation |
| England/Britain | Engeland/Groot-Brittannië | / |
| Scotland | Schotland | |
| Wales | Wales | |
| Northern Ireland | Noord-Ierland |
Asian Countries
The Dutch had their hand in Asia too, once spreading their empire to the Dutch East Indies as they were known. Today, this region is known as Indonesia.
Mainland Asia – Vasteland Azië
Southeast Asia – Zuid-Oost Azië
| English | Dutch | Pronunciation |
| Cambodia | Cambodja | |
| Indonesia | Indonesië | |
| Laos | Laos | |
| Malaysia | Maleisië | |
| Myanmar/Burma | Myanmar/Birma | / |
| Philippines | Filippijnen | |
| Singapore | Singapore | |
| Thailand | Thailand | |
| Vietnam | Vietnam |
Middle East – Midden-Oosten
Oceania Countries
Oceania is also commonly known as Australia however, this continent is much more than just one nation. It’s also the smallest continent on Earth.
What Are Nationalities Called In Dutch?
Just like for country names, the Danes have their own way to describe where people are from that may differ from what you’d expect. Although some are still the same as English. It’s important to understand these concepts when learning a new language. What is your nationality in Dutch and what are the most common nationalities around the world?
Example Sentences Of How To Talk About Nationalities In Dutch
We thought you’d appreciate this additional information to discuss nationality with people. It’s always nice to ask people about where they are from as it can improve relationships.
How To Ask ‘Where Are You From?’
- Where are you from? – Waar kom je vandaan?
- Where do you come from? – Waar kom je vandaan?
- What is your country of origin? – Wat is uw land van herkomst?
How To Respond To ‘Where Are You From?’
- I am from… – Ik kom uit…
- I come from… – Ik kom uit…
- I am … – Ik ben …
- My country of origin is… – Mijn land van herkomst is…
- I live in… – Ik woon in…
Asking Where Someone Else Is From
- Where is he from? – Waar komt hij vandaan?
- Where is she from? – Waar komt zij vandaan?
- What country is he from? – Uit welk land komt hij?
- What country is she from? – Uit welk land komt ze?
- He is from… – Hij komt uit…
- She is from… – Zij komt uit…
- He is Italian – Hij is Italiaans
- She is Asian – Ze is Aziatisch
Other Useful Vocabulary:
Ready To Learn Dutch With More Language Lessons?!
Learning Dutch as a second language (or even a third language) will give you a distinct advantage in several countries. You’ll be able to speak with people from the following Dutch countries, Belgium, Suriname, Aruba, Curaçao, and St Maarten. Dutch is also said to be very similar to German, with many words sounding the same.
Here at Ling, we’d love to help you become a Dutch native speaker whether it’s through our blog or our language app.
Why Should You Choose To Learn With Ling?
Ling is leading the pack of up-and-coming language apps. We do things differently by taking feedback seriously from our customers to make every learning experience better.
Our app offers innovative ways to learn new skills such as writing, reading, listening, and speaking. You’ll be in control of your learning and practice times and our friendly mascot will even keep you accountable for your learning progress if you wish.
Through many examples, you’ll learn Dutch by building up your skills from vocabulary, to sentences, to full conversations. Ling App will even ensure your pronunciation is correct through our AI system.
And hey, if it turns out the Dutch language isn’t what you need or want to learn, we have plenty of other languages for you to learn – over 60 in fact!
We aim to make education fun, so check us out and download Ling in the Play Store or the Apple Store to start speaking confidently in Dutch!
