Would you like to say that someone is attractive in Dutch? Here are a couple of ways to do it!
1 jij bent mooi
Mooi is beautiful in Dutch. The ooi sound like oy in toy., so it is easy to remember. You can simple say: I have a toy and it is mooi.
Of course, you can also say: jij bent zo mooi.... You are so beautiful.... It is easy to add zo and it could create some more suspense....
2 jij bent lekker!
Lekker is a word that you hear in Dutch all the time. Everything is lekker.... een stroopwafel, een bitterbal, het weer (weather)...
Lekker means that something is yummie, so it means that it gives a good taste and.... lekker is also everything that feels nice! That is why you can say; het weer is lekker, or if you like to sit on your balcony, you can even say: het balkon is lekker, certainly when you sit in de sun.... de zon is lekker!
No wonder, that een man and een vrouw (woman) can be lekker too....
3 jij bent knap
Knap is a bit like smart in English. It can mean 2 things.... It means that you are intelligent and... if you walk around in new clothes, people may say that you look smart, even if you are not that intelligent ;)
Knap means that you look attractive. Make sure however, that you do pronounce the k here! At the same time, also Albert Einstein was knap, but... would you like to spend the night with him in bed? Well... you never know... If you like discussions about complex theories, then he would be your perfect buddy!
Knap does not only mean intelligent, it also means skillful... If you do something impressive, then Dutch people may say to you: hé je Nederlands is heel goed! Wat knap!
4 je ziet er goed uit!
If you want to say that someone looks good, then Dutch is a bit tricky.... You do not say: je kijkt goed, that means you know how or where to look and if you say; je ziet goed, then it means that you have the ability to see... You are not blind, you have two eyes that work and you are not Stevie Wonder....
If you like, to say: you look good, then the construction is a bit different. The best strategy is that you simply memorize it.... Here is goes: je ziet er goed uit. Can you see that it might be a bit different from what you would expect?
If you like to say you look good, then you really have to say: je ziet er goed uit....Once again, if you say: je ziet goed, , then chances are high that a Dutch person would not understand you... Only if you say je ziet er goed uit, then your message will be understood.
By the way, if you like, you can also say: je ziet er fantastisch uit or je ziet er geweldig uit. Geweldig is the Dutch word for fantastic.
Here is another tip... if you say: je ziet er goed uit, then it is already a great compliment. Make sure that you do not use too many positive words all at once... If you use more than 3 positive words, it could be an overkill to the Dutch mind.. Dutch people may start to believe that you declaration of pure love or lust was just a prank...
Last but not least, Dutch people are not always that direct. Somehow, they can make their messages quite cryptic. and subtle... . For example, someone might say to you: je bent niet lelijk (you are not ugly)...
How would you interpret: je bent niet lelijk? Believe it or not, it could be more possitive than you imagine... you never know... it could mean: I like you a lot!
What is your favorite way to say in Dutch that someone is attractive? Share your thoughts here!
