How to Say "How Do You Say..." in Dutch

In Dutch, "How do you say..." translates as:

• "Hoe zeg je..." – Informal (to friend, peer, child). Most common.
• "Hoe zegt u..." – Formal (to stranger, elder, professional). Use u for respect.
• "Hoe spreek je..." / "Hoe spreekt u..." – "How do you pronounce..." (focus on pronunciation).

Example

English: "How do you say 'thank you' in Dutch?"
Dutch (informal): "Hoe zeg je 'dank je' in het Nederlands?"
Dutch (formal): "Hoe zegt u 'dank u' in het Nederlands?"

Pronunciation Note

• Hoe = "hoo" (like 'who' but shorter)
• zeg = "zech" (g = voiced velar fricative, like Scottish 'loch')
• je = "yuh" (schwa)
• u = "uw" (rounded, like French 'u')