Arranging to meet someone in Dutch is a small genre of its own, with a fixed vocabulary that learners rarely get from a textbook. You maakt een afspraak (make an appointment), you check whether a time schikt or past, you propose with Zullen we ... afspreken?, and if life intervenes you either verzet the meeting (move it) or zeg it af (cancel it). This page lays out the whole toolkit, including the polite decline Het komt me niet goed uit and the warm sign-off tot dan. The two things to nail are the verb pair afspraak maken / afspreken and the "does it suit you?" verbs schikken and passen, because both have shapes English speakers don't expect.
Afspraak maken vs afspreken
Dutch has two closely related words from the same root, and B1 learners blur them:
- een afspraak maken = to make an appointment (a noun phrase). Used for formal, scheduled things: the doctor, the dentist, a work meeting.
- afspreken = to arrange to meet, to agree on something (a single verb). Used for social plans with friends, and for agreeing on terms.
So you maakt een afspraak with the tandarts (dentist), but you spreekt af with a friend to get a coffee. Afspreken is also the verb for "to agree": dat hadden we anders afgesproken ("we'd agreed otherwise").
Ik wil graag een afspraak maken bij de huisarts.
I'd like to make an appointment with the GP. (een afspraak maken — formal/medical)
Zullen we vrijdag afspreken in de stad?
Shall we arrange to meet in town on Friday? (afspreken — social plans)
We hadden toch afgesproken dat jij zou koken?
We'd agreed that you'd cook, hadn't we? (afspreken = to agree on something)
Does it suit you? Schikt het and Past het
To ask whether a proposed time works for someone, Dutch has two near-synonymous verbs, both impersonal (they take het as subject):
- Schikt het (je/u)? = "Does it suit you?" — slightly more formal, very common in writing and polite speech.
- Past het je/u? = "Does it fit you?" — a touch more everyday.
Both mean the same thing. The structure is het + verb + person: Schikt het je?, Past het u?. Note schikken here means "to suit/be convenient," not its other meaning "to arrange/tidy."
Zou volgende week dinsdag schikken?
Would next Tuesday suit you? (schikken = to be convenient; impersonal 'het' is implied)
Past het je als ik om drie uur langskom?
Does it work for you if I come by at three? (passen = to suit, here with a clause)
Schikt het u beter in de ochtend of in de middag?
Does the morning or the afternoon suit you better? (formal 'u'; schikken)
If a time doesn't work, the standard polite formula is Het komt me niet goed uit ("it doesn't suit me / it's not convenient"), from uitkomen ("to be convenient"). This is gentler than a flat nee.
Donderdag komt me eigenlijk niet zo goed uit; kan het ook later?
Thursday isn't really convenient for me, actually; could it be later too? (Het komt me niet goed uit — polite decline)
Proposing a time: Zullen we ... afspreken?
The natural way to suggest meeting is Zullen we ...? ("Shall we ...?"). Combined with afspreken and a time, it's the workhorse of social planning.
Zullen we om half acht afspreken voor het station?
Shall we meet at half past seven in front of the station? (Zullen we ... afspreken; 'half acht' = 7:30)
Zullen we het op zaterdag houden? Dan heb ik de hele dag vrij.
Shall we keep it to Saturday? I've got the whole day off then. ('het ... houden op' = to settle on)
Remember half acht means 7:30, not 8:30 — Dutch clock time counts toward the coming hour. (That's its own topic; just don't let it sabotage your appointment.)
Free or busy: ik ben vrij / ik ben bezet
To say whether you're available:
- vrij zijn = to be free / available. Ik ben donderdag vrij.
- bezet zijn = to be busy / occupied (of a time slot or person).
- iets anders hebben = to have something else on. Ik heb die avond al iets.
Vrijdagmiddag ben ik vrij, maar 's ochtends zit ik vol.
Friday afternoon I'm free, but in the morning I'm fully booked. (vrij zijn; 'vol zitten' = to be fully booked)
Sorry, die avond ben ik al bezet — ik heb een etentje.
Sorry, I'm already busy that evening — I've got a dinner. (bezet zijn = to be occupied)
In je agenda: putting it in the calendar
The Dutch word for a personal calendar/diary is de agenda (false friend: it does not mean a meeting agenda — that's de agendapunten or just de punten). You zet something in je agenda (put it in your calendar).
Ik zet het meteen in mijn agenda, anders vergeet ik het.
I'll put it in my calendar right away, otherwise I'll forget. (in je agenda zetten)
Even mijn agenda checken... ja, die datum staat nog vrij.
Let me just check my calendar... yes, that date is still free. (de agenda = personal calendar/diary)
Changing plans: verzetten vs afzeggen
When something comes up, Dutch makes a sharp distinction:
- verzetten = to move / reschedule (the appointment still happens, just at a new time). Literally "to shift."
- afzeggen = to cancel (the appointment is called off entirely). The af- prefix here signals "off."
Confusing these matters: de afspraak verzetten tells the dentist you'll come another day; de afspraak afzeggen tells them you're not coming. There's also uitstellen (to postpone), close to verzetten.
Kan ik mijn afspraak verzetten naar volgende week?
Can I reschedule my appointment to next week? (verzetten = to move/reschedule)
Ik moet onze lunch helaas afzeggen; er is iets tussen gekomen.
I'm afraid I have to cancel our lunch; something's come up. (afzeggen = to cancel; 'er is iets tussen gekomen' = something came up)
Zullen we het niet afzeggen maar gewoon een uurtje verzetten?
Why don't we not cancel it but just push it an hour? (the contrast: afzeggen vs verzetten)
Signing off: tot dan
Once a plan is set, you close warmly. Tot dan ("until then") is the standard sign-off when a specific time is agreed. Variants tune the specificity: tot vrijdag (see you Friday), tot straks (see you in a bit, same day), tot zo (see you very shortly).
Top, dan zie ik je vrijdag om acht uur. Tot dan!
Great, then I'll see you Friday at eight. See you then! (tot dan = until then)
Ik moet er nu vandoor — tot straks bij de vergadering.
I've got to dash now — see you later at the meeting. (tot straks = see you later today)
Common Mistakes
❌ Zullen we een afspraak maken voor een biertje?
Sounds oddly formal for friends — for social plans use the verb 'afspreken', not the noun phrase.
✅ Zullen we afspreken voor een biertje?
Shall we meet up for a beer? (afspreken — social)
❌ Past het jou de dinsdag?
Word-order/article slip — drop the article and keep it tight: 'Past het je dinsdag?'
✅ Past het je dinsdag?
Does Tuesday suit you? (passen = to suit)
❌ Ik wil mijn afspraak annuleren naar volgende week.
Wrong verb — moving to another time is 'verzetten'; 'annuleren/afzeggen' means calling it off entirely.
✅ Ik wil mijn afspraak verzetten naar volgende week.
I'd like to reschedule my appointment to next week. (verzetten)
❌ Het komt me niet goed aan.
Wrong particle — the verb is 'uitkomen', so it's 'komt me niet goed uit'.
✅ Het komt me niet goed uit.
It's not convenient for me. (uitkomen)
❌ Wat staat er op de agenda van vandaag? (meaning your personal calendar)
False friend — 'de agenda' is your personal diary; for a meeting's list of topics you'd say 'de agendapunten'. (The sentence is fine for a meeting agenda, but don't use it for your own schedule.)
✅ Wat staat er vandaag in mijn agenda?
What's in my calendar today? (de agenda = personal calendar)
Key Takeaways
- Use een afspraak maken for formal/scheduled appointments (doctor, work) and the single verb afspreken for social plans and for agreeing on things.
- Ask whether a time works with Schikt het (je)? or Past het je? (both impersonal, with het); decline politely with Het komt me niet goed uit.
- Propose with Zullen we ... afspreken?; say you're vrij (free) or bezet (busy); note it in je agenda (your personal calendar — a false friend).
- Distinguish verzetten (reschedule, still happening) from afzeggen (cancel, called off).
- Sign off with tot dan, or the more specific tot vrijdag / tot straks / tot zo.
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