Expressing Opinions | Dutch Grammar

Stating an opinion in Dutch is mostly a matter of learning a handful of fixed openers — and then getting the word order right, because every one of these openers triggers a syntactic rule. There are two traps: the dat-clause sends its verb to the very end, and a fronted phrase like naar mijn mening forces the subject and verb to swap. On top of that, Dutch makes a distinction English doesn't: vinden (a value judgement, "I find/reckon") versus denken (a belief about what's true, "I think"). Get the opener, the verb, and the word order lined up, and you'll sound markedly more fluent.

Vinden vs. denken: the split English hides

English uses "I think" for everything — I think it's beautiful, I think it'll rain. Dutch splits this. Vinden expresses a value judgement, a personal evaluation — your taste, your assessment of good/bad, nice/ugly. Denken (and geloven, "believe") expresses a belief about a fact — what you reckon is or will be the case.

Verb	Expresses	English
vinden	a value judgement / evaluation	to find, to reckon, to think (it's good/bad)
denken	a belief about what is true	to think (that something is the case)
geloven	a belief, slightly less certain	to believe / think

Ik vind die film echt prachtig.

I think that film is really beautiful. (vinden = a value judgement about quality — use vinden, not denken)

Ik denk dat het morgen gaat regenen.

I think it's going to rain tomorrow. (denken = a belief about a fact/prediction)

Ik geloof dat de winkel om zes uur sluit.

I think the shop closes at six. (geloven = belief about a fact, slightly tentative)

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Quick test: if you could replace "I think" with "I find" or "in my opinion" in English, Dutch wants vinden. If you could replace it with "I believe / I reckon (that it's the case)," Dutch wants denken. Ik vind het mooi (judgement), ik denk dat het waar is (belief).

The register ladder

The openers run from casual to formal. Knowing where each sits keeps you from sounding stiff with friends or too breezy in writing.

Dutch	English	Register
Volgens mij…	I reckon… / the way I see it…	(informal)
Ik vind (dat)…	I think / I find that…	(neutral)
Als je het mij vraagt…	if you ask me…	(informal)
Ik heb het idee dat…	I have the impression that…	(neutral)
Wat mij betreft…	as far as I'm concerned…	(neutral)
Naar mijn mening…	in my opinion…	(formal)
Ik ben van mening dat…	it is my view that…	(formal)

A note on volgens mij: it literally means "according to me," but it's softer than that sounds — closer to "I reckon" or "I get the impression." It often signals you're not fully certain. Eerlijk gezegd ("honestly said") prefaces a frank, possibly unwelcome opinion.

Volgens mij klopt er iets niet aan dit verhaal.

I get the feeling something's off about this story. (volgens mij = I reckon / it seems to me — softer than 'according to me')

Eerlijk gezegd vond ik het boek nogal saai.

Honestly, I found the book pretty boring. (eerlijk gezegd = to be honest, prefacing a frank opinion)

Naar mijn mening is dit beleid niet houdbaar.

In my opinion this policy isn't sustainable. (naar mijn mening = formal 'in my opinion', for writing and debate)

Wat mij betreft kunnen we meteen beginnen.

As far as I'm concerned, we can start right away. (wat mij betreft = as far as I'm concerned)

Word order trap 1: the dat-clause sends the verb to the end

When your opener is followed by dat ("that"), you've opened a subordinate clause — and in Dutch subordinate clauses the finite verb goes to the very end. This is the single most common opinion-sentence error English speakers make, because English keeps the verb in the middle.

Ik denk dat hij gelijk heeft.

I think (that) he's right. (the verb 'heeft' goes to the END of the dat-clause, not 'dat hij heeft gelijk')

Ik vind dat we eerlijker moeten zijn.

I think we should be more honest. (both verbs cluster at the end: 'moeten zijn')

Ik heb het idee dat ze ons niet helemaal de waarheid vertellen.

I have the impression they're not quite telling us the truth. (verb 'vertellen' at the end)

Compare the structure: English I think that he *is right keeps the verb in the middle; Dutch Ik denk dat hij gelijk *heeft pushes it to the end. If you keep the verb in the middle, you produce ❌ dat hij heeft gelijk, which is a clear and very recognisable learner mistake.

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The word "dat" is a switch: the moment you say it, the finite verb of that clause must travel to the end. Ik denk dat het waar is, not dat het is waar. This is the same rule as after omdat, terwijl, als — any subordinating conjunction.

Word order trap 2: a fronted phrase forces inversion

Several openers — volgens mij, naar mijn mening, wat mij betreft, eerlijk gezegd — sit at the front of the main clause. Dutch obeys the verb-second rule: the finite verb must be the second element. So when one of these phrases occupies first position, the subject and verb swap: verb first, then subject.

Volgens mij heeft hij gelijk.

The way I see it, he's right. (fronted 'volgens mij' → verb 'heeft' comes before the subject 'hij')

Naar mijn mening is dit de beste oplossing.

In my opinion this is the best solution. (fronted phrase → 'is' before 'dit')

Eerlijk gezegd had ik meer verwacht.

Honestly, I'd expected more. (inversion: 'had ik', not 'ik had')

So you have two contrasting structures depending on the opener. After dat, the verb goes to the end (ik denk dat hij gelijk heeft). After a fronted phrase, the verb comes second, before the subject (volgens mij heeft hij gelijk). Keep them apart and your opinions will land cleanly.

Softening and hedging

Dutch opinion-giving often softens with little particles. Eigenlijk ("actually") and misschien ("maybe") take the edge off; gewoon ("just/simply") makes a claim sound matter-of-fact.

Ik vind eigenlijk dat we het anders moeten aanpakken.

I actually think we should approach it differently. (eigenlijk softens the disagreement)

Als je het mij vraagt, is het gewoon te duur.

If you ask me, it's simply too expensive. (gewoon = plainly/simply, matter-of-fact)

Common Mistakes

❌ Ik denk dat de film is mooi.

Two errors: the verb must go to the end of the dat-clause ('is' last), and for a value judgement you want 'vind', not 'denk'.

✅ Ik vind dat de film mooi is.

I think the film is beautiful.

❌ Ik denk dat het mooi.

Incorrect — a dat-clause still needs its finite verb; it can't be dropped. 'is' belongs at the end.

✅ Ik denk dat het mooi is.

I think it's beautiful.

❌ Volgens mij hij heeft gelijk.

Incorrect — a fronted phrase forces inversion; the verb must be second, before the subject.

✅ Volgens mij heeft hij gelijk.

The way I see it, he's right.

❌ Ik denk dat deze soep lekker.

Incorrect — for taste/quality use 'vinden', and the verb 'is' must close the clause.

✅ Ik vind deze soep lekker.

I think this soup is tasty. (no 'dat' needed when there's no full clause)

❌ In mijn mening is dit te duur.

Wrong preposition — the formal phrase is 'naar mijn mening', not 'in mijn mening' (a calque of English 'in my opinion').

✅ Naar mijn mening is dit te duur.

In my opinion this is too expensive.

Key Takeaways

Vinden = a value judgement (I find it nice/bad); denken/geloven = a belief about a fact. English blurs these; Dutch doesn't.
After dat, the finite verb goes to the end of the clause: ik denk dat hij gelijk heeft.
After a fronted opener (volgens mij, naar mijn mening), the verb comes second, before the subject: volgens mij *heeft hij gelijk*.
Register ladder: volgens mij / als je het mij vraagt (informal) → ik vind dat (neutral) → naar mijn mening / ik ben van mening dat (formal).
The formal phrase is naar mijn mening, never in mijn mening.

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