A Dutch phone call runs on a small set of fixed phrases that almost never vary, and the single most important one is the way you answer: not "hello", but Met … ("[this is] … speaking"). If you pick up a Dutch phone and just say Hallo?, you sound lost or impatient; Dutch speakers identify themselves the instant they answer. This page collects the whole skeleton of a call — opening, asking for someone, putting them through, taking a message, voicemail, and the sign-off — and marks each formula for register so you know which ones belong in a business call and which in a chat with a friend.
Answering: "Met …"
When you answer your own phone, you say Met [your name]. Literally it means "with …", and it's the surviving fragment of the full sentence U spreekt met … / Je spreekt met … ("you are speaking with …"). On a private mobile, most people just say their first name: Met Anne. In a business or formal setting you give your full name or the company name, and you often keep the full form U spreekt met …
Met Sanne.
Sanne speaking. (the bare, everyday way to answer your own mobile)
Goedemorgen, met De Vries Advies, u spreekt met Laura.
Good morning, De Vries Advies, this is Laura speaking. (formal; company name + 'u spreekt met …')
Hoi, met mij.
Hi, it's me. (very informal — when the other person already knows your number)
The same word does double duty: when you are the caller, you also introduce yourself with Met … before saying anything else.
Goedemiddag, met Bram Jansen van Bouwbedrijf Jansen.
Good afternoon, this is Bram Jansen from Jansen Construction. (caller introducing himself, formal)
Asking who is on the line
If the caller hasn't identified themselves, the fixed question is Met wie spreek ik? ("Who am I speaking to?", literally "with whom do I speak"). Note the inversion spreek ik — it's an ordinary verb-second question. Adding ook alweer softens it to "who was I speaking to again?", useful when you half-recognise the voice.
Met wie spreek ik?
Who am I speaking to? (fixed phone phrase; inversion 'spreek ik')
Sorry, met wie spreek ik ook alweer?
Sorry, who am I speaking to again? ('ook alweer' = 'again', when you've forgotten)
Asking for someone: "Kan ik … spreken"
To ask for the person you want, Dutch uses the verb spreken ("to speak"), and the person is its direct object — there is no preposition. English says "speak to someone", so learners reflexively add a met or tegen that Dutch does not want here. The frame is Kan / Mag ik [persoon] spreken?; even ("for a moment") softens it further.
Kan ik meneer De Vries even spreken?
Could I speak to Mr De Vries for a moment? (person = direct object, no preposition)
Mag ik Tom van de klantenservice spreken?
Could I speak to Tom from customer service? ('mag ik' is slightly more deferential than 'kan ik')
Hoi, is Lisa er? Ik wil haar even spreken.
Hi, is Lisa there? I'd like to speak to her for a sec. (informal: 'is Lisa er?')
Putting someone through: "doorverbinden"
The receptionist's verb for transferring a call is doorverbinden ("to put through, connect"), separable: prefix door + verbinden. In a main clause the prefix splits to the end (Ik *verbind u door*); after a modal or as an infinitive it stays whole (Ik kan u doorverbinden). The bridging phrase that buys time is Een moment or Een ogenblik ("one moment").
Een moment, ik verbind u door.
One moment, I'll put you through. (main clause: prefix 'door' goes to the end)
Ik kan u doorverbinden met de afdeling verkoop.
I can connect you to the sales department. (infinitive after 'kan' → 'doorverbinden' stays whole; 'met' marks the destination)
Note the contrast: the person you connect goes straight after the verb (u doorverbinden), but the department or person you connect them to is marked with met.
When the person isn't available
Two everyday formulas: in gesprek ("on another call", literally "in conversation") and niet aanwezig ("not in"). To soften the bad news, the receptionist opens with Het spijt me ("I'm sorry") or Helaas ("unfortunately").
Het spijt me, hij is op dit moment in gesprek.
I'm sorry, he's on another call right now. ('in gesprek' = line is busy)
Helaas is mevrouw Bakker vandaag niet aanwezig.
Unfortunately Ms Bakker isn't in today. ('niet aanwezig' = not present at work)
Taking and leaving a message
The verb for relaying a message is doorgeven ("to pass on"), also separable. The offer to take a message is Kan ik iets doorgeven? ("Can I pass anything on?"). The noun for a message is een bericht or een boodschap.
Kan ik iets doorgeven?
Can I pass anything on? / Can I take a message? (the standard offer)
Kunt u hem vragen of hij mij terugbelt?
Could you ask him to call me back? ('terugbellen' = to call back; person is the direct object, no 'naar')
Ik geef uw bericht meteen aan hem door.
I'll pass your message on to him right away. (main clause; recipient marked with 'aan')
Voicemail
When you reach voicemail, the recorded prompt is almost always some version of Spreek een bericht in na de piep ("leave a message after the beep"). The verb is inspreken ("to record [a spoken message]"), separable, and de piep is "the beep". You then leave your own message, again opening with Met …
U bent verbonden met de voicemail van Anne de Wit. Spreek een bericht in na de piep.
You've reached the voicemail of Anne de Wit. Leave a message after the beep. (standard recorded prompt)
Hoi Anne, met Tom. Bel je me even terug? Doei!
Hi Anne, it's Tom. Could you call me back? Bye! (informal message left on voicemail)
Closing the call
Calls don't just stop; they close with a small ritual. A caller thanks the other side with Bedankt voor het bellen ("thanks for calling") — note voor het bellen, the gerund-like infinitive with het. The neutral goodbye is Tot ziens (formal) or Doei / Doeg (informal). A warm extra is Fijne dag (nog)! ("have a nice day").
Bedankt voor het bellen. Tot ziens!
Thanks for calling. Goodbye! (neutral-to-formal close)
Prima, ik zorg dat hij het bericht krijgt. Fijne dag nog!
Great, I'll make sure he gets the message. Have a good day! ('Fijne dag nog' is a warm sign-off)
Oké, ik bel je morgen wel. Doei!
Okay, I'll call you tomorrow. Bye! (fully informal close)
Register at a glance
Keep the whole call on one register. A business call uses u throughout, meneer/mevrouw + surname, Het spijt me, Tot ziens. A call to a friend uses je/jij, first names, Hoi, Doei. The Met … opening and the separable verbs (doorverbinden, doorgeven, terugbellen) stay identical in both — only the pronouns and the sign-off shift.
| Function | Formal (u) | Informal (je) |
|---|---|---|
| Answering | U spreekt met … | Met … / Hoi, met … |
| Asking for someone | Kan ik … spreken? | Is … er? |
| Goodbye | Tot ziens | Doei / Doeg |
Common Mistakes
❌ — Hallo? … Hallo?
Unnatural on any Dutch call — answering with a bare 'Hallo?' sounds lost. Identify yourself: 'Met [naam].'
✅ Met Sanne.
Sanne speaking.
❌ Kan ik spreken met meneer De Vries?
Unnatural — Dutch makes the person the direct object of 'spreken', with no 'met': 'Kan ik meneer De Vries spreken?'
✅ Kan ik meneer De Vries even spreken?
Could I speak to Mr De Vries for a moment?
❌ Een moment, ik verbind u.
Incomplete — the separable prefix 'door' must appear: 'ik verbind u door' (I'll put you through).
✅ Een moment, ik verbind u door.
One moment, I'll put you through.
❌ Kunt u hem vragen of hij belt mij terug?
Incorrect word order — in the 'of'-clause the verb goes to the end, kept whole: 'of hij mij terugbelt'.
✅ Kunt u hem vragen of hij mij terugbelt?
Could you ask him to call me back?
❌ Bedankt voor bellen.
Incorrect — the infinitive needs 'het': 'Bedankt voor het bellen' (thanks for calling).
✅ Bedankt voor het bellen.
Thanks for calling.
Now practice Dutch
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Dutch→Related Topics
- Annotated Dialogue: A Phone Call (B1)B1 — A realistic Dutch phone call decoded: why everyone answers with 'Met …', how to ask for someone with 'Kan ik … spreken', the separable verbs doorgeven and terugbellen, polite u-requests, and how to leave and take a message.
- The Formal UA1 — U is Dutch's polite pronoun: one form for both subject and object, a peculiar third-person-style verb agreement (u bent / u is and u heeft / u hebt all occur), and the possessive uw with a w. Written lowercase in ordinary text, capitalised only in religious or extremely deferential contexts.
- Email and Letter FormulasB1 — The fixed opening and closing formulas for Dutch emails and letters, organised by register — Hoi/Beste/Geachte at the top, Groetjes/Met vriendelijke groet/Hoogachtend at the bottom — plus the iron rule that the opening and closing must match, and the body phrases (Bij voorbaat dank, In afwachting van uw reactie) that go with each.
- Small-Talk Phrases and Social FormulasA2 — The fixed social phrases that keep everyday Dutch interactions running: greeting and answering 'Hoe gaat het?', 'Lang niet gezien!', passing on regards with 'Doe de groeten aan…', and the cluster of one-word well-wishes that English splits differently — 'Sterkte!' (strength/good luck through hardship), 'Succes!' (good luck for a challenge), 'Beterschap!' (get well), 'Gefeliciteerd!' and 'Gecondoleerd'.
- Register Shifting: Formal to InformalC2 — Register in Dutch is a coordinated bundle — pronoun of address, vocabulary, sentence architecture, and modal-particle density all move together. How to shift the whole bundle consistently between formal and informal, and why a single mismatch (u with casual particles, derhalve with hoor) instantly betrays the seam.