Learn Dutch: Hier is de thee. Alsjeblieft! - Here is the tea. Here you go!

In Dutch, alsjeblieft does two jobs! You use it to say "please" when asking for something, but you also say it when you are physically handing an object (like a cup of tea) to someone. In English, you would say "here you go" or "there you are", but in Dutch, you just use alsjeblieft.

Sometimes I see alstublieft instead of alsjeblieft. What is the difference?

It is all about formality. Alsjeblieft is informal, used with friends, family, or children. Alstublieft (which has a t and a u in the middle) is formal, used with strangers, older people, or in customer service. Because we are using the informal version here, we are likely giving this tea to a friend or family member.

How do you pronounce the "th" in thee?

In Dutch, the "th" combination is always pronounced exactly like a regular "t". The Dutch language doesn't use the "th" sounds found in English words like "the" or "think". Combined with the double "ee", the word thee sounds a lot like the English word "tay".

Does "Hier is de thee" follow the normal Dutch word order?

Yes, it follows the very important "verb second" rule. The first piece of information is the location hier (here). Because the verb must always be in the second position in a normal sentence, is comes next, pushing the subject de thee (the tea) to the third spot. English happens to use the exact same word order for this specific phrase, making it easy to remember!