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Questions & Answers about Nou, dat is mooi!
Why is the English word well translated as nou instead of goed here?
In Dutch, goed means well when you are talking about how something is done (like doing a job well). But when you use well at the start of a sentence as a filler word to show a reaction, you must use nou.
Doesn't mooi usually mean beautiful?
Yes, mooi is the standard word for beautiful or pretty when describing how something looks. However, Dutch speakers also use it very often to mean nice, great, or good news in conversational reactions like this sentence.
Could I say dat is leuk instead of dat is mooi?
Yes, you absolutely can! Dat is leuk generally means that is fun or that is nice. Using dat is mooi sounds a bit more like that is great or that is good news. Both are very common ways to respond to something positive.
Is nou related to the word nu?
Yes! Nou is a casual, spoken variant of nu (which means now). While it sometimes still means now in informal speech, it is most commonly used as a filler word for well or anyway.