Learn Hardcore Dutch: Lees de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop, alstublieft. - Read the word list aloud once more, please.

Dutch uses the imperative for commands and requests, and the subject is typically omitted. The verb lees is the imperative form (the verb stem) of lezen. So it literally means “Read …” with an implied “you.”

How is the verb lezen conjugated, and why is the imperative lees?

Present tense: ik lees, jij/je leest, hij/zij leest, wij/jullie/zij lezen.
Imperative: singular uses the stem: lees.
With formal u, the recommended form is: Leest u … (see the next question).

How can I make this request more politely formal?

Several options, from neutral to very polite:

Neutral-politer imperative: Lees de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop, alstublieft.
Formal imperative with u: Leest u de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop, alstublieft.
Polite request with a modal: Wilt u de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop lezen, alstublieft?
Extra polite/soft: Zou u de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop willen lezen, alstublieft?

What’s the difference between alstublieft and alsjeblieft?

alstublieft = formal (to someone you address as u).
alsjeblieft = informal (to someone you address as je/jij).
Both mean “please” and are also used when handing something to someone. They’re written as one word.

Do I need the comma before alstublieft?

It’s common (and recommended in many style guides) to separate alstublieft/alsjeblieft with a comma when it’s placed at the end or the beginning as a parenthetical politeness marker:

Lees …, alstublieft.
Alstublieft, lees … Without the comma is not wrong, but the comma often reads more natural.

Where can alstublieft go in the sentence?

It’s flexible:

End: Lees de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop, alstublieft.
Beginning: Alstublieft, lees de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop.
After the verb: Lees alstublieft de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop. All are acceptable; initial or pre-verbal placement can sound slightly more polite.

Is the word order with nogmaals and hardop fixed?

Typical: Lees de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop.
Also fine (emphasizing the repetition): Lees nogmaals de woordenlijst hardop.
Avoid: Lees de woordenlijst hardop nogmaals (sounds odd).
Reason: hardop is tightly linked to lezen (“to read out loud”), and nogmaals (“once more”) usually sits before that manner phrase.

What’s the difference between nogmaals, nog eens, opnieuw, and weer?

nogmaals: “once more/again,” a bit formal or instructional; good for classroom directions.
nog eens: very common, neutral alternative to nogmaals.
opnieuw: “again, from the start/anew” (often implies restarting the whole process).
weer: “again” in a general/repeated sense (less suitable in instructions like this). Example alternatives:
Lees de woordenlijst nog eens hardop.
Lees de woordenlijst opnieuw hardop (if you mean start over).

Does hardop mean “loudly”?

Not exactly. hardop means “out loud/audibly,” as opposed to reading silently. It doesn’t necessarily mean with high volume.

“Loudly” is luid or hard.
In Belgium, you’ll often hear luidop instead of hardop (same meaning).

Can I use voorlezen instead of hardop lezen?

Yes, voorlezen means “to read aloud (to others).” With your sentence:

Lees de woordenlijst nogmaals voor, alstublieft. This puts the focus on reading it aloud for an audience. Using hardop with voorlezen is usually redundant.

How do I address a group?

General imperative still works: Lees de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop, alstublieft. (context shows it’s to the group)
Make it explicit: Lees allemaal de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop, alstublieft.
With jullie: Willen jullie de woordenlijst nogmaals hardop lezen, alsjeblieft?
Note: A bare plural imperative leest! is archaic in modern standard Dutch, except in the formal Leest u … pattern.

Why is it de woordenlijst and not het woordenlijst?

Because lijst is a common-gender noun (a “de-word”), and in compounds the head is the last part. woordenlijst inherits de from lijst:

de lijst → de woordenlijst
If it were neuter, it would take het, but lijst isn’t neuter.

Can I drop the article and say Lees woordenlijst …?

No. woordenlijst is a countable noun referring to a specific list, so you need a determiner:

de woordenlijst, een woordenlijst, deze woordenlijst, die woordenlijst, etc. Bare nouns without an article are uncommon in this kind of context.

Is there a more natural informal version?

Yes, for someone you address as je/jij:

Lees de woordenlijst nog eens hardop, alsjeblieft.
Softer: Wil je de woordenlijst nog eens hardop lezen, alsjeblieft?
Even softer: Zou je de woordenlijst nog eens hardop willen lezen, alsjeblieft? Adding even can also soften: Lees even …

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

Approximate guide (NL standard; regional variation exists):

Lees: [leːs] (“lace” with a longer vowel)
de: [də] (like “duh”)
woordenlijst: [ˈʋoːrdə(n)ˌlɛist]
- oo = long “o” [oː]; Dutch w is a voiced labiodental [ʋ].
- The -en in woorden often reduces; the n may be light or silent.
- ij in lijst = the diphthong [ɛi] (same sound as ei in most accents).
nogmaals: [ˈnɔxmaːls] (often like Scottish “loch”; in the south often [ɣ])
hardop: [ˈɦɑrtɔp] (many speakers devoice the d to [t] in this compound; you may also hear [ˈɦɑrdɔp])
alstublieft: [ˌɑlstʏˈblift] (stress on the last part; u = French-like [y]) Simple stress help: als-tu-BLIEFT.

Is ij pronounced the same as ei in lijst?

Yes, in most Dutch accents ij and ei sound the same ([ɛi]). It’s a spelling distinction. In lijst, it’s ij. When capitalized, IJ is often treated like a single letter in Dutch.

Why is woordenlijst written as one word?

Dutch writes compounds as a single word. woorden + lijst becomes woordenlijst. Similarly, hard + op fused historically into hardop, and als + u + blieft became alstublieft.

Could I move nogmaals earlier in the sentence?

Yes, to emphasize the repetition:

Lees nogmaals de woordenlijst hardop, alstublieft. This shifts focus to “once more.” The original order is perfectly natural for neutral instructions.

How do I make a polite negative request (“please don’t read it aloud again”)?

Informal: Lees de woordenlijst alsjeblieft niet hardop.
Formal: Leest u de woordenlijst alstublieft niet hardop. Position of niet is before hardop because you’re negating the manner.