tegen

Against/To

Level 1

The Dutch word tegen is most commonly known as 'against', but it is also the standard word for 'to' when talking to someone and for 'around' when giving an approximate time.

How It Works

The preposition tegen serves several distinct roles in Dutch:

1. Physical Contact & Opposition: Just like 'against' in English, it describes leaning on something or being in competition.
Example: De fiets staat tegen de muur. (The bike is against the wall.)

2. Communication (Recipient): In Dutch, the verb zeggen (to say) usually uses tegen to indicate the person being spoken to. For the verb praten (to talk), tegen is used to indicate the recipient of the speech, while met is used to emphasize a two-way conversation.
Example: Ik zeg tegen hem dat het regent. (I say to him that it is raining.)

3. Attitude & Behavior: When describing how someone treats another person, tegen is used where English uses 'to'.
Example: Wees beleefd tegen de buren. (Be polite to the neighbors.)

4. Approximate Time, Age, or Quantity: When used with numbers, it means 'around' or 'approaching'. For time, the numbers 1–12 often take a frozen -en suffix (a remnant of the dative case) when 'uur' is omitted.
Example: Het is tegen zessen. (It is around six.) or Hij loopt tegen de vijftig. (He is approaching fifty.)

5. Remedies: It is used to describe what a medicine or action is for.
Example: Een paracetamol tegen de hoofdpijn. (A paracetamol for/against the headache.)

6. Pronominal Adverbs: When you want to say 'against it', you must use er + tegen to form ertegen.

Examples (6)

  1. Zet de ladder maar tegen de muur.

    Just put the ladder against the wall.

    Word by Word: Put the ladder but against the wall.

    Here, 'tegen' shows physical contact with a vertical surface.

  2. Wat zei de leraar tegen jou?

    What did the teacher say to you?

    Word by Word: What said the teacher against you?

    In communication, 'tegen' is used to show who is being spoken to.

  3. Zij is altijd heel aardig tegen mij.

    She is always very nice to me.

    Word by Word: She is always very nice against me.

    Dutch uses 'tegen' to describe behavior or attitude directed toward someone.

  4. Mijn opa is al tegen de tachtig.

    My grandfather is already close to eighty.

    Word by Word: My grandpa is already against the eighty.

    When used with ages or quantities, 'tegen' means 'approaching' or 'close to'.

  5. We zijn tegen zessen weer thuis.

    We will be home around six.

    Word by Word: We are against sixes again home.

    When used with time, 'tegen' means 'around' or 'close to'.

  6. Heb je iets tegen de pijn?

    Do you have something for the pain?

    Word by Word: Have you something against the pain?

    Dutch uses 'tegen' (against) for remedies where English often uses 'for'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'aan' where 'tegen' is the usual choice.

    Different MeaningIk zeg het aan hem.
    Ik zeg het tegen hem.

    'Ik zeg het aan hem' is correct, a little more formal and common in Belgian Dutch. 'Tegen' is the usual preposition for the person you are speaking to in the Netherlands.

  • Using 'tegen' when you mean 'about' a topic.

    Different MeaningIk praat tegen de film.
    Ik praat over de film.

    'Ik praat tegen de film' is good Dutch, but it means you are speaking to the film (for example at the screen). Use 'over' for the topic you are discussing, as in the right sentence.

  • Saying 'tegen het' instead of 'ertegen'.

    Ik ben tegen het.
    Ik ben ertegen.

    In Dutch, you cannot use a preposition directly with the word 'het'. You must use the pronominal adverb form ertegen.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

tegenLevel 1Against/To

Learn This First

To use 'tegen' correctly, you need to understand how to form basic sentences with conjugated verbs and how to use object pronouns, as 'tegen' often connects an action to a person or object.

Words in This Pattern

tegen