van

Of/From

Level 1

Van is one of the most common Dutch words. It primarily shows possession (the dog of the neighbor) and origin (I come from the station).

How It Works

The preposition van serves several essential functions in Dutch:

  • Possession: The standard way to show ownership.
    Example: De auto van mijn vader (My father's car).
  • Origin: Indicates moving away from a point. Often used in the construction van... vandaan.
    Example: Waar kom je vandaan? (Where do you come from?).
  • Fixed Expressions: Essential for common verbs like houden van (to love/like).
    Example: Ik hou van koffie (I love coffee).
  • Opinion: Used when asking for or giving a judgment.
    Example: Wat vind je van het eten? (What do you think of the food?).
  • Superlatives: Used to define the group a superlative belongs to.
    Example: De grootste van de klas (The tallest in the class).
  • Authorship: Indicates the creator of a work.
    Example: Een film van Paul Verhoeven (A film by Paul Verhoeven).
  • Time: Marks the starting point of a duration.
    Example: Van negen tot vijf (From nine to five).
  • Material: Describes what an object is made of.
    Example: Een ring van goud (A ring of gold). Note: Do not use for contents (e.g., 'een glas water').
  • Partitive: Used to indicate a part of a group.
    Example: Een van de kinderen (One of the children).

Important Note: When referring to objects, van combines with 'er' to become ervan (of it) or with 'daar' to become daarvan (of that).

Examples (6)

  1. Dit is het boek van de leraar.

    This is the teacher's book.

    Word by Word: This is the book of the teacher.

    Shows possession for a common noun.

  2. Ik heb een brief van mijn oma gekregen.

    I received a letter from my grandmother.

    Word by Word: I have a letter from my grandmother gotten.

    Shows the source or origin of the letter.

  3. Ik hou van jou.

    I love you.

    Word by Word: I hold of you.

    The verb 'houden' always uses 'van' to mean 'to love' or 'to like'.

  4. Wat vind je van dit schilderij?

    What do you think of this painting?

    Word by Word: What find you of this painting?

    Used to ask for an opinion about something.

  5. Zij huilt van geluk.

    She is crying with joy.

    Word by Word: She cries of happiness.

    Indicates the cause of an emotion or state.

  6. Dit is een boek van Harry Mulisch.

    This is a book by Harry Mulisch.

    Word by Word: This is a book of Harry Mulisch.

    Indicates authorship (who created the work).

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'van' for contents or quantities.

    Een glas van water.
    Een glas water.

    While 'van' is used for materials (a ring of gold), Dutch does not use a preposition for contents or quantities. Simply place the two nouns together.

  • Using English 's possession with a common noun.

    De buurman's hond.
    De hond van de buurman.

    English adds 's to any noun. In Dutch, after 'de buurman' use van. The -s is mainly for names (Jans hond, Anna's hond) and a few family words without an article (vaders auto).

  • Using 'van het' when referring to an object.

    Ik hou van het.
    Ik hou ervan.

    When 'van' refers to a thing (it), you must use the R-pronoun form ervan.

How It Connects

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

vanLevel 1Of/From

Learn This First

The preposition 'van' is a foundational particle in Dutch used to indicate possession or origin. To use it correctly, a learner needs to be familiar with basic noun phrases, including the use of definite articles (de/het) and basic pronouns.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

And 1 more in the full list.

Words in This Pattern

van