heel/erg/zeer
Very
Dutch uses heel, erg, and zeer to mean 'very'. Heel is the most common, erg is slightly more emphatic, and zeer is formal.
How It Works
In Dutch, there are three main ways to say 'very':
1. Heel: The neutral, all-purpose choice. In informal speech, it often takes an '-e' when it precedes an inflected adjective (e.g., een hele grote auto). However, this only happens before a noun; you cannot say de auto is hele groot.
2. Erg: Slightly more intense than heel. While it works for positive things (erg leuk), it has a 'negative lean' because as a standalone adjective, erg means 'bad', 'serious', or 'sad' (e.g., Wat erg! - How terrible!).
3. Zeer: The formal version. Common in writing or professional settings, but sounds stiff in casual conversation.
Emphatic Combination: To be even more emphatic, you can combine the two: heel erg. The order is always heel then erg. This is very common in phrases like heel erg bedankt (thank you very much) or heel erg sorry.
Important Note: To say 'not very', Dutch speakers usually use the phrase niet zo (e.g., Het is niet zo koud) rather than niet heel.
Examples (6)
- Het is vandaag heel warm.
It is very warm today.
Word by Word: It is today very warm.
A neutral, standard use of 'heel' to modify an adjective.
- Dat is een hele goede vraag.
That is a very good question.
Word by Word: That is a very good question.
In informal Dutch, 'heel' often becomes 'hele' when used before an inflected adjective.
- Ik vind dit boek erg interessant.
I find this book very interesting.
Word by Word: I find this book very interesting.
'Erg' adds a bit more emphasis than 'heel'.
- Heel erg bedankt voor je hulp!
Thank you very much for your help!
Word by Word: Very very thanked for your help!
'Heel erg' is the standard way to add extra emphasis, especially in thanks and apologies.
- Wat erg dat je ziek bent!
How sad that you are sick!
Word by Word: What bad that you sick are!
Here 'erg' is used as a standalone adjective meaning 'bad' or 'sad'.
- Het eten was niet zo lekker.
The food was not very tasty.
Word by Word: The food was not so tasty.
Dutch uses 'niet zo' as the standard way to say 'not very'.
Common Mistakes
Using the inflected form 'hele' in the predicate position.
De film is hele leuk.De film is heel leuk.While 'hele' is common before a noun (attributive), it is never used when the adjective stands alone after a verb (predicative).
Using 'heel' to modify a verb directly.
Ik hou heel van jou.Ik hou erg van jou.In English, you can say 'I like it very much,' but in Dutch, 'heel' cannot modify a verb. You must use 'erg' or veel.
Confusing 'heel' (very) with 'veel' (much/many).
Er zijn heel mensen op straat.Er zijn veel mensen op straat.'Heel' indicates degree (how much of a quality), while 'veel' indicates quantity (how many items).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'heel', 'erg', and 'zeer' correctly, you first need to understand how adjectives are placed before nouns and how they change their endings (inflection). Specifically, you need to know when an adjective gets an -e ending, as this affects whether 'heel' becomes 'hele'.
Related Patterns
- Adjective + -eAdjective Inflection
Explains why adjectives (and sometimes 'heel') get an -e ending when placed before a noun.
Level 1 - veel/weinigMuch and Little
Helps distinguish between degree (heel/erg) and quantity (veel).
Level 2 - niet / geenChoosing Niet or Geen
Useful for understanding how to negate sentences involving intensifiers.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice heel/erg/zeer in Bubblegum
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