This English-Dutch Vocabulary List B1-C1 presents 75 commonly used words at three CEFR levels (25 words per level): B1 Intermediate, B2 Upper Intermediate & C1 Advanced. Each word includes its part of speech, Dutch translation, and an example sentence to ensure clarity and usability.

How to use this English Words to Know for Nederlanders vocabulary list

• Nederlanders can, of course, just use this list to learn these English words. Great!
• Or English speakers can “flip the script” and use this list to learn these words in Dutch. I will definitely be doing that. 😉
• Or you can use this list to check your vocabulary level.

Check your English vocabulary level

1. Ask yourself if you know each word when you read/hear it
2. Ask yourself if you would use this word in spoken/written English
3. Based on your performance, you can focus on vocabulary at the right CEFR level for you

Table of Contents

• B1 Level (Intermediate)
• B2 Level (Upper Intermediate)
• C1 Level (Advanced)

B1 Level (Intermediate) Vocabulary with Dutch Translations

1. Accept (verb) – accepteren – She accepted the job offer.
2. Afraid (adjective) – bang – She is afraid of spiders.
3. Almost (adverb) – bijna – It’s almost time to leave.
4. Always (adverb) – altijd – He always arrives early.
5. Angry (adjective) – boos – She was angry about the delay.
6. Answer (noun/verb) – antwoord/antwoorden – He didn’t know the answer.
7. Appear (verb) – verschijnen – A man suddenly appeared in the doorway.
8. Arrive (verb) – aankomen – They arrived at the station on time.
9. Ask (verb) – vragen – Can I ask you a question?
10. Beautiful (adjective) – mooi – The sunset was beautiful.
11. Because (conjunction) – omdat – I stayed home because it was raining.
12. Before (preposition/conjunction) – voor/voordat – Finish your work before you leave.
13. Believe (verb) – geloven – I believe in honesty.
14. Better (adjective/adverb) – beter – She feels better today.
15. Bring (verb) – brengen – Please bring your ID to the meeting.
16. Busy (adjective) – druk – He is busy with work.
17. Buy (verb) – kopen – She plans to buy a new car.
18. Change (verb/noun) – veranderen/verandering – They decided to change the schedule.
19. Child (noun) – kind – The child is playing outside.
20. City (noun) – stad – Amsterdam is a beautiful city.

B2 Level (Upper-Intermediate) Vocabulary English-Dutch

1. Achieve (verb) – bereiken – She achieved her goal of becoming a doctor.
2. Advantage (noun) – voordeel – Speaking multiple languages is an advantage.
3. Appropriate (adjective) – geschikt – That outfit is not appropriate for work.
4. Aware (adjective) – bewust – She is aware of the risks.
5. Challenge (noun/verb) – uitdaging/uitdagen – Climbing the mountain was a real challenge.
6. Commitment (noun) – toewijding – Marriage requires commitment.
7. Convince (verb) – overtuigen – He convinced me to take the job.
8. Criticize (verb) – bekritiseren – She criticized his decision.
9. Determine (verb) – bepalen – We need to determine the cause of the problem.
10. Doubt (noun/verb) – twijfel/twijfelen – I have some doubts about his story.
11. Explain (verb) – uitleggen – Can you explain this to me?
12. Experience (noun/verb) – ervaring/ervaren – She has a lot of experience in sales.
13. Financial (adjective) – financieel – The company is facing financial difficulties.
14. Ignore (verb) – negeren – He ignored my advice.
15. Improve (verb) – verbeteren – She wants to improve her English skills.
16. Include (verb) – inbegrepen – The package includes breakfast.
17. Industry (noun) – industrie – The tech industry is growing rapidly.
18. Knowledge (noun) – kennis – His knowledge of history is impressive.
19. Necessary (adjective) – nodig – A passport is necessary for travel.
20. Opinion (noun) – mening – What’s your opinion on this topic?

C1 Level (Advanced) Vocabulary: English Words to Know for Nederlanders

1. Undermine (verb) – ondermijnen – His actions undermined their trust.
2. Allegation (noun) – beschuldiging – The company denied the allegations of fraud.
3. Ambiguous (adjective) – dubbelzinnig – His response was ambiguous and unclear.
4. Compelling (adjective) – overtuigend – She made a compelling argument.
5. Controversial (adjective) – omstreden – The new law is highly controversial.
6. Credibility (noun) – geloofwaardigheid – The journalist’s credibility is important.
7. Deteriorate (verb) – verslechteren – His health has deteriorated over the years.
8. Discreet (adjective) – discreet – She was discreet about the confidential information.
9. Eloquent (adjective) – welsprekend – He is an eloquent speaker.
10. Exaggerate (verb) – overdrijven – She tends to exaggerate her stories.
11. Vulnerable (adjective) – kwetsbaar – Children are vulnerable to diseases.
12. Explicit (adjective) – expliciet – The instructions were very explicit.
13. Fluctuate (verb) – schommelen – The stock market fluctuates daily.
14. Implement (verb) – implementeren – The company implemented a new strategy.
15. Meticulous (adjective) – nauwkeurig – She is very meticulous in her work.
16. Notion (noun) – opvatting – She has a clear notion of success.
17. Subtle (adjective) – subtiel – There was a subtle difference in meaning.
18. Sustainable (adjective) – duurzaam – We need more sustainable energy sources.
19. Tentative (adjective) – voorlopig – They made a tentative plan for the trip.
20. Transparent (adjective) – transparant – We need a transparent decision-making process.

If you are looking for a vocabulary book, we recommend the Cambridge In Use Series.

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