Dutch road words explained

Voorrang means priority. Voorrang verlenen means to give way or yield - you'll see this on triangular yield signs. Voorrangsweg means priority road - the road marked by a yellow diamond sign where you have priority at every junction.

Haaientanden means shark teeth - the white triangular yield markings painted on the road surface. If you see or hear this word, it refers to those triangles that determine who yields at a crossing.

Fietspad means cycle path - you'll see it on the rectangular white signs with a blue border that mark optional cycle paths. Fietsstraat means bike street - a road where cyclists are the primary users and cars are guests. Auto te gast literally translates to 'car is guest' and appears on fietsstraat signs.

Rijwielpad is an older Dutch word for cycle path. You might see it on older signage, particularly in rural areas. For practical purposes, treat it the same as fietspad.

Fietser means cyclist. Fietsers oversteken means 'cyclists crossing' - a warning to car drivers that cyclists may cross the road ahead.

Verboden means forbidden - you'll see this word on many Dutch signs. Verboden in te rijden means no entry. Inhalen verboden means no overtaking - and yes, this applies to cyclists too, not just cars.

Doorrijden verboden means it's forbidden to continue driving or riding through - you'll see this at junctions where blocking the intersection is prohibited. Think of it as 'don't block the box.'

Gesloten means closed. Afgesloten means locked or closed off. Weg afgesloten means road closed.

Uitgezonderd means except or exempt. This is the most important sub-sign word for cyclists. Uitgezonderd fietsers below a no-entry sign means cyclists are exempt from the restriction - you may enter even though cars cannot.

Bestemmingsverkeer means destination traffic - people who live on the street, are making deliveries, or have a specific destination there. A no-entry sign with bestemmingsverkeer below it means through-traffic is banned but residents and deliveries may enter.

Pas op means watch out or be careful. Langzaam rijden means drive or ride slowly. Gevaar means danger. Slecht wegdek means poor road surface - useful to know because the Netherlands has surprisingly rough cycle paths in some areas.

Rechts means right. Links means left. Rechtdoor means straight ahead. Oversteken means to cross. Voetgangersoversteekplaats is the wonderfully long Dutch word for a pedestrian crossing - a zebra crossing.

Weg means road. Rijbaan means carriageway. Rijstrook means lane. Berm means shoulder or verge.

Eenrichtingsverkeer means one-way traffic. Tweerichtingsverkeer means two-way traffic. Doodlopende weg means dead-end road.

Woonerf is a residential zone where pedestrians have priority and the speed limit is walking pace. You'll find these in residential neighbourhoods - they're marked with a specific sign showing a house, a car, a pedestrian, and a ball.

Zone 30 means a 30km/h zone - the speed limit that applies to most Dutch city streets, including to you on your bicycle.

Dutch road signs use metric measurements exclusively. Distances are in kilometres (km) and metres (m). Speed limits are in kilometres per hour (km/u or km/h). When a sign says '500 m' it means 500 metres ahead, not miles.

Common distance indicators on cycling signs: 'hier' means here, 'na' means after (as in 'na 100 m' - after 100 metres), 'nog' means still or remaining (as in 'nog 2 km' - 2 km remaining).

Beyond road signs, there are phrases you'll hear from other cyclists and pedestrians. 'Aan de kant!' means 'get out of the way!' - you'll hear this if you're blocking a cycle path or about to do something dangerous. 'Links!' or 'rechts!' shouted from behind means someone is passing you on that side.

'Mag ik er langs?' is a polite way of saying 'may I pass?' - much friendlier than aggressive bell-ringing. 'Sorry, hoor' is the standard Dutch apology when someone has a near-miss - you'll both say it simultaneously and then cycle on.

At the bike shop: 'lekke band' means a flat tyre - the most common reason you'll visit a fietsenwerkplaats (bicycle workshop). 'Ketting' is chain, 'rem' is brake, 'wiel' is wheel, 'zadel' is saddle.

Dutch signs often appear in combinations - a main sign with one or more sub-signs below it, or two signs on the same post giving related instructions. The skill is reading them as a unit.

For example: a no-entry sign (red circle with white bar) plus an 'uitgezonderd fietsers' sub-sign below it means no entry except for cyclists. The main sign gives the general rule, the sub-sign gives the exception. Read bottom to top: the sub-sign tells you whether the main sign applies to you.

Another common combination: a speed limit sign (e.g. 30) plus a 'zone' plate means you're entering a zone where the limit applies everywhere, not just on that road. And a warning triangle with 'op 100 m' below it means the hazard is 100 metres ahead, not right here.

In an emergency, the Dutch equivalent of 'help' is conveniently the same word: 'help!' The emergency number is 112 - it works for police, ambulance, and fire.

'Ongeluk' means accident. 'Gewond' means injured. 'Ziekenhuis' means hospital. 'EHBO' stands for Eerste Hulp Bij Ongelukken - first aid. You'll see EHBO posts at large events and some public buildings.

'Verzekering' means insurance. 'Aangifte doen' means to file a report - you'd do this at a politiebureau (police station) if your bike is stolen. For a stolen bike, you'll need the framenummer (frame number) - which is stamped on the bike's frame. Worth noting this number down when you buy your bike.

Some Dutch words look or sound like English words but mean something different. 'Baan' looks like it should mean 'ban' but it means lane or track. 'Richting' means direction, not 'righting.' 'Vrij' means free (as in unobstructed) - 'vrij baan' means clear lane, not free lane.

The most confusing one for English speakers is 'rechts' - it means right (the direction), not 'wrecks.' 'Rechts afslaan' means turn right. 'Rechts houden' means keep right.

Another common mistake: 'fiets' is pronounced 'feets', not 'fyts.' 'Weg' is pronounced closer to 'vekh' than 'weg.' Getting the pronunciation roughly right helps when you need to ask a local for directions - 'waar is het fietspad?' (where is the cycle path?) is a question you'll use more than you'd expect.