Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "graag" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce graag in Dutch?

graag is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ɣraːx/. It means “gladly / please.” khraakh — the velar scrape at both ends with a long open "aah" between them.

khraakh — the velar scrape at both ends with a long open "aah" between them.

graag /ɣraːx/

One beat, framed by the same fricative at each end — which makes it the single best drill word in beginner Dutch for that sound. Say it slowly and you can hold both g's for as long as your breath lasts, since neither is a stop.

Listen: graag

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Sound it out

gr Friction running straight into a tap or scrape. Keep the airflow continuous from the g into the r rather than stopping between them — restarting is what produces the broken "kuh-raag."

aa The only vowel in the word, so it has to do all the rhythmic work. Open the mouth fully and let it ring between the two fricatives.

g Word-final and fully voiceless. Written g, heard as the same rasp as ch, and it must not become a stop.

Hear it in a sentence

Ja, graag!

Yes, please!

Listen: Ja, graag!

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"Ja, graag!" is a complete answer on its own, meaning "yes please" in response to an offer. It is one of the highest-frequency phrases in spoken Dutch, and the long a of "ja" running into the fricative of "graag" makes it a natural pronunciation exercise.

Where English speakers slip

Hard English g's at both ends produce "grahg," which is unrecognisable. Learners also clip the long vowel. Beyond sound, the word's function is easy to miss: "graag" attached to a verb is how Dutch says "I like doing something" — "ik lees graag" — with no separate verb for "like" anywhere in the sentence.