Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "kopen" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce kopen in Dutch?

kopen is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈkoːpə(n)/. It means “to buy.” KOH-puh — long steady "oh," unaspirated k and p, and no audible final n.

KOH-puh — long steady "oh," unaspirated k and p, and no audible final n.

kopen /ˈkoːpə(n)/

The open first syllable makes the o long, and the stem "koop" doubles the vowel letter once the syllable closes. Infinitive and stem look different on paper but share exactly the same stressed vowel.

Listen: kopen

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Sound it out

k Released without the puff English gives "cope." Check with a hand in front of your mouth.

o Held at a single position throughout. English glides toward "oo" at the end of this vowel; Dutch keeps it flat.

p A quiet unaspirated stop between the vowels.

en Reduced to the point where the word's second half contributes almost nothing rhythmically; the long o does all the work.

Hear it in a sentence

Ik moet brood kopen.

I need to buy bread.

Listen: Ik moet brood kopen.

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"Ik moet brood kopen" sends the infinitive to the end behind the object, the standard modal pattern. Note "brood" takes no article: Dutch drops the article for substances bought in general quantities, just as English says "buy bread" and not "buy the bread."

Where English speakers slip

The English "cope" is close enough to tempt, but it brings a diphthong and an aspirated k. Dutch wants a flat "oh" and a quiet k. Learners also confuse this verb with "koken" (to cook), which differs only in the middle consonant — and with "kopen" mispronounced short, which lands near "koppen."