Business Dutch vocabulary — the essential terminology for professional communication in Dutch-speaking workplaces. Core meeting vocabulary: de vergadering (meeting), de agenda (agenda), het verslag (minutes/report), de actiepunten (action points), rondvraag (any other business — literally “round question,” the final agenda item), stemmen (to vote), agenderen (to put on the agenda), tafelen (to table/postpone — unlike British English where “table” means bring forward), terugkoppelen (to give feedback/report back).
Finance and business vocabulary: de omzet (turnover/revenue), de winst (profit), het verlies (loss), de begroting (budget), de offerte (quote/proposal), de factuur (invoice), de opdrachtgever (client/commissioner), de opdrachtnemer (contractor/service provider), het contract (contract), de aanbesteding (tender/procurement), de stakeholder (stakeholder — English loanword now standard in Dutch business), duurzaamheid (sustainability — a major focus in Dutch corporate culture).
Dutch business communication style: emails are direct and structured. The standard Dutch business email structure: opening salutation (Geachte mevrouw X or Beste Jan depending on formality), purpose statement in the first sentence, numbered or bulleted content, clear call to action, closing (Met vriendelijke groet = Kind regards). Dutch business emails are typically shorter than their English counterparts — elaborate politeness phrases are unnecessary and even suspicious.