Writing formal Dutch — the register required for official correspondence, academic writing, and professional communication. Formal Dutch differs from spoken Dutch in several key ways: longer sentences with more subordinate clauses, passive voice constructions, specific formal vocabulary items, and explicit discourse markers. Mastering formal written Dutch is required for the NT2 exam writing component and for professional integration in Dutch-speaking workplaces.
Formal Dutch vocabulary and phrases: Met vriendelijke groet (Kind regards — standard letter closing), Naar aanleiding van… (Following on from…), In het kader van… (In the context of…), Bijgevoegd vindt u… (Enclosed please find…), Gelieve te bevestigen (Please confirm — slightly more formal than Kunt u bevestigen?), Wij verzoeken u… (We request that you…). Passive constructions: Er wordt verwacht dat… (It is expected that…), Er dient rekening mee te worden gehouden dat… (Account must be taken of the fact that…).
Common formal writing mistakes to avoid: (1) Casual contractions (da’s, je) in formal text — always use full forms. (2) Beginning a sentence with En or Maar in very formal writing (acceptable in modern journalism but avoided in official correspondence). (3) Anglicisms — formal Dutch avoids English loanwords that informal Dutch freely uses. (4) Inconsistent formality register — mixing u and jij within the same letter. Dutch formal correspondence uses u throughout.