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Use of praten, spreken, babbelen and kletsen

These verbs mean 'to communicate', but differ in tone and use: praten, spreken, kletsen, babbelen.

Grammatica: Gebruik van praten, spreken, babbelen en kletsen

A1 Dutch N/A

Level: A1

Module 1: Jezelf voorstellen (To introduce oneself)

Lesson 5: Familie (Family)

Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Audio and video

Audio with translations
Audio with translations

  1. Use spreken for formal situations or public communication.
  2. Praten is neutral and the most common in daily use.
  3. Kletsen and babbelen are informal and light.
Werkwoord (Verb)Gebruik (Usage)Voorbeeld (Example)
PratenDagelijks en neutraal (Daily and neutral)Ik praat met mijn moeder (I talk with my mother)
Spreken (formeel)Publiek of formeel (Public or formal)De directeur spreekt met de familie (The director speaks with the family)
Spreken (informeel)Persoonlijk of met nadruk (Personally or with emphasis)Wij spreken over de planning (We are talking about the planning)
KletsenLuchtig, onbelangrijk (Light, unimportant)Wij kletsen met oma (We chat with grandma)
Babbelen (Nederland)Speels, soms kinderlijk (Playful, sometimes childlike)Ze babbelen over school (They chat about school)
Babbelen (Vlaanderen)Informeel, maar neutraler (Informal, but more neutral)Wij babbelen over het weekend (We chat about the weekend)
Praten metGesprek met iemand (Conversation with someone)Jij praat met jouw moeder (You are talking to your mother)
Spreken overOnderwerp centraal (Subject central)Wij spreken over de stad (We talk about the city)
Kletsen metInformeel met iemand (Informally with someone)Ik klets met mijn tante (I'm chatting with my aunt)
Babbelen metInformeel contact (Informal contact)Zij babbelen met de kinderen (They chat with the children)

Exceptions!

  1. In Flanders, babbelen sounds more neutral than in the Netherlands.
  2. Babbelen can come across as playful or childish in the Netherlands.
  3. Spreken is used more in formal situations.
  4. Kletsen is mostly used in free time or informal contexts.

Exercise 1: Gebruik van praten, spreken, babbelen en kletsen

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

kletsen, praat, spreekt, babbelen, spreken

1. Praten:
Ik ... met mijn vader over de familie.
(I talk to my father about the family.)
2. Babbelen:
In Vlaanderen ... wij over het werk.
(In Flanders we chat about work.)
3. Spreken:
Jij ... met jouw moeder in de tuin.
(You are speaking with your mother in the garden.)
4. Kletsen:
Wij ... met oma en opa in de middag.
(We chat with grandma and grandpa in the afternoon.)
5. Spreken:
Mijn moeder ... met de tante in het huis.
(My mother speaks with the aunt in the house.)
6. Spreken:
Wij ... met de docent over de familie.
(We talk with the teacher about the family.)
7. Babbelen:
In Nederland ... de kinderen in de tuin.
(In the Netherlands, the children are chatting in the garden.)
8. Spreken:
Mijn zus en jij ... over jouw familie.
(My sister and you talk about your family.)

Exercise 2: Translate and use in a sentence

Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.

1

praat

I talk

2

praten

talk

3

kletsen

chat

4

babbelen

chat