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What does “aangenaam kennis te maken” mean in Dutch?

In Dutch, “aangenaam kennis te maken” means “nice to meet you” — word for word, “pleasant to make acquaintance.” In most real introductions, the second half drops and just “aangenaam” does the job as a complete, polite reply. The adjective alone carries the whole greeting. It shares the same Germanic root as German “angenehm” (pleasant) and sits a step above the casual “leuk je te ontmoeten” — the kind of greeting you’d use when meeting someone in a professional or formal setting.

Thomas and Lisa trade the phrase: “Aangenaam kennis te maken. Aangenaam, Thomas.” Lisa says the full form; Thomas replies with just “aangenaam” — both are correct. “Kennis maken” means “to get acquainted”; “kennis” on its own means knowledge or acquaintance. The related noun “kennismaking” (getting acquainted) turns up on name badges at company events, and “kennismakingsgesprek” is an introductory meeting or interview. For formal situations with strangers you can add the polite “u”: “aangenaam kennis met u te maken.” Outside greetings, “aangenaam” does regular adjective work too: “een aangenaam gevoel” (a pleasant feeling), “aangenaam nieuws” (pleasant news).