Translation · Dutch
Dutch translation services
Audiovisual translation is our specialisation, but our native Dutch translators also handle any text — corporate documents, technical and marketing material, articles and eLearning. The Netherlands and Flanders read differently, and we ask which one you mean.
EN · 00:04
Are you ready to start?
NL · 00:04
Ben je klaar om te beginnen?
About Dutch translation
Dutch translation, where the Netherlands and Flanders are not the same brief
Dutch is one standard language, but the Netherlands and Flanders diverge in everyday vocabulary, register and tone, closer to the gap between British and American English than to two dialects of the same country.
Address is one clear marker: Flemish speech leans on the formal 'u' across far more everyday situations, while in the Netherlands informal 'je' dominates outside clearly formal settings. A script written for Amsterdam can sound stiff — or oddly casual — in Antwerp.
At GoLocalise, we work with native Dutch translators matched to the target market, and every text is reviewed by a second linguist before delivery.
How can we help you?
Your project manager has everything covered
One point of contact from brief to delivery, and a second linguist on every text before it reaches you.
Brief review
We look at your source material and, before anything else, settle which market you are addressing: the Netherlands, Flanders, or both.
Linguist assignment
Your project goes to a native Dutch translator with experience in the relevant field and the right regional familiarity.
Translation and review
The text is translated and then checked by a second native linguist for accuracy, consistency, and register.
Delivery and layout check
Files arrive in the format you asked for, with the market choice applied consistently from the first line to the last.
Regional varieties
The Netherlands and Flanders
Dutch is spoken natively by roughly 24 million people, the majority in the Netherlands, with the rest concentrated in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking north of Belgium.
The two varieties share one standard language but differ in everyday vocabulary and default register: Flemish speech uses 'u' across a wider range of situations, including many that the Netherlands would treat as informal enough for 'je'. We ask which market a video targets before the first line is translated.
Areas of expertise
What we specialise in
From corporate video and eLearning to documentary, advertising and subtitles — always audiovisual, with the Netherlands or Flanders market confirmed before the first line is written.
Corporate and brand video
Company films and internal communications, translated for whichever of the two Dutch-speaking markets your audience sits in.
eLearning and training video
Course modules and training films, with register and vocabulary matched to Netherlands or Flemish audiences.
Documentary and interviews
Factual programming and interviews for Dutch and Flemish broadcast and streaming audiences.
Advertising and social video
Campaigns and short-form video, where a joke or a brand line lands differently in Rotterdam than in Ghent.
Subtitles and captions
Frame-accurate subtitles in Netherlands or Flemish Dutch, kept within reading speed.
Voice over and dubbing scripts
Scripts timed to the original, ready for a native Dutch or Flemish voice in the booth.
Built for video and audio
Getting Dutch right on screen
Dutch brings its own on-screen considerations, and which of the two markets you mean is the one the brief has to settle first.
Netherlands or Flanders, fixed at the brief
The same standard language reads differently in each market. We confirm which one your video targets before translation starts, rather than defaulting to one and hoping it travels.
Register set market by market
Flemish speech defaults to the formal 'u' in far more everyday situations than the Netherlands, where informal 'je' dominates outside clearly formal contexts. Getting this wrong reads as either stiff or oddly casual.
Vocabulary checked, not assumed
Everyday words differ between the two markets. We use market-appropriate vocabulary rather than translating once and shipping it to both.
Timed, not dumped
Subtitle files arrive already spotted and scripts already timed, not as a text file your edit suite still has to lay against the picture.
Deliverables
How your Dutch translation arrives
Subtitle files
SRT, VTT, STL or TTML, burnt in or as separate files, ready to drop into your edit.
Market confirmed before delivery
Every project is translated for a stated market — Netherlands or Flanders — so vocabulary and register match the audience rather than reading generically Dutch.
Dual-column scripts
Source and target side by side with timecodes, the format the studio records from.
Reviewed, never single-pass
Every script is checked by a second native linguist before it reaches the studio.
Translation rates
Professional Dutch translation
For internal documents, correspondence and material where accuracy is the main requirement.
- Native subject-matter translator
- Second-linguist review
- Subtitle files or a timed script
For marketing, eLearning and technical content, with review, terminology management and layout adjustment.
- Everything in Standard
- Terminology management
- Layout and expansion handled
- Dedicated project manager
Every project is quoted individually and backed by our Price Match Promise. Send us your files for an exact, no-obligation quote.
Trusted by global brands
We have used GoLocalise on a regular basis for projects in a number of languages. The service we receive is great. The team is always friendly and professional. The voiceovers we receive are of a very high quality and the turnaround is extremely quick. We are very happy to recommend GoLocalise to other businesses.
It was a pleasure to work with David and the team at GoLocalise. David gave me lots of help and advice, guiding me through my first subtitling project. He really knows his stuff! The experience was completely pain-free. I would not hesitate to recommend GoLocalise – outstanding work at a good price.
They're reliable, adaptive and obsessed with quality. And while you can never be 100% guaranteed of perfection, you can be sure GoLocalise will go the extra mile to get it right every time. We've worked with them now for over 5 years and we are truly thankful to have such a strong localisation partner for our business.
Related services
The rest of your Dutch project
Dutch voice over
Native Dutch voice actors, recorded in broadcast-quality studios.
Learn moreDutch subtitling
Frame-accurate subtitles and captions, burnt in or as separate files.
Learn moreAll translation services
Our full audiovisual translation offer across 100+ languages.
Learn moreDutch transcription
Verbatim or clean-read transcripts, with timecodes and speaker labels.
Learn moreAudiovisual translation in 100+ languages
Native translators for subtitles, voice over and any content. Browse another language, or ask us about yours.
Most common questions
How much does Dutch translation cost?
Dutch translation is priced per word for text and per minute for audiovisual work, depending on volume, subject matter and turnaround. Confirming whether a project targets the Netherlands or Flanders does not change the rate — send your files for a free, itemised quote, backed by our Price Match Promise.
Are your Dutch translations done by native linguists?
Yes. Native Dutch linguists — matched to the Netherlands or Flemish market as needed — translate every project, and a second linguist reviews it for accuracy, register and vocabulary that sounds natural to the intended audience rather than generically Dutch and market-neutral, before anything is delivered.
Do you provide Dutch subtitling and voice over as well?
Yes — Dutch translation, subtitling and voice over all come from one in-house team, so the market decision made at the brief carries through consistently into the translated script, the recorded voice track and the final subtitle file, without anyone having to re-check it later.
What's the difference between Dutch in the Netherlands and Flemish in Belgium?
They share one standard written language, but everyday vocabulary, tone and default register differ enough that a script written for one market can read oddly in the other — closer to the gap between British and American English than to a regional accent within a single country.
Should our Dutch voice-over use je or u?
It depends on the market. In the Netherlands, informal 'je' dominates outside clearly formal settings; in Flanders, the formal 'u' is used far more broadly, including in many everyday situations the Netherlands would treat as casual enough for 'je'. We set this from your target market at the brief stage.
Do you deliver Dutch subtitles and voice-over scripts, not just documents?
Yes — audiovisual is our specialisation, but we are not limited to it. We deliver spotted SRT/VTT files and timed two-column voice-over scripts for video, plus translated documents, articles, marketing copy and technical material whenever your project needs them, from the same native Dutch linguists.
What happens if we want the same video for both the Netherlands and Flanders?
We treat it as two scripts, not one translation shipped twice. Vocabulary, register and, where relevant, the je/u choice are each adjusted for the market rather than assuming a single Dutch version travels cleanly between Amsterdam and Antwerp — a shortcut that tends to show clearly in the finished video.
Which market should we choose if our audience is mixed?
If your audience is genuinely split between the two markets, we default to the wording most neutral between them and flag the handful of lines where a choice is unavoidable, so you can decide rather than have a default market picked for you without being asked first.
How quickly can a Dutch translation project be delivered?
Most short documents are delivered within 24 to 48 hours. Word count, subject complexity and confirming the Netherlands or Flemish market at the brief can move the date, and your project manager will confirm an exact delivery timeline once the brief and files have been reviewed.
Ready to start your Dutch translation project?
Send us your documents, script or video and we'll come back with an exact, itemised quote.
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Voice over
- State-of-the-art studios
- Neumann microphones
- On-hand sound engineers
- 1,000+ voice actors
Translation
- 100+ languages covered
- Tailored to your needs
- Stringent quality control
- Dedicated project managers
Subtitling
- Experienced subtitlers
- Industry-standard software
- Burn-in and graphic editing
- Open and closed captions
Transcription
- Improve accessibility
- Reach a wider audience
- Boost SEO and video views
- Maximise video engagement