Dutch Numbers, Dates, and Time: The Complete A2 Reference Guide
Numbers, dates, and time expressions are the most frequently tested elements in the Inburgering exam. Master them once and never lose marks here again.paragraphs
Introduction
Numbers, dates, and time expressions appear in reading, listening, and writing sections of the Inburgering exam every single time. These are the easiest marks to secure — you just need to memorise them. This guide covers everything you need at A2 level.
Numbers 1-100
1 een/een, 2 twee, 3 drie, 4 vier, 5 vijf, 6 zes, 7 zeven, 8 acht, 9 negen, 10 tien. 11 elf, 12 twaalf, 13 dertien, 14 veertien, 15 vijftien, 16 zestien, 17 zeventien, 18 achttien, 19 negentien, 20 twintig. 21 eenentwintig (one-and-twenty — Dutch puts ones first), 30 dertig, 40 veertig, 50 vijftig, 60 zestig, 70 zeventig, 80 tachtig, 90 negentig, 100 honderd.
Ordinal Numbers
1e eerste, 2e tweede, 3e derde, 4e vierde, 5e vijfde, 6e zesde, 7e zevende, 8e achtste, 9e negende, 10e tiende. After 10: add -de to numbers ending in t: twintigste, veertigste. From 20+: add -ste: vijfentwintigste (25th).
Days and Months
Days: maandag, dinsdag, woensdag, donderdag, vrijdag, zaterdag, zondag. Months: januari, februari, maart, april, mei, juni, juli, augustus, september, oktober, november, december. Dutch calendar format: 31 december 2026 (day-month-year, unlike English month-day-year).
Telling the Time
Whole hours: Het is twee uur. Minutes past: Het is kwart over vier (4:15), half zes (5:30 — literally half six), kwart voor zeven (6:45). Official time: 14:30 (veertien uur dertig). Minutes: een minuut, tien minuten, twintig minuten, half (30).
Practical Exam Tips
The exam often mixes time expressions with dates and numbers in reading comprehension texts. Common patterns to recognise: op maandag (on Monday), in mei (in May), om tien uur (at 10 o clock), van 9 tot 5 (from 9 to 5). Practice writing these out by hand — the writing section may ask you to fill in a form with dates and times.
Conclusion
These are 100% learnable with a day of focused practice. There is no trick, no context dependency — just memorisation. DutchExam.xyz vocabulary quizzes include a dedicated numbers, dates and time section so you can drill these until they are automatic.