# Dutchman

/ˈdətʃmən/ (US) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dutchman
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

a man who comes from the Netherlands. You use this word to talk about someone's nationality.

For teachers: a male native or inhabitant of the Netherlands. Often used to refer to a person of Dutch descent or nationality.

## Examples

- The Dutchman showed us the best bike paths in Amsterdam.
- During the international conference, a friendly Dutchman helped translate the technical documents into English.
- The legendary Flying Dutchman is a ghost ship that is said to be cursed to sail the oceans forever, never able to make port.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He is a Dutch man" but "He is a Dutchman" — While 'Dutch man' is grammatically possible, the compound 'Dutchman' is the standard way to refer to a male citizen of the Netherlands.

## Usage notes

- The plural form is 'Dutchmen'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.