Groeten

Groeten is the Dutch word for greetings and the social act of greeting someone. As a verb, groeten means to greet; as a noun, groet or groeten refers to a greeting or a set of greetings. In written Dutch, closings such as met vriendelijke groet are common, and groeten can appear in phrases like met vriendelijke groeten or groeten aan iedereen.

Spoken greetings vary with time of day and formality. Common options include hallo, hoi, dag, goedemorgen, goedemiddag, and goedenavond. In formal situations, people often use the pronoun u and a handshake; among friends, informal greetings and other gestures may be used. Greetings are usually accompanied by eye contact and a friendly tone.

Regional and cultural variation exists. In the Netherlands, a handshake on first meetings is common; among close friends or family, informal gestures such as a kiss on the cheek may occur in some circles, but are less frequent than in some neighboring regions. In Belgium (Flanders) cheek kissing is more common in casual settings. The exact form of a greeting can depend on region, age, relationship, and context.

In writing, groeten appears in closings. Met vriendelijke groet (singular) or Met vriendelijke groeten (plural) are standard sign-offs in letters and emails. The plural groeten can also be used to convey greetings to a person or group, as in groeten aan iedereen.