De hoofdstad
Example: Amsterdam is de hoofdstad van Nederland en heeft veel geschiedenis.
Definition
"De hoofdstad" refers to the city that serves as the official seat of government and administrative center of a country or region. It is often the most important city historically, politically, and culturally, like Amsterdam, which is the capital of the Netherlands and rich in history.
Etymology
The Dutch term "de hoofdstad" literally means 'the head city.' It combines 'hoofd,' meaning head or main, with 'stad,' meaning city. This reflects how the capital is considered the primary or leading city in a country. Did you know that 'hoofd' is related to the English word 'head,' showing their shared Germanic roots?
Learn to use this word actively
"De hoofdstad" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - History - (A2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used words.
Would you like to not only understand these words, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select Dutch as the language you want to learn.
Create a free account
