Korte vakantieconversatie oefenen in het Nederlands

How do you say “in 2 weeks” in Dutch?

When Dutch speakers say how far away something is in the future, they use “over,” not “in.” So “in 2 weeks” is “over 2 weken,” “in an hour” is “over een uur,” “in three days” is “over drie dagen.” English speakers naturally reach for “in” and miss the mark. This one small swap makes a big difference: “over vijf minuten” (in five minutes), “over een jaar” (in a year), “over 2 weken op vakantie” (on holiday in 2 weeks).

The clip is a holiday conversation: “Nee, ik ga over 2 weken op vakantie. Naar welk land ga je? Ik ga naar Italië.” The “over” here carries the sense of “across a span of time” before an event arrives. Note that “in” isn’t always wrong in Dutch: “in de zomer” (in summer), “in 2025” (in the year 2025), and “in de ochtend” (in the morning) all use “in” — because those name a period, not a countdown to a moment. The rule of thumb: counting down to a future moment → “over”; naming a period, year, or season → “in.” The same pattern appears in German: “in zwei Wochen” uses “in,” making Dutch “over” a genuine false friend for German speakers too.