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“Handen Wassen” — Wash Your Hands Song in Dutch for Kids

In “Handen Wassen” (Wash Your Hands), kids sing key Dutch words like was je handen, het water, de zeep and het schuim, going back and forth between English and Dutch, so the meaning is never a mystery. It's a early-learner (A1) song from Unit 25: Healthy Habits, 2:07 long, made for ages 2–8.

  • 🇳🇱 Dutch
  • Level: A1
  • Unit 25 · Gezonde Gewoontes
  • ⏱ 2:07
  • 🔒 Premium

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“Handen Wassen” lyrics with English translation

Every line as it's sung, with its meaning beside it. Dutch is shown in teal.

Song lyrics with translation. Dutch lines are shown in teal.
SungMeaning
Wash your hands!Was je handen!
Was je handen!Wash your hands!
Turn on the water!Doe het water aan!
Doe het water aan!Turn on the water!
Wet your hands!Maak je handen nat!
Maak je handen nat!Wet your hands!
Add some soap!Pak de zeep!
Pak de zeep!Add some soap!
The soap?De zeep!
De zeep!The soap?
Make the foam!Maak schuim!
Maak schuim!Make the foam!
Foam is…?Schuim is…?
Het schuim!The foam!
Clean hands, clean hands!Schone handen, schone handen!
Schone handen, schone handen!Clean hands, clean hands!
Before eating!Voor het eten!
Voor het eten!Before eating!
Wash, wash, wash!Wassen, wassen, wassen!
Was je handen!Wash your hands!
Rinse and dry!Afspoelen en afdrogen!
Afspoelen en afdrogen!Rinse and dry!
Schone handen, klaar om te eten!Clean hands, ready to eat!
What do we scrub?Wat wrijven we?
Wrijven, wrijven!Scrub, scrub!
Palms together!Handpalmen tegen elkaar!
Wrijf je handpalmen!Rub your palms!
The backs of my hands!De ruggen van mijn handen!
Ook de ruggen van je handen!The backs of your hands too!
Between my fingers!Tussen mijn vingers!
Tussen je vingers!Between your fingers!
Fingers in Dutch?
De vingers!The fingers!
And my thumbs?En mijn duimen?
Je duimen ook!Your thumbs too!
After playing outside?Na het buitenspelen?
Na het buitenspelen!After playing outside!
Then wash your hands!Was dan je handen!
Was je handen!Wash your hands!
Clean hands, clean hands!Schone handen, schone handen!
Schone handen, schone handen!Clean hands, clean hands!
Before eating!Voor het eten!
Voor het eten!Before eating!
Wash, wash, wash!Wassen, wassen, wassen!
Was je handen!Wash your hands!
Rinse and dry!Afspoelen en afdrogen!
Afspoelen en afdrogen!Rinse and dry!
Schone handen, klaar om te eten!Clean hands, ready to eat!
Scrub with me—count to twenty!Wrijf met mij mee — tel tot twintig!
Wrijven maar, tel maar mee!Keep scrubbing, count along!
One, two, three, four, five!Eén, twee, drie, vier, vijf!
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten!Zes, zeven, acht, negen, tien!
Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen!Elf, twaalf, dertien, veertien, vijftien!
Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty!Zestien, zeventien, achttien, negentien, twintig!
Between the fingers, thumbs as well!Tussen de vingers, duimen ook!
Tussen de vingers, duimen ook!Between the fingers, thumbs as well!
Clean hands, clean hands!Schone handen, schone handen!
Schone handen, schone handen!Clean hands, clean hands!
Before eating!Voor het eten!
Voor het eten!Before eating!
Rinse the water away!Spoel het water weg!
Spoel maar af!Rinse it off!
Dry with a towel!Droog met de handdoek!
Droog met de handdoek!Dry with a towel!
De handdoek, afdrogen—schone handen, klaar!The towel, dry off — clean hands, done!

Key Dutch words in this song

The 11 words and phrases this song is built around.

DutchEnglish
was je handenwash your hands
het waterwater
de zeepsoap
het schuimfoam
wrijvenscrub
de vingersfingers
afspoelenrinse
de handdoektowel
afdrogendry
schone handenclean hands
voor het etenbefore eating

How to use this song with your child

  1. 1

    Listen for “schone handen”

    “schone handen” (clean hands) is sung on 6 lines of this song. Ask your child to clap or raise a hand every time they hear it; by the end they will be saying it with the song.

  2. 2

    Split the parts

    Once the song is familiar, you sing the English lines and your child sings the Dutch ones, then swap. It turns listening into speaking.

  3. 3

    Make it a routine

    At 2:07, play it once a day at the same moment for a week. Name each food on the plate in Dutch at dinner.

More healthy habits songs in Dutch

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“Wash Your Hands” in other languages

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134 Dutch songs, 32 topics, one joyful habit

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