help, assistance 
[noun]
[de hulp, de hul-pen]
"Hulp" is the Dutch noun for "help", however the verb "to help" is "helpen" and not "hulpen", which is the plural of "hulp". Let's see if the examples will help 🙂
Examples:
– "Bedankt voor je hulp, zonder jou was het niet gelukt!"
("Thanks for your help, I wouldn't have been able to do it without you!" Lit.:"…, without you it would not have succeeded.")
– "Als een Nederlander om "hulp" roept, dan schreeuwt hij 'help!' "
("When a Dutch person screams for "help", he or she screams 'help!' ")
– "Het is zaak dat jongeren in een vroeg stadium de juiste hulp geboden wordt. Daarmee kunnen we veel problemen voorkomen."
("It's imperative that young people are offered the right help at an early stage. By doing so we can prevent many problems.")
– "Volgens mij heeft Sander professionele hulp nodig, wat denk jij?"
("I think Sander needs professional help, what do you think?")
– "Voor de laatste keer: ik heb jouw hulp niet nodig, ik heb niet om jouw hulp gevraagd, ik kan op eigen benen staan!"
("For the last time: I do not need your help, I did not ask for your help, I can support myself!" Lit.", .. I can stand on (my) own legs!")
– "Wat sta je nu te kijken, bied die arme vrouw je hulp aan!"
("What are you looking at, offer that poor lady your assistance!")
Related words:
– Helpen: to help [verb] [hielp, geholpen].
– Hulpeloos: helpless [adjective/adverb].
– Assistentie: assistance [noun] [de assistentie, <no plural>]. Often used with the verb "verlenen": to offer assistance.
– Hulp in de huishouding: cleaning lady, help with the housekeeping [noun] [de hulp, de hulpen]. This is a bit more general than just "cleaning lady" which would be "schoonmaakster" in Dutch. A popular politically correct alternative is "interieurverzorger/ster": "somebody looking after your (house) interior".
– Eerste Hulp Bij Ongelukken (EHBO): first aid [noun] [de EHBO, <no plural>].
– Spoedeisende hulp: emergency room. Literally "urgency-requiring help".
– Kraamhulp: maternity assistant [noun] [de kraamhulp, de kraamhulpen].
I’ve wondered since the first time I encountered the acronym EHBO. How does one say it? Each letter indiviually? Or “Eh-boo” Or is the acronym used in writing, but “eerste hulp bij ongelukken” used in speaking? Thanks!
Hi Sarah – one says each letter individually “E-H-B-O” and it is both used in writing and when speaking.
You may hear people speak about having an “EHBO-diploma”: being certified to provide first aid (although it is of course the training that counts, not the diploma 😉 )