50 very Dutch words explained. From stroopwafel to Toch? here is a list of frequently used and uniquely Dutch words and phrases.

1. aardig: used to describe a person who you find nice or likable, but can also mean “rather” or “pretty”, as in Het was aardig druk bij de Albert Heijn! (It was rather busy at the Alber Heijn!)

2. asociaal: the opposite of aardig, asociaal means “antisocial” and is often used to reprimand rude strangers on the street or in shops or one’s kids when they are ignoring social norms: Wees niet asociaal! Blijf gewoon op de fietspad! (Don’t be antisocial! Stay on the bike path!)

3. biertje: literally translates to “a little beer”, and is a way to describe the imbibing of a beer or two. Heb je zin in een biertje? (Want to have a beer?)

4. bitterballen: a favorite snack made from a creamy, savoury filling that’s rolled in a crunchy breadcrumb mix and then deep-fried. Usually served with mustard, these are a favourite borrel snack (see below).

5. borrel: a borrel is a small get together that involves savoury snacks and beer and generally takes place somewhere between the end of the work day and dinnertime. Similar to the American happy hour, it’s an informal moment to unwind and connect with co-workers, friends or neighbours.

6. doei: just like “bye” this is the informal way to say goodbye and is also often doubled, as in “Doei, doei!”.

7. fiets: the bike, ahhh, the ever-present bike! Of course the act of riding a bike has a dedicated verb in Dutch: fietsen. And anything related to a bike is fiets—. For example, a bike store is a fietsenzaak and a long bike ride would be a fietstocht.

8. frietes, patat: Patat or frites? Whatever it says on the menu, Dutch fries are arguably the best in the world. Unlike the American “burger and fries” tradition, fries in the Netherlands are a meal in and of themselves. They can be ordered with many different sauces, the most popular of which are mayonnaise, peanut sauce, or a tangy, sweet curry sauce.

9. genieten: one of the many words that reflects the congeniality of Dutch culture, this translates to “enjoy” and is heard frequently in conversation.

Person 1: Wat doen jullie vanmiddag? (What are you guys doing this afternoon?)

Person 2: We gaan lekker fietsen. (We’re going on a nice bike ride.)

Person 1: Geniet ervan! (Enjoy it!)

10. gewoon: this word has two meanings, the most common being “just” as in, Ik ga vanavond gewoon thuis eten. (I’m just going to eat at home tonight.) But is also means “normal”, as in Doe maar gewoon! (Be normal!)

11. gezellig: this favorite Dutch adjective is famous for not being directly translatable. It means something like cosy/friendly/enjoyable and having a nice atmosphere— all wrapped up into one. Often used to describe social gatherings, it can also describe a group of people or even the lighting or decor of a room.

12. gezond: After all this talk about beer and bitterballen, don’t think the Dutch are an unhealthy bunch. Quite the opposite, with all of the cycling, fresh food markets, recreational walks (see: wandelen) and national sports initiatives, gezond (or healthy) is a word you will see and hear a lot!

13. grachten: a word you definitely need to know, this simply refers to the much discussed water canals. Many canal streets are named —gracht. Keizersgracht (the emperor’s canal), Brouwersgracht (the brewer’s canal), Herengracht (the canal of the lords), and so on. Canals found outside of cities have a different name (see: sloot).

14. Hup, hup!: an imperative used to encourage action, usually in children. It means something like, “Get going!” or “Get a move on!”.

15. hutspot: a simple, but classic Dutch comfort food made from mashed potatoes, onions and carrots. It is one of many varieties of stamppot (see below).

16. ja, hoor: An affirmative statement and means simply, “Sure!”, “Absolutely!”, or “Sure, don’t worry about it.”

17. jammer, wat jammer: used alone or paired with wat this means “What a shame!” or “Oh, that’s too bad.” It’s sometimes also paired with genoeg (enough), as in jammer genoeg (unfortunately enough).

Person 1: Heb je het boek gekocht? (Did you buy the book?)

Person 2: Nee, jammer genoeg was het overal uitverkocht. (No, unfortunately enough it was sold out everywhere.)

Person 1: Wat jammer! (What a shame!)

18. jas: oh the perennial, indispensable jas! Jas means jacket, but is often the word of choice for coat as well. If you are living in the Netherlands, get used to the following phrases because you will need your jacket most days of the year!

Vergeet je jas niet! (Don’t forget your jacket!)

Jas ophangen! (Hang up your jacket!)

Doe je jas aan. (Put your jacket on)

19. Kom op!: this literally translates to “Come on!” and just like in English it’s an expression of pure annoyance. It’s what you say when you get splashed by a puddle, the tram is late or your S.O. forgot to buy toilet paper…again.

20. lekker: lekker is probably the most often-used and uniquely Dutch word on the list. It has a deceptively simple definition, “delicious”, but its uniqueness lies in its broad and sometimes unexpected use. It is of course often used to describe food, but it’s also used to describe almost anything that delights the senses. For example We gaan lekker zwemmen. (We’re going for a nice swim). Het is lekker zonnig. (It’s nice and sunny). or Ik ga lekker op de bank zitten. (I’m going to relax on the couch).

21. leuk: translaties to “nice” or “great” and, just as in English, it’s used frequently as a casual response in conversation. It’s often paired with another word, wat leuk (how nice) or zo leuk (so nice). Being an adjective, it can also be used to describe anything from an event, Het was echt leuk! (It was really nice), to an activity, Wat een leuk spel. (What a nice game).

22. lief, liefje, lieve: Lief is a word that has many uses. As an adjective lief translates to “sweet”. To a nice gesture one might say, “Dat is lief!” (That is sweet!). It can also be used to address or describe a person mijn lieve oma (my dear grandma). It can also be pluralised and combined with veel (many) at the end of a letter to indicate “lots of love”, as in veel liefs. And in its diminutive it becomes a term of endearment, liefje, meaning dear one or sweetie.

23. milieu: a frequently heard word thanks to a broad cultural interest in the environment. You will often see references to milieuvriendelijk (environmentally-friendly) or milieubewust (environmentally-conscious), or see the phrase, “Denk aan het milieu” (Consider the environment) encouraging people to make eco-conscious choices. Municiple garbage dumps are referred to as milieuparks or milieupleins (environmental parks or plazas) because they serve as giant recycling centers.

24. ogenblikje: translates to “the blink of an eye”— not be confused with “wink” (that’s knipoog). Ogenblikje, alstublieft is a polite way of saying “Wait a moment please.”

25. op aarde, ter wereld: on earth or in the whole world. Just like in English, this phrase is used a lot.

26. pannenkoeken: pancakes! A Dutch culinary staple that is actually a crepe and not an American style pancake. Usually served with a thick sugar syrup, powdered sugar or both, pannenkoeken are typically served as lunch, snacks or even dinner rather than breakfast. Every town has one or more independently run pancake restaurants and in Amsterdam there is even a Pannenkoekenboot (Pancake Boat)— a floating restaurant that serves all-you-can-eat- pancakes.

27. Pas op!, Let op!: pas op and let op both translate to “pay attention”. It’s urgency and immediacy that distinguish the two. A registration form might warn you to fill in your information completely by saying “Let op! Hebt u alles goed ingevuld?” (Attention: have you filled in everything completely?), whereas if someone is about to step in dog poop you might yell, “Pas op!”. Pas op is the imperative form of the verb oppassen, which incidentally also means “to babysit”.

28. pindakaas: literally translates to “peanut cheese”, but of course simply refers to peanut butter! Thanks to a successful 1940’s Calvé peanut butter ad campaign which marketed peanut butter as a delicious, inexpensive, nutrient-dense food, peanut butter has claimed a sizable place in Dutch culinary tradition (and grocery isles). And it’s not limited to Chucky and smooth— salted caramel and even speculaaspindakaas (spice cookie peanut butter) are also staples. There is even a chain of stores dedicated to creative peanut butter flavors called De Pindakaaswinkel.

29. poffertjes: a national favorite, these puffy little pancakes are served warm by the dozen, with a pat of butter and a shake of powdered sugar. And yes, they are as delicious as they sound.

30. prima: means “great” or “fine” and is often the response to an agreement or plan.

Person1: Ik kom rond 5 uur langs. (I’ll stop by around five.)

Person 2: Prima! (Great!)

31. schat: means “jewel” or “treasure” and is used as a term of endearment similar to “dear” or “honey”. The diminutive form schatje is often reserved for children. And as an adjective, schattig, it simply means “cute” or “sweet”.

32. sloot: so if “canals” are grachten, what do you call all of those tiny waterways which are sometimes only a few inches deep and are found lining streets in nearly every Dutch town? Sloten of course! As in, Pas op! Gooi de bal niet in de sloot!” (Careful, don’t throw the ball in the ditch!)

33. smullen: a playful verb used to describe “feasting”. We gaan straks lekker smullen bij de Pannenkoekenhuis. (We are going to have a nice feast at the Pancake House in a little bit.)

34. snoepen: This is a special one because, well, how many cultures have a dedicated verb to describe the consumption of candy?

Person 1: Wat ben je aan het doen? (What are you doing?)

Person 2: Snoepen natuurlijk! (Eating candy of course!)

35. sporten: there isn’t really a direct translation for the word exercise, but sporten comes closest. Recreational sports in the Netherlands are an important part of life for kids and adults alike. Field hockey, speed skating, cycling, soccer and swimming are popular choices, but there are sports clubs and initiatives for everything from skiën (skiing) to tafeltennis (ping pong).

36. stamppot: stamppot is a traditional cold weather comfort food in the Netherlands. This rather understated mash up of potatoes, onions and vegetables gets a serious taste boost from the juicy rookworst (smoked sausage) it’s typically paired with.

37. stroopwafel: means simply “syrup waffle” and is easily the most well-known Dutch sweet treat. It’s a chewy, gooey cookie that consists of caramelized sugar syrup sandwiched between two thin waffle cookies. They can be found packaged at the grocery store, but they’re best fresh off the press when they are still soft and warm. Tip: if you see a long line at a stroopwafel stand at an outdoor market, it’s definitely worth the wait!

38. thuis: another Dutch word that you will hear a lot, it means simply “at home”. You might say that you are at home, Ik ben thuis, feel at home Ik voel me thuis, or that you have a cactus at home. Ik heb thuis een cactus.

39. toch: is a frequently heard word with seemingly endless meanings. When used alone as a question, “Toch?”, it translates to “Right?” or “Isn’t it?” but there’s a catch: do not answer back with an affirmative “Toch!”, or people will laugh at you. It’s better to think of it as “Am I right?” or “Isn’t it true” to which you would reply with some version of “yes”. But toch doesn’t end there…It can also be used in place of “still” or “however”. Or as a modifier to make statement sound less harsh.

40. tocht: another word without a direct translation. It refers to a “march” or a “trek”, but generally without the formality of a march or the physical rigor of a trek. An organized walk or bike ride with a special and generally pleasant purpose could be called a tocht or optocht.

41. trek: As a verb it simply means “to pull”, but as a noun it’s used to describe an appetite for a snack. In English we say we are “hungry”, but the Dutch word honger implies literal starvation. Trek on the other hand describes what we are feeling when we grab a cookie between lunch and dinner.

42. vla: a special Dutch dessert that is essentially a loose pudding. However this is not the pudding your grandmother made on special occasions or kept in little cups at the back of the fridge. In The Netherlands it can be a daily treat and is found in the dairy section in large cartons alongside the milk. Vanilla is the favorite flavor and it’s often paired with fruit sauces.

43. verspilling: Being eco-conscious and living up to a reputation for thrift, verspilling or “waste” is also an often heard Dutch word. In everything from public ad campaigns to appliance labels, particularly those concerning water and food, the phrases om verspilling te verkomen (in order to prevent waste) or samen tegen verspilling (united against waste) are frequently seen.

44. wandelen: aka “recreational walking”. In Dutch, the ordinary act of walking is lopen, and interestingly there is no direct translation for “hiking”, however there is a word for what falls in between the two. Taking a relaxed, recreational walk outdoors, whether it be in nature or in the city, is a popular pastime and is called wandelen.

45. zeker: zeker and zekerwel are commonly heard affirmative statements that translate to “certainly” or “absolutely.

Person 1: Kom je naar de borrel?

Person 2: Zeker!

46. zin: is another conversational essential and means something like, “enthusiasm for” or “excitement about”. You might use it to express a preference for a specific food or drink, Ik heb zin in its warms (I’d like something warm), or to express excitement about an upcoming event or outing.

Person 1: Kijk je uit naar je vakantie?

Person 2: Zeker, ik heb er veel zin in!

47. zoiets: A quick way to say “…something like that”.

Person 1: Will je een thriller kijken?

Person 2: Nee ik will liever een romcom of zoiets.

48. zomaar: a simple way to say “just like that”, as in Zomaar ging hij stuk. (Just like that, it broke.) It is often combined with ineens to form zomaar ineens (just like that all of a sudden).

49. zonde: another commonly heard word, this translates to “sin” or “transgression”, but in use it means something like, “what a pity”.

40. zuinig: is an adjective used to describe being “economical or careful with resources”. It’s often heard in talk about eco-friendly practices, but it’s also used to describe the judicious handling of money.