Dutch Language Blog

A lot of things in our world get replaced by machines. When you go to the cinema, buy tickets online or in some countries even when you go to a supermarket, you don’t have to talk to anyone. You just click and type in what you want. But since the cashier is (for now) not completely extinct, hereby some useful words and short sentences to make yourself clear to that thing called the Dutch cashier.

Good morning  :  Goedemorgen

Good afternoon  :  Goedemiddag

Good evening  :  Goedenavond

Ticket(s)  :  kaartje(s)

Discount  :  korting

Money  :  geld

Can I help you?  :  Kan ik u helpen?

Anything else?  :  Nog wat anders?

That’s it?  :  Dat is het?

Thank you  :  Dankuwel (formal)  or dankjewel (informal)

Please  :  Alstublieft (formal) or alsjeblieft (informal)

Do you have (a)…?  :  Heeft u (een)… (formal) or heb je (een)… (informal)

No, thanks  :  nee, bedankt

Yes, please  :  ja, graag

That is five euro’s, please  :  Dat is vijf euro, alstublieft

That is not enough  :  Dat is niet genoeg/voldoende

More  :  meer

Less  :  minder

Change  :  wisselgeld

Do you want a bag?  :  Wilt u een tasje?

Can you take it like this?  :  Gaat het zo mee?

A bag, please  :  Een tasje, alstublieft

It’s ok, I can take it like this  :  Het is goed zo, ik neem het zo mee.

Download this vocabulary in Windows

Imagine meeting a really attractive Dutch woman or man. You date, you have fun and then you want to buy them flowers. You are standing in front of the flower lady and are desperately pointing at the flowers you want in your bouquet. You don’t want to end up making it a whole adventure with conversations like: “No, the one to the left. No below that. No, not that one either!”  Therefore I am going to teach you the Dutch words for all the colors I can think of.

Red  :  rood

Green  :  groen

Purple  :  paars

Black  :  zwart

White  :  wit

Orange  :  oranje

Blue  :  blauw

Yellow  :  geel

Pink  :  roze

Brown  :  bruin

Violet  :  violet

Silver  :  zilver

Gold  :  goud

Bronze  :  brons

All the colors that are lighter or darker get just like in English, the word light or dark (licht/donker) in front of them. For example:

Light blue  :  lichtblauw

Dark brown  :  donkerbruin

Download this vocabulary in Windows

One of the most basic skills you will need to learn is how to count. Take a look at the Dutch numbers, and see if you notice anything different from English…

Did you spot the difference between Dutch numbers and English numbers? If you guessed that the second number in a double digit number is spoken first, you are correct.  As a native English speaker, this has been a terrible task to remember, and no matter how far I get with complicated grammar, long complex sentences and academic level vocabulary, I always have to stop and think about the numbers.  Just try to remember that the first number you hear is not the beginning of the number.

Vijfentwintig is 25.

Zevenhonderd zesenveertig is 746.

But don’t worry if you always find yourself counting, doing math, and thinking of change in your native language.  For whatever reason, these are tasks that many people always return to their native language to do. As long as you can understand how much money the person at the checkout counter wants, it doesn’t matter what language you use to count your cash in your head.  Nevertheless, try to count things in your head as much as possible.  This should help get you acclimated to the “backwards” counting method.