14 Useful Dutch Words in a Dutch Supermarket

Here are 10 great Dutch words you can use in a Dutch supermarket. The good news is that many Dutch words are not that difficult. Take supermarkt, for example. Supermarkt is almost the same as supermarket, right? You’ll also learn how to use some of these words in other contexts.

1. Boodschappen

Boodschappen is everything that you can buy at the supermarket. In English, you could call it shopping or errands. Boodschappen could be milk, bread, toothpaste, or toilet paper.

Did you know that boodschappen could mean messages as well? In Scotland, people also go to the supermarket for messages, so that is why it is not such a weird idea. You could say in Dutch: o nee! Een emailexplosie! Ik heb 100 boodschappen!

2. een wagentje

If you like to buy a lot, taking een boodschappenwagen or simply een wagentje could be a good idea. For some reason, Dutch people always like to make words smaller.

Wagentje obviously comes from wagon; it also has wheels and rolls, but… een wagentje is something you need to push yourself. Your horse is not welcome in a Dutch supermarket ☺

3. een mandje

Een mand in Dutch is a basket, and if you like, you can also call it boodschappenmandje.

4. een bon

Een bon or bonnetje is receipt. If you want to receive the receipt, the easiest thing to say is: mag ik het bonnetje?

The word bon in Dutch has many more meanings. It could also mean voucher. Een cadeaubon or een saunabon is always nice to receive, and… bon can also mean fine. If the police gives you een bon in Dutch, then it probably will not be een saunabon or een cadeaubon!

5. een tas

In Dutch, een tas means bag. Can I have a bag? It is the easiest thing to say if you like to have a bag. In most cases, you will have to pay for it.

Another word you hear a lot is zak. Zak is close to sack in English, and often, it suggests a lower quality. Een zak is usually made of paper and has less value. You always have a Guccitas, never an een Guccizak. But… theezakje is a teabag in Dutch. And if people call you een zak, it is never a compliment.

6. Statiegeld

Statiegeld is the money you need to pay if you buy bottles. It is deposited in English, and when you return the empty bottles, they will give you the money back. You can throw all your empty bottles in a special machine, and then you’ll receive a statiegeldbon. When you show it at the cash register, they will give you the money…

7. Kassa

In English, de kassa means cash register. Kassa is also the name for the calculating device that holds all the money. Every time Dutch people see € signs in their eyes, they may think of the word kassa. It is that pleasing sound or feeling when you earn money.

8. Aanbieding

Aanbieding is a special offer. If you look closely, you may see the word bid in from English. The idea is that someone gives or presents something to you. Make sure that you do not use the word offer. Offer is something that you need to give to God; it could be a goat, a sheep, or your cat. Offer also means sacrifice, and although you need to sacrifice your money, it is better to go for een aanbieding instead….

9. Reclame

Reclame means publicity or promotion. The idea is that you are calling, yelling, or shouting. In de reclame means that somehow there is some extra attention for it, which means that now something is a special deal.

10. Voordeel

Voordeel is a word that you may see in some shops; it literally means advantage. You could say: ik spreek Nederlands, dat is een voordeel (I speak Dutch, that is an advantage).

When shops use voordeel, the idea is that you can benefit from it, and it stands for cheap prices. If you see the text extra veel voordeel, it means that now you cannot profit anymore. There are many great deals that you can find.

11. Hamsteren

When you go to Albert Heijn, you may see some hamsters now and then…. Hamsters are like squirrels in English, they hoard…. So with hamsteren, you can buy than you actually need, because of speciale aanbiedingen en voordeel ☺

Hamsterweken are, therefore, hoarding weeks. You may see texts like 2 halen 1 betalen, get 2 pay 1… So, if you are at Albert Heijn and see those cheerful hamsters, it could be a lucky day.

12. Mag ik voor?

Mag ik voor? Means, can I go first? If you like, you can make it more polite if you say: mag ik misschien even voor? You could also add: ik heb alleen dit, I only have this… It may happen that sometimes that is just one thing that you like to buy, and if you can use this sentence, it could save you some time…

13. Korting

Most people learn korting quite quickly. Kort is short in Dutch, and korting means reducing the price, which is a discount in English.

In some supermarkets like Albert Heijn, you need a special card, so if needed you can say: ik heb een bonuskaart, ik wil korting!

By the way, although korting means discount, it is not always positive. Een korting op je salaris would be a cut on your salary, and this is what most people do not like

14. Houdbaar tot

If you say in Dutch ik houd, this means I hold or keep. You can say, for example, ik houd het geld and then it means I keep the money.

Houdbaar means that you can keep something for a certain time. If you keep it too long, it turns moldy or sour and acidic, and then it is no longer houdbaar.

A great word is also houdbaarheidsdatum, expiry date in English. If something has expired, you can say: het is over de datum… You can use it for products and… – although it is not that friendly – you can also use it for people…

So now you have at least 14 words and expressions that you can use in de supermarkt… What is one word that you use a lot in de supermarket? Is there a 15th word that we should add to the list? Please share your thoughts here…

Are you ready to give it a try? Do you think that it is too much? Or do you think you can handle it? Certainly, it could take some time to get used to it, but remember: it is always great to stretch your mind a little!

When you are ready to go one step further, check out the Dutch Brainwash. This masterclass is a tried-and-true program that has the power to revolutionize your Dutch. Aside from tripling your vocabulary in minutes, the Dutch Brainwash has some unique claims to fame. This course is designed to be tailored to the individual desires of its students. Meaning, you won’t be learning tired phrases from your textbook written in 2003 about where to buy a CD-ROM. The seven-day intensive course allows you to create your own sentences about anything you please.

Albert Both

Talencoach / Dutch Flow Now