Dutch Vocabulary: Clothing and Shopping 🛍️

Hoi! You've learned to talk about food, and now it's time to learn what to wear. Clothing is another essential part of everyday vocabulary. Whether you're shopping for a new sweater in a Dutch city, complimenting someone on their outfit, or just talking about the weather and what you need to wear, knowing the right words is incredibly helpful. Plus, it's a great way to learn more about Dutch culture and style!

This guide will walk you through the essential Dutch vocabulary for common items of clothing (kleding), accessories, and the key phrases you'll need to navigate a shopping trip in the Netherlands. Let's get dressed! 👕👖

1. Common Items of Clothing (Kleding)

Let's start with the basics, from top to bottom.

Dutch	English
de kleding	clothing
het T-shirt	T-shirt
de trui	sweater / jumper
het overhemd	(dress) shirt
de blouse	blouse
de broek	pants / trousers
de spijkerbroek	jeans (literally "nail pants")
de rok	skirt
de jurk	dress
de jas	coat / jacket
de schoenen (plural)	shoes
de sokken (plural)	socks

2. Accessories (Accessoires)

Accessories can complete an outfit. Here are some common ones.

Dutch	English
de hoed	hat
de pet	cap
de sjaal	scarf
de handschoenen (plural)	gloves
de riem	belt
de tas	bag
de bril	glasses
de zonnebril	sunglasses
het horloge	watch

3. Describing Clothes: Colors and Sizes

When shopping, you'll need to describe what you're looking for.

Colors (Kleuren)

• rood (red)
• blauw (blue)
• groen (green)
• geel (yellow)
• zwart (black)
• wit (white)
• grijs (gray)
• bruin (brown)

Remember from the adjectives lesson: the color comes before the noun and sometimes gets an extra -e. Example: de rode trui (the red sweater).

Sizes (Maten)

Dutch	English
de maat	the size
klein	small
middelgroot	medium
groot	large

4. Shopping for Clothes (Winkelen)

Here are the essential phrases you'll need in a clothing store (kledingwinkel).

Getting Help

• Kunt u mij helpen? - Can you help me?
• Ik ben op zoek naar... - I am looking for...
• Example: Ik ben op zoek naar een blauwe trui. - I am looking for a blue sweater.
• Heeft u dit in maat M? - Do you have this in a size M?

Trying Clothes On

Making a Purchase

• Hoeveel kost dit? - How much does this cost?
• Ik neem het. - I'll take it.
• Kan ik dit ruilen? - Can I exchange this?
• Heeft u een tasje? - Do you have a bag?

5. Example Dialogue in a Store

Let's see how these phrases work in a short conversation.

You: Goedemiddag, kunt u mij helpen?

Shop Assistant: Zeker! Wat zoekt u?

You: Ik ben op zoek naar een warme sjaal.

Shop Assistant: We hebben deze blauwe en deze grijze. Welke vindt u mooier?

You: De blauwe is mooi. Hoeveel kost die?

Shop Assistant: Die is twintig euro.

You: Oké, ik neem hem.

Conclusion

Fantastisch! You are now ready for a Dutch shopping spree. You've learned the vocabulary for essential clothing items and accessories, how to describe them, and how to handle a conversation in a store. The next time you're getting dressed, try to name the items you're putting on in Dutch. This simple practice will help solidify the vocabulary in your mind. You're not just learning words; you're learning how to navigate another aspect of daily life in the Netherlands. Veel winkelplezier! (Happy shopping!) 🛒