Clothes in Dutch
Clothing is one of the first topics you can actually use in the wild — in a shop, at the tailor, packing a suitcase. Every garment below carries its article (de or het) and plural, and this is a topic where Belgian Dutch diverges noticeably, so the differences are flagged as we go.
Everyday garments
Most clothing nouns are de-words. The big exceptions are het overhemd, het pak, het shirt and het vest — and that last one is a false friend across the border (see the note below).
| Dutch | Article | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| broek | de | broeken | trousers (one pair) |
| spijkerbroek | de | spijkerbroeken | jeans |
| korte broek | de | korte broeken | shorts |
| overhemd | het | overhemden | (dress) shirt |
| blouse | de | blouses | blouse |
| T-shirt | het | T-shirts | T-shirt |
| trui | de | truien | sweater / jumper |
| vest | het | vesten | cardigan (NL) |
| jas | de | jassen | coat / jacket |
| colbert | het | colberts | blazer / suit jacket |
| pak | het | pakken | suit |
| jurk | de | jurken | dress |
| rok | de | rokken | skirt |
| pyjama | de | pyjama's | pyjamas |
Underwear, socks and swimwear
| Dutch | Article | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ondergoed | het | — (uncount.) | underwear |
| onderbroek | de | onderbroeken | underpants |
| bh | de | bh's | bra |
| sok | de | sokken | sock |
| panty | de | panty's | tights |
| zwembroek | de | zwembroeken | swimming trunks |
| badpak | het | badpakken | swimsuit |
| bikini | de | bikini's | bikini |
Shoes and accessories
Two irregular plurals here: de schoen → schoenen and de laars → laarzen (with s→z).
| Dutch | Article | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| schoen | de | schoenen | shoe |
| laars | de | laarzen | boot |
| sandaal | de | sandalen | sandal |
| sneaker | de | sneakers | trainer / sneaker |
| sjaal | de | sjaals | scarf |
| muts | de | mutsen | beanie / woolly hat |
| hoed | de | hoeden | hat |
| pet | de | petten | cap |
| handschoen | de | handschoenen | glove |
| stropdas | de | stropdassen | necktie |
| riem | de | riemen | belt |
| tas | de | tassen | bag |
Sizes, fit and materials
The key word is de maat (size); Dutch clothing uses continental numbers, so a shirt might be maat 40 and shoes maat 42. To describe fit you need adjectives like te klein (too small), te strak (too tight) and te wijd (too loose). Colours take the adjective -e ending covered in Dutch adjectives, and the full palette is in colours.
| Dutch | Article | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| maat | de | maten | size |
| katoen | het | — (uncount.) | cotton |
| wol | de | — (uncount.) | wool |
| leer | het | — (uncount.) | leather |
| zijde | de | — (uncount.) | silk |
| linnen | het | — (uncount.) | linen |
| spijkerstof | de | — (uncount.) | denim |
| fluweel | het | — (uncount.) | velvet |
Shopping and trying things on
The verb you want is passen — it means both “to fit” and “to try on” (aanpassen is the fuller form for trying on). Staff will call the fitting room de paskamer or het pashokje.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Ik kijk alleen even, dank u. | I'm just looking, thanks. |
| Heeft u dit in maat 40? | Do you have this in size 40? |
| Kan ik dit passen? | Can I try this on? |
| Waar is de paskamer? | Where is the fitting room? |
| Het past niet, het is te klein. | It doesn't fit, it's too small. |
| Heeft u een maatje groter? | Do you have a size up? |
| Kan ik dit ruilen? | Can I exchange this? |
| Ik wil dit graag retourneren. | I'd like to return this. |
For the wider shop routine — asking prices, paying by card (pinnen) and what staff say back to you — see shopping phrases.
Belgium: clothing is a minefield of NL/BE differences. Jeans are usually de jeans or de jeansbroek in Flanders, not de spijkerbroek. A sweater is often de pull (from French). Most confusingly, een vest means a jacket in Belgium but a cardigan in the Netherlands, and een kleedje is a dress in Belgium while in the Netherlands it means a small rug or tablecloth.
Pair this list with colours and body parts to describe an outfit fully, and with travel vocabulary when you're packing.