Food in Dutch

Food and supermarket vocabulary in Dutch

Learning some basic Dutch food vocabulary can make shopping at supermarkets, markets and local food shops in the Netherlands much easier.

In this guide you will find useful Dutch words for vegetables, meat, fish, fruit, drinks and other everyday foods, together with an approximate pronunciation designed for English speakers.

The pronunciation is only intended as a guide. Some Dutch sounds do not have an exact equivalent in English, so use these transcriptions as a first step and then listen to spoken Dutch.

If you want to start with more general expressions, visit our guide to basic Dutch phrases.

Vegetables in Dutch

These are some common vegetables you will see in Dutch supermarkets and markets.

Meat and fish in Dutch

Fruit in Dutch

Other food and drinks in Dutch

Useful Dutch words at the supermarket

Besides learning the names of different foods, it is useful to recognise a few words that you will regularly see on signs, labels and packaging in Dutch supermarkets.

Using Dutch at the supermarket

You do not normally need to speak Dutch to shop at a supermarket in Rotterdam, but recognising basic food vocabulary can make it easier to find products and understand signs and labels.

Learning words for foods you buy regularly is also an easy way to build your Dutch vocabulary naturally. Instead of trying to memorise everything at once, start with the products you normally put in your shopping basket.

For questions about prices, paying, bags and receipts, see our guide to shopping phrases in Dutch.

More Dutch vocabulary and phrases

Continue learning with our other guides to basic Dutch for everyday situations:

Basic Dutch | Shopping | Days and months | At the doctor | Hotel | Numbers | Time

Want to learn Dutch in Rotterdam?

Learning food vocabulary is a simple way to practise Dutch in everyday life, but if you want to progress more quickly you can combine daily practice with classes, NT2 courses and conversation activities.

See our guide to where to learn Dutch in Rotterdam for language schools, courses and other ways to practise the language.