It’s unlikely that you’ll need to speak anything other than English while you’re in Amsterdam. The following Dutch words and phrases should be the most you’ll need to get by, though menus are nearly always multilingual.
ja | yes |
nee | no |
alstublieft | please |
(nee) dank u or bedankt | (no) thank you |
hallo or dag | hello |
goedemorgen | good morning |
goedemiddag | good afternoon |
goedenavond | good evening |
tot ziens | goodbye |
spreekt u Engels? | do you speak English? |
Ik begrijp het niet | I don’t understand |
vrouwen/mannen | women/men |
kinderen | children |
nul | 0 |
een | 1 |
twee | 2 |
drie | 3 |
vier | 4 |
vijf | 5 |
zes | 6 |
zeven | 7 |
acht | 8 |
negen | 9 |
tien | 10 |
elf | 11 |
twaalf | 12 |
dertien | 13 |
veertien | 14 |
vijftien | 15 |
zestien | 16 |
zeventien | 17 |
achttien | 18 |
negentien | 19 |
twintig | 20 |
een en twintig | 21 |
twee en twintig | 22 |
dertig | 30 |
veertig | 40 |
vijftig | 50 |
zestig | 60 |
zeventig | 70 |
tachtig | 80 |
negentig | 90 |
honderd | 100 |
honderd een | 101 |
duizend | 1000 |
butter | boter |
sandwich/roll | boterham/broodje |
bread | brood |
drinks | dranken |
eggs | eieren |
pea soup with bacon or sausage | erwtensoep/snert |
vegetables | groenten |
honey | honing |
main courses | hoofdgerechten |
cheese | kaas |
cold | koud |
desserts | nagerechten |
chips/French fries | patates/frites |
salad | sla/salade |
cheese spread | smeerkaas |
French bread | stokbrood |
sugar | suiker |
ham or cheese with eggs on bread | uitsmijter |
fish | vis |
meat | vlees |
starters | voorgerechten |
fruit | vruchten |
hot | warm |
salt | zout |
steak | biefstuk (hollandse) |
hamburger | biefstuk (duitse) |
duck | eend |
roast pork | fricandeau |
frankfurter-like sausage | fricandel |
minced meat | gehakt |
ham | ham |
veal | kalfsvlees |
turkey | kalkoen |
chop | karbonade |
chicken | kip |
lamb | lamsvlees |
liver | lever |
bacon | spek |
sausages | worst |
prawns | garnalen |
herring | haring |
herring salad | haringsalade |
cod | kabeljauw |
mackerel | makreel |
mussels | mosselen |
oysters | oesters |
eel | paling |
haddock | schelvis |
plaice | schol |
sole | tong |
salmon | zalm |
potatoes | aardappelen |
cauliflower | bloemkool |
beans | bonen |
mushrooms | champignons |
peas | erwten |
mashed potatoes and carrots | hutspot |
garlic | knoflook |
cucumber | komkommer |
leek | prei |
rice | rijst |
salad, lettuce | sla |
onions | uien |
carrots | wortelen |
sauerkraut | zuurkool |
belegd | filled or topped |
doorbakken | well-done |
gebakken | fried/baked |
gebraden | roasted |
gegrild | grilled |
gekookt | boiled |
gerookt | smoked |
gestoofd | stewed |
half doorbakken | medium-done |
rood | rare |
appelgebak | apple tart or cake |
gebak | pastry |
IJs | ice cream |
koekjes | biscuits |
oliebollen | doughnuts |
pannekoeken | pancakes |
poffertjes | small pancakes, fritters |
(slag)room | (whipped) cream |
speculaas | spice and honey-flavoured biscuit |
stroopwafels | waffles |
taai-taai | Dutch honey cake |
vla | custard |
bessenjenever | blackcurrant gin |
droog | dry |
frisdranken | soft drinks |
jenever | Dutch gin |
karnemelk | buttermilk |
koffie | coffee |
koffie verkeerd | coffee with warm milk |
kopstoot | beer with a jenever chaser |
melk | milk |
pils | Dutch beer |
proost! | cheers! |
sinaasappelsap | orange juice |
thee | tea |
vruchtensap | fruit juice |
wijn (wit/rood/rosé) | wine (white/red/rosé) |
vieux | Dutch brandy |
zoet | sweet |