Clothes in Dutch
Clothes in Dutch are de kleren in everyday speech and de kleding in shops and formal writing (herenkleding, menswear). Most garments are de-words — de broek, de jas, de jurk — and the handful of het-words (het overhemd, het T-shirt, het pak, het vest) are worth learning as a set. Every word below carries its article and plural, and the many Belgian differences are flagged.
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 |
General clothing words and parts of a garment
Kleren is always plural (there is no singular “a clothe”); for one item you say een kledingstuk. Kleding is uncountable, like English “clothing”.
| Dutch | Article | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| kleren | de | — (plural only) | clothes |
| kleding | de | — (uncount.) | clothing |
| kledingstuk | het | kledingstukken | item of clothing |
| outfit | de | outfits | outfit |
| uniform | het | uniformen | uniform |
| jack | het | jacks | short jacket (NL) |
| regenjas | de | regenjassen | raincoat |
| hoodie | de | hoodies | hoodie |
| polo | de | polo's | polo shirt |
| legging | de | leggings | leggings |
| ochtendjas | de | ochtendjassen | dressing gown / bathrobe |
| mouw | de | mouwen | sleeve |
| kraag | de | kragen | collar |
| zak | de | zakken | |
| knoop | de | knopen | button |
| rits | de | ritsen | zip / zipper |
| veter | de | veters | shoelace |
| kledingkast | de | kledingkasten | wardrobe |
| kledingwinkel | de | kledingwinkels | clothes shop |
Verbs: putting on, taking off and wearing
English uses “put on” for everything; Dutch splits it. Clothes you step into are aantrekken, while hats and glasses are opzetten. Both are separable verbs, so the particle goes to the end of a main clause: Ik trek mijn jas aan — see separable verbs.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| aantrekken — Trek je jas aan. | to put on — Put your coat on. |
| uittrekken — Hij trekt zijn schoenen uit. | to take off — He takes his shoes off. |
| dragen — Ze draagt een rode jurk. | to wear — She is wearing a red dress. |
| aanhebben — Ik heb een trui aan. | to have on — I'm wearing a sweater. |
| opzetten / afzetten — Zet je muts op. | to put on / take off (hat, glasses) — Put your hat on. |
| zich aankleden / uitkleden | to get dressed / undressed |
| zich omkleden | to change (clothes) |
| passen — Deze broek past goed. | to fit / try on — These trousers fit well. |
| staan — Die kleur staat je goed. | to suit — That colour suits you. |
| wassen / strijken | to wash / to iron |
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 |
Besides numbered sizes, shops use letter sizes: S, M, L, XL, pronounced the Dutch way (“es, em, el, iks-el”). Men's dress shirts are sold by collar size in centimetres (de boordmaat), and trousers often by waist and leg length in inches (W32 L34). Useful fit words: te groot (too big), te kort (too short), te lang (too long), precies goed (just right), strak (tight-fitting), ruim (roomy).
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Dutch word for clothes?
Clothes are de kleren (plural only) in everyday speech and de kleding (uncountable) in shops and formal writing. A single item of clothing is een kledingstuk.
Is broek a de or het word, and why is it singular?
It is de broek, plural broeken. Unlike English “trousers”, Dutch treats one pair as one object: Deze broek is te lang means “These trousers are too long.”
How do you say “to wear” in Dutch?
Use dragen (Ze draagt een bril, she wears glasses) or, for what someone has on right now, aanhebben: Hij heeft een pak aan. “To put on” is aantrekken, or opzetten for hats and glasses.
What is jeans in Dutch?
In the Netherlands jeans are de spijkerbroek; de jeans is also common. In Flanders people usually say de jeans or de jeansbroek.
Does vest mean the same in the Netherlands and Belgium?
No. In the Netherlands het vest is a cardigan; in Belgium een vest usually means a jacket. Similarly, een kleedje is a dress in Belgium but a small rug or cloth in the Netherlands.
How do you ask to try something on in Dutch?
Say Mag ik dit passen? or Kan ik dit passen?. The fitting room is de paskamer or het pashokje.
Pair this list with colours and body parts to describe an outfit fully, and with travel vocabulary when you're packing.