Slang

1. gezellig

   Cosy and convivial

   Usage

   The famous untranslatable Dutch word, applied to places, evenings and gatherings alike: warm, welcoming and good to be part of. It fits a café, a night with friends or a family get-together. Understood across the Netherlands and in Flanders, and everyone likes hearing it — while its opposite, "ongezellig", is a real put-down

2. Doei!

   Bye!

   Usage

   The standard casual goodbye in the Netherlands, fine with shop staff and friends alike; in a formal setting say "tot ziens". Belgians use it much less, preferring "salut" or "dag"

3. joh

   Y'know / mate

   Usage

   A tag that softens what you just said: "ja joh" for yes indeed, "nee joh" for don't be daft. Understood across the Netherlands, but keep it for friends and peers — not for work or for anyone senior

4. tof

   Cool

   Usage

   From Yiddish, and ultimately the Hebrew for "good", reaching Dutch through Amsterdam speech. It fits things, people and plans, works at any age across the Netherlands, and is entirely safe. Less current in Belgium

5. vet

   Awesome

   Usage

   Literally "fat". Youth slang used on its own or as an intensifier — "vet gaaf" for seriously cool. Understood across the Netherlands, but for friends your own age rather than the office. Harmless, never an insult

6. chill

   Chill

   Usage

   A settled borrowing from English, meaning relaxed and easy, and also a verb, "chillen". Standard among young Dutch speakers everywhere; with someone older or at work say "rustig"

7. prima

   Fine by me

   Usage

   The all-purpose yes — to a suggestion, or to say things are fine. Dutch speakers reach for it many times a day. Understood in the Netherlands and Belgium, and safe with staff and elders alike

8. Nou ja

   Well, anyway

   Usage

   The interjection for resignation or for changing the subject. "Nou" on its own covers "well", "right" and "really?" and pervades Dutch conversation. Understood everywhere and rude to no one

9. Balen!

   What a bummer!

   Usage

   The reaction to bad news — a missed train, rain that killed the plan — and equally sympathy for someone else's. Understood across the Netherlands, casual but not impolite

10. hartstikke

    Really / Massively

    Usage

    An intensifier in front of an adjective: "hartstikke bedankt" for thanks a lot, "hartstikke leuk" for great fun. Understood everywhere and safe with anyone, staff and elders included

11. sowieso

    Anyway / Definitely

    Usage

    Borrowed from German and everywhere in Dutch conversation, meaning "in any case" or "of course" — you can answer an invitation with a single "sowieso!". Understood everywhere and safe with anyone

12. Lekker bezig!

    Nice going!

    Usage

    Literally "pleasantly busy" — praise for someone getting on with it, though the same words turn sarcastic if things are clearly going badly. Understood across the Netherlands; use it with friends and colleagues you know, not with strangers or seniors

13. een bakkie

    A cuppa (coffee)

    Usage

    Short for "een bakkie koffie", the casual cup of coffee: "zullen we een bakkie doen?" is how you propose one. Understood across the Netherlands, among friends and colleagues — at the counter, order "een koffie"

14. de borrel

    After-work drinks

    Usage

    The stand-up drink after work or before an event — a cornerstone of Dutch social life, with "borrelhapjes" like bitterballen to go with it. Understood across the Netherlands and fine with colleagues and friends. Belgium does not use the word this way

15. de vrijmibo

    Friday afternoon drinks

    Usage

    A contraction of "vrijdagmiddagborrel", the Friday-afternoon drink with colleagues that is fixed in Dutch working life. Understood across the Netherlands and used among colleagues; with a client or a senior, say the full form

16. uitwaaien

    To blow the cobwebs away

    Usage

    Literally "to blow out" — a single verb for walking in a stiff wind to clear your head, and about as Dutch as a word gets. Said of a walk on the coast or along a dijk. Understood everywhere and safe with anyone

17. uitbuiken

    To sit back after a big meal

    Usage

    Literally "to belly out" — one verb for the contented sprawl after a big meal. "Even uitbuiken" is what you say before anyone clears the table. Understood across the Netherlands, at home and at informal meals

18. niksen

    To do nothing on purpose

    Usage

    A verb built from "niks", nothing — idling with no aim. Foreign articles now sell it as a Dutch wellness practice, but in Dutch it carries a faint whiff of laziness, so use it about yourself rather than about how someone else spends their time. Understood across the Netherlands

19. Even goede vrienden

    No hard feelings

    Usage

    Literally "still good friends" — added after a disagreement or a declined invitation to show nothing is broken. Dutch people contradict each other openly, and this is the phrase that keeps it friendly. Understood across the Netherlands, among friends and colleagues

20. Doe maar normaal

    Just act normal

    Usage

    The phrase that distils Dutch social values, usually completed as "dan doe je al gek genoeg" — that is odd enough already. It warns against showing off. Understood everywhere, but aimed at someone it is a rebuke, so use it to explain the culture or as a joke about yourself

21. Zegt u het maar

    What can I get you?

    Usage

    Literally "just say it" — what a baker, market stallholder or café worker says when it is your turn to order. You will hear it far more often than you say it, so it is worth recognising. Understood across the Netherlands; between friends it drops the polite form to "zeg het maar"

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