Dutch Food Vocabulary

Here are Dutch words for food to start with: ontbijt (breakfast), koffie (coffee), heerlijk (delicious), restaurant (restaurant). Below are 96 words (A1–C1) with their English translations and part of speech, across 12 themed lists.

Tomatoes and a red chili on a wooden board
Photo: ka_re

Food Basics

A1–B1
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
breakfastontbijtnounA1
coffeekoffienounA1
deliciousheerlijkadjA1
restaurantrestaurantnounA1
waiterobernounA1
waterwaternounA1
billrekeningnounA2
spicypittigadjB1

The rest of this pack is in the app

Food Intermediate

A1–A2
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
breadbroodnounA1
cheesekaasnounA1
dinneravondetennounA1
fruitfruitnounA1
lunchlunchnounA1
mealmaaltijdnounA1
vegetablegroentenounA1
cookingkokennounA2

Food Advanced

A2–C1
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
dieteetpatroonnounA2
feastfeestmaalnounB1
nutritionvoedingnounB1
delicacydelicatessenounB2
flavorfulsmaakvoladjB2
groceryboodschappennounB2
cuisinekeukennounC1
culinaryculinairadjC1

Ingredients

A1–A2
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
butterboternounA1
eggeinounA1
potatoaardappelnounA1
ricerijstnounA1
sugarsuikernounA1
tomatotomaatnounA1
flourmeelnounA2
saltzoutnounA2

Herbs & Spices

A2–B1
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
chilichilinounA2
basilbasilicumnounB1
corianderkoriandernounB1
cuminkomijnnounB1
oreganooreganonounB1
rosemaryrozemarijnnounB1
thymetijmnounB1
turmerickurkumanounB1

Vegetables

A2–B1
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
beansbonennounA2
carrotwortelnounA2
peaserwtennounA2
broccolibroccolinounB1
cabbagekoolnounB1
cauliflowerbloemkoolnounB1
lettuceslanounB1
spinachspinazienounB1

Fruits

A1–B1
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
appleappelnounA1
bananabanaannounA1
grapedruifnounA1
lemoncitroennounA2
limelimoennounA2
melonmeloennounA2
pearpeernounA2
strawberryaardbeinounB1

More from this pack waits in the app

Grains & Dairy

A1–B2
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
cornmaïsnounA1
yogurtyoghurtnounA1
creamroomnounA2
oathavernounB1
ryeroggenounB1
barleygerstnounB2
buckwheatboekweitnounB2
wheattarwenounB2

Proteins & Meat

A1–B1
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
beefrundvleesnounA1
ground beefrundergehaktnounA2
hamhamnounA2
meatballgehaktbalnounA2
sausageworstnounA2
steakbiefstuknounA2
lamblamsvleesnounB1
porkvarkensvleesnounB1

Drinks

A1–B1
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
juicesapnounA1
milkmelknounA1
teatheenounA1
champagnechampagnenounA2
lemonadelimonadenounA2
sodafrisdranknounA2
sparkling waterbruiswaternounA2
smoothiesmoothienounB1

Breads & Pastries

A1–B1
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
biscuitkoekjenounA1
bagelbagelnounA2
baguettestokbroodnounA2
donutdonutnounA2
muffinmuffinnounA2
pastrydeegnounA2
wafflewafelnounA2
sourdoughzuurdesembroodnounB1

Condiments & Sauces

A2–B2
EnglishDutchTypeLevel
hot saucepittige sausnounA2
olive oilolijfolienounA2
soy saucesojasausnounA2
bolognesebolognesenounB1
fish saucevissausnounB1
oyster sauceoestersausnounB1
sesame oilsesamolienounB1
relishrelishnounB2

Keep going with this pack in the app

Emoji: Twemoji, CC-BY 4.0

A sample of the A1–C1 words. The rest are in the app

Watch Your LanguageVocabulary widgets for iPhone & Apple Watch

These lists show a sample of the A1–C1 words for food. The packs in Watch Your Language hold more and reach the advanced levels, along with every other topic.

The app shows them to you a few at a time, in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and brings back the ones you keep forgetting.

Common questions

Which Dutch words should I learn for food?

You could start with words like ontbijt (breakfast), koffie (coffee), heerlijk (delicious), restaurant (restaurant). This page lists 96 Dutch words for food (A1–C1), each with its English translation and part of speech.

How can I remember these Dutch words?

Reading a list once is rarely enough. Watch Your Language shows Dutch words like these in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and schedules repeats so the words you keep forgetting come back more often.

Are these word lists free?

Yes. The lists on this page are free to read, with no sign-up. The app holds more words for each topic.

More Dutch word lists