🇳🇱 Amsterdam Slang Dictionary

aight All right / Okay / Alright Ajax AFC Ajax (Amsterdam professional football club) Albert Cuyp Albert Cuyp Market (famous street market in Amsterdam) als een paal boven water staan To be crystal clear / To be beyond doubt Amstel Amstel River antikraak anti-squat (temporary housing to prevent squatting) ArenA Johan Cruyff ArenA (stadium) avondwinkel late-night convenience store bajes Prison, jail. Authentic Bargoens underworld cant derived from Romani 'baro khér' (big house). bakfiets cargo bike bakker baker / bakery balkon balcony Bijlmer A district in Amsterdam Zuidoost, initially known for its large-scale modernist residential blocks, now a multicultural hub. bink A handsome, strong, or confident man; a stud or hunk bitterballen Deep-fried, crispy meatballs, typically served as a snack with mustard, popular in Dutch bars. bloemenmarkt flower market boetiek boutique borrel An informal get-together or social gathering, typically in the late afternoon or early evening, involving drinks and snacks. Bos en Lommer A district in Amsterdam-West, known for its diverse population, modernist architecture, and local markets. boten boats broer brother bruin café A traditional, cozy Dutch pub or bar, characterized by its dark, often wood-paneled interior and informal atmosphere. buienradar rain radar challas Bye / Let's go / Enough clubbing Going to nightclubs coffeeshop cannabis café community tuin community garden CS Centraal Station (Central Station) cultureel centrum cultural center dakterras roof terrace Dam The Dam Square in Amsterdam de bloemetjes buiten zetten To paint the town red / To have a good time De Pijp A lively neighborhood in Amsterdam known for its market (Albert Cuypmarkt), cafés, and restaurants. doei Bye doekoe Money drerrie Dude / Guy / Mate (often young) duku Money een bakkie doen To have a cup of coffee effe just a moment ewa Hey / Hello (informal greeting) FEBO A well-known Dutch fast-food chain famous for its 'automatiek' concept where snacks like kroketten can be bought from a wall. festival festival fiets bicycle fietsen to cycle fietsenstalling bicycle parking facility fietspad cycling path fietstoeter bicycle horn/bell fissa Party fit Outfit / Look fluitje A small glass of draft beer (typically 200ml), common in Dutch bars, often preferred to keep the beer colder and fresher. foodtruck food truck gabber Friend, buddy; also refers to a specific Dutch subculture and music genre gajes Rabble, riff-raff, scum (derogatory term for a group of people) gast guy gein Fun, joke, prank (often playful mischief) gezellig Cozy, convivial, pleasant, sociable gezelligheid kent geen tijd Good times know no time / Time flies when you're having fun gracht canal Grachtengordel The historic canal belt of Amsterdam, a UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its elegant 17th-century canal houses. grachtenpand canal house grachtenrace Canal race (often rowing or swimming) graffiti graffiti GVB Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf (Amsterdam's public transport company) hardlopen Running / Jogging helaas Unfortunately, alas helaas pindakaas Too bad (literally: unfortunately peanut butter) herring Raw or lightly pickled herring (haring), often served with chopped onions and pickles, a Dutch delicacy. hip Trendy / Cool / Hip hoofdpijn Annoying / Problematic person or situation (literally 'headache') hoor indeed huur rent IJ The body of water separating Amsterdam North from the city center IJtunnel IJ Tunnel (under the IJ river) inderdaad Indeed, that's right, exactly Indische Buurt A diverse and multicultural neighborhood in Amsterdam Oost, named after streets with names from the former Dutch East Indies. jammer A pity, too bad, unfortunate jas Jacket / Coat JC ArenA Johan Cruyff ArenA (stadium, abbreviated) jenever The traditional juniper-flavored national spirit of the Netherlands and Belgium, often considered the precursor to gin. jofel Great, nice, splendid, good-looking Jordaan A historic and picturesque neighborhood in Amsterdam, known for its narrow streets, canals, and 'brown cafés'. Jordanees A resident of the Jordaan district; also refers to the local dialect kamer room kaolo Fucking / Damn / Very (as an intensifier, derogatory) kappen To stop / To cut it out / To quit kletsen to chat/gossip klompen wooden clogs klopt That's correct, it's true, agreed klus odd job koningsdag King's Day (Dutch national holiday) koud cold kringloop thrift store kroeg Pub, bar kroket A deep-fried, cylindrical snack with a ragout filling (often beef), commonly served on bread or from a 'FEBO' automatiek. lekker Nice, tasty, good, pleasing lekker bezig Doing great / Good job / Keep it up leuk Fun, nice, enjoyable, cute loesoe Gone / Leave / Away maf Crazy, silly, weird Magere Brug A famous narrow wooden drawbridge over the Amstel river makelaar real estate agent markt market marktkoopman market vendor mattie mate mazzel Luck, good fortune; also used as 'goodbye' (like 'cheers') meeuwen seagulls met de deur in huis vallen To get straight to the point / To come straight to the point metro Metro / Subway Mokum Nickname for Amsterdam muntjes Tokens (used at festivals/events for drinks/food) Museumplein A large public square in Amsterdam housing major museums muts Beanie / Hat (winter hat) muurschildering mural nat wet NDSM NDSM Wharf (former shipyard, now cultural hotspot in Amsterdam Noord) Nieuw-West A large district in the west of Amsterdam, characterized by its post-war garden cities, green spaces, and diverse communities. niffo Nephew / Friend (close, homie) Noord Amsterdam-Noord (North Amsterdam borough) nou well nou ja Oh well, well, never mind, anyway NS Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways) NS station NS train station (Nederlandse Spoorwegen - Dutch Railways) nu komt de aap uit de mouw Now the truth comes out / The cat is out of the bag Oost Amsterdam-Oost (East Amsterdam borough) op de fiets By bike / On the bicycle Oud-West A diverse and bustling district in Amsterdam, west of the city center, known for its cultural venues and markets. ov-chipkaart public transport chip card paraplu Umbrella patat French fries or chips, often served with various sauces like mayonnaise, satay sauce, or curry ketchup. patta Sneakers / Shoes pegels money pleite Broke, penniless, or gone (fled the scene). From Yiddish 'b'royte' via Bargoens. pont ferry pontje small ferry (diminutive of 'pont') pop-up Temporary establishment (e.g., shop, restaurant, bar) prima Fine, excellent, alright rave Large dance party with electronic music regen rain regenjas Raincoat Rijks Short for Rijksmuseum ring A10 Amsterdam's orbital motorway (A10 ring road) roeien Rowing rumoer noise/commotion schaatsen Ice skating Schiphol Amsterdam Airport Schiphol scotten To look at / To check out / To observe skatepark skatepark skeer Broke / Penniless skeere tijden Broke times / Hard times financially slager butcher / butcher shop sluis lock (for boats) smeris Cop, police officer (often derogatory or informal) sowieso anyway spannen To chill / To hang out / To relax sportschool Gym / Fitness center stack a large sum of money storm storm straatartiest street performer / street artist straatmuzikant street musician/busker strak Tight / Sleek / Tidy / Well-organized / On point streetwear Streetwear (clothing style) strijder Warrior / Fighter (often positive, for a tough or resilient person) stroopwafel A traditional Dutch cookie made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle. stufi student finance tanga Asshole / Idiot (derogatory) techno Genre of electronic dance music temeier Prostitute, whore (highly derogatory and offensive) terrasje Outdoor cafe seating, small terrace toch still toeristen tourists tofe Nice, cool, great (often used with 'een tofe gozer' = a cool guy) tram Tram / Streetcar trambel tram bell uitsmijter Dutch open-faced sandwich (usually with fried eggs, ham/cheese) verhuizen to move (residence) vintage Vintage (clothing/items from a previous era) voetbal Football / Soccer Vondelpark A large public urban park in Amsterdam VvE Owners' Association (Vereniging van Eigenaars) Wallen The Red Light District in Amsterdam West Amsterdam-West (West Amsterdam borough) Westerpark A large park and cultural complex in Amsterdam-West, housing a variety of cultural events, restaurants, and creative businesses. Westertoren The tower of the Westerkerk church, a prominent Amsterdam landmark wielrennen Cycling (road racing) wind wind wollah I swear to God / Seriously / Really woonboot houseboat zakcentje pocket money Zeeburg A former borough in Amsterdam Oost, now part of Oost, known for its islands, modern architecture, and waterfront living. zeg maar so to speak Zuid Amsterdam-Zuid (South Amsterdam borough)