Easy Guide To Rooms Of The House In Dutch

Before we get to what the rooms of the house in Dutch are, let’s begin by learning a bit about a typical Dutch house (het huis), so you know what you’re moving into!

 

A Quick Grammar Lesson In Dutch – ‘The’

Like the Germans and French, the Dutch have designated nouns as either feminine, masculine, or neutral. However, unlike French and German, Dutch uses the same article for ‘the’ (de) no matter if the word is masculine or feminine. If a word is neutral, the Dutch designate it with the word het.

We’ll see this in the vocabulary lists below:

 

Dutch Vocabulary For Rooms In A House

Rooms of the house in Dutch

Here are what the main rooms in a house are called in Dutch:

EnglishDutchPronunciation
The houseHet huis
The atticDe zolder
The garageDe garage
BasementDe kelder
The bathroomDe badkamer
Bathroomsbadkamers
The bedroomDe slaapkamer
Bedroomsslaapkamers
The dining roomDe eetkamer
Dining roomseetkamers
The kitchenDe keuken
Kitchenskeukens
The living roomwoonkamer
Living roomswoonkamers
The toilethet toilet / de wc
Toiletstoiletten
Rooms of the house in Dutch

This is a listing with a translation of how to say other rooms or parts of a house in Dutch:

EnglishDutchPronunciation
The balconyDe balkon
BalconiesBalkons
The corridor/hallDe gang
Corridorsgangen
The gardende tuin
Gardenstuinen
The guest roomDe gastenkamer/De logeerkamer
Guest roomsgastenverblijven
The kid’s roomDe kinderkamer
Kid’s roomskinderkamers
The libraryDe bibliotheek
Librariesbibliotheken
The wine cellarDe wijnkelder
Wine cellarswijnkelders
The laundry roomDe wasruimte

 

What Does A House In The Netherlands Look Like?

Rooms of the house in Dutch

Did you know that The Netherlands is Europe’s most densely populated country? It means that detached homes and mansions are very rare. If you are lucky enough to find one, it will cost you an arm and a leg to buy or rent it! 

This is because living space sells at a premium. The rising cost of housing has affected how Dutch houses are built and what they look like.

For most Dutch people, a townhouse is the most popular type of housing. A rijtjeshuis is a two- to three-story home with both a front and back garden, albeit small in size. 

The townhouses are typically built in a continuous block, so there will be at least three homes attached in a row. Longer blocks of multiple attached homes are called row houses.

It’s most common for a Dutch house to have three floors;

  1. The ground floor (De benedenverdieping)
  2. The first floor (De eerste verdieping)
  3. The attic (De zolder)

All houses will have steep and narrow stairs (trap) to save space. The first floor or ground floor is designed in an open concept where there is one large multi-purpose room that may serve as the living room (De woonkamer), bedroom (De slaapkamer), and dining room (De eetkamer) or children’s playroom (kinderkamer)

On the second floor, you’ll find the master bedroom, the main bathroom (badkamer), possibly another bedroom, and another large multi-purpose room.

Houses Have A Standard Blueprint

This means that nearly all homes within the same neighborhood and those within the same value bracket will have an identical blueprint. You always know what you’re getting with a home in The Netherlands!

Interesting Items The Dutch Don’t Have In Their Homes

Rooms of the house in Dutch

There are no built-in closets. In fact, many people use one of the bedrooms as a huge walk-in closet instead!

Dutch houses don’t have an oven (de oven)  because the kitchens are too small to have one. Although, some people use a countertop-sized oven instead.

A toilet is just simply a toilet (de wc)! It’s literally the smallest room ever with just a toilet in it. There’s no sink either! 

What’s equally odd is that the master bathrooms may not have a toilet. Instead, they have only a sink and shower, meaning you’ll have to go downstairs to use the toilet. Also, there are no tubs! There isn’t enough space to have it.

 

Interesting Facts About A House In The Netherlands

What Are Homes In The Netherlands Made Of?

Since the mid-20th century, homes have been built with concrete. Traditional Dutch homes were made with wood framing. However, wood has become quite expensive, and the upkeep is more of a challenge.

What’s great about concrete is that it acts as a sound barrier meaning your home will be very quiet, and you won’t hear your neighbors even though you are attached to them.

Do Homes In The Netherlands Have Modern Amenities?

They definitely do! In fact, all appliances are ‘green’ appliances. Over 40% of the energy in The Netherlands comes from green technology such as solar panels and hydroelectric power. You can expect to find air conditioners, automatic washing machines, and central heating in your home.

Do Houses In The Netherlands Have Basements?

Rooms of the house in Dutch

If you’re from Canada or the US, you’re likely used to homes having a basement. You might be surprised to learn that basements are rare elsewhere in the world. However, many houses in The Netherlands have a basement (De kelder).

Basements are mainly used for storage and sometimes as a laundry room (wasruimte).

 

Visiting Someone’s House: Dutch Etiquette

You must be on time if you’re invited to visit a Dutch home! The Dutch are sticklers for time, and being late is considered rude.

When you arrive, you’ll be invited to the house’s most important room – the living room (De woonkamer)! This room is where all the entertaining takes place.

 

How To Ask Where A Room In A House Is In Dutch

Rooms of the house in Dutch

It’s actually quite simple to ask where a room is in Dutch. All you need to do is put waar is in front of the place you’re looking for.

  • waar is het toilet? (Where is the toilet)
  • waar is de keuken? (Where is the kitchen?)
  • waar is de logeerkamer?? (Where is the guest room?)

 

Ready To Learn More Dutch Vocabulary?!

Now that you know the rooms of the house in Dutch, are you ready to learn more daily use vocabulary in Dutch so you can invite new friends to come to hang out in your huis?

Head over to some of Ling’s other blogs, such as learning numbers in Dutch, how to read time in Dutch, or how to properly introduce yourself in Dutch.

 

Why Should You Learn With Ling?

Learn Dutch with Ling

Ling is a really popular language app with over 10 million downloads. It’s an all-encompassing tool to help you learn the Dutch language, just one of over 60 languages offered by Ling.

Ling offers reading practice as well as audio practice. With all of Ling’s audio recorded by native speakers, you’ll be able to pick up on and learn native pronunciation. You’ll also get to practice speaking with our patented chatbot, which uses AI technology to simulate a real-life conversation.

Undoubtedly though, the best thing about Ling is its intuitive SRS flashcards. They scientifically enhance your vocabulary by transferring memory from short to long term.

And finally, Ling also has writing practice. We have an interactive whiteboard that allows you to touch your phone screen and write the letters of the alphabet of the language you’re studying.

Here at Ling, we also strive to make learning fun! Head on over to check it out and learn even more language skills about how to talk about a Dutch house.

Download Ling today and start speaking confidently in Dutch!

We also recommend an excellent and practical resource to start learning the language easily at your own pace! It’s a free online course created by a qualified native speaker that will teach you how to greet and introduce yourself in Dutch. And if you love it, you can explore beginner to advanced skills by taking the rest of the courses. If this sounds like a good idea for your learning plans, try the free Dutch course out today! 

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