You want to hang a shelf, fix a door, or paint a room, so off you go to the bouwmarkt (DIY/hardware store), Gamma, Praxis, and hit a wall of Dutch: aisles of schroeven, pluggen, kwasten, and a helpful staffer asking what your klus is. Here is the vocabulary to find what you need, and get the surprisingly good advice on offer.
What a bouwmarkt is
A bouwmarkt is the Dutch DIY/hardware store. As overviews of bouwmarkten explain, the big names are Gamma and Praxis, and they sell gereedschap (tools), drills, hammers, pliers, plus materials: screws, nails, wood, tiles, paint, wallpaper and flooring. It is your one-stop shop for any home project.
The core vocabulary
This is the part that trips up newcomers, the small, specific words:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| schroeven | screws |
| spijkers | nails |
| pluggen | wall plugs |
| boor / boormachine | drill bit / drill |
| gereedschap | tools |
| verf | paint |
| kwast / roller | brush / roller |
| schuurpapier | sandpaper |
| lijm | glue |
As Gamma’s screw assortment shows, there are many types (wood screws, drywall screws, etc.), so naming the job helps staff point you to the right one.
Asking for what you need (and advice)
The two magic phrases:
- “Waar vind ik schroeven?” (Where are the screws?)
- “Wat heb ik nodig om een plank op te hangen?” (What do I need to hang a shelf?)
And lean on the staff: a real perk of the bouwmarkt is klusadvies (DIY-project advice). As Praxis highlights its project help, and as Gamma staff do too, they will recommend the right screws, plugs or paint for your klus (job) and tell you how to tackle it. Praxis will even mix verf to any colour from samples. Describe the project and let them guide you, it saves buying the wrong thing twice.
The vocabulary of the project
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de klus / klussen | the DIY job / to do DIY |
| ophangen | to hang up |
| boren | to drill |
| schilderen | to paint |
| de muur | the wall |
| op maat (gezaagd) | (cut) to size |
Where it connects
The bouwmarkt is part of the home-and-shopping Dutch family, alongside finding help in big stores like IKEA and the fitting room for clothes. And it is the self-service side of home maintenance, whereas a bigger problem means calling in a pro, the plumber for a leak, the electrician for the meterkast, or your landlord about a broken cv-ketel boiler.
The bottom line
The Dutch bouwmarkt (Gamma, Praxis) is a goldmine for any home project, if you can name what you need: schroeven (screws), spijkers (nails), pluggen (plugs), verf (paint), gereedschap (tools). Ask “waar vind ik…?” and “wat heb ik nodig voor…?”, and use the staff’s klusadvies. Learn the DIY words, describe your klus, and you’ll leave with exactly the right materials, instead of three trips and the wrong screws.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the DIY-and-home Dutch a bouwmarkt trip needs, schroeven, spijkers, verf, gereedschap, klus by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can find the right materials and get useful advice instead of wandering the aisles guessing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bouwmarkt and what does it sell?
A bouwmarkt is a Dutch DIY/hardware store, like Gamma or Praxis. It sells tools (gereedschap) such as drills, hammers and pliers, and materials like screws, nails, wall plugs, paint, wood, tiles and flooring. Staff also give klus (DIY project) advice and mix paint to any colour you want. It is where you go for any home repair or improvement project.
What Dutch words do I need at a hardware store?
Core ones: schroeven (screws), spijkers (nails), pluggen (wall plugs), boor (drill bit), gereedschap (tools), verf (paint), kwast/roller (brush/roller), schuurpapier (sandpaper), and lijm (glue). Useful phrases: ‘Waar vind ik schroeven?’ (Where are the screws?) and ‘Wat heb ik nodig om dit op te hangen?’ (What do I need to hang this?). Staff can advise on the right type and size.
Can I get DIY advice at Gamma or Praxis?
Yes, that is part of the service. Bouwmarkt staff are there to give klusadvies (DIY-project advice): they will recommend the right screws, plugs or paint for your job and how to approach it, and Praxis, for example, mixes paint to any colour from samples. Just describe your project (‘ik wil een plank ophangen’, I want to hang a shelf) and ask what you need. It saves buying the wrong thing.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for DIY and home projects?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the DIY-and-home Dutch a bouwmarkt trip needs, schroeven, spijkers, verf, gereedschap, klus, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you find the right materials and get useful advice instead of wandering the aisles guessing.
