Learning to drive is stressful in your own language. Doing it while your rij-instructeur (driving instructor) fires commands at you in Dutch, at a busy junction, is another level. The good news: in-car Dutch is a small, repeated vocabulary. Learn it and the commands land in time instead of a panicked beat too late. Here is the rijles survival kit.
The pedals: koppeling, rem, gas
Most Dutch lessons are still in a manual car, so start with the pedals. As Dutch driving-school guides set out, left to right they are:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de koppeling | the clutch (left) |
| de rem | the brake (middle) |
| het gas | the accelerator (right) |
You press the koppeling to schakelen (change gear) or stop without stalling, brake with the middle, and accelerate with the right. Your instructor’s commands constantly reference these: “koppeling intrappen” (press the clutch), “rem!”, “gas erbij” (more gas).
The commands you’ll hear
The instructions come fast and repeat all lesson. As Dutch driving-vocabulary resources list, the core set:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| spiegel | (check your) mirror |
| links / rechts | left / right |
| afslaan | to turn off |
| optrekken / wegrijden | pull away |
| schakelen | change gear |
| stoppen | stop |
| voorrang | right of way |
| rotonde | roundabout |
“Spiegel, richting aangeven, afslaan” (mirror, indicate, turn) is the rhythm of half your lesson. The mirrors themselves: de achteruitkijkspiegel (rear-view), de zijspiegel (side mirror).
Dutch or English lessons?
You have options. As the official guidance on Dutch driving instructors notes, instructors are certified professionals, and some rijscholen offer lessons and CBR exams with English support, which many expats use. But plenty of lessons happen in Dutch, and the in-car vocabulary helps either way, the mirrors, gears and turns are the same in any language.
Where it connects
The rijles is the practical-skills half of getting on the road; the theory and test vocabulary live in the CBR driving-test guide, and converting an existing licence is covered in the kennismigrant cheat sheet. Once you are driving, the rest of Dutch road life follows, including the BOA and parking rules. And like the children’s zwemdiploma, the Dutch rijbewijs (driving licence) is one of those certificates the system genuinely runs on.
The bottom line
A Dutch rijles runs on a small, fast, repeated vocabulary: the pedals (koppeling, rem, gas), the commands (spiegel, links, rechts, afslaan, optrekken, stoppen), and the road words (voorrang, rotonde). Learn that dozen and your instructor’s instructions arrive with time to act, not after the junction. Whether you test in Dutch or English, knowing the in-car words turns a white-knuckle lesson into one you can actually follow.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the in-car Dutch a rijles runs on, koppeling, rem, spiegel, links, rechts, afslaan by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can make the instructor’s commands land instantly instead of a beat too late.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Dutch words for the car pedals?
In a manual car, the pedals from left to right are: de koppeling (clutch), de rem (brake) and het gas (accelerator). You press the koppeling to change gears (schakelen) or stop without stalling, brake with the middle pedal, and accelerate with the right. Knowing these is essential because your instructor’s commands during a rijles centre on them: ‘koppeling intrappen’, ‘rem’, ‘gas erbij’.
What commands will my Dutch driving instructor use?
Fast, repeated ones. Expect spiegel (check your mirror), links/rechts (left/right), afslaan (turn off), optrekken or wegrijden (pull away), schakelen (change gear), and stoppen. Also voorrang (right of way) and rotonde (roundabout). The instructions are short and constant, so once you know a dozen words you can follow a lesson and react in time, instead of translating in the middle of a junction.
Do I need to take driving lessons in Dutch in the Netherlands?
Not necessarily, some driving schools (rijschool) offer lessons and the CBR theory and practical exams with English support, which many expats use. But many lessons happen in Dutch, and knowing the core in-car vocabulary helps regardless, since the practical realities (mirrors, gears, turns) are the same. Learning the key commands makes lessons smoother whether you test in Dutch or English.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for driving lessons?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the in-car Dutch a rijles runs on, koppeling, rem, spiegel, links, rechts, afslaan, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so the instructor’s commands make instant sense instead of arriving a beat too late.
