Dutch supermarkets are full of bright tags promising savings, but the deals have their own shorthand, and not every “offer” is actually cheaper. Learn the words and you will spot the genuine discounts and skip the traps.
The offer words
| Dutch | Meaning |
|---|---|
| de aanbieding | offer / sale |
| de bonus | Albert Heijn’s word for an offer |
| de korting | discount |
| afgeprijsd | marked down |
| gratis | free |
| op = op | when it’s gone, it’s gone |
Aanbieding is the general word; bonus is specifically Albert Heijn’s term, splashed on shelf tags. Crucially, many bonus deals only apply if you scan the free Bonuskaart or the AH app, otherwise you pay full price. Other chains use aanbieding the same way. This sits alongside the older AH koopzegels savings stamps.
The multi-buy deals
The phrases that look like maths:
| Dutch | Means |
|---|---|
| 2 halen, 1 betalen | take 2, pay for 1 |
| 2e halve prijs | second item half price |
| 1 + 1 gratis | buy one, get one free |
| 3 voor , 5 | three for 5 euro |
| 25% korting | 25% off |
These only save you money if you want the quantity. For perishables, a 1+1 gratis on yoghurt is no bargain if half goes off, so check the date (more below). Consumer body Consumentenbond regularly warns that bulk deals are not automatically cheaper.
Read the unit price: per stuk vs per kilo
The single most useful habit: look at the small print price on the shelf label, shown per stuk (per item), per kilo or per liter. That unit price lets you compare a “deal” against a normal pack:
- A big aanbieding pack can cost more per kilo than the standard size.
- The unit price cuts through the marketing instantly.
This is the same numeracy you use for reading prices and the comma-decimal.
The end-of-day discounts
Near closing time, shops mark down short-dated items with stickers, often 35% or 50% korting. Check the date words:
| Dutch | Meaning |
|---|---|
| THT (tenminste houdbaar tot) | best before |
| TGT (te gebruiken tot) | use by (stricter) |
| afgeprijsd / nu , X | marked down to , X |
These are great value if you will eat the item soon, which connects to reading the THT and TGT dates on packaging.
Loyalty cards and apps
Many discounts hinge on a loyalty card or app: the AH Bonuskaart, Jumbo’s app, Lidl Plus. They are free, so it is worth having the one for your usual shop. Newcomer guides like IamExpat note that without the card, advertised bonus prices simply do not apply at the till.
Where it connects
Supermarket savvy sits with the rest of shopping Dutch: getting through the Albert Heijn queue, the koopzegels savings stamps, reading prices, and knowing the shop opening hours so you catch the markdowns.
The bottom line
Decode the deals: aanbieding and bonus mean “on offer” (bonus often needs the loyalty card), korting is a discount, and 2 halen 1 betalen / 2e halve prijs / 1+1 gratis are multi-buys worth it only if you want the quantity. Compare the per stuk / per kilo unit price to spot fake savings, grab the dated markdowns if you will eat them soon, and carry the free loyalty card for your usual shop.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the offer and shelf-label words, aanbieding, bonus, korting, 2 halen 1 betalen, per stuk vs per kilo, in five-minute lessons built on real supermarket trips, so you spot a genuine deal and skip the fake ones.
Frequently asked questions
What does ‘bonus’ mean in a Dutch supermarket?
At Albert Heijn, bonus is the word for a special offer or sale item, marked with bright tags on the shelf. Many bonus deals only apply if you have the free Bonuskaart or the AH app scanned at checkout, otherwise you pay full price. Other supermarkets use aanbieding (offer) for the same idea. So bonus equals ‘on offer’, but check whether you need the loyalty card for the discount to count.
What does ‘2 halen 1 betalen’ and ‘2e halve prijs’ mean?
2 halen, 1 betalen means ‘take 2, pay for 1’, so effectively buy-one-get-one-free across two items. 2e halve prijs means the second item is half price, and 1+1 gratis means buy one and get a second free. These multi-buy deals only save money if you actually want the quantity, so for perishables check the houdbaarheidsdatum (use-by date) before stocking up.
How do I tell if a Dutch supermarket deal is really cheaper?
Look at the small price-per-unit on the shelf label: prices are shown per stuk (per item), per kilo or per liter, and that unit price lets you compare a ‘deal’ pack against a regular one. A bigger or bundled pack on aanbieding is not always cheaper per kilo. Also check the THT (tenminste houdbaar tot) date on discounted (afgeprijsd) items near closing time, often a sticker with extra korting.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for grocery shopping?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the offer and shelf-label vocabulary you meet every week, aanbieding, bonus, korting, 2 halen 1 betalen, per stuk and per kilo, in five-minute real-situation lessons, so you spot the genuine deals and avoid overspending on fake ones.
