Buying clothes seems simple until you are standing in a Dutch shop, unsure how to ask for the fitting room, whether a maat 38 is your size, or how to get a bigger one. The pashokje (fitting room) is a small everyday language test. Here is the Dutch to find your fit, swap a size, and return what does not work.
Getting into the pashokje
First, the fitting room itself. As Dutch shopping terminology shows, the pashokje (also paskamer, kleedhokje) is the changing booth. To use it:
- “Waar is het pashokje?” (Where is the fitting room?)
- “Mag ik dit passen?” (May I try this on?)
Staff may ask “hoeveel stuks?” (how many items?) at the entrance, common in clothing shops.
Mind the maat (size)
A key gotcha: Dutch sizing follows continental European sizes, which differ from the UK, US and elsewhere, as shopping guides note on sizes varying by country. So do not assume your usual number. Check the maat (size), and when it is off, ask:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| een maatje groter | a size bigger |
| een maatje kleiner | a size smaller |
| het past niet | it doesn’t fit |
| het is te klein / te groot | it’s too small / too big |
| welke maat heeft u? | which sizes do you have? |
| heeft u dit in een andere kleur? | do you have this in another colour? |
A useful line: “Het past niet, heeft u dit een maatje groter?” And if unsure which size matches your usual one, just ask staff.
When it doesn’t work: ruilen and retour
Bought it and it’s wrong? You have options:
- In-store: many shops let you ruilen (exchange) or return within their policy, so keep the bon (receipt).
- Online: you have the statutory 14-day right to return for any reason (see knowing your warranty and return rights), so ill-fitting clothes are easily sent back.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| ruilen | to exchange |
| retourneren | to return |
| de bon / kassabon | receipt |
| terugbetaling | refund |
Where it connects
The fitting room is part of the everyday-shopping Dutch family, alongside knowing your warranty and consumer rights, finding help in a big store, and the personal-service appointments like the hairdresser. For a very different kind of shop, the same ask-for-help confidence works at the bouwmarkt for nails, screws and paint. One small vocabulary covers a surprising amount of daily life.
The bottom line
Trying clothes on in the Netherlands runs on a few words: ask for the pashokje, check the maat (Dutch sizes differ from home), and request een maatje groter/kleiner when it’s off, with “het past niet” for the obvious. If it’s wrong, ruilen in store (keep the bon) or use your 14-day online return. Learn pashokje, maat, past niet, and ruilen, and you’ll walk out with clothes that actually fit, not a bag of “I’ll deal with it later.”
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the everyday shopping Dutch the fitting room needs, pashokje, maat, past niet, ruilen by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can find your fit and sort a return instead of silently buying the wrong size.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask for the fitting room and a different size in Dutch?
For the fitting room: ‘Waar is het pashokje?’ (Where is the fitting room?) or ‘Mag ik dit passen?’ (May I try this on?). For sizes: ‘Heeft u dit een maatje groter?’ (a size bigger) or ‘een maatje kleiner’ (a size smaller). If it doesn’t fit, ‘het past niet’ (it doesn’t fit) or ‘het is te klein/groot’ (too small/big). Staff will happily fetch another maat (size).
Are Dutch clothing sizes different from other countries?
Yes, sizing varies by country, so check the maat (size) rather than assuming. A Dutch size roughly follows continental European sizing, which differs from UK, US and even neighbouring countries. Because of this, trying things on in the pashokje (fitting room) matters, and so does knowing how to ask for a size up or down. When in doubt, ask staff which size matches your usual one.
Can I return clothes that don’t fit in the Netherlands?
Usually yes. In-store, many shops let you ruilen (exchange) or return within their policy, keep the receipt (bon). For online clothing purchases you have the statutory 14-day right of withdrawal, so you can return for any reason within 14 days and get a refund. Check the specific shop’s return window, but ill-fitting clothes are a standard, accepted reason to bring something back.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for clothes shopping?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the everyday shopping Dutch the fitting room needs, pashokje, maat, past niet, ruilen, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can find your fit and sort a return instead of silently buying the wrong size.
