Trying on a shirt | Learn Dutch in English

Dutch lesson set in a contemporary Amsterdam everyday setting: In a clothing shop, a customer asks about a shirt, tries it on, and checks the fit..

EN → NL / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Trying on a shirt to practice Dutch conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ik heb een nieuw shirt nodig.

ik hep uhn NYOO SHIRT NOH-dikh. I need a new shirt.
B

Welke kleur zoekt u?

VELL-kuh klur SOOKT uu? What color are you looking for?
A

Iets blauws, als u het heeft.

EETS BLAH-owss, ahls uu uht HAYFT. Something blue, if you have it.
B

Hier is er een in uw maat.

HEER iss uhr uhn in uuv MAHT. Here is one in your size.
A

Kan ik het passen?

kahn ik uht PAH-suhn? Can I try it on?
B

De paskamer is hier.

duh PAHS-kah-mur iss HEER. The changing room is just over here.
A

Het past heel goed.

uht PAHST HAYL KHOOT. It fits really well.
B

Het staat u goed.

uht STAHT uu KHOOT. It looks nice on you.

Word by Word

Ik Ik means “I” in the sentence “Ik heb een nieuw shirt nodig.” It is the form used for the speaker and comes at the beginning here. Use Ik as the subject when talking about yourself, including when expressing a need.
heb In “Ik heb een nieuw shirt nodig”, heb contributes the verb form used with Ik; together with nodig, the expression means “I need”. Its citation form is hebben. Reuse the pattern Ik heb ... nodig when saying that you need something, such as an item in a shop.
een Een means “a” in “een nieuw shirt” and means “one” in “er een”. Before nieuw shirt, it introduces one unspecified shirt; after er, it refers to one available item. Use een before an unspecified singular item or to refer back to one item without repeating the noun.
nieuw Nieuw describes the shirt as new in “een nieuw shirt”. It tells the listener what kind of shirt the speaker needs. Use it before a noun when describing something as new, especially when asking for a new item in a shop.
shirt Shirt means “shirt” in “een nieuw shirt”. It is the clothing item the customer wants to buy and later tries on. Use shirt when naming this type of clothing in a shopping conversation.
nodig Nodig means “needed” in “Ik heb een nieuw shirt nodig”; together with heb, it expresses the speaker’s need. It completes the reusable expression Ik heb ... nodig, with the needed item in the middle. A customer can use this pattern to say what they need in a shop.
Welke Welke asks “which” or “what” in “Welke kleur zoekt u?” It introduces the choice being requested, here the color. Use Welke before a noun when asking someone to choose or specify one option in a shop.
kleur Kleur means “color” in “Welke kleur zoekt u?” It identifies the property the shop assistant is asking about. Use kleur after Welke to ask which color someone wants, or when discussing the color of an item.
zoekt Zoekt means “is looking for” in “Welke kleur zoekt u?” It describes what the customer is looking for, namely a color. Its citation form is zoeken. A shop assistant can use zoekt when asking a customer what they are looking for.
u U means formal “you” in “Welke kleur zoekt u?” and “Het staat u goed.” It addresses the customer politely and is also the person connected with the clothing in the second expression. Use u when speaking politely to a customer or another person addressed formally.
Iets Iets means “something” in “Iets blauws”. It leaves the exact item or shade unspecified while indicating that the speaker wants something with the stated quality. Use iets when referring to an unspecified thing, including when making a general request in a shop.
blauws Blauws means “blue” in “Iets blauws”, giving the meaning “something blue”. After iets, the adjective has the form blauws to describe the unspecified thing. A customer can use this construction when asking for an item of an unspecified type but a specified color.
als Als means “if” in “als u het heeft.” It introduces the condition that the shop has the requested blue item. Use als before a condition when making a request that depends on availability, such as asking whether an item is in stock.
het Het refers to the shirt or item already understood in “als u het heeft”, “Kan ik het passen?”, and “Het past heel goed.” Its meaning changes with the surrounding expression, but here it keeps referring to the item being discussed. Use het to refer back to an understood item instead of repeating its name.
heeft Heeft means “has” in “als u het heeft”, so the clause asks whether the shop has the item. Its citation form is hebben, and heeft is the form used here with u. A shop assistant or customer can use this form when discussing whether something is available.
Hier Hier means “here” in “Hier is er een in uw maat.” It directs the customer’s attention to an item that is present or available at the indicated place. Use hier when showing someone where an item or place is.
is Is means “is” in “Hier is er een in uw maat” and “De paskamer is hier.” In the first sentence it helps present an available item, while in the second it links the changing room with its location. Its citation form is zijn. Use is to state where a singular item or place is.
er Er helps present an available item in “Hier is er een in uw maat”; together with een, it means that there is one in the customer’s size. It does not name the shirt again because the item is already understood. Use er in a construction that presents something as available or present.
in In means “in” in “in uw maat”, where it indicates that the shirt is available in the customer’s size. Here it describes the available size rather than a physical location inside something. Use in with a size when saying that clothing is available in someone’s size.
uw Uw means formal “your” in “uw maat”. It identifies the size as belonging to the customer being addressed politely. Use uw when referring respectfully to something belonging to a formally addressed person.
maat Maat means “size” in “in uw maat”. It tells the customer that the available shirt corresponds to their clothing size. Use maat when asking about or identifying the size of clothing in a shop.
Kan Kan means “can” or “may” at the beginning of “Kan ik het passen?” It makes the question a request for permission to try on the item. Its citation form is kunnen. Use Kan ik ...? when politely asking whether you may do something.
passen Passen means “try on” in “Kan ik het passen?” It follows Kan and names the action the customer wants permission to perform. Its citation form is passen. A customer can use this verb when asking to try on clothing in a shop.
De De means “the” in “De paskamer is hier”. It introduces the specific changing room being identified for the customer. Use de before a noun when referring to a particular place or item, as in the changing room mentioned here.
paskamer Paskamer means “changing room” in “De paskamer is hier”. It names the place where the customer can try on the shirt. A shop assistant can use paskamer when directing a customer to the place for trying on clothes.
past Past means “fits” in “Het past heel goed.” It describes how well the shirt fits the person wearing it. Its citation form is passen. Use past with clothing when giving feedback about whether an item fits.
heel Heel strengthens goed in “Het past heel goed”, making the evaluation “fits really well” or “fits very well”. It indicates a high degree rather than naming a separate feature of the shirt. Use heel before an adjective or adverb when you want to express a strong degree.
goed Goed means “well” in “Het past heel goed” and contributes the positive evaluation in “Het staat u goed.” In the first expression it describes the quality of the fit, while heel strengthens it. Use goed in feedback when something fits or looks favorable.
staat In “Het staat u goed”, staat is the verb form used in the expression meaning that the shirt looks good on the customer. The item is expressed by Het, the wearer by u, and goed gives the positive evaluation. Its citation form is staan. Use this word order when complimenting how a clothing item looks on someone.

Grammar Points

iets + adjectief op -s

iets blauws

EETS BLAH-owss

something blue

After iets, an adjective often gets an -s ending: blauw becomes blauws.

Dutch Vocabulary

als conj
AHLS if

Iets blauws, als u het heeft.

blauw adj
BLAH-ow blue blauws

Iets blauws, als u het heeft.

hebben verb
HEHP-buhn to have heb

Ik heb een nieuw shirt nodig.

hier adv
HEER here

Hier is er een in uw maat.

iets pron
EETS something

Iets blauws, als u het heeft.

kleur noun
klur color

Welke kleur zoekt u?

nieuw adj
NYOO new

Ik heb een nieuw shirt nodig.

nodig adj
NOH-dikh needed; necessary

Ik heb een nieuw shirt nodig.

shirt noun
SHIRT shirt

Ik heb een nieuw shirt nodig.

u pron
uu you

Welke kleur zoekt u?

welke det
VELL-kuh which; what

Welke kleur zoekt u?

zoeken verb
ZOO-kuhn to look for; to search zoekt

Welke kleur zoekt u?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I need a new shirt.

Show AnswerIk heb een nieuw shirt nodig.

What color are you looking for?

Show AnswerWelke kleur zoekt u?

Something blue, if you have it.

Show AnswerIets blauws, als u het heeft.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

new

Show Answernieuw

to look for; to search

Show Answerzoekt

something

Show Answeriets

which; what

Show Answerwelke