Useful Dutch Words for Autumn

Autumn can be a fascinating season. Before they fall, leaves show off amazing colors, and mushrooms pop up everywhere. So, how do you talk about autumn in Dutch? Here are some important words and… there will be surprises. Some special autumn words have multiple meanings and can also be useful in other contexts…

1. There Are 2 Different Words for Autumn

In English, there are 2 different words for autumn. If you like, you can call it fall. This makes perfect sense, since leaves fall down. The word autumn comes from the French word automne, and although it might sound fancy, it is difficult to explain its real meaning.

Herfst is the Dutch word, and it clearly relates to harvest. Harvest used to be the word people used, until autumn started to replace it. If you imagine herfst as the perfect season to harvest certain things, it’s easy to remember…

If you like, you can combine herfst with many other words. Here are some examples.

• herfstweer (autumn weather)
• herfsttemperatuur (autumn temperature)
• herfstvakantie (autumn holiday, see our guide to school holidays in the Netherlands)
• herfstdepressie (autumn depression)

Another Dutch word that you can use is najaar, literally “afteryear”. You can also find this word in many different combinations with other Dutch words. For example, you have these.

• najaarsjas (jacket)
• najaarskleding (clothing)
• najaarsactie (special deals during autumn)

By the way, now that you know najaar, could you guess what voorjaar means? This is “foryear”, or “beforeyear”, and it means spring, of course.

2. Look Out for Mushrooms!

Paddenstoel is the Dutch word for any mushroom. It combines pad (toad) and stoel (chair), so een paddenstoel is literally a toad chair.

In English, you have a toadstool, but that refers to a very specific type of mushroom. The Dutch name would be vliegenzwam. Although it looks great with that red color and white spots, it is not a good idea to eat it. Strangely, many animals like mice, squirrels, and rabbits eat een vliegenzwam without any problems, but if you, as a human, eat it, you will get intoxicated.

The original meaning of vliegenzwam is “flies mushroom”. One theory suggests that een vliegenzwam contains a special substance, muscarine, that could allegedly be used to kill insects. You might wonder if this is the most effective way to kill the insects you don’t like… Probably there should be better ways…

3. Oh No! This Is Hallucinating!

Many Dutch mushroom names end with -zwam. Vliegenzwam is just one first example.

Zwam seems to be another word for paddenstoel, and only a few Dutch people know the real difference between een paddenstoel and een zwam.

Here is a secret even many Dutch people don’t know… Een paddenstoel is only the part you can see above the ground. But in reality, een zwam is much bigger. It is all the other parts that grow underground in the soil. There is actually a huge network underground. In other words, you can see een paddenstoel as the visible fruit above the ground, and everything else is called een zwam. Here is another way to look at it… “Een paddenstoel is always een zwam, but een zwam is not always een paddenstoel.” Een zwam is always vast…

By the way, would it make sense if a Dutch person said “zwam niet!” to you? It does not mean “mushroom not,” of course. Here is the thing… if you eat certain mushrooms, then they can alter your mind. You start to hallucinate,e and you start to say incoherent things. Nothing that comes out of your mouth makes sense. In everyday life, it also means that you talk stupid nonsense… The whole is zwammen, and it seems a favourite activity of many Dutch politicians and so-called experts on Facebook…

By the way, if you ever want to buy mushrooms, it is also good to know the difference between paddenstoelen and paddo’s. Sure… Paddo’s is easier to pronounce, but… paddo’s are always magic mushrooms, and they tend to affect your mind…

4. When Autumn Leaves…

The Dutch word for leaf is blad, and it means just one leaf. But… be careful! Een blad can also be a magazine. It gets trickier if you want to put blad in plural. Bladen are magazines and bladeren are the leaves of a plant or a tree.

By the way, did you know that bladzijde, literally “leafside”, is the Dutch word for page? If you like, you can always use pagina, of course, which could be easier, but… there is a subtle difference… Een bladzijde is a page for a book and een pagina is for a magazine or a newspaper.

5. Why Een Eekhoorn May Surprise You…

Could you guess what eekhoorn means? It may remind you of an acorn, and yes… it is exactly what this animal eats and collects. Eekhoorn, however, means squirrel. If you like to talk about an acorn, then you need to use the word eikel…

If you are in traffic, then you may hear the word eikel now and then, certainly when you are a man. If Dutch people call you een eikel, it is never a compliment. It means that you are stupid. If you enjoy this kind of language, take a look at our fun Dutch words to tease your friends and family.

Last but not least, in English, a squirrel… it collects more than it needs right now, but… once you realize winter is coming, then squirreling is actually quite a good idea. Our list of 10 words to use during the Dutch winter is a good place to continue.

In Dutch we think of another animal, een hamster. Hamsteren! means that it is time to hoard and to buy more than you need. That is why you often see those animals in the Albert Heijn supermarket… Although they look cute, they do have an important function… Their most important goal is to make sure that you spend much more money!

Which herfstwoord do you like the most? What do you think of autumn in the Netherlands? Please share your thoughts here…

When you are ready to take the next step, check out Dutch Brainwash. This masterclass is a tried-and-true program that can revolutionize your Dutch.

Albert Both

Talencoach / Dutch Flow Now