afval
/ˈɑfɑl/Belgium, neuter
Garbage in Dutch can be expressed as several words, with afval being the default form. Wiktionary also lists huisvuil and vuilnis.
Meaning: waste material (noun)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| afval | /ˈɑfɑl/ | Belgium, neuter |
| huisvuil | neuter | |
| vuilnis | /ˈvœy̯l.nɪs/ | feminine, neuter |
| vuil | /vœy̯l/ | neuter |
The term for garbage varies depending on whether you are referring to general waste, household refuse or using more casual language. While afval covers a broad range of waste or refuse, more specific terms exist for daily life.
Which one should you use?
afval is a broad term for waste or refuse, often used in official or industrial contexts. vuilnis is a common term for garbage, often used in compound words like vuilnisbak (garbage can). huisvuil specifically refers to household garbage rather than general waste.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium, afval is a common term for garbage.
How does it change in a sentence?
afval and huisvuil are neuter nouns. vuil is also a neuter noun. vuilnis can be used as both a feminine and a neuter noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɑfɑl/
Did you know?
- The Dutch word afval shares the same root as the English word 'offal' and originally described the scraps that fell off during the slaughter of animals.
- Dutch culture emphasizes 'afval scheiden', the strict sorting of waste into paper, plastic, organic and residual bins, often with strong social pressure to do it correctly.
- While afval is used in both the Netherlands and Belgium, people in Belgium use it much more frequently for everyday household garbage than people in the Netherlands do.
Examples in context
- Er was overal afval.Garbage was everywhere.This sentence is useful for describing the presence of afval.Tatoeba #7786798 by Micsmithel, translation #4494516 by CK
- Uw vuilnisbak staat in brand.Your garbage can is on fire.This sentence shows how to use vuilnis in the context of a garbage can.Tatoeba #5776463 by simonbr, translation #3723297 by CM
- Ze behandelden hem als grof vuil.They treated him like garbage.This sentence demonstrates the figurative use of vuil.Tatoeba #10320346 by doemaar14, translation #9630716 by Nylez
- Ik moet al die troep opruimen.I have to clean up all this garbage.
- Gooi je rommel in de prullenbak.Throw your garbage in the trash can.
- Wat een rommel!What a mess!
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daan and Julia are cleaning up their shared backyard.
- DaanJulia, wat doen we met dit afval?Julia, what do we do with this waste?
- JuliaZet het maar in de grote bak, Daan.Just put it in the large bin, Daan.
- DaanIs dat de bak voor het afval?Is that the bin for the waste?
- JuliaJa, die is voor alles wat we weggooien.Yes, that one is for everything we throw away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garbage” translations and entries afval, huisvuil, vuilnis, vuil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries afval, huisvuil, vuil, vuilnis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
