You’ve cycled across town for the famous bakery. You reach the counter, already picturing that warm appeltaart. The baker points to a little sign: uitverkocht. Sold out. Your Dutch lesson has just become an emotional event.
Good news: this is a small, useful word you’ll meet everywhere, from bakeries to concert ticket pages. And unlike some Dutch words, it does exactly what it says on the tin.
What does ‘uitverkocht’ mean?
Uitverkocht means “sold out.” It comes from uit, here suggesting something is gone or used up, and verkopen, “to sell.” You’ll see it on a handwritten card beside the last loaf, or online when the tickets vanish faster than your lunch break.
De kaartjes voor het concert zijn uitverkocht. (The tickets for the concert are sold out.)
There’s a practical distinction worth knowing. If a shop has no more of an item right now, Dutch speakers may say op or niet op voorraad, meaning “gone” or “out of stock.” Uitverkocht is especially common when the available items or tickets have all been sold.
Your polite plan B
When the thing you wanted has disappeared, don’t panic or dramatically collapse onto the stroopwafels. Ask whether it’ll be available again, or whether there’s an alternative.
Is dit morgen weer verkrijgbaar? (Will this be available again tomorrow?)
Heeft u misschien iets vergelijkbaars? (Do you perhaps have something similar?)
That second question is especially handy at a market or shop. It’s polite, clear, and gives the other person a chance to rescue your afternoon with a different cake, cheese, or pair of socks you didn’t know you needed.
Three words for a minor shopping tragedy
- uitverkocht: sold out, all the available items have been sold
- op: gone or used up, often said casually about a product
- niet op voorraad: out of stock, not currently available in inventory
At a café, you might hear Sorry, de appeltaart is op, “Sorry, the apple pie is gone.” On a website, niet op voorraad is the more practical little heartbreak. And uitverkocht is the word staring back at you when the last concert ticket has found a new owner.
Make the moment useful
Here’s my teacher trick: when you see a Dutch sign, don’t just translate it and move on. Make one sentence you could actually use. De broodjes zijn uitverkocht, dus ik neem een croissant. (The rolls are sold out, so I’ll have a croissant.) Congratulations, you have just turned disappointment into breakfast vocabulary.
Want a low-pressure way to check which everyday Dutch skills are already solid? Try the Dutch level assessment. And if you’re building a regular practice habit, browse the Dutch practice tools for something that fits your day.
Vocabulary table
| Dutch | English | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| uitverkocht | sold out | De kaartjes zijn uitverkocht. |
| verkopen | to sell | Ze verkopen hier vers brood. |
| op | gone, used up | De melk is op. |
| niet op voorraad | out of stock | Deze maat is niet op voorraad. |
| verkrijgbaar | available | Is dit ook online verkrijgbaar? |
| misschien | perhaps | Heeft u misschien een andere kleur? |
| vergelijkbaar | similar | Heeft u iets vergelijkbaars? |
| het kaartje | the ticket | Ik heb mijn kaartje al gekocht. |
| de voorraad | the stock, supply | De voorraad is bijna op. |
| het broodje | the roll, sandwich | Ik neem een broodje kaas. |
| de croissant | the croissant | Ik neem een croissant. |
| de winkel | the shop | De winkel sluit om zes uur. |
FAQ
Is ‘uitverkocht’ the same as ‘op’?
They can overlap, but uitverkocht means the available items have been sold. Op simply means something is gone or used up.
How do I ask when something will be back?
Say Wanneer is dit weer verkrijgbaar?, meaning “When will this be available again?”
Can I use ‘uitverkocht’ for concert tickets?
Absolutely. De tickets zijn uitverkocht means “The tickets are sold out.”
Next time you meet that little sign, you’ll know what it says and what to ask next. Goed bezig, and may your next bakery visit end with pie.