Boodschappen doen in 2020 vs nu: inflatie shock

Why do Dutch speakers say “bonnetje” instead of “bon” for a receipt?

Dutch reaches for diminutives constantly, even when nothing is small. Bonnetje (“little receipt”) is the everyday Dutch word for any shopping receipt, even a long one. It comes from bon (the receipt itself) plus the diminutive ending -tje. Dutch speakers slip the diminutive into other store words too: zakje (a small bag), kaartje (a ticket), koffietje (a coffee). The endings soften the noun and make the speaker sound friendlier; Netherlands Dutch is famous for this.

In this clip, a Dutch shopper holds up a bonnetje uit 2020 (“a 2020 receipt”) and compares prices to today: butter up 40%, mushrooms up 40%, fresh fries up 81%. The receipt becomes a small documentary of inflation.