mandje

Mandje is a Dutch noun meaning a small basket, typically woven from wicker or rattan, though versions made of straw or plastic are common in modern usage. It is the diminutive form of mand, meaning basket, and its etymology traces to a West Germanic root for containers. Mandjes are used to carry or present items in everyday life, such as a fruit mandje, bread mandje, or a small shopping basket. In the Netherlands and Belgium, a mandje is the handheld container customers use for groceries before paying; larger purchases are placed in winkelwagen, the shopping cart.

Materials and sizes vary, from compact, hand-held baskets to decorative or reusable containers used at the table or for gifts. Mandjes are commonly found in kitchens and markets as practical containers and can also serve ceremonial or decorative roles, such as bread baskets at meals or gift presentations. They are used for organizing small items, carrying snacks, or presenting items neatly in social or retail settings.

Etymology and related terms: The word mandje is formed by adding the diminutive suffix -je to mand (basket). This diminutive usage is common in Dutch to indicate a smaller or more everyday version of an object. Related Dutch terms include mand (basket) and winkelwagen (shopping cart). In other languages, cognate concepts exist, such as German Körbchen or Korb, English basket, and French panier, which describe similar small containers.