ashtray [noun] [de asbak, de asbakken] [‘as-bak’]

"Asbak" is composed of "as" and "bak", which respectively translate to "ash" and "bin/tray/container".

Examples:
– "Ober, mag ik een asbak van u?"
("Waiter, can you get me an ashtray (please)?" Lit.: "…may I an ashtray from you?" Note that the usage of "ober" to address the waiter is a bit obsolete 🙂 )

– "Schat heb je weer gerookt? Je ruikt naar asbak…"
("Baby have you been smoking again? You smell like an ashtray…")

– "Stink jij ook altijd naar asbak ‘s ochtends, als je tot laat in de kroeg hebt gestaan?"
("Do you also smell like an ashtray in the morning, when you’ve been in a bar until late?" Lit.: "…when you’ve stood in the bar…")

– "Waarom gooi je die peuk nou op de grond? Er staat een asbak recht voor je neus!"
("Now why do you throw that stub on the floor? There’s an ashtray right in front of your nose!")

Related words:
– "Sigaret": cigarette.
– "Peuk": fag, smoke / butt, stub.
– "Aansteker": lighter.

1. easy, simple, facile [adjective/adverb] [‘ma-ku-luk’]

"Makkelijk" is the opposite of "moeilijk": "difficult, hard". You will also often hear the synonym "gemakkelijk". Even though they are used interchangeably, "gemakkelijk" is more often used for the level of effort it takes to do something, as opposed to for example the level of an exam (but then again, you can use "gemakkelijk" there too. Hmm.)

Note that you can also use "makkelijk" for a person, see the Examples.

Examples:
– "Dit was de makkelijkste toets Nederlands die ik ooit heb gemaakt!"
("This was the easiest Dutch test that I ever made!" Note that the comparative of "makkelijk" is "makkelijker" and the superlative is "makkelijkst".)

– "Jij hebt makkelijk praten, jij hebt geld zat."
("It’s easy enough for you to talk like that, you have plenty of money.")

– "Een leugentje hier en daar vindt hij niet zo’n probleem, hij is daar nogal gemakkelijk in."
("He doesn’t have a problem with lying, he’s quite easy-going about it." Lit: "A lie here and there he finds not such a problem, he’s quite easy in that".)

– "Marc kan het met iedereen goed vinden, hij is gewoon gemakkelijk in de omgang!"
("Marc gets along with everybody, he is just easy to get along with!" Note the expression "het goed met iemand kunnen vinden": to get on with somebody (well).)

Related words:
– "Moeilijk": difficult,
hard.
– "Simpel": simple;
simpel can also have a negative denotation: dumb.
– "Vergemakkelijken": to simplify,
to facilitate.

Extra:

A few years ago, the
Dutch Tax Authorities ("De belastingdienst") introduced the following slogan : "Leuker kunnen we het
niet maken, wel makkelijker", which translates to "We cannot make it more fun, but we
can make it easier" (to pay your taxes). Not everyone agreed 😉

2. comfortable [adjective] [‘ma-ku-luk’]

The synonym "gemakkelijk" can also have the meaning of "comfortable", see the Examples below.

Examples:
– "Ik denk dat ik even wat gemakkelijks aantrek."
("I think I’ll put on something comfortable.")

– "Maak het jezelf gemakkelijk, ik kom zo bij je."
("Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be right with you.")

This DWOTD was written by guest author Laura.