Author Archives: Dutch Gurus

Zeur

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bore, sorehead, nag [noun] [de zeur, de zeuren] [‘zeur‘]

Of course, there’s also a verb derived from "zeur", which is "zeuren": to nag, to whine, see the examples.

Examples:
– "Frank kan soms zo’n zeur zijn tijdens vergaderingen."
("During meetings, Frank can be such a nag." Note that "zo’n" is short for "zo een": ‘such a".)

– "Mannen gebruiken vaak het cliché dat vrouwen veel zeuren."
("Men often use the cliché that women whine a lot.")

– "<Moeder tegen haar kind:> Nu ophouden met zeuren!"
("<Mother to her child:> "Now stop whining!" Note that the infinitive "ophouden" is used as an imperative. In Dutch, there are three possible imperative forms: the ‘regular’ imperative, the infinitive used as an imperative, and the past participle used as an imperative. See also 39. Oprotten. )

– "Zit toch niet zo te zeuren!"
("Don’t be such a sorehead/nag!" Lit.: "Don’t you whine / be whining like that!" Note that "zitten" is not used to express the literal "sitting", but is used to indicate a continuing action – in this case "zeuren".)

Related words:
– "Zeuren": to nag, to whine.
– "Zeurkous": synonym of "zeur": nag.
– "Zeurpiet": synonym of "zeur": nag.
– "Klagen": to complain.
– "Een zeurende pijn": a nagging pain.

Bon

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receipt, ticket (fine), coupon [noun] [de bon, de bonnen] [‘bon‘]

"Bon" is typically used for a receipt in a store, and hopefully it will be the common case for you, as opposed to the "ticket" you might get for a traffic offence. The diminutive "bonnetje" is very common in the meaning of "receipt".

Examples:
– "Uw aankoop kan alleen geruild worden binnen 8 dagen met bon."
("Your purchase can only be exchanged within 8 days upon presentation of a receipt." Literally: "… with a receipt.")

– "Wilt u de bon / het bonnetje?"
("Do you want the receipt?")

– "Je moet je bonnnetje goed bewaren, voor het geval dat er iets mis is!"
("You have to hold on to your receipt, in case something is wrong!")

– "U krijgt van mij een bon voor te hard rijden!"
(<police officer:>"I’m giving you a ticket for speeding!" Literally: "… for driving too fast!")

Expressions:
– "Het is op de bon": it is rationed. Used for food, but obviously not in practice anymore in the Netherlands.
– "Op de bon gaan": to be fined, to receive a ticket (for some kind of traffic offence).
– "Op de bon slingeren": to give somebody a fine/ticket. Literally: to sling on the ticket.

Example:
– "Na het beledigen van de agent, werd de man op de bon geslingerd."
("After having insulted the police officer, the man was fined.")

Related words:
– "Waardebon": voucher.
– "Kassabon": cash register slip.
– "Tegoedbon": credit note.
– "Parkeerbon": parking ticket.
– "Boete": fine, penalty.
– "Bonbon": a chocolate, bonbon (taken from the French but can be pronounced the Dutch way).

Extra:
The return policy of purchased goods in the Netherlands is completely customer unfriendly. Usually it has to be returned within 8 days. Often, stores don’t offer refunds, but want to give you a credit note so that they keep the money in house. We think you can actually refuse this, but they will give you a hard time. They will also try to send your DVD recorder off for repairs in the case that you just bought it 2 hours ago and it didn’t work. Of course you must not accept this 🙂

In any case: bewaar altijd je bonnetje!

Been

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1. leg [noun] [het been, de benen] [‘been‘]

"Been" in the translation of "leg" is used for humans. Animals have "poten" (singular: "poot"), except for horses. These are considered high-bred hence they have "benen" (and a "hoofd" for example, instead of a "kop").

Many expressions with "been" exist, we have listed a few.

Examples:
– "Ik kan niet opstaan; mijn been slaapt!"
("I can’t get up; my leg is asleep!")

– "De spits speelde zijn tegenstander de bal door de benen."
("The forward played the ball through his opponent’s legs." Literally: "…played his opponent the ball through the legs.")

– "Wist je dat wielrenners hun benen scheren?"
("Did you know that racing cyclists shave their legs?")

Related words:
– "Benenwagen": literally the "legs car" this is said informally when you will travel on foot.

Example:
– "Hoe ga jij naar de stad vanmiddag?" – "Met de benenwagen."
("How will you go downtown this afternoon?" – "On foot.")

– "Arm": arm.
– "Poot": leg (animal).

Expressions:
– "Op eigen benen leren staan": to learn to take care of yourself, lit. "to learn how to stand on own legs".

– "Op de been blijven": to remain on one’s feet.

– "Met het verkeerde been uit bed stappen": to get out of bed on the wrong side (lit. "with the wrong leg").

– "De benen nemen": to flee, to bolt.

– "De benen strekken": to stretch one’s legs.

2. bone [noun] [het been, de beenderen] [‘been‘]

Expression:
– "Als twee honden vechten om een been, loopt de derde ermee heen": two dogs fight for a bone, and a third one runs away with it.

Related words:
– "Bot": bone.
– "Kluiven": to gnaw, also "afkluiven".
– "Kluif": a bone for a dog to gnaw at.

Boon

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bean [noun] [de boon, de bonen] [‘boon‘]

"Boon" is used to indicate both the legume that contains the seed as well as the seed itself. Its diminutive "boontje" is also often used.

Examples:
– " ‘Ik lust geen boontjes!’, schreeuwde de kleuter naar zijn moeder."
(" ‘I don’t like beans!’, yelled the toddler to his mother.")

– "Kun je mij de sperziebonen even aangeven, alsjeblieft?"
("Can you pass the French/green beans please?")

– "Ik eet alleen bruine bonen als ze in chili con carne zitten."
("I only eat kidney/brown beans when they’re in chilli con carne.")

– "Frank walgt van witte bonen in tomatensaus."
("Frank is disgusted by white beans in tomato sauce.")

Expressions:
– "Een blauwe boon": (an ounce of) lead, a bullet. Lit.: "a blue bean".

– "Honger maakt rauwe bonen zoet": hunger is the best sauce. Lit.: "Hunger makes raw beans sweet".

– "Boontje komt om zijn loontje": he that mischief hatches, mischief catches / you get what you deserve. Lit.: "Little bean comes for his little pay".

– "Een heilig boontje": a goody-goody / prig.

Example:
– "Frank gedraagt zich altijd als een heilig boontje in de buurt van zijn manager."
("Frank always behaves so holier-than-thou / like a goody-goody when his manager is around." Lit.: "…in the neighbourhood of his manager.")

Baan

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1. job [noun] [de baan, de banen] [‘baan‘]

"Baan" is only used for "job" in the meaning of your daily work or a position/post in a company. Expressions such as "nice job" or, "that should do the job", are not translated with "baan".

Examples:
– "Ik ben op zoek naar een nieuwe baan."
("I’m looking for a new job." Lit.: "I’m on (the) search for a new job.")

– "De perfecte baan bestaat niet."
("There’s no such thing as a perfect job." Lit.: "The perfect job does not exist.")

– "Veel scholieren hebben een vakantiebaantje in de zomer."
("Many high/secondary school students have a summer job." Lit.: "… have a little holiday job in the summer.")

Related word:
– "Bijbaantje": job on the side.
– "Vacature": vacancy.

2. lane, strip, track, court [noun] [de baan, de banen] [‘baan‘]

Examples:
– "Je moet hier van baan wisselen schatje, anders rijden we de verkeerde kant op!"
("You should switch lanes here honey, or we’ll head in the wrong direction!")

– "In Nederland zijn er veel tweebaans snelwegen."
("In the Netherlands, there are many two-lane motor/freeways.")

– "Hoeveel landingsbanen heeft Schiphol?"
("How many landing-strips does Schiphol Airport have?")

– "Er zijn veel tennisbanen op Wimbledon."
("Wimbledon has many tennis courts." Lit.: "There are many…")

Related words:
– "Rijstrook": lane.
– "Baanbrekend": ground breaking.
– "Schaatsbaan": skating rink.
– "Racebaan": race track.

Expressions:
– "Het is van de baan": It’s off, it’s not going to happen anymore.
– "Iets in goede banen leiden": to steer something in the right direction.
– "Op de lange baan schuiven": to postpone something indefinitely.

3. trajectory, orbit [noun] [de baan, de banen] [‘baan‘]

Examples:
– "De maan draait in een baan om de aarde, en de aarde in een baan om de zon."
("The moon orbits the earth, and the earth orbits the sun." Lit.: "The moon turns in an orbit around the earth, and the earth in an orbit around the sun.")

– "De baan van de raket wordt continu bijgesteld door geavanceerde software."
("The rocket’s trajectory is continuously adjusted by advanced software.")