broom [noun] [de bezem, de bezems; ‘bee-zum’]

The first "e" in "bezem" is pronounced a long "e", like in "feest". The second one is pronounced a bit like the "i" in the English "dirt", which we will call a silent "e" (for now). The act of cleaning with a broom is "bezemen". Now, if you wouldn’t know that "bezemen" is derived from "bezem", the normal Dutch vowel convention dictates the first "e" to be silent (as is usually the case with verbs starting with "be"), the second to be long (since it is followed by one consonant and one vowel) and the third "e" would be silent again, as it mostly is at the end of a multiple syllable word. However, "bezemen" is pronounced like "bezem" with an added "en", the latter having the expected silent "e". Ah, let’s just forget about it!

Example:
– "Mijn oma bezemde altijd het voetpad voor haar huis."
("My grandma used to broom the footpath in front of her house." In Dutch the English "used to (do something)" is often translated with the past tense and the word "altijd", which means "always".)

Expression:
– "Er de bezem door halen": to make a clean sweep (of something). Literally: "to take the broom through something".

Example:
"Het wordt tijd dat we de bezem halen door overbodige overheidsregels."
("It is about time that we make a clean sweep of unnecessary government rules.")

Related words:
– "Bezemsteel": broomstick.
– "Heks": witch.

Extra:
Read more about brooms at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broom .

(floor-)cloth, rag, mop, swab [noun] [de dweil, de dweilen]

The verb that goes with "dweil" is "dweilen", which translates to "to mop (down)".

"Dweil" is also used as a metaphor for a physically weak person or a mentally weak person (say, a loser).

Examples:
– "Heb je een dweil in huis? Ik heb een glas wijn op de grond laten vallen."
("Do you have a mop (in your house)? I dropped a glas of wine on the floor." The expression "in huis hebben" ("to have in house") is used to say that something is present (in your house). In English you would not really use this.)

– "Door die verkoudheid voel ik me zo slap als een dweil."
("Due to that cold I feel really feeble." Literally: "…as flabby as a cloth.")

– "Heb je haar nieuwe vriend gezien? Wat een dweil is dat zeg…"
("Have you seen her new boyfriend? What a loser (is he, say)…")

Expression:
– "Dat is dweilen met de kraan open": "That’s a waste of time and effort". Literally: "That’s mopping with the tap running".

Related words:
– "Dweilen": to mop (down).
– "Sopje": (soap)suds.

vacuum cleaner [noun] [de stofzuiger, de stofzuigers]

"Stof" translates to "dust", and the verb "zuigen" means "to suck". Now imagine going to a store to buy a "dust sucker". In the Netherlands you can!

Examples:
– "Deze week zijn de stofzuigers in de aanbieding bij de Mediamarkt."
("This week the vacuum cleaners are on sale at Mediamarkt.")

– "Ik heb een hekel aan afwassen, maar stofzuigen vind ik niet zo erg."
("I hate doing the dishes, but I don’t mind vacuum cleaning that much.")

Related words:
– "Stofzuigen": to vacuum clean.
– "Stofzuigerzak": vacuum cleaner bag.

ironing board [noun] [de strijkplank, de strijkplanken]

This week’s DWOTD theme will be "domestic equipment" 🙂

"Strijkplank" is composed of "strijk" and "plank", which respectively translate to "stroke" and "board".

Examples:
– "Waar staat de strijkplank? Ik moet een overhemd strijken."
("Where’s the ironing board? I need to iron a shirt.")

– "De meeste strijkplanken hebben een metalen houder voor het strijkijzer."
("Most ironing boards have a metal holder for the iron.")

– "Zij is zo plat als een strijkplank."
(<derogative:> "She has no breasts." Literally: "She’s as flat as an ironing board.")

It might seem as if we like to include lots of derogatory statements about women in the DWOTD, however, we do not deliberately leave out statements about men, it is just how the word can be used!

Related words:
– "Strijken": to iron, literally: to stroke.
– "Strijkijzer": iron.

scarf, shawl [noun] [de sjaal, de sjaals]

To more or less complete our winter garment theme, today’s DWOTD is "sjaal". When talking about a smaller scarf, more for fashion than to protect against the cold, we talk about a "sjaaltje".

Mark the plural of "sjaal": it ends with "-s", which is uncommon in Dutch, since most plurals end with "-en".

Examples:
– "Hé wat een leuke sjaal! Nieuw?"
("Hey what a nice scarf! (Is it) New?")

– "Mijn nek is altijd helemaal geïrriteerd als ik mijn sjaal afdoe!"
("My neck is always completely irritated when I take off my scarf!")

– "Beetje nichterig sjaaltje is dat…"
("That’s a bit of a gay scarf…" – "Nicht" (literally: niece or female cousin) is a slang word for a homosexual).

– "Doe je sjaal eens goed om, anders vat je kou!"
(<mother to a child:> "Put your scarf on properly, otherwise you’ll catch a cold!" The word "om" can translate to "around" in Dutch and in the verb "omdoen" it indicates that you put a garment around a body part, in this case the scarf around the neck.)

Related words:
– "Das": synonym for "sjaal" but not often used.
– "Stropdas": tie.
– "Muts": hat.
– "Handschoen": glove.

Extra:
"Sjaal" and "shawl" originate from the Persian "shal". Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawl .