Author Archives: Dutch Gurus

Behangen

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to wallpaper, to hang wallpaper, to hang/drape/cover with
[verb]
[be-han-gen, be-hing, be-han-gen]

The noun that goes with “behangen” is “behang”: wallpaper.

Examples:
1. “Dat is leuk behang!”
(“That is nice wallpaper!”)

2. “Sander heeft zijn woonkamer behangen.”
(“Sander has wallpapered his living room.”)

3. “De wand was volledig met schilderijen behangen.”
(“The wall was completely hung with paintings.”)

Expression:
“Iemand/iets achter het behang willen stoppen.”
(“To put somebody/thing behind the wallpaper.”)

This expression is used when you have had enough / are sick of somebody or something.

Example:
“Na 55 jaar huwelijk wilde de vrouw haar man achter het behang stoppen.”
(“After 55 years of marriage the woman wanted to put her husband behind the wallpaper.”)

Emmer

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Grammar: <emmer> [noun] [de emmer, de emmers].

Translates to: bucket.

You can turn "emmer" into a verb by adding -en. The verb "emmeren" translates to "to yack (on) / to whine (on)", and has a bit of a negative connotation.

Examples:
1. "Hij had een emmer met warm water gevuld om de auto te wassen."
("He had filled a bucket with warm water to wash the car.")

2. "Het regent alsof het met emmers uit de hemel gegooid wordt."
("It rains really hard". Literally: "It rains like it is thrown out of the sky by buckets.")

3. Frank zat weer enorm te emmeren tijdens de vergadering over dat ene puntje."
("Again, Frank was whining on about that one little issue during the meeting.")

Related words:
1. "Spons" : sponge.
2. "Zeuren" : to nag / to whine, synonymous to "emmeren".

Expression:
"Dat is de druppel die de emmer doet overlopen! / dat is de druppel!"
(That’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back! / that’s the last straw! Literally: "That’s the drop that makes the bucket flow over!")

Extra:
The Dutch news show on the public channels, a.k.a. the "NOS Journaal", once had an achorman called Fred Emmer. Fred Emmer was famous for never making a slip of the tongue and his very formal way of presenting. He left the NOS Journaal in 1988, but was never forgotten. During the celebration of the NOS Journaal 50th anniversary in 2006, Fred Emmer was notably absent. Invited though, he declined the honour. His reason: he didn’t want to look back… For some, Fred Emmer has a cult status.

Beer

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bear [noun] [de beer, de beren]

Not to be confused with "bier", which means "beer" (in English). To distinguish between the pronunciation of the Dutch words "beer" and "bier" is often found difficult by non-Dutch.

Example:
– "De beer vangt een zalm in de rivier."
("The bear catches a salmon in the river.")

Expressions:
1. "Beresterk": strong as a lion/ox (literally: strong as a bear).

2. "Een ongelikte beer": a rude guy (literally: an unlicked bear).

3. "Hij is een beer van een vent, zeg!"
("Say, he’s really a strong big guy!" Literally: "He’s really one bear of a guy!")

4. "Frank ziet altijd veel beren op de weg."
("Frank always sees a lot of obstacles on the way ahead / Frank always has a pessimistic view on things." Literally: "Frank always sees a lot of bears on the road").

5. "Je moet de huid niet verkopen voordat de beer geschoten is."
One should not promise something if one doesn’t have control over it yet or if it’s not at one’s disposal yet. (Literally: "You should not sell the hide before the bear has been shot.")

Related words:
1. "Teddybeer": teddy bear.
2. "IJsbeer" : polar bear, see also DWOTD IJsbeer.

Das

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Grammar: <das> [noun] [de das, de dassen].

Translates to: tie, scarf, badger.

In the meaning of tie you will also see the word "stropdas" of which "das" is the more common short version.

A long time ago I went into a tie shop and asked for a black tie ("zwarte das"). The shop assistant replied that he had no ties. This was of course confusing. It turned out that my adolescent left-wing look made him think my request for a "das" was not for a "tie" but for a "scarf" 🙂

Examples:
1. "Deze das past niet bij dit overhemd."
("This tie does not match this shirt.")

2. "Vlinderdas": bow tie (literally: butterfly tie).

Expressions:
1. "Jasje dasje".
Informal way to say that a jacket ("jas") and tie are required.

Example:
"Spijkerbroek of jasje dasje?"
("Jeans or jacket and tie?")

2. "Iemand de das omdoen."
("To finish someone." Literally: "to put a tie around someone’s neck" where "neck" is implied. However, there might be a connection with the meaning of the word "strop", see ‘Related words’.)

Example:
"Het wisselvallige weer deed hem de das om."
("The unstable weather finished him." In this context this implies that he fell ill.)

Related words:
1. "Knoop": (tie) knot.
2. "Strop": hangman’s rope, noose.

Extra:
Learn how to tie a tie at http://www.tie-a-tie.net .

Hamer

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Grammar: <hamer> [noun] [de hamer, de hamers].

Translates to: hammer.

Examples:
1. "Hamerhaai": hammerhead shark.

2. "Hameren": to hammer.

3. "Hamerstuk": a proposal on which the decision is a formality (literally: hammer piece/document).
This word comes from the world of meetings in which the chairman uses his hammer to close the decision making on a topic.

Expressions:
1."Afhameren": to deal with / decide quickly (literally: to hammer off). See "hamerstuk" above.

2. "Ergens op blijven hameren."
("To keep harping on something." Literally: "to keep hammering on something.")

Example:
"Frank bleef erop hameren dat iedereen zijn uren moet schrijven."
("Frank kept harping on how everyone must book his hours.")

3. "De man met de hamer tegenkomen."
This expression is used when one is about to collapse due to exhaustion during a sports activity. (Literally: "To run into / encounter the man with the hammer.")

Example:
"Na 35 kilometer kwam de marathonloper de man met de hamer tegen."
("After 35 kilometres the marathon runner was about to collapse.")

Related word:
"Spijker": nail.

Extra:
Learn more about the hammerhead shark at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammerhead_shark