cucumber [noun] [de komkommer, de komkommers]
Examples:
1. “Komkommersalade” (sometimes: komkommersla): cucumber salad.
2. “Komkommerschijfjes”: slices of cucumber.
3. <For the advanced learners a joke that Dutch children like to make>:
What is the past tense of “komkommersla”?
Answer: kwamkwammersloeg.
Extra:
Read more on cucumbers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber
neighbourhood [noun] [de buurt, de buurten]
Examples:
– "In welke buurt woon jij?"
("In which neighbourhood do you live?")
– "De buurt gaat achteruit"
("The neighbourhood is deteriorating")
– "Is er een supermarkt in de buurt?"
("Is there a supermarket nearby?")
Expression: "in de buurt" (near/nearby).
Related words:
1. "Buur": neighbour.
2. "Buurman/-vrouw": (male/female) neighbour.
3. "De buren" : the neighbours.
4. <Dutch saying>: "Beter een goede buur dan een verre vriend."
("(It is) better (to have) a good neighbour than a far away friend.")
Extra:
In the Netherlands, the Czech children animation series about the
tinkering neighbours "Pat & Mat" is known as "Buurman & Buurman".
Well known phrase: "A je to buurman!" (Czech/Dutch for: that is all
neighbour!".
Check it out at: www.patmat.cz.
swim shorts [noun] [de zwembroek, de zwembroeken]
Example:
“Mannen dragen een zwembroek, maar vrouwen dragen een badpak of bikini.”
(“Men wear swim shorts, but women wear a bathing suit or bikini.”)
Instead of “badpak”, one can also say: “zwempak”.
Related words:
1. “Zwemmen”: to swim.
2. “Broek”: pair of trousers, pants.
3. “Pak”: suit.
Dutch slang: “ballenknijper”.
This word literally translates to “balls pincher” and is used to
describe the tight male swim wear that looks like underwear (“speedos”),
that middle aged Dutch men tend to wear.
party [noun] [het feest, de feesten]
"Feest" is used to indicate a more or less big party. When you talk
about a party at home, it is more common to use the diminutive: "feestje".
Examples:
1. "Ik ben jarig geweest en daarom geef ik een feestje. Kom je ook?"
("I have had my birthday and therefore I’m throwing a party. Will you join?")
2. "Vrijdag is er een strandfeest in Scheveningen."
("Friday there is a beach party in Scheveningen.")
3. "Is het een dansfeestje of een zitfeestje?"
("Is it a dance party or a sit-down party?")
4. "Na de bruiloft is er een groot feest."
("After the wedding there will be a big party.")
Expression:
"Het kan niet altijd feest zijn!": Lit. "It cannot always be a party". This expression is used when life is not as good as you wish it was.
bye bye, so long, ta ta, see you, etc. [expression]
"Doei" is an informal word that you can use when parting.
Examples of use:
1. Leaving a shop where the interaction was informal, or the staff is informal.
2. Saying goodbye to colleagues at the end of the day.
3. Hanging up the phone after talking to a friend.
Popular use: "doei, doei!".
In the last couple of years it has become popular to say "doei" twice,
especially for women, but men tend to do it too nowadays.