Author Archives: Laura

Onzin

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nonsense [noun] [de onzin, no plural] Iconspeaker_3

"Onzin" means "nonsense". A synonym very much related to the English translation is "nonsens". The composition of "on-zin" is similar to the English "non-sense". "On" preceding a word usually reverses the meaning of that word. "Zin" can be translated as "sense" but can also be used in many different meanings, such as "phrase", "mood", "mind" or "liking". The adjective/adverb that is related to "onzin" is "onzinnig", which can be translated as "senseless, inept".

Examples:
– "Je praat onzin, houd alsjeblieft je mond." 
("You’re talking nonsense, please shut up!")

– "Wat een onzin dat je dat examen niet zou kunnen halen! Natuurlijk kun je het!" 
("What a nonsense that you wouldn’t be able to pass that exam! Of course you can do it!")

– "Het is nonsens dat Nederland niets van de kredietcrisis merkt." 
("It is nonsense that the Netherlands isn’t affected by the credit crisis." Lit.: "It is nonsense that the Netherlands notices nothing of the credit crisis.")

– "Wat een onzinnig gesprek, dit is zonde van de tijd."  Zin_3
("What a senseless conversation, this is a waste of a time.")

– "<Plaatje:> In de herfst komen ze binnen; Zin en onzin over spinnen."  ("<Picture:> They enter [your house] in the autumn; Sense and nonsense about spiders.")

– "Ik heb zin om het weekend lekker lang uit te slapen." 
("I feel like sleeping long this weekend.")

– "Sorry, ik heb echt geen zin om uit te gaan." 
("Sorry, I really don’t feel like going out.")

– "Heb je slechte zin? " 
("Are you in a bad mood?" Lit.: "Do you have a bad mood?")

Expressions:
– "Klinkklare onzin": outright nonsense.

Example:
– "<Krantenkop:>Transfergeruchten Boulahrouz klinkklare onzin."
("<Newspaper headline:> Transferrumours Boulahrouz blatant nonsense.")

Related words:
– Zin: phrase [noun] [de zin, de zinnen].
– Zin: mood, liking [noun] [de zin, no plural].
– Zin: sense [noun] [de zin, de zinnen].
– Zinnig: sensible [adjective/adverb].
– Onzinnig: senseless, absurd [adjective/adverb].
– Nonsens: nonsense [noun] [de nonsens, no plural].

Tuig

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1. scum [noun] [het tuig, no plural] Iconspeaker_3

"Tuig" has several meanings. It is most commonly used to describe a group of scumbags. It can also be used as an adjective (see Examples). In the seventies, the expression "langharig werkschuw tuig" ("long-haired workshy riff-raff") was used frequently to describe everyone who wasn't willing to work or had a different interpretation of working (musicians, etc.). Nowadays, every Dutch person will still understand what you mean.

Examples:
-" Mijn buurvrouw hoopt dat het kraakverbod wordt aangenomen. Ze vindt alle krakers werkschuw tuig." 
(" My neighbour hopes that the law prohibiting squatting will pass. She thinks all squatters are workshy scum.")

-"Dat tuig heeft in alle auto's in mijn straat ingebroken." 
("Those scumbags broke in in all cars in my street.")

– "Hij heeft dat arme omaatje zomaar in haar gezicht geslagen. Hij is tuig." 
("He beat that poor little grandma in her face just like that. He is scum." Please note that "omaatje" is the dimunitive of "oma".)

Expressions:
– "Tuig van de richel": scum of the earth. Lit.: scum of the (l)edge.Tuig_2_3

Example: 
– "Hooligans zijn echt tuig van de richel".
("Hooligans are really the scum of the earth".)

The picture belongs to a Hyves-group with the name "Tuig van de richel".

Extra:
Related verbs are "optuigen" and "aftuigen". Both verbs were originally (and still are) used in the sense of "to harness" and "to unharness" a horse. Although the verb "aftuigen" is still used in this sense, nowadays, its most common use is "to beat up someone". "Optuigen" can also be used in the meaning "to decorate".

Examples:
– "Ik ga de kerstboom optuigen, haal jij de ballen?"
("I am going to decorate the Christmas tree, will you fetch the baubles?")
– "Dat tuig heeft gisteren mijn buurman afgetuigd."
("That scum beat up my neighbour yesterday.")

2. harness, gear [noun] [het tuig, no plural] Iconspeaker_3

The second meaning of "tuig" is "harness" that you put on your horse (see picture).Tuig_paard

Examples:
-" Ik heb een nieuw tuig voor mijn paard gekocht."
("I bought a new harness for my horse.")

-" Een blindengeleidehonde heeft vaak ook een tuigje om zodat zijn baas zijn bewegingen kan volgen."
("A guide dog (for the blind) also often has a harness so that his boss can follow his movements." Please note that "blindengeleidehond" literally means "blind-guidance-dog".)

Related words:
– Optuigen: to harness, to decorate [verb] [tuigde op, opgetuigd].
– Aftuigen: to unharness, to beat up [verb] [tuigde af, afgetuigd].
– Werktuig: equipment [noun] [het werktuig, de werktuigen].

Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?!

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What’s happening, what’s all this? [Dutch phrase of the week] Iconspeaker_3

You all know how the Dutch love their bikes. Since bikes are such a large part of everyday Dutch Fiets_7 life, many references to it exist in the Dutch language. A few months ago, we explained "Op die fiets". "Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen" literally means: "What is hanging from my bike now?" and it can be used in this sense when you find for instance a flyer attached to your bike (see picture). Most often however, it is used figuratively to express one’s astonishment: "What’s happening to me now?" or "What’s all this?".

Examples:
-"Hij stond om drie uur ‘s ochtends aan te bellen! Ik dacht ‘Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?’." 
("He was ringing my doorbell at three o’clock in the morning! I didn’t understand what was happening." Lit.: "… I thought ‘What’s going on?")

-"Vertel je me nu dat je me op staande voet ontslaat? Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?" 
("Are you telling me that you are firing me on the spot? What’s all this?" Please note that ‘op staande voet’ is an expression meaning "at once", or "on the spot". )

– "Ik gaf de zwerver een euro, en toen zei hij: "Één euro maar? Heb je niet meer?" Ik dacht ‘Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?". " 
("I gave the tramp a euro, and he said to me: "Only one euro? Is that all you have?" I thought ‘What’s all this?’")

Related words:
– Fiets: bike, bicycle [noun] [de fiets, de fietsen].
– Hangen: to hang [verb] [hing, gehangen].

Elkaar

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each other, one another [adverb] Speaker

"Elkaar" usually means "each other" or "one another". However, the meaning often depends on the preposition. Almost any preposition can be combined with "elkaar" (please see Examples). A related word, "mekaar", is used more often in spoken Dutch, and often refers to two people instead of a larger group. "Elkaar" can refer to both two people /things and a larger number of people / things. 

Examples:
– "Ze leken altijd zo gek op elkaar, maar toch zijn ze na een relatie van tien jaar uit elkaar gegaan."  – "Dat meen je niet! Ze passen zo goed bij elkaar!"Elkaar_2
("They always seemed to be crazy about each other, but still they split up after a relationship that lasted ten years. – No way! They are such a great couple!")

– "We komen er wel uit met elkaar."
("We’ll sort it out together.")

– "De bergbeklimmer zakte in elkaar van vermoeidheid toen hij de top had bereikt."
("The mountain climber collapsed of fatigue when he had reached the peak.")

– "Ik snap er niks van: de puzzelstukjes passen maar niet in elkaar."
("I can’t make any sense of it: the parts of the puzzle don’t seem to fit [in each other].")

– "Laten we beginnen met naar elkaar te luisteren."
("Let’s start by listening to each other.")

– "De serveerster stapelde zoveel borden op elkaar dat ze in elkaar zakte onder het gewicht."
("The waitress stagged so many plates on top of each other that she collapsed under the weight.")

– "Laten we mekaar niet voor de gek houden."
("Let’s not fool each other." Lit: "Let’s not take each other for a fool".)

Related words:
– Mekaar: each other, one another [adverb].

Koets

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coach, carriage [noun] [de koets, de koetsen] Speaker

Today, the third Tuesday of September, is called "Prinsjesdag" ("Day of the little princes"). "Prinsjesdag" marks the opening of the Dutch parliamentary year and the day on which the government makes public the national budget for the coming year. The Queen will read her "troonrede" ("speech from the throne") in the "Ridderzaal" ("Room of the knight") outlining the government’s plans for the coming year. The Queen traditionally arrives at the "Ridderzaal" in the golden coach. This coach, offered by the people of Amsterdam to the Queen’s grandmother in 1898, is used only on "Prinsjesdag" since 1903.

Examples:
– "In het sprookje ‘Assepoester’ verandert de fee een pompoen in een gouden koets."Goudenkoets1_2
("In the fairytale ‘Cinderella’ the fairy changes a pumpkin into a gilded coach".)

– "De koningin zwaait vanuit de gouden koets naar de menigte."
("The Queen waves from the golden coach at the crowd.")

– "De gouden koets wordt getrokken door acht paarden." Koets_2
("The golden coach is pulled forward by eigth horses.")

– "Koningin Beatrix arriveert op het Binnenhof waar zij om half twee de Troonrede zal voorlezen in de Ridderzaal."
("Queen Beatrix arrives at the ‘Binnenhof’ where she will read the speech from the throne at 1.30 PM in the ‘Ridderzaal’ .")

Extra:
The document in which the National Budget is presented is called the ‘Miljoenennota’, literally translated as the ‘Document of the Millions’. The Minister of Finance gives both the National Budget and the ‘Miljoenennota’ in a golden suitcase to the (Dutch) Lower Chamber. 

Related words:
– Koetspaard: coach horse [noun] [het koetspaard, de koetspaarden].
– Koetsier: coach driver [noun] [de koetsier, de koetsiers].
– Troonrede: speech from the throne [noun] [de troonrede, de troonredes].
– Koningin: queen [noun] [de koningin, de koninginnen].
– Begroting: budget [noun] [de begroting, de begrotingen].