border, limit
[noun]
[de grens, de gren-zen]

"Grens" means "border" or "limit". If you ever travel by public transport, you’ll hear it every time you cross from one zone into another (you pass the "zonegrens"). Within most countries in Europe, borders can be easily crossed without check-ups but you’ll still find the "grenspalen" ("border posts") and "grenskantoren" ("border offices") marking the border. "Grens" is also often used in a figurative sense.

Examples:
– "Op de grens tussen Nederland en België staan grenspalen." 
("On the border of The Netherlands and Belgium there are border posts." See a "border post" in the picture.)

– "Ik begrijp dat je iedereen wilt helpen, maar we moeten ergens een grens trekken." 
("I understand that you want to help everyone, but we have to draw a line somewhere.")

– "Ik heb alles geprobeerd met haar: praten, schelden, dreigen; nu is mijn grens bereikt!" 
("I’ve tried everything with her: talking, scolding, threatening; now I’ve had enough!" Lit.: "…now my limit has been reached.")

– "Het slachtoffer van het ongeluk balanceerde twee uur op de grens tussen leven en dood." 
("The victim of the accident balanced on the verge between life and death for two hours.)

Expressions:
– "Je grenzen opzoeken": to find out how far you can go.

Example:
– "Je kunt beter vanaf het begin duidelijk zijn wat mag en wat niet mag, want hij zoekt je grenzen op."
("You’d better be clear from the start what’s allowed and what’s not, because he will try to find out how far he can go with you.")

– "Geen grenzen hebben": to have no limits.

Example:
– "Zij werkt dag en nacht; haar ambitie kent geen grenzen."
("She works night and day; her ambition has no limits.")

– "Er zijn grenzen!": there are limits (and you’ve reached them now)!

– "Een woordje over de grens spreken": to speak other languages (bit old-fashioned).

Example:
– "Hij spreekt een aardig woordje over de grens."
("He speaks other languages.")

Related words:
– Zonegrens: zone limit [noun] [de zonegrens, de zonegrenzen].
– Grenspaal: border post [noun] [de grenspaal, de grenspalen].
– Grenswachter: border guard [noun] [de grenswachter, de grenswachters].
– Grenspaal: border post [noun] [de grenspaal, de grenspalen].

hotel and catering industry [noun] [de ho-re-ca, no plural]

Although all Dutch know the meaning of “horeca”, not everyone is aware of its origin: “horeca” is constructed by combining the first two letters of the Dutch words “hotel”, “restaurant” and “café” (meaning “bar”).

Examples:
– “Studenten werken vaak in de horeca om wat bij te verdienen.”
(“Students often work in a bar or restaurant to earn an additional income.”)

– “Koninklijke Horeca Nederland is de brancheorganisatie van de Nederlandse horeca.” 
(“Royal Horeca Netherlands is the sector association of the Dutch horeca.” Check their website here.)

– “Het rookverbod in de horeca is ingevoerd op 1 juli 2008.”
(“The ban on smoking in hotels, restaurants and bars was introduced on the 1st of July 2008.”)

– “<Plaatje:> “Vanaf 1 juli is de horeca rookvrij”.”
(“<Picture:> From 1st of July onwards, hotels, restaurants and bars will be non-smoking areas.” Lit.: “…, hotels, restaurants and bars will be smoke-free”.)

– “Ik zou hem niet aannemen als barman, hij heeft helemaal geen horeca-ervaring.”
(“I wouldn’t hire him as a bartender, he doesn’t have any experience working in hotels, restaurants or bars.”)

– “Zij heeft jaren in de horeca gewerkt, als serveerster, kamermeisje, en barvrouw.”
(“She has worked in hotels, restaurants and bars for years, as a waitress, chamber maid and barkeeper.”)

Related words:
– Hotel: hotel [noun] [het hotel, de hotels].
– Restaurant: restaurant [noun] [het restaurant, de restaurants].
– Café: pub, bar [noun] [het café, de cafés].
– Barman: barkeeper, bartender [noun] [de barman, de barmannen].
– Serveerster: waitress [noun] [de serveerster, de serveersters].
– Ober: waiter [noun] [de ober, de obers].
– Kamermeisje: chamber maid [noun] [het kamermeisje, de kamermeisjes].
– Barvrouw: barkeeper [noun] [de barvrouw, de barvrouwen].