1. ash, ashes 
[noun]
[de as, de as-sen]
The grayish-white to black powdery residue left when something
is burned, is called "as". "As" has no plural form, so both ash and ashes translate to "as".
Examples:
– "Pas op met die peuk, de as valt op de vloerbedekking."
("Watch out with that cigarette, the ash is dropping on the carpet.")
– "De vulkaan in IJsland heeft een enorme wolk van as de dampkring ingestoten."
("The Iceland volcano has thrust a huge cloud of ash into the atmosphere.")
Expressions:
–
"In de as leggen": (lit.: to lay in the ash) to reduce to ashes.
Related words:
– Peuk: smoke, fag, cig(arette) [noun] [de peuk, de peuken].
– Asbak: ash tray [noun] [de asbak, de asbakken].
Example:
– "Schat
heb je weer gerookt? Je ruikt naar asbak…"
("Baby have you been
smoking again? You smell like an ashtray…")
– Assepoester: Cinderella [noun] [de Assepoester, de Assepoesters], see Extra.
Extra:
In Dutch, Cinderella is called Assepoester. She’s called "assepoester" because – forced by the wicked stepmother and her daughters – she’s had to do a lot of dirty shores, such as lighting the fireplace, which made her have a lot of ash stains on her face and clothes. "Poester" is probably derived from or a corruption of "poetsen": to clean. So literally "Assepoester" would be "ash cleaning woman"…
2. axis
[noun]
[de as, de as-sen]
An "as" is also an axis. In this case, "as" has a plural form: "assen".
Examples:
– "De as van het kwaad bestaat uit een aantal schurkenstaten."
("The axis of evil consists of a number of rogue states.")
– "De aarde draait in 24 uur om zijn as."
("The earth revolves on its axis in 24 hours.")
– "Tijd staat op de x-as, winst op de y-as."
("Time is on the x-axis, profit on the y-axis.")
Related words:
– Spil: pivot [noun] [de spil, de spillen].
3. A flat
[noun]
[de as, de as-sen]
"As" is also a musical note or key. 
Examples:
– "Chopins wals in As Groot is niet erg makkelijk om te spelen."
("Chopin’s waltz in A-flat major is not very easy to play.")
– "Chopin stond erom bekend dat hij veel stukken in as groot componeerde."
("Chopin was known for composing a lot of pieces in A-flat major.")
Expressions:
–
"Een gevoelig snaar raken": to touch (upon) a tender string, to strike a sensitive chord.
Example:
– "Heb je hem al gevraagd of hij wil trouwen?"
– "Nee, dat raakt een gevoelige snaar…"
("Have you already asked him if he wants to get
married?" – "No, that touches upon a tender string…")
Related words:
– Toonladder: scale [noun] [de toonladder, de toonladders].
– Noot: note, key [noun] [de noot, de noten].
– La: <musical note> la [noun] [de la, de la’s].
Example:
– "Do – re – mi – fa – sol – la – si – do!"
("Do – re – mi – fa – sol
– la – ti – do!" Note that the "si" is not a typo!)
“Opstaan” is composed of “op” and “staan”, which respectively translate to “up” and “stand”.
