Author Archives: Marc

Onverkwikkelijk

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unpleasant, distasteful, sordid [adjective] Iconspeaker_3

"Onverkwikkelijk" is quite formal and has a negative connotation. The synonymous "naar" (unpleasant) and "vervelend" (unfortunate) are less formal, but sometimes it’s just fun to use a formal word;-)

Examples:
– "Herinner je je nog dat seksschandaal?"- "Ja, een onverkwikkelijke affaire…"Ny_nyp0311

("Do you still remember that sex scandal?" – "Yes, a sordid affair…")

– "Ober, er zit een vlieg in mijn soep."  – "Dat is uitermate onverkwikkelijk meneer. Mijn nederige excuses."
("Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup." – "That is most unpleasant sir. My humble apologies.")

– "Jongen, ik ben bezig met een gedicht voor pakjesavond, wat rijmt op ‘verschrikkelijk‘ ?" – "Nou, wat denk je van ‘onverkwikkelijk’ ?"
("Dude,
I’m working on a poem for Sinterklaas evening, what rhymes with
‘verschrikkelijk’ ?  – "Well, how about ‘onverkwikkelijk’ ?")

Related words:
– Vervelend: unfortunate, annoying [adjective].
– Naar: unpleasant [adjective].

Example:
– "Wat een nare man, die billenknijper."
("What an unpleasant man, that bottom squeezer.")

Uitbuiken

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to sit back and relax (after dinner) [verb] [buikte uit, uitgebuikt] Iconspeaker_3

"Uitbuiken" is composed of "uit" and "buiken", from "buik", which respectively translate to "out" and "belly". Here the noun "buik" has been transformed into a (non-existent) verb by adding "-en" to it to create the infinitive form.Relax

"Uitbuiken" is used informally, and was earlier described in DWOTD "Bierbuik". As said then, "uitbuiken" is what you do after a lavish dinner: sit back and relax to (literally) "stomach out", or give your stomach or belly some room. Typically, people who are in the event of "uitbuiken" will stretch their legs and lean backwards on the couch or a chair to provide their stomach with the necessary space to stimulate the digestion process 🙂

Examples:
– "Na het eten moet ik altijd even uitbuiken." 
("After dinner I always have to sit back and relax.")

– "Altijd als we het eten bij een afhaalchinees bestellen, moet ik daarna echt uitbuiken." 
("Always when we order food at a take-away Chinese, I really have to sit back and relax afterwards.")

– "Heb jij net die joekel van een taart in je eentje opgegeten?" – "Ja, ik denk dat ik heel even moet uitbuiken…" 
("Did you just eat that giant cake all by yourself?" – "Yes, I think I need to sit back and relax for just a tiny bit now…")

Expressions:
– "Het eten laten zakken": to let one’s food go down.

Example:
– "Liefie, het toetje was erg lekker. Ik ga even uitbuiken." – "Ja, ik ga ook even het eten laten zakken."
("Sweetie, dessert was very good. I’m gonna just sit back and relax now." – "Yes, I’m gonna let my food go down too.")

– "Smakelijk eten": bon appetit.

Related words:
– Natafelen: to linger at the dinner table [verb] [tafelde na, nagetafeld].

Example:
– "Met kerst kan onze familie altijd erg lang natafelen met franse kaas en rode wijn."
("During Christmas our family can always linger at the dinner table for a long time with French cheese and red wine.")

– Ontbijt: breakfast [noun] [het ontbijt, de ontbijten].
– Bierbuik: beer belly [noun] [de bierbuik, de bierbuiken].

Poging

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attempt, effort, try [noun] [de poging, de pogingen] Iconspeaker_3

"Poging" is related to the verb "pogen", which is quite formal, which "poging" isn’t. Instead of "pogen" you’ll see "proberen", which translates to "to try". However, "proberen" doesn’t have a directly related noun, well… that would be "poging" then 🙂

"Poging" is often used in combination with the verb "wagen": "een poging wagen", which literally translates to "to wager/bet/risk an attempt", hence "to give it a try" or plain "to attempt/try".

In court, you’ll encounter the expression "poging tot [subject]" – literally translating to "attempt at […]", but which is commonly translated with "attempted […]", as in "attempted murder": "poging tot moord".

Examples:
– "Dit is al haar derde poging om haar rijbewijs te halen." 
("This is already her third attempt to get her driver’s license.")

– "En daar gaat-ie! Eerste poging voor de 2 meter 10 centimeter…"  Hoogspringer
("And off he goes! First attempt at 2 meter and 10 centimeters." Note that in Dutch "centimeter" stays singular..)

– "De verdachte wordt beschuldigd van poging tot moord." 
("The suspect is charged with attempted murder.")

– "Marc, kun jij vandaag een DWOTD schrijven."  – "Ik heb eigenlijk geen tijd, maar ik zal een poging wagen…"
("Marc, can you write a DWOTD today?" – Actually, I don’t have time, but I’ll give it a try…")

Expressions:
– "Wie niet waagt, die niet wint": nothing ventured, nothing gained, fortune favours the bold. Lit.: Who doesn’t risk/bet, doesn’t win.

Related words:
– Proberen: to try [verb] [probeerde, geprobeerd].
– Pogen: to attempt [verb] [poogde, gepoogd].
– Probeersel: try-out [noun] [het probeersel, de probeersels].

Example:
– "Wat is dit voor presentatie?? Zeker één van Frank’s gekke probeersels…"
("What kind of presentation is this?? Must be one of Frank’s funny try-outs…")

Leuk

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nice, funny, amusing, entertaining [adjective] Iconspeaker_3

"Leuk" is used a lot in the Dutch language. It is generally used to positively qualify a situation, person or object. The combination "leuk vinden" (lit.: to find nice/funny) is commonly translated with "to like".

When it comes to liking a person, there are various adverbs to add certain subtleties, e.g.:Smiley
– "wel leuk": quite nice.

– "gewoon leuk": just nice.
– "echt leuk" really nice.
– "erg leuk": very/really nice.
– "leuk leuk": nice as in ‘really nice’.
– "heel erg leuk": really really nice.
The latter four imply a certain degree of being in love…

Examples:
– "Leuk horloge! Nieuw?" 
("Nice watch! New?")

– "Ik heb ‘Kung-Fu Panda’ gezien tijdens mijn vlucht van Amsterdam naar Lima. Erg leuk!" 
("I saw ‘Kung-Fu Panda’ during my flight from Amsterdam to Lima. Very funny!")

– "Hoe vond je het feest?" – "Het was uitermate leuk, dankjewel!"
("What did you think of the party" – "It was extremely entertaining, thank you!)

– "Vanochtend is de hele uitlaat van mijn auto eraf gevallen!" – "Ai, dat is niet leuk, Marc…"
("This morning the entire exhaust of my car fell off!" – "Ouch, that’s not funny, Marc…")

– "Suzanne is een leuke meid, niet?" – "Ja, ik vind haar wel leuk" – "Leuk leuk?" – "Nee, gewoon leuk…"
("Suzanne is a nice girl, isn’t she?" – "Yes, I quite like her." – "Like as in ‘really like’?" – "No, I just like her…")

Expressions:
– "Leuk is anders": <ironic> That’s is not very nice. Lit.: Nice is different.

Example:
– "Mijn aandelen zijn vandaag met meer dan 50 procent gedaald." – "Leuk is anders…"
("My shares have dropped more than 50 percent today." – "That’s not very nice…")

– "Het is leuk geweest": Enough is enough. Lit.: It’s been nice.

Example:
– "Zullen we nog een afzakkertje nemen?" – "Nee ik ga naar huis, het is leuk geweest."
("Shall we have one for the road?" – "No, I’m going home, enough is enough…")

– "Leuk hoor": <ironic> really nice.
– "Jij bent zeker de leukste thuis.": <ironic reply> You really think that you are funny, don’t you? Lit.: You must be the funniest (person) at home.

Related words:
– Vermakelijk: entertaining [adjective].
– Tof: great, cool [adjective].
– Gaaf: awesome, great [adjective].
– Prachtig: beautiful [adjective].

Verneukeratief

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deceptive, tricky [adjective] Iconspeaker_3

“Verneukeratief” is truly a brilliant Dutch word and very much suited for the informal Friday 🙂 You may think it is a vulgar word, because it contains “neuk”, from “neuken”, which translates to “to f*ck”… “Verneukeratief” is not vulgar though, although its use is quite informal.

But be careful!…The related verb “verneuken” is pretty vulgar, since it translates to “to f*ck up”…

Examples:
– “Dit contract is erg verneukeratief. Lees de kleine lettertjes maar…” 
(“This contract is very deceptive. Just read the disclaimer…” Lit.: “Just read the little letters…” see Extra)Verneukeratief

– “Het verneukeratieve van het internet is dat je nooit zeker weet of informatie echt waar is.”
(“The tricky thing about the internet is that you never know for sure whether information is actually true.”)

– “Advertentiefoto’s zijn vaak verneukeratief: het product op de foto is altijd prachtig, maar in het echt valt het tegen.”
(“Advertising pictures are often deceptive: the product in the picture is always beautiful, but the real thing is disappointing.”)

Expressions:
– “Iemand ergens in laten lopen”: to play a trick on somebody.

Related words:
– Bedrieglijk: deceptive [adjective].
– Tricky: tricky [adjective].
– Verneuken: to f*ck up [verb] [verneukte, verneukt].

Example:
– “Frank heeft de hele presentatie verneukt.”
(“Frank has f*cked up the entire presentation.”)

– Misleidend: misleading [adjective].
– Vals: fake, fraudulent [adjective].

Extra:
“De kleine lettertjes” (lit.: the little letters) is commonly used as a metaphor for the disclaimer(s) in a contract, which are often printed in a smaller font than then the font of the contract’s actual text. “De kleine lettertjes” are often associated with a sense of fraud….