Author Archives: Sander

Quiz week 21

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Koe

The quiz covers the past 5 DWOTD publications, anything that may be in there and anything that may be related 🙂

Question 1:
Listen once more to Glennis Grace's version of "Afscheid". Based on her accent, it is likely that Glennis Grace grew up in:

A. Amsterdam
B. Utrecht
C. Rotterdam
D. Den Haag

Question 2:
The Dutch word 'inzet' means:

A. Inset
B. Effort
C. Stake
D. All of the above

Question 3:
Which word is missing: "Elke … heeft een keerzijde."

A. Gebaar
B. Penning
C. Medaille
D. None of the above

Question 4:
When you are 'onderweg', you are:

A. On your way
B. AWOL
C. Under the weather
D. All of the above

Question 5:
Which spelling is correct for the Dutch translation of "at any time":

A. Ter aller tijden
B. Te allen tijden
C. Te aller tijde
D. None of the above

Question 6:
Which translation is most correct when your Dutch neighbour says: "Ik hou niet van zoet op brood":

A. I don't like bread with soot.
B. I am not into sweet broads.
C. I don't like sandwiches with sweet fillings.
D. I don't like sweetbreads. 

Question 7:
You are helping out a detective who's trying to solve a murder. He asks you the following: "We hebben een dode man gevonden in zijn huis. Hij had geen kleren aan en was niet gewond. Hij is pas een uur dood. Er is ook niets gestolen. Er klopt iets niet… maar wat?" Aha… so what seems amiss here?

A. The man is probably not dead
B. The man's watch stopped 2 days earlier
C. The man's heart
D. The CD player had Michael Jackson's "Beat it" on repeat 

Question 8:
Which spelling is correct:

A. Zozoetjesaan
B. Zo zoetjesaan
C. Zo zoetjes aan
D. None of the above

Question 9:
In the video of Abel's song 'Onderweg', the girl who appears is:

A. Dutch singer Trijntje Oosterhuis.
B. Dutch actress Carice van Houten.
C. Former Dutch soap opera star and singer Katja Schuurman ('Goede tijden, slechte tijden')
D. Dutch singer/actress Birgit Schuurman (sister of Katja Schuurman)

Question 10:
Which word best fits in the sentence: "We hebben de dader gearresteerd. De gevonden vingerafdrukken kwamen met zijn vingerafdrukken …" 

A. Aan
B. Overeen
C. Voor
D. Tegen 

Overeenkomst

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1. similarity, resemblance 
[noun]
[de over-een-komst, de over-een-komst-en]

Overeenkomst"Overeenkomst" is a homonym, however both translations given are somewhat related; when you mutually agree on something, at least you should have a similar view on the matter. Well, that would be the case ideally 🙂

In both translations "overeenkomst" can be combined with quite a few verbs, check out the examples to learn how.

Examples:
– "Toen we in het hotel kwamen, bleek er geen enkele overeenkomst te zijn met de folder. We zijn voor de gek gehouden!" 
("When we arrived in the hotel, it appeared that there was no resemblance whatsoever with the brochure! We have been fooled!")

– "Zijn gedrag vertoont overeenkomsten met dat van de gezochte dader. Laten we hem in de gaten houden!" 
("His behaviour resembles that of the wanted perpetrator. Let's keep an eye on him!")

– "Deze wijk is gebouwd in oud-Hollandse stijl. Er zijn veel overeenkomsten met grachtenpanden zoals je die in Amsterdam aantreft." 
("This part of town is built in old-Dutch fashion. There are many similarities with the houses on the canals as found in Amsterdam.")

Related words:
– Gelijkenis: resemblance [noun] [de gelijkenis, de gelijkenissen].
– Overeenkomen: to correspond to, to be similar to [verb] [kwam overeen, overeengekomen].

Example:
– "Dit rapport komt totaal niet overeen met wat is afgesproken."
("In no way this report resembles what we agreed on.")

– Overeenkomst vertonen met: to resemble, to bear a likeness to [verb] [vertoonde, vertoond].

2. agreement, deal 
[noun]
[de over-een-komst, de over-een-komst-en]

Overeenkomst-2

Examples:
– "Deze overeenkomst kan te allen tijde door de bank beëindigd worden." 
("This agreement can be terminated by the bank at any moment." Note the spelling of 'te allen tijde'. Any other variation [te(r/n) alle(r/n) tijde(n)] is incorrect!)

– "De partijen zijn een overeenkomst aangegaan voor onbepaalde tijd." 
("The parties have entered into an agreement for an indefinite period of time.")

– "Er is sprake van een stilzwijgende overeenkomst. Met andere woorden: als niemand bezwaar maakt, wordt de overeenkomst vanzelf definitief." 
("This regards a tacit agreement. In other words: if nobody objects the agreement becomes final automatically.")

– "Maar we hadden een mondelinge overeenkomst!" – "Tja, dat is jammer, want alleen schriftelijke overeenkomsten zijn bij ons rechtsgeldig. Tot ziens!" 
("But we had an oral agreement!" – "Well, that's too bad, because we only consider written agreements to be legally valid. Goodbye!")

– "De nalatenschap wordt verdeeld in overeenkomst met de wensen van de overledene(n)." 
("The inheritance will be divided in accordance with the wishes of the deceased.")

Related words:
– Afspraak: agreement, deal [noun] [de afspraak, de afspraken].
– Contract: contract [noun] [het contract, de contracten].
– Overeenkomst sluiten: to enter into an agreement, to make a deal [verb] [sloot, gesloten]. Other verbs you can use: aangaan/treffen.
– Handelen in overeenkomst met: to act in accordance with [verb] [handelde, gehandeld].

Eendagsvlieg

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mayfly, one-day wonder 
[noun]
[de een-dags-vlieg, de een-dags-vlie-gen]

"Eendagsvlieg" is used in two translations. The first is that of a 'mayfly', I'm not sure how long it really lives, but short, hence the 'one day' ('één dag'). The second is that of a short-lived success or phenomenon. It's typically used for artists, or their work of art, who were succesful once and never heard of again.

An example of an 'eendagsvlieg' is the Dutch band 'Abel'. Their song 'Onderweg' was a big hit in 2000 but they were never able to equal their success. Read more on the meaning of 'onderweg' in DWOTD Onderweg.

In this DWOTD we'll watch the 'Onderweg' video (shot in Amsterdam) and pick up some Dutch by examining the lyrics. The translation is deliberately close to the Dutch, to help you understand.

Lyrics

Ik doe de deur dicht / Straten lijken te huilen
(I close the door / Streets seem to cry)

Wolken lijken te vluchten / Ik stap de bus in
(Clouds seem to flee / I get on the bus)

Mensen lijken te kijken / Maar ik wil ze ontwijken
(People seem to watch (me) / But I want to avoid them)

Voordat ze mij zien
(Before they see me)

Het is allang verleden tijd / Dat je mijn verjaardag niet vergat
(Those are past times for a long time now / That you would not forget my birthday) 

Je onvoorwaardelijk koos voor mij
( (that) You chose for me unconditionally)

Ik zie de velden / Langs me heen gaan huizen
(I see the (open) fields / Houses go past me)

Het is stil achter de ruiten / Wie kan mij zien
(It's quiet behind the (window-)panes / Who can see me)

In blauw-verlichte treinen / Je hart is zo dicht bij me
(In blue-lit trains / You heart is so close to me)

Maar het klopt niet
(But it doesn't beat [note that this can also mean: "but it's not right"])

Het is allang verleden tijd / Je zwarte haren en je lach
(Those are past times for a long time now / Your black hairs and your smile/laugh)

Dat je heel de wereld voor mij was / Het zit nog veel te diep in mij
(That you were the whole world to me / It's still too deep in me)

Dat ik mocht delen wat jij had / Je door m'n haren ging en zei
(That I could share what you had / (that) You stroke my hair and said [lit. "that I was allowed to share what you had / that you went through my hair and said])

Je kent m'n stem niet / Wie ik ben is wat je nu ziet
(You don't know my voice / Who I am is what you see now)

Wil je dansen met illusies / In gedachten
(Do you want to dance with illusions / In thought)

Ben je verder dan het heden / Wil je terug naar je verleden
(Are you further than the present / Do you want to go back to the past)

Zegt je dat iets
(Does that mean something to you)

Het is allang verleden tijd / Rode wijn op het terras
(Those are past times for a long time now / Red wine at a(n outdoor) terrace)

Dat je heel de wereld voor mij was / Het zit nog veel te diep in mij
(That you were the whole world to me / It's still too deep in me)

Maar ik vergat hoe jij me zag / Dat ik zo anders ben dan jij
(But I forgot how you saw me [what you thought of me] / That I'm so different than you) 

Ik loop de straat in / Maar het zal mij nooit verwarmen
(I enter the street [lit. "I walk into the street") / But it will never warm me)

Omdat het mij niet kan omarmen / Wie zou mij zien
(Because it can't embrace me / Who would see me)

Het liefst zou ik willen schreeuwen / Ik zou oneindig willen schreeuwen
(I would really like to scream ["het liefst" is what you would like to do most of all] / I would like to scream infinitely)

Maar het gaat niet
(But I can't [lit. "but it won't go"] )

Jij bent nu alleen van mij / (Ik) kan de wereld laten zien
(You are now mine and mine only / I can show the world)

Dat het zo beter is misschien / Het is allang verleden tijd
(That it's better this way perhaps / Those are past times for a long time now)

Dat ik vergat hoe jij me zag / Dat ik zo anders ben dan jij
(That I forgot how you saw me / That I'm so different than you)

Zo zoetjesaan

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gradually, little by little 
[Dutch phrase of the week]
[zo zoet-jes aan]

Horloge geeft aan dat het tijd is I don’t particularly encourage you to use this phrase, however you may encounter it. It seems to be a favourite phrase among Dutch translators of Haruki Murakami‘s work. Which makes it a nice ‘Guru’ phrase of the week. “Zo zoetjesaan” is often used in the construction “Het wordt zo zoetjesaan tijd …” – “It’s (getting to be) about time …”

Note that ‘zoetjesaan’ is often misspelled as ‘zoetjes aan’. I actually had to correct this post because I did it myself!

Examples:
– “Het wordt zo zoetjesaan tijd om naar huis te gaan.” – “Nu al? Het feest begint net!”  – “Ja sorry, we moeten morgen vroeg op.” 
(“It’s starting to get late, we should really go home.” – “Already? The party is just starting!” – “Yeah, we’re sorry, we have to get up early tomorrow!” Note “vroeg op moeten” requires no additonal verb, ‘op’ implies ‘getting up / rising’.)

– “Ik begin jouw gezeur zo zoetjesaan zat te worden. Kun je nu nooit eens iets positiefs zeggen?!” 
(“I’m starting to get tired of your whining. Why can’t you ever say something positive?!”)

– “We gaan zo zoetjesaan eens beginnen, heeft iedereen zijn koffie op?”
(“It’s about time to get started, has everybody finished their coffee?”)

– “Ik begin zo zoetjesaan honger te krijgen, waar blijft die bezorger?!” 
(“I’m starting to feel hungry/peckish, what is taking that delivery guy so long?!”)

Related words:
– Zoet: sweet [adjective].
– Zoet: sweet (things) [noun] [het zoet, <no plural>].

Example:
– “Ik hou niet van zoet op brood.”
(“I don’t care for sandwiches with sweet fillings.” Note that this sentence only makes sense in Dutch, with our chocolate sprinkles variations and all…)

Quiz week 20

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Koe Hello everybody!

So, this is my first attempt at a quiz (of some sort…) Remember, this is about revision/rehearsal, so it is not necessarily difficult 🙂

I haven't done much this week, so not much to quiz on, but, let's from now on agree that the quiz covers the past 5 DWOTD publications. Not by definition you can find the answer in an actual DWOTD post, but it will at least be related. And of course, Google and Wikipedia are your friends 🙂
Answers will be provided on Monday.

Question 1:
Who is the enthusiastic guy in Glennis Grace's video on "Afscheid"?

A. Marco Borsato
B. Glennis Grace's boyfriend
C. Ron Brandsteder
D. Xander de Buisonjé

Question 2:
When you say goodbye for a longer period of time, in Dutch you will:

A. Afscheiden
B. Afscheid geven
C. Afscheid nemen
D. Doei zeggen

Question 3:
Complete this sentence: "Het team maakt zich op voor de strijd. Vanavond is het erop of …"

A. Ernaast
B. Eraf
C. Eronder
D. Erin

Question 4:
What is the opposite of "lichtgewond"?

A. Donkergewond
B. Zwaargewond
C. Dikgewond
D. Diep gekwetst

Question 5:
Complete this sequence: "slecht, slechter, slechtst, …"

A. Diep triest
B. Duivels
C. Superslechtst
D. Allerslechtst

Question 6:
When you are willing to accept any reasonable price for what you are selling, in Dutch you will sell it:

A. Z.g.a.n.
B. T.e.a.b.
C. Zien = kopen
D. Op = op

Question 7:
When you need change for a parking meter, you will ask a Dutch person for:

A. Verandering
B. Information on how often cars are inspected
C. Wisselgeld
D. Kleingeld
E. His 'chip enabled' bank card, because that's the only darn thing those machines accept these days! 

Question 8:
When your Dutch boyfriend's grandmother mumbles "verandering van spijs doet eten", she means that:

A. It's time for you to find another boyfriend
B. Really it all comes down to the fact that variety is the spice of life
C. You must not complain about the Brussels sprouts she's serving you
D. If you really try hard, you can turn spices into food