Author Archives: Sander

Nut

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usefulness, benefit, point, purpose Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[het nut, <no plural>]

Fietser In Dutch something has "nut" when there is a point to it, or when it is to your advantage (or that of society if you are more of an altruist 🙂 ). A related adverb/adjective is "nuttig": when something has "nut", then it is "nuttig".

Examples:
– "Met dit weer heeft het toch geen enkel nut om je auto te wassen?" 
("With these weather condidions it is completely useless to wash you car, isn't it?")

– "Wat is het nut van jullie afspraak? Alles is toch al vastgelegd?" 
("What's the purpose of your meeting? Everything has been agreed upon, hasn't it?" Note that "vastleggen" also implies 'recording what was agreed'.)

– "Waarom moet bij jou altijd alles nut hebben; ik doe dit omdat ik het leuk vind! Klaar!" 
("Why do you believe there must always be a point to something; I do this because I like it! And that's it!" Note the use of "bij jou": it implies the other is of that opinion or always display a certain kind of behaviour etc. The word "klaar" translates as "ready/done" and can be used to indicate you are done explaining 🙂 )

– "Denk jij echt dat het hebben van een diploma nut heeft? Persoonlijk zie ik het nut er niet van in." 
("Do you really think that having a diploma is advantageous? Personally, I think there's no point to it.")

Related words:
– Nuttig: useful, advantageous [adjective/adverb].

Example:
– "Hoe was je zakenreis naar de VS?" – "Vermoeiend, maar heel nuttig!"
("How was your business trip to the US?" – "Exhausting, but very useful!")

– Zin: sense, point [noun] [de zin, de zinnen].

Example:
– "Laat nou maar zitten, het heeft geen zin!"
("Just leave it, it's pointless!")

– Noot: nut (from a tree) [noun] [de noot, de noten]. "Noot" is also used for musical/foot notes.

Meestal

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usually, generally, mostly Iconspeaker_3
[adverb]
[mees-tal]

Trein You can also use the word "gewoonlijk" but "meestal" you will hear "meestal" 🙂 Another common related phrase is "over het algemeen": in general.

Examples:
– "Ga jij met de trein naar het werk?" – "Meestal wel ja." 
("Do you take the train to work?" – "Yes, usually I do.")

– "Het zijn meestal pas afgestudeerden die hier solliciteren, maar we hebben ook vacatures voor professionals." 
("Mostly we have recently graduated people applying for a job, but we also have positions open to professionals.")

– "Ik bestel meestal rode wijn als ik een vleesgerecht kies, maar soms doe ik gewoon een biertje." 
("I usually order red wine when I pick a meat dish, but sometimes I'll just have a beer.")

– "Ik spreek wel eens een meisje aan in de kroeg, maar meestal loopt dat uit op een fiasco." 
("Once in a while I approach a girl in a bar, but usually that results in a total disaster." Note the verb "aanspreken": to approach somebody and talk to the person.)

Related words:
– Gewoonlijk: usually [adverb].
– Over het algemeen: in general, by and large.

Example:
– "Over het algemeen zien wij elkaar één keer in de twee weken."
("In general we see each other once every two weeks.")

– Vaak: often [adverb].
– Regelmatig: regular, frequent [adverb/adjective].
– Gewoonte: habit [noun] [de gewoonte, de gewoontes].

Inhalen

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1. to overtake/pass Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[in-ha-len, haal-de in, in-ge-haald]

Inhalen "Inhalen" has a few translations. Most common are "to overtake" and "making up for / catching up"; the latter is covered in 2. below. The verb can also be used figuratively when you are doing better than somebody who was previously superior to you.

Dutch traffic law mandates that overtaking can only be done on the left. Drivers that stay in the left lane while not overtaking are therefore a big nuisance to most people, especially when it is you that gets the fine when overtaking on the right!

Examples:
– "Waarom haal je die sukkel niet rechts in?" – "Ja, ik ben gekke Henkie niet, straks krijg ik een boete!"
("Why don't you just overtake that idiot?" – "Like I'm stupid, what if I get the fine?!" Lit. ".., later I'll get the fine!")

– "Als ik jou was, zou ik beter je best doen voordat je wordt ingehaald door je collega's." 
("If I were you I would try harder before your colleagues surpass you.")

– "Inhalen verboden." 
("Overtaking prohibited.")

– "Verboden in te halen!" 
("Overtaking prohibited!")

– "Ik heb een hekel aan scholieren die naast elkaar fietsen; hoe moet ik nu inhalen?" 
("I hate pupils / (school) students who cycle next to one another; how am I supposed to pass them?")

– "Bij inhalen op een drukke weg moet je oppassen voor tegenliggers!" 
("When overtaking on a busy road one has to be aware of oncoming cars." Note that "tegenligger" can be used for any kind of oncoming traffic.)

Related words:
– Voorbijgaan:to pass/go by [verb] [ging voorbij, voorbijgegaan].
– Langs: along/past [adverb].

Example:
– "Waarom ga je er niet langs?!" – "Ja, je ziet toch dat ik er niet voorbij kan gaan!"
("Why don't you go past it?" – "Yeah right, can't you see I cannot pass by?!")

– Inhalig: greedy/grasping [adverb]. Derived from "inhalen" in its translation of "to draw/haul/take in".
– Inhaalverbod: overtaking prohibition, passing restriction [noun] [het verbod, de verboden].

2. to make up for, to catch up with Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[in-ha-len, haal-de in, in-ge-haald]

Klok Here "inhalen" is commonly used when making up for lost time, or catching up with activities.

Examples:
– "Marc komt vandaag weer terug van vakantie." – "Gelukkig! Hij heeft heel wat achterstand in te halen wat betreft de audiobestanden!" 
("Marc is back from holiday today." – "That's good news! He has quite some catching up to do regarding the audio files!")

– "De leerling is lang ziek geweest en moet nu veel lessen inhalen." 
("The pupil was ill for a long time and now has to make up for the classes he/she missed.")

– "Ik ben blij dat we na al die jaren weer vrienden zijn! Kom op, we hebben heel wat in te halen!" 
("I'm happy we are friends again after all those years! Come on, we have quite some catching up to do!")

Related words:
– Achterstand: arrears, leeway, backlog [noun] [de achterstand, de achterstanden].
– Bij zijn: to have caught up with, to be back up to speed [verb] [was bij, bij geweest].

Example:
– "En, ben je weer helemaal bij?"
("So… are you back up to speed?")

Hardnekkig

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persistent, stubborn Iconspeaker_3
[adjective/adverb]
[hard-nek-kig]

Hardnekkig "Hardnekkig" implies that whatever it is that is persistent, also proves to be very difficult to get rid of. So it is typically used when something is experienced as inconvenient. The word seems to be related to "hard" ('hard') and "nek" ('neck') but I'm not sure about the origin.

Examples:
– "Ik heb het hem nogmaals gevraagd, maar hij blijft hardnekkig volhouden dat hij het niet gedaan heeft." 
("I have asked him once more, but he stubbornly maintains that he was not the one who did it." Lit. 'that he has not done it'.)

– "Hoe is het met je verkoudheid?" – "Nog steeds niet over, het is echt hardnekkig." 
("How is your cold?" – "Still not gone, it's really persistent.")

– "Hij heeft zijn excuses meerdere malen aan haar aangeboden, maar zij trakteert hem op een hardnekkig stilzwijgen." 
("He apologized to her several times, but she offers him stubborn silence in return." Lit. 'she treats him to a stubborn silence'.)

– "Er doen hardnekkige geruchten de ronde over de kabinetsformatie." 
("Persistent rumours on the formation of the cabinet are going around.")

– "Wij hebben een mierenplaag in huis…" – "Nou, succes ermee, dat zijn echt hardnekkige beestjes." 
("We have an ant plague in the house…" -  "Well, good luck, those are persistent creatures." Note that "beest" translates as "animal" or "beast" but "beestjes" is commonly used for small insects.)

Related words:
– Volhardend: persevering [adverb/adjective].
– Volhouden: to persevere [verb] [hield vol, volgehouden].
– Persistent: persistent [adjective].
– Aanhouden: to continue, to last [verb] [hield aan, aangehouden].

Ik ben gekke Henkie niet!

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Bungy do they/you think I'm stupid or what Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]
[Ik ben gek-ke Hen-kie niet]

You can use this expression when you want to say that you are surely not stupid enough to do or believe something. "Ik ben gekke Henkie niet" (I am not crazy Henkie) is an informal expression; Henk is a common but slightly old-fashioned name. 'Henkie' is what I call the informal diminutive; derived from 'Henkje' (which one would never say). Who Henkie is in this context, no one knows 🙂

You may also hear: "Ik ben toch gekke Henkie niet" and "Ik ben toch zeker gekke Henkie niet" (surely I am not crazy Henkie, am I?).

Examples:
– "En dan verwacht hij dat het eten klaar staat als hij thuiskomt; ik ben gekke Henkie niet, hij doet het zelf maar!" 
("And then he expects dinner to be ready when he comes home; what is he thinking, he can do it himself!")

– "Ja ik ben toch zeker gekke Henkie niet, ze ruimen zelf die troep maar op!" 
("Do they think I'm stupid or what; they can clean up the mess themselves!")

– "Ik ga hier echt niet zitten wachten totdat meneertje eindelijk klaar is; ik ben gekke Henkie niet!" 
("Surely I'm not going to sit here and wait till his lordship is finally ready; what does he think I am, crazy??" You can use the diminutive "meneertje" when you want to be ironic.)

– "500 euro? Ik bestel 'm wel op internet, daar is ie 100 euro goedkoper; ik ben gekke Henkie niet!" 
("500 euro? I'll order it from the internet, it's 100 euro cheaper there; I'm not stupid!" Note the use of " 'm " and "ie"; both informal usage of "hem" and "hij".)

– "Luister, ik ben toch zeker gekke Henkie niet, als hij per se met de auto wil dan gaat hij zelf maar in de file staan!" 
("Listen, I'm no fool, if he wants to go by car at all costs then he can be the one getting stuck in traffic!" Lit. 'then he himself can go and stand in the "file" '.)

Expressions:
– "Ik ben toch niet gek!": I'm not stupid/dumb.
 - "Ja, daaag!": with prolonged short 'a' and some irony this says something like "no way", "do it yourself" or "get lost".

Related words:
– Gek: crazy, loony [adjective/adverb].