Author Archives: Sander

Conferentie

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conference Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[de con-fe-ren-tie, de con-fe-ren-ties]

Conferentie
Quite often Dutch people also use the word "congres" which is similar to "conferentie", so a Dutch person might tell you that "he is going to a congress", see the Related words. Note that the "tie" in "conferentie" is pronounced "tsie".

Examples:
– "Volgende week ben ik niet op kantoor, want ik ga naar een conferentie." 
("Next week I will not be in the office, because I’ll be going to a conference.")

– "Ga je wel eens naar een conferentie voor je werk?" – "Nee, mijn werkgever vindt dat niet nodig." 
("Do you ever attend a conference for work?" – "No, my employer feels it is not necessary.")

– "Is je artikel al gepubliceerd?" – "Nee nog niet, ik presenteer het eerst op een conferentie." 
("Has your paper been published yet?" – "No not yet, I will first present it at a conference.")

– "Is Sarah in Tallinn voor die conferentie?" – "Misschien, ze heeft er niets over tegen mij gezegd. Sander is er wel, dat weet ik zeker." 
("Is Sarah in Tallinn for that conference?" – "Maybe, she has not said anything about it to me. Sander is there, that I know for sure.")

Related words:
– Vergadering: meeting [noun] [de vergadering, de vergaderingen].
–
Congres: conference [noun] [het congres, de congressen]. In Dutch the
word "congres" is often used for a more formal or bigger conference.

Example:
– "Ga je naar een congres of naar een conferentie?" – "Ik weet het niet, wat is het verschil?"
("Are you going to a ‘conferentie’ or to a ‘congres’ "? – "I don’t know, what is the difference?")

Herinneren

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The verb "herinneren" can be used as a transitive (1) or reflexive (2) verb.

1. to remind [verb] [her-in-ner-de, her-in-nerd] Iconspeaker_3

Here you use "herinneren" when something/body reminds you of something/body or when reminding somebody something (or something! 😉 )

Examples:
– "Zij herinnert mij aan mijn oma." 
("She reminds me of my grandmother.")

– "Herinner me eraan dat ik de deur op slot doe." 
("Remind me to lock the door.")

2. to remember, to recall [verb, reflexive] [her-in-ner-de, her-in-nerd] Iconspeaker_3

Herinneringen
Here the verb is used in the meaning of still knowing something or recalling something (as opposed to actively not forgetting something, see DWOTD Onthouden). Don’t forget to use the reflexive pronoun!

Examples:
– "Ik herinner me er niks van!" 
("I don’t remember anything (of what happened)!")

– "Als ik het me goed herinner is het hier om de hoek." 
("If I remember correctly, it’s right here around the corner.")

– "Ik herinner me opeens dat ik de deur nog op slot moet doen." 
("I suddenly remember that I still have to lock the door.")

– "Herinner je je je oma nog?" 
("Do you still remember your grandmother?" The three "je’s" are deliberate: the first is the subject, the second the reflexive pronoun, and the third the possessive pronoun.)

Related words:
– Herinnering: recollection, memory [noun] [de herinnering, de herinneringen].
– Geheugen: memory [noun] [het geheugen, <no plural>].

Maar niet heus!

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But not really! / …not! [Dutch phrase of the week] Iconspeaker_3

"Maar niet heus" is often used jestingly or to emphasize an ironic statement. The word "heus" means "real", "true". It is not used that often, but you will hear it in expressions such as: "is het heus?" ("is it really the case / true?") or "heus niet!" ("no, honestly!, "really not the case!").

Examples:
– "Ja, ik heb er echt veel zin in… maar niet heus!" 
("Yeah, I really feel like it / I am really looking forward to it… not!")

– "Ik moet dit weekend naar mijn schoonouders, dat wordt weer gezellig! … Maar niet heus!"
("This weekend I’m visiting my parents in law, it will be fun! … Not!")

– "Vorige maand ben ik wezen schaatsen. Ik kon het nog net zo goed als 15 jaar geleden … maar niet heus." 
("I went ice skating last month. I was just as good (at it) as I was 15 years ago… but not really.")

Herkennen

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1. recognize, know, identify with [verb] [her-ken-nen, her-kend] Iconspeaker_3

Here "herkennen" has the meaning of "recognizing somebody/thing who/that you already know". You can also use the verb to say you identify with somebody/thing or know what somebody is talking about.

Examples:
– "Na al die jaren herkende ik hem meteen!" 
("After all these years I recognized him immediately!")

– "Ik herkende haar aan haar vreemde manier van praten." 
("I recognized her by her strange way of speaking.")

– "Het is gewoon ongelofelijk lastig om zo’n grote groep te leiden!" – "Ja, dat herken ik wel…" 
("It is just incredibly difficult to lead such a big group!" – "Yes, I recognize that / know what you are talking about.")

– "Ik herken mezelf wel in de hoofdpersoon van dat boek." 
("I can identify with the main character of that book.")

Related words:
– Herkenning: recognition [noun] [de herkenning, <no plural>].

2. recognize, identify, make out, discern [verb] [her-ken-nen, her-kend] Iconspeaker_3 

OgenHere "herkennen" is used in the meaning of identifying or discerning.

Examples:
– "Je kunt het gebouw herkennen aan de lange schoorsteen." 
("You can recognize the building by the tall chimney.")

– "De tegenpartij is te herkennen aan de rood-wit gestreepte shirts." 
("The opponent / other side can be recognized/identified by the red and white striped shirts.")

– "Ok, de dader heeft dus een rode pet en een baard? Dan zal ik hem wel herkennen, hoop ik…" 
("Ok, so the perpetrator has a red cap and a beard? Then I guess I’ll identify him, I hope…")

Related words:
– Onderscheiden: to discern, to distinguish [verb] [onderscheiden, onderscheid].

Onthouden

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to remember [verb] [ont-hield, ont-hou-den] Iconspeaker_3

Memory
The verb "onthouden" has multiple meanings, but in this DWOTD we focus on the translation of "to remember", as in "to not forget" (for your information, the other translations are "to abstain (from)" or "to withhold"). A common alternative to the verb "onthouden" is the construction "niet vergeten" ("to ‘not’ forget").

Examples:
– "Onthou(d) dat ik altijd van je zal houden, wat er ook gebeurt!" 
("Remember that I will always love you, whatever happens!" Note that you can use both "onthou" and "onthoud" as the imperative form in this case.)

– "Het lukt me niet om namen te onthouden, echt erg!" 
("I am unable to remember names / I am bad at names, really awful!")

– "Echt waar? Dat zal ik onthouden!" 
("(Is it) really (true)? I will remember that!")

– "Ik heb een geheugen als een vergiet, ik kan echt niets onthouden!" 
("I have a really bad memory, I am unable to remember anything!" Lit.: "I have a memory like a colander, I can really remember nothing!")

Related words:
– Vergeten: to forget [verb] [vergat, vergeten].
– Zich herinneren: to remember (something in the past) [verb (reflexive)] [herinnerde, herinnerd].