Category Archives: Dutch phrase of the week

Het zit er weer op!

Posted on by

it's over/gone again, we're done Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]
[Het zit er weer op]

HetZitErWeerOp You can use this phrase when you've completed an activity or when a period of time (such as: morning, hour, year) has ended. Either use "het" when it's clear from context or be more specific, see the examples. The use of 'weer' indicates that it's over 'again' (as in rather quickly or when it feels that way). You can leave it out if you want ("het zit er op!")

Examples:
– "Het jaar zit er al weer bijna op!" 
("The year is almost over again! / the year has almost ended!")

– "Jongens, het zit er op, we kunnen gaan lunchen!" 
("Guys, we're done, let's have lunch!" Lit. "we can have lunch / we are able to have lunch".)

– "En daarmee sluiten we af, de ochtendsessie zit er weer op, en dan nu het nieuws van 12 uur." 
("And with that we conclude, the morning session is over again, next the 12 o'clock news.")

– "De week zit er weer op, heerlijk, eindelijk weekend!" 
("The week has come to an end again, splendid/great, weekend finally!")

– "Het zit er weer op voor dit jaar, in 2011 zijn er weer nieuwe DWOTD's!" 
("And we're done for the year, in 2011 there will be new DWOTDs again!")

Related words:
– Voorbij: over, gone, past, finished[adjective].

Example:
– "De vakantie is weer voorbij; balen!"
("The holidays are over again; bummer / that sucks!")

– Over: past, finished [adjective].

Example:
– "Het is over, klaar, voorbij! Wat snap je daar niet aan?"
("It's over, finished, done! What part do you not understand?")

Kat in het bakkie

Posted on by

child's play, straightforward, piece of cake Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]
[Kat in het bak-kie]

KatInHetBakkie With "bak" meaning "bin, can, container, tray" this expression makes you think it's about getting the cat in the (cat's) box, which in fact can be very difficult (unless the cat wants to of course 🙂 ). However, "kat" in this expression may in fact mean "money" and the original meaning could be "bringing in the cash" (read more here (in Dutch) ). These days however, you will use it to say that something is very easy, or can be 'considered done!'

You will also hear "Dat/het is/was kat in 't bakkie!"

Examples:
– "Hoe ging je sollicitatiegesprek?" – "Het was kat in het bakkie, ik word zeker uitgenodigd voor een tweede gesprek!" 
("How was your job interview?" – "Piece of cake, I'm sure that I'll be invited to the second round!" Lit. "Surely I'll be invited for a second interview".)

– "Ga je de deadline nog halen denk je?" – "O man, kat in het bakkie. Ik heb het al lang af, maar nu denkt de manager dat ik keihard aan het werk ben 😉 " 
("Do you think you will be able to meet the deadline?" – "Most definitely! I've already completed it a long time ago, but this way the manager thinks I'm really working hard 😉 .")

– "De kat moet naar de dierenarts en ik krijg hem niet in zijn mandje!" – "Pff, dat is zeker geen kat in het bakkie! Vat je hem, kat in het bakkie?! Ha ha!" – "Ik vat hem Sander, maar het is niet grappig!" 
("The cat has to go to the vet and I can't get it to go in the carrier/cage!" – "Pff, that's definitely no 'kat in het bakkie'! Do you get it, 'kat in het bakkie'?! Ha ha!" – "I get it Sander, it's not funny, that's all!")

Expressions:
– "Eitje": piece of cake.
– "(Het was/is een) Makkie!": very easy to complete or do. Derived from "gemakkelijk": easy.

Related words:
– Kat: cat [noun] [de kat, de katten].
– Bak: container, bin [noun] [de bak, de bakken]. Diminutive: "bakje" or "bakkie" (informal).
– Kattenbak: cat's box/tray [noun] [de kattenbak, de kattenbakken].

Dat zit wel snor

Posted on by

that's all right, that will be all right Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week] Snor

There isn't really a literal translation for "dat zit wel snor". In Dutch, verbs like "zitten" (to sit), "staan" (to stand) and "liggen" are sometimes used in case of an ongoing activity, usually translated in English with a conjugation of "to be" + gerund, for example: "hij zit te liegen" (he's lying). In this particular phrase, "zit" is also translated with "is"/"will be", although it's not an ongoing activity that is referred to.

"Dat zit wel snor" is synonymous to "dat zit wel goed".

"Snor" translates to moustache, by the way 🙂

Examples:
– "Heb jij je surprise nog niet gemaakt? Morgen is surprise-avond!" – "Maak je niet druk, dat zit wel snor." 
("You haven't made your Sinterklaas surprise yet? Tomorrow is Sinterklaas surprise night! "Don't worry, that will be all right.")

– "Nederlands leren is een kwestie van veel oefenen." – "Dat zit wel snor, ik volg de DWOTD op Twitter." 
("Learning Dutch is a matter of practising a lot." – "That's all right, I follow the DWOTD on Twitter.")

– "Wat is je strategie om de koploper te verslaan?" – "Dat zit wel snor, we hebben een geheim wapen…" 
("What's your strategy to beat the number one team?" – "It will be all right, we've got a secret weapon…")

Expressions:
– "In orde": in order, okay, all right.
– "Dat zit wel goed": that's all right, that will be all right.

Example:
– "Alstublieft meneer, uw wisselgeld." – "Dat zit wel goed, dat muntje van 5 cent mag je houden."
("There you go sir, your change." – "That's all right, you can keep the 5 cents (coin).")

Related words:
– Snor: moustache [noun] [de snor, de snorren].

Example:
– "Mannen met een snor bereiken meer in het leven." – "Wat een onzin!"
("Men with a moustache achieve more in life." – "That's nonsense!")

Gaan met die banaan!

Posted on by

(Just) go! / Go go go! Let’s go! Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]

ape-44564_640“Gaan met die banaan!” literally translates to “Go with that banana!” 🙂 It’s used to encourage people to go ahead with the activity at hand. “Gaan met die banaan” doesn’t really have an etymology…it’s just a good rhyme 😉

Examples:
– “Je voelt je ziek? Wat dan nog? Gaan met die banaan!” 
(“You’re feeling sick? So what? Just go!”)

– “Je wilt ons tripje afblazen? Niks ervan, gaan met die banaan!” 
(“You want to call off our little trip? No way, let’s go!”)

– “<aerobic lerares> Hoezo geen puf meer voor deze oefening? Kom op meiden, gaan met die banaan!” 
(“<aerobics teacher> What do you mean, no more energy for this exercise? Come on girls, go go go!” Lit.: “How so no more energy…”)

Expressions:
– “Kom op!”: come on!
– “Vooruit met de geit!”: come on! (lit.: “forward with the goat!”)

Related words:
– Banaan: banana [noun] [de banaan, de bananen].
– Opschieten: to hurry (up) [verb] [opschieten, schoot op, i. opgeschoten].

Example:
– “Kom op! Schiet op! Gaan met die banaan!” – “Gast, doe rustig. Ontspan je.”
(“Come on! Hurry up! Go go go!” – “Dude, take it easy. Relax.)

Er is geen doorkomen aan

Posted on by

there is no way to get through/to finish, there is no end to it Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]

Rijen_dik The verb "doorkomen" translates as "to come/get/pass through" and can also be used figuratively, for example in this week's Dutch phrase.

Examples:
– "Heb je al een afspraak gemaakt met de huisarts?" – "Nog niet, ik probeer (ze) te bellen, maar er is geen doorkomen aan!" 
("Have you made an appointment yet with the family doctor?" – "Not yet, I'm trying to call (them), but I can't get through at all!")

– "Misschien is het een goed idee om dit jaar wat eerder kerstinkopen te doen. Want straks is er in de winkels geen doorkomen meer aan!" 
("Perhaps it is a good idea to start the Christmas shopping a little earlier this year. Later on there will be no way to get through (the crowd of people) in the shops!")

– "Het is jouw beurt om bier te halen!" – "Als je het goed vindt wacht ik liever, want er is op het moment aan de bar geen doorkomen aan…" 
("It's your turn to get some beer!" – "If it's okay with you I'd rather wait as there is at the moment no way to get through at the bar…")

– "Gaat het je lukken om het rapport om twee uur af te hebben?" – "Zeg, heb je die stapel gezien? Er is geen doorkomen aan!" 
("Will you succeed in finishing the report by two o'clock?" – "Hey, have you seen that stack? There is no way to finish!")

Expressions:
– Rijen dik: rows of people, a big crowd of people (lit. 'rows thick').

Example:
– "Het publiek staat rijen dik te wachten om een glimp op te vangen van de popster."
("Rows of spectators were waiting to catch a glimpse of the pop star.")

Related words:
– Druk: busy, crowded [adjective/adverb].
– Drukte: busyness, commotion, pressure [noun] [de drukte, <no plural>].

Example:
– "Wat een drukte! Kom, we komen straks wel terug!"
("What a crowd! Come on, we'll come back later!")