Category Archives: Dutch phrase of the week

Jammer maar helaas!

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(That’s just) too bad… Iconspeaker_3 Disappointment
[Dutch phrase of the week]

When you combine "jammer" ("pity", "too bad") and "helaas" ("alas", "regrettably") in this phrase, you do not only show disappointment, but you also indicate that you accept that it is just the way it is…

Examples:
– "Het Nederlands vrouwenelftal heeft gisteren de halve finale verloren van Engeland. Ze zijn ver gekomen, maar het mocht niet zo zijn… Jammer maar helaas!" 
("The Dutch women soccer team lost the semi finals against England yesterday. They got really far (into the tournament), but it was not meant to be… Too bad, but that’s just the way it is!")

– "Uiteindelijk heeft Frank de deal niet kunnen sluiten. Het zag er goed uit, maar ketste op het laatste moment af… Jammer maar helaas!" 
("Eventually Frank was not able to close the deal. It looked good, but at the last moment it fell apart. That’s just too bad!" Literally: "at the last moment it bounced off.")

– "Ik had op Funda een leuk huis gezien maar toen ik de makelaar belde, bleek het al verkocht te zijn. Jammer maar helaas!" 
("I spotted a nice house at Funda, but when I called the real estate agent, (it appeared that) the house was already sold… What a pity (but these things happen)!")

Expressions:
– "Helaas pindakaas!": too bad! (Informal. Literally it says: "alas, peanut butter!". We have no clue who started it 🙂 )

Related words:
– Jammer: too bad, (a) pity, shame [interjection, adjective].
– Helaas: alas, sadly, regrettably [interjecion, adverb].
– Teleurstelling: disappointment [noun] [de teleurstelling, de teleurstellingen].

Een goed begin is het halve werk

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well begun is half done Iconspeaker_3 Duim
[Dutch phrase of the week]

We’re back! And we’ll start off with a somewhat old-fashioned expression. But as they say: well begun is half done 🙂

Examples:
– "Ik heb de stofzuiger al klaar gezet." – "Uitstekend! Een goed begin is het halve werk!"
("I’ve already taken out the vacuum cleaner." – "Excellent! Well begun is half done!")

– "Marc, wees eens niet zo lui, een goed begin is het halve werk!" 
("Marc, don’t be lazy like that, well begun is half done!")

– "Even goed luisteren lui, een goed begin is het halve werk!" 
("Just listen up people, well begin is half done!")

Expressions:
– "Goed bezig!": nice job!.

Related words:
– Goed: good [adjective].
– Begin: beginning, start [noun] [het begin, <no plural>].

Example:
– "Dit is het begin van het einde…"
("The end is near…" Lit.: "This is the beginning of the end…")

– Half: half [adjective].
– Werk: work [noun] [het werk, de werken].

Te gek om los te lopen

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too ridiculous/absurd for words  Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]Tbs

Because it’s the DWOTD Summer Schedule, here’s a Dutch Phrase of the Week on Friday 🙂

"Te gek om los te lopen" literally translates to "too crazy to walk loose". You may also see the more literal equivalent "te gek voor woorden" or "te zot voor woorden".

Examples:
– "Gisteren is een vrouw op klaarlichte dag neergestoken. Dat is toch te gek om los te lopen??" 
("Yesterday, a woman was stabbed in broad daylight. That’s too absurd for words, isn’t it??" Note that "toch" is translated with "…, isn’t it??")

– "Frank heeft afgelopen maand met vier vrouwen tegelijkertijd gedate."  – "Dat is te gek om los te lopen!"
("Frank has dated four women at the same time last month." – "That’s too ridiculous for words!")

Expressions:
– "Te gek/zot voor woorden": too absurd for words.

Related words:
– Gek/Zot: crazy [adjective].
– Lopen: to walk [verb] [liep, gelopen].
– Los: loose [adjective].
– Ontoerekeningsvatbaarheid: insanity defence [noun] [de ontoerekeningsvatbaarheid, <no plural>]. See Extra

Extra:
"Ontoerekeningsvatbaarheid" (tongue breaker alert 🙂 ) is a Dutch juridical term, which more or less translates to "insanity defence" in English. It means that when a person commits a crime which can be related to a mental disorder or illness, this person receives a declaration of insanity, which may lead to a less severe sentence, or no sentence at all. A person is then "ter beschikking gesteld aan de regering" (lit.: placed at the disposal of the government). This procedure is called "T.B.S." Someone who is subjected to T.B.S. is called a "T.B.S.-er". T.B.S.-ers are treated under coercion in a "T.B.S. kliniek" (a penitentiary clinic).

In 2008, the Dutch movie "TBS" was released, in which a T.B.S.-er, convicted for killing his own father and sister, escapes from a T.B.S. clinic and tracks down his mother in order to prove his innocence.

Niet te filmen!

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indescribable, unbelievable! Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]

"Filmen" is the verb derived from the noun "film" and obviously means "to record on film". Unless it is really a film that you are shooting, you will more commonly use "een video opnemen" or "opnemen" ("to record" in general). Apparently this expression is used to say that something is that incredible, it can’t be recorded on film (whatever that means 🙂 ). You can use the expression both for positive and negative astonishment. Or just say: "ongelofelijk!" 🙂

Examples:
– "Moet je die man zien fietsen met die gekke hoed. Niet te filmen…" 
("Look at that man biking over there with that strange hat! Incredible…")

– "Hoe was het congres afgelopen zaterdag?"- "Het was niet te filmen zo slecht… echt, niets was geregeld!" 
("How was the convention last Saturday?" – "It was so bad… it’s indescribable… honestly, nothing had been arranged!")

Slingeraap
– "Ik ben dit weekend in Artis geweest."- "Was het leuk?" – "Zeker, vooral die slingerapen, niet te filmen joh hoe die hun staart gebruiken als extra arm!" 
("I went to the Artis Zoo this weekend." – "Did you have a good time?" –  "Absolutely, especially those spider monkeys, it is unbelievable how they use their tail as an additional arm!" The use of the word "joh" is a bit like "ey".)

In de steek laten

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to fail someone, to let someone down, to leave (someone behind), to desert someone, to abandon Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]In_de_steek_gelaten

"Steek" literally translates to "sting" or "stab". "In de steek laten" however describes a situation when someone or something fails to help you in a critical situation, often fleeing the scene.

Examples:
– "Mijn auto laat me om de haverklap in de steek." 
("My car lets me down continually.")

– "Heeft Jan Yolanthe in de steek gelaten, of andersom?"  – "Lekker belangrijk…"
("Did Jan leave Yolanthe behind, or was it the other way around?" – "As if I care…")

– "Het voelt alsof ik door Frank in de steek ben gelaten." 
("It feels as if I’ve been let down by Frank.")

Expressions:
– "Met de noorderzon vertrekken": to leave without notice to an unknown destination.

Related words:
– Vlucht: flight, escape [noun] [de vlucht, de vluchten].
– Vluchten: to flee/to escape/to fly/to run (away) [verb] [vluchten, vluchtte, gevlucht].
– Ontvluchten: to flee/to escape (from) [verb] [ontvluchten, ontvluchtte, ontvlucht].
– Dumpen: to dump [verb] [dumpen, dumpte, gedumpt].
– Pech: breakdown, trouble [noun] [de pech, <no plural>].

Example:
– "Marc heeft pech met zijn auto: de lamp rechtsvoor doet het niet meer."
("Marc has trouble with his car: the headlight on the right has broken down.")