bridge [noun] [de brug, de bruggen]

Examples:
– "Wat is tegelijkertijd open en dicht?" –  "Een brug!"
("What is open and closed at the same time?" – "A bridge!")

– "Een brug te ver."
("A bridge too far." This is the title of a book about operation Market Garden which took place in the Netherlands in September 1944. The allied force did not succeed in securing the final (Rhine) bridge near Arnhem.)

– "Brug open? Motor af!"
("Bridge open? Shut down engine!" Literally: "Engine off!" This sign you might see when you queue up with your car for a closed bridge.)

Expressions:
– "Over de brug komen.": to deliver the goods/to pay up, to comply with the demands (literally: "to come over the bridge.")

Example:
"Het bedrijf wordt verkocht, tenzij de directie met de 2 miljoen over de brug komt."
("The company will be sold, unless the board of directors pays the 2 million (that are demanded)."

– "Ezelsbruggetje": memory aid, mnemonic (lit.: "donkey (little) bridge").

square [noun] [het plein, de pleinen]

Although many squares are square, "plein" does not translate to the shape "square"
but to the open four-sided space surrounded by buildings. The geometrical shape "square" translates to "vierkant" ("four side").

Examples:
– "Zie je dat huis aan de overkant van het plein?"
("Do you see that house on the opposite side of the square?")

– "Het Plein in Den Haag is een bekend plein."
("Het Plein in Den Haag is a well-known square." Here some might argue that the name of this square is actually "Plein" without "het", but no one ever says that 😉 .)

– "Het Leidseplein in Amsterdam is niet echt de plek om lekker te ontspannen."
("The Leidseplein in Amsterdam is not really the spot to pleasantly unwind.")

Related word:
– "Schoolplein": schoolyard, playing ground (at the school).
– "Pleinvrees": agoraphobia (literally: "square fear").

crossing, junction, intersection, crossroads [noun] [het kruispunt, de kruispunten]

A "kruis" is a "cross" and a "punt" a "point", hence "kruispunt" is the point at which a crossing occurs. A common synonym for "kruispunt" is "kruising". Do not confuse this with "kruisiging"; this translates to "crucifixion".

Examples:
– "De stoplichten bij dit kruispunt zijn buiten werking."
("The traffic lights at this crossing are out of action.")

– "Rij deze straat uit, en ga linksaf bij het kruispunt."
("Drive to the end of this street and turn left at the intersection." Lit.: "Drive/ride this street out".)

– "Er is een ongeluk gebeurd op het kruispunt."
("There has been an accident at the intersection." Lit.: "There has happened an accident…")

– "Holland is een kruispunt van culturen."
("Holland is a crossroads of cultures." Here we have incorrectly used the name Holland as a synonym for the Netherlands. Follow the link for explanation.)

Related words:
– "Kruising": synonym for "kruispunt".
– "Rotonde": roundabout, traffic circle.

1. path, pathway, walk, track [noun] [het pad, de paden]

The Netherlands are well-known for the ubiquitous bicycle paths, in cities and in the countryside.
The fact that all is flat here of course stimulates cycling in the first place, however the Dutch seem to make a point out of creating the infrastructure as well. If you find yourself cycling where there is no bicycle path, you are in principle allowed to bike on the street but of course you have to use common sense here. Sometimes it is obvious that you shouldn’t! In any case: biking on the pavement is prohibited, the fine is 30 Euros 🙂 .

"Pad" is a word that can have both "de" and "het" as an article. However, mind that the meaning changes with the article! See the second translation below.

Examples:
– "Dit is een voetpad. Hier mag je niet fietsen!"
("This is a foot path. You are not allowed to bike here!")

– "Ik fietste naar het werk, en toen hield plotseling het fietspad op!!"
("I was biking to work, and then suddenly the bike path ended!!")

– "Het pad naar de verlichting is niet geplaveid!"
("The path to enlightenment is not paved!")

– "Het gaat niet om het doel, maar om het pad ernaar toe."
("It is not about the goal, but about the path leading to it." The word "ernaar" is like "to there".)

– "En langs het tuinpad van mijn vader…"
("And along the garden path of my father…" This is a line from the song ‘Het dorp’, performed by the famous Dutch cabaret performer from the 60s-70s: Wim Sonneveld. He is an icon of Dutch comedy/variété.)

Expression:
– "Op pad gaan.": lit. "to go on path" this is said when you are going outside for some kind of activity that involves travel, like a daytrip or excursion. Example: "Kom, we gaan op pad!".

Related words:
– "Zebrapad": pedestrian crossing.
– "Voetpad": foot path.
– "Fietspad": bike path.
– "Stoep": pavement, sidewalk.
– "Trottoir": fancy synonym for "stoep"; adoption of French "trottoir".

2. toad [noun] [de pad, de padden]

Marc and I have been training lately for the CPC-run that will be held in The Hague this coming Saturday. Part of the track is uphill through a bit of a woody area with a pond down the hill. In the evening the road is closed off because of the so-called "paddentrek", which is the toads’ (spring)
migration (literally it translates to something like the "toads hike"). We are no experts, but apparently, in spring, toads leave the woods during the night to do some kind of business in the pond. The road is not closed off for pedestrians, but you still have to watch out not to step on one!

Examples:
– "Niet iedereen is bekend met de ‘paddentrek’. "
("Not everybody is familiar with the ‘toads’ migration’. ")

– "Ik weet niet of een pad ook in een prins kan veranderen als je hem zoent."
("I don’t know if a toad can also change into a prince if you kiss it.")

Related word:
– "Kikker": frog.

1. road, way [noun] [de weg, de wegen]

A "weg" is used if, as you might expect, it is more of a road than a street. It is also used for motor/highways: a "snelweg" (lit. "fastway") is a main motorway, for example the A4 from The Hague to Amsterdam with maximum speed limit of 120 km/h (unless otherwise indicated). An "autoweg" is typically shorter with less lanes and a default speed limit of 100 km/h (unless otherwise indicated).

Examples:
– "Op deze weg mag je niet harder dan 80."
("On this road the speed limit is 80." Literally: "… one is not allowed to go faster than 80.)

– "Het is nog vroeg, er zijn niet veel auto‘s op de weg."
("It’s still early, there are not many cars on the road.")

– "Verkeer op een verharde weg heeft voorrang op verkeer dat komt van een onverharde weg."
("Traffic on a paved road has right of way over traffic coming from an unpaved road." This is an actual traffic rule in the Netherlands.)

– "Dat is een donker weggetje, daar moet je als vrouw ‘s nachts niet alleen komen."
("That’s a dark little road, a woman shouldn’t go there in the night (all) by herself." Literally: "…you shouldn’t go there as a woman…" Note that the diminutive of "weg" is not "wegje" but "weggetje".)

Expressions:
– "Aan de weg timmeren": to invest in yourself, to prepare, lit.: to build (on) the road. "Timmeren" is actually hammering wood together with nails 🙂
– "Gods wegen zijn ondoorgrondelijk": God moves in mysterious ways. Lit.: God’s ways are unfathomable.
– "Er zijn vele wegen die naar Rome leiden": there are many roads that lead to Rome.
– "Beren op de weg zien": to see problems ahead, lit.: to see bears on the road.

Related word:
– "Straat": street, road.

2. gone, left, missing, away [adjective/adverb]

Examples:
– "Ga weg!"
("Go away!" Also see ‘Expressions’.)

– "Gooi je dat eten zomaar weg?"
("Are you throwing away that food just like that?" The word "zomaar" also means "without any reason", and is a favourite answer that kids give to explain their bad behaviour 🙂 .)

– "De volgende ochtend was ze weg, zonder een briefje achter te laten."
("The next morning she was gone, without leaving a note.")

Expression:
– "Ga weg!": get… out! (expressing astonishment).

Related words:
– "Verdwenen": disappeared, gone.
– "Vermist": missing, gone. Example: "Vermiste personen": missing persons.

3. crazy, infatuated [adjective/adverb]

Examples:
– "Frank is helemaal weg van de nieuwe secretaresse."
("Frank is absolutely crazy about the new secretary.")

– "Ik haat haar preutse maniertjes, toch ben ik helemaal weg van haar, want ze maakt me aan het lachen."
("I hate her prudish airs, yet I’m completely infatuated with her, because she makes me laugh.")