Category Archives: Dutch word of the day

Weer

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1. weather [noun] [het weer, <no plural>]

Examples:
– "Het weer is vandaag typisch Nederlands: grijs en nat."
("The weather today is typically Dutch: grey and wet.")

– "De weerman had een sombere (weers)voorspelling."
("The weatherman had a gloomy (weather) forecast.")

– "Ik ga met de auto naar het werk in plaats van met de fiets; het is echt hondenweer!"
("I’ll take the car to work instead of the bicycle; it is really bad weather!" Literally: "I go with the car …, it is really dog weather!")

Expression:
"Mooi weer spelen.": to pretend nothing has happened/everything is fine, to put on a show of friendliness.

Example:
"Frank speelde mooi weer tegenover het management toen hij de jaarcijfers presenteerde."
("Frank pretended everything was just fine when presenting the annual results to the management.")

2. again [adverb]

Examples:
– "Frank zat weer te zeuren tijdens de vergadering."
("Frank was nagging again during the meeting.")

– "Neeeee, niet weer…."
("Nooooo, not again….")

– "Het is weer slecht weer!"
("Again it is bad weather!")

3. back [adverb]

Examples:
– "Ik ben er weer!"
("I’m back!")

– "Heen en weer."
("Back and forth", literally: "forth and back" ;-))

Expression:
"Het heen-en-weer krijgen van iets of iemand.": to become nervous/tensed or to go crazy, because of something or someone.

Example:
"Ik krijg echt het heen-en-weer van mijn schoonmoeder!"
("My mother-in-law is really driving me crazy!")

Related words:
1. "Regen": rain.
2. "Zonneschijn": sunshine.

The word "weer" in the meaning of "weather" appeared earlier in "DWOTD 56. Herfst", "DWOTD 72. Waaien" and "DWOTD 74. Klimaat".

Raam

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window [noun] [het raam, de ramen]

Examples:
1. "De boze buurman gooide een baksteen door het raam."
("The angry neighbour threw a brick through the window." See also "DWOTD 9. Buurt".)

2. "Hebt u voor mij een stoel aan het raam?"
(<while booking a seat:> "Do you have a window-seat for me?" Literally: "… seat at the window… ")

3. "Die bejaarde man zit de hele dag voor het raam en doet niets anders dan uit het raam kijken."
("That elderly man sits in front of the window all day long and does nothing else than looking out the window." See also "DWOTD 82. Kijken".)

4. "Wil je voor mij even het raam dichtdoen?"
("Could you please close the window for me?" The word "even" means "for a short while" but here it has no real meaning and is used to make the request sound friendlier. It is also often used in conjuction with the imperative, to lessen it a bit.)

5. "In dit huis zijn alle ramen van dubbel glas."
("In this house, all windows are double paned.")

Related words:
1. "Ruit": the glass part of the "window", e.g. "voorruit" ("windscreen/shield" of a car).
2. "Venster": opening to let light into a room, often having a window to close it off. Also used for smaller windows, and windows that have the purpose for you to be able to see what is inside (something).
3. "Vensterbank": windowsill (literally: window bench).
4. "Kozijn": (window) frame.
5. "Gordijn": curtain. See also "DWOTD 59. Gordijn".

The word "raam" appeared earlier in "DWOTD 31. Fiets".

Pakjesavond

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evening of presents [noun] [de pakjesavond, de pakjesavonden]

"Pakjesavond" (literally 'evening of packages'), or "Sinterklaasavond" is the traditional evening ("avond") of "Sinterklaas" which is celebrated at the 5th of December. Since there is only one "pakjesavond", there is no plural.
The tradition is much more than just this evening and you can read all about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas.

A "pakje" is a small package. This word is used to indicate a postal package (also "pakket(je)") or a present, especially if it is in the shape of a box. At "Sinterklaasavond", Sinterklaas and his "Zwarte Pieten" deliver presents to all houses (unless the children have been bad 🙂 ), hence the alternative name "pakjesavond".

Examples:
1. "Voor kinderen is pakjesavond ontzettend spannend!"
("To children pakjesavond is extremely exciting!")

2. "Sinterklaasavond wordt ook wel pakjesavond genoemd."
("Sinterklaasavond is also called pakjesavond." Or: "… is alternatively called…")

3. "Hopelijk slaat Sinterklaas jouw huis niet over op pakjesavond!"
("Hopefully Sinterklaas will not skip your house at pakjesavond!")

4. "Omdat iedereen op tijd thuis wil zijn voor pakjesavond, is het op 5 december 's middags al erg druk op de weg."
("On the 5th of December, already in the afternoon the roads are very crowded, because everybody wants to be at home on time for pakjesavond.")

Related words:
1. "Pepernoot": traditional candy that the "Zwarte Pieten" hand out to children.
2. "Kruidnoot": as in 1. but a different kind.
3. "Strooigoed": mix of candy that the "Zwarte Pieten" traditionally throw in the hall-way, through an open window or where ever possible, prior to delivering the presents. Basically "Zwarte Pieten" can throw candy at you whenever they want in the days leading up to "pakjesavond" 🙂 .
4. "Strooien": to scatter, to throw, to strew.

Extra:
Read more about Sinterklaas and his "Zwarte Pieten" at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas .

References to the tradition of Sinterklaas were also made in "DWOTD 36. Kloppen", "DWOTD 72. Waaien" and "DWOTD 73. Hart".

Anders

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1. different (from) [adjective, predicative only]

Examples:
– "De lay-out van de DWOTD website is anders dan vorige week."
("The DWOTD website lay out is different from last week." Press Ctrl+F5 if you don’t see the layout change… 🙂 )

– "Het weer kan in Nederland elke dag anders zijn."
("In The Netherlands, the weather can be different every day.")

– <Ober>: "Wilt u misschien iets anders drinken meneer?"
(<Waiter>: "Would you (perhaps) like to drink something else, sir?" See also "DWOTD 69. Ober".)

– "Frank gedroeg zich vandaag anders dan anders op het werk."
("Frank was behaving unlike his usual self today at work.")

– "Hoe voel je je?" – "Ik weet het niet, gewoon… anders."
(<in a relationship crisis:> "How do you feel?" – "I don’t know, just… different.")

2. otherwise/differently [adverb]

Examples:
– "Het ging anders dan ik had verwacht."
("Things went differently than I had expected!")

– "Frank is waarschijnlijk ziek, anders was hij er wel geweest vandaag."
("Frank is probably ill, otherwise he would have been here today.")

– "In dictaturen worden andersdenkenden vervolgd."
("In dictatorships, dissidents are prosecuted." Literally: "…differently thinkers are prosecuted.")

Related words:
– "Verschillend": different.
– "Verschillen": to differ.
– "Afwijkend": deviant.

Goud

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Grammar: <goud> [adjective, noun] [het goud].

Translates to: gold.

The adjective “goud” is part of the group of “stoffelijke bijvoeglijke naamwoorden” or “material adjectives”, and is therefore declined differently (see example 3 below); read more in “Declining adjectives“.

Examples:
1. “Goud is een edelmetaal.”
(“Gold is a precious metal.”)

2. “Deze halsketting is gemaakt van 14-karaats goud.”
(“This necklace is made of 14-carat gold.”)

3. “De gouden Rolex van de bankdirecteur blinkt in de zon.”
(“The bank director’s golden Rolex glitters in the sun.”)

The Dutch word for “to shine/to glitter” is “blinken” and is pronounced a bit like “bling-can”. I wonder if there is a relation with the hip-hop slang term “bling-bling“!

Expressions:
1. “Een gouden hart hebben.”
To have a heart of gold.

Example:
“Isabelle heeft een hart van goud.”
(“Isabelle has a heart of gold.”)

2. “Spreken is zilver, zwijgen is goud.”
Speech is silver, silence is golden.

3. “Iemand gouden bergen beloven.”
To promise someone the sun and the moon. Literally “to promise someone golden mountains”.

Example:
“De getrouwde man beloofde zijn vriendin gouden bergen.”
(“The married man promised his girlfriend the sun and the moon.”)

4. “Eigen haard is goud waard!”
There is no place like home. Literally: “one’s own hearth is worth gold”.

Related words:
1. “Goudsmid”: gold smith.
2. “Juwelier”: jeweller.
3. “Goudmijn”: gold mine.

The word “goudmijn” is often used figuratively.

Example:
“Het onlangs geopende koffietentje is een echte goudmijn voor de eigenaar!”
(“The recently opened coffee place is a true gold mine for the owner!”)

Extra:
One of the readers of the Dutch word of the day wondered if the Dutch city of Gouda has something to do with gold. Gouda is well-known for its cheese, the “Gouda kaas” or “Goudse kaas” (“cheese from Gouda”). The original settlement of Gouda was at the peat river “Gouwe” and a theory exists that says that this peat river had a golden glare and hence the name “Gouwe” originated. Read different theories at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gouda.

The word “goud” appeared earlier in “DWOTD 37. Vis” and “DWOTD 83. Morgen“.