Category Archives: Dutch word of the day

Bevallen

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1. to give birth [verb] [beviel, bevallen]

Examples:
– "Prinses Maxima zal in juli opnieuw van een kind bevallen."
("In July, Princess Maxima will give birth to a child again.")

– "Bevallen is voor een vrouw vergelijkbaar met het lopen van een marathon."

("For a woman, giving birth to / delivering a child is comparable to running a marathon.")

Expression:
"Dat was een zware bevalling!"
("That was tough / some tough business!" Literally: "That was a heavy delivery!")

Related word:
– "Bevalling": delivery (of a child).

2. to be to the liking of [verb] [beviel, bevallen]

Although
"to be to the liking of" sounds pretty formal in English, "bevallen" in
this translation is quite commonly used. It has more or less the same
meaning as "gustar" in Spanish.

Examples:
– "Deze situatie bevalt me niet."
("This situation is not to my liking." Or: "I don’t like this situation.")

– "Hoe bevalt het hotel? Bevalt het goed?"
("How is the hotel? Is it to your liking?")

– "Het bevalt Frank helemaal niet dat zijn collega meer verdient dan hij."
("It
is absolutely not to the liking of Frank that his colleague earns more
money than he." Or: "Frank does not like it at all that his colleague
earns more money than he.")

Related word:
– "Iemand aardig vinden": to like someone.

Example:
"Ik vind hem erg aardig."
("I like him very much.")

Herfst

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autumn, fall [noun] [de herfst, de herfsten]

The Dutch "herfstweer" (autumn weather) is notorious for being very bleak and wet, although this season, too, "suffers" from the changing climate.

Examples:
1. "Het is herfst."
("It is autumn.")

2. "De kleuren van de herfst hebben menig schilder geinspireerd."
("The autumn colours have inspired many a painter.")

3. "In de herfst hebben de treinen vaak vertraging omdat de geplette herfstbladeren gladde rails veroorzaken."
("In the autumn, the trains are often delayed because the squashed autumn leaves cause slippery railroad tracks.")

4. "Hij was in de herfst van zijn leven."
("He was in the autumn of his life.")

Related words:
1. "Winter": winter.
2. "Zomer": summer.
3. "Lente": spring.
4. "Jaargetijde" or "seizoen": season.

Example:
"’De Vier Jaargetijden’ is misschien wel het beroemdste werk van Antonio Vivaldi."
("’The Four Seasons’ might just be Antonio Vivaldi’s most famous work.")

Koken

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to cook, to prepare dinner, to boil [verb] [kookte, gekookt]

Examples:
1. "Kookt het water al?"
("Is the water boiling already?")

2. "Kook de rijst gedurende 8 minuten."
("Let the rice boil for 8 minutes.")

3. "Hij maakte een goede indruk door voor haar te koken."
("He made a good impression by cooking for her.")

4. "Frank kookte van woede."
("Frank seethed with rage". Literally: "Frank was boiling out of anger.")

Related words:
1. "Gaar": (well) done, cooked (through).

Example:
"De aardappels zijn gaar."
("The potatoes are cooked/done/ready.")

2. "Afgieten": to drain, to pour off.

Example:
"Als de aardappels gaar zijn, kun je ze afgieten."
("When the potatoes are ready, you may drain them.")

Expressions:
1. "Gaar zijn": to be exhausted (literally: to be cooked).

This expression is often used in the construction: "Ik ben zo gaar als een …" ("I’m cooked like a …").

Example:
"Ik ben zo gaar als een konijn/aardappel."
("I’m cooked like a rabbit/potato.")

Anything that can be cooked can be filled in but the version "Ik ben zo gaar als boter" ("butter") is very common.

2. "Iemand in zijn eigen sop gaar laten koken/worden": no longer interfering with someone (because that someone is conceited). (Literally: "to let somebody boil/stew in his own juice").

3. "Nu zijn de rapen gaar!"
(There you will have it! The situation will get out of control now!" Literally: "Now the turnips are cooked!")

Horloge

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(wrist) watch [noun] [het horloge, de horloges]

"Horloge" is an example of a French word that made it into the Dutch language. Although one might say that it is not very difficult for a word to make it into the Dutch language, French words are abundant and we will see more of them in future DWOTDs.

Although "horloge" in French translates to the more general "clock", in Dutch it translates to wrist watch by default but one can emphasize the wrist if necessary (see ‘Examples’).

Examples:
1. "Zakhorloge": pocket watch.
2. "Polshorloge": wrist watch.
3. "Horlogemaker": watchmaker, watch repairer/mender.

4. "Hoe laat is het?" – "Sorry, ik heb geen horloge."
("What time is it?" – "I’m sorry, I do not have a watch.")

Related word:
"Klok": clock.

Extra:
Learn more about watches at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watch .

Ruimte

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space, room [noun] [de ruimte, de ruimtes]

"Ruimte" is used to describe definite and indefinite space or room.

Examples:
1. "Heb je al woonruimte gevonden?"
("Have you found a place to live yet?")

Here "ruimte" is indefinite. Same in the following three examples:

2. "Is er vergaderruimte beschikbaar?"
("Are there any meeting facilities available?")

3. "Lange mensen hebben vaak gebrek aan beenruimte in een vliegtuig."
("Tall people often have lack of space for their legs in an airplane.")

4. "De regels laten niet veel ruimte over voor een creatieve oplossing."
("The rules do not offer much space/room for a creative solution." Literally: "…do not leave…")

The following two examples show the definite use of "ruimte":

5. "Frank miste de projectvergadering omdat hij in de verkeerde vergaderruimte zat."
("Frank missed the project meeting because he was in the wrong meeting room.")

6. "Isabelle heeft altijd al gedroomd van reizen door de ruimte."
("Isabelle has always dreamt of travelling through (outer) space.")

Related words:
1. "Zaal" : room, hall.
"Zaal" is always definite and is typically used for large rooms in which people gather for some kind of activity.

Examples:
a. "Concertzaal": concert/music hall.
b. "Balzaal": ball room.
c. "Ontbijtzaal": breakfast room.
d. "Gymzaal": sports hall.
e. "Vergaderzaal": meeting room.

When talking about a small meeting room, use "vergaderzaaltje". One can also use the word "spreekkamer" ("speaking room") when the group is very small (say about 4 people or less).

2. "Heelal" : universe (literally: "the very/whole all").

Expression:
"Dat is gelul in de ruimte!".
("That’s loose talk!")

"Gelul" comes from the verb "lullen" which is more or less synonym to "kletsen", but much more informal (!) and usually translates to "to talk nonsense". See DWOTD "Kletsen".

Where a Dutchman shouts "gelul!", an American might shout "bull!" 🙂