Category Archives: Dutch word of the day

Gniffelen

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to chuckle Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[gnif-fe-len, gnif-fel-de, ge-gnif-feld]Chuckling_2

Sometimes it’s hard to keep a straight face and if you can resist laughing out loud, you might end up chuckling ("gniffelen"). "Gniffelen" is one of the few Dutch words which has an "n" preceding succeeding a "g" in the same syllable. The verb "giechelen" ("to giggle") has a slightly similar meaning but is more often used when referring to girls or women.

Examples:
– "Wat sta je daar nu te gniffelen? Dit is een serieuze zaak!" 
("What are you chuckling about? This is a serious matter!")

– "Ik heb echt geprobeerd om mijn lach in te houden maar moest toch een beetje gniffelen." 
("I really tried to keep a straight face but had to chuckle a little bit after all." Lit.: "I really tried to restrain my laughter but …")

– " <Leraar:> Jongens, stop eens met dat gegniffel of ik laat jullie vanmiddag nablijven." 
("<Teacher:> Boys, stop chuckling or I’ll put you in detention this afternoon.")

Expressions:
– "Lachen, gieren, brullen": laughing, screaming, shreaking.

Example:
– "Het was weer lachen, gieren, brullen tijdens de surprise-avond."
("We had a real laugh again during the surprise-evening.")

Related words:
– Giechelen: to giggle [verb] [giechelde, gegiecheld].
– Lachen: to laugh [verb] [lachte, gelachen].

Puinruimen

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1. to pick up the pieces, to sort things out, cleaning up the mess Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[puin-rui-men, ruim-de puin, puin-ge-ruimd]Puinhopen

The literal translation of "puinruimen" is covered in 2. below. So as long as you are not talking to a construction worker, you can stick to this translation 🙂

Note that "puinruimen" usually implies the negative side of "sorting things out".

Examples:
– "Hoe was je eerste dag na de vakantie?" – "Ach je weet wel, e-mail lezen en puinruimen." 
("How was your first day after the holidays?" – "Oh you know, reading e-mails, picking up the pieces…")

– "Na een relatie van 15 jaar waarin zij zichzelf volledig heeft weggecijferd, is het nu een kwestie van puinruimen." 
("After a relationship of 15 years in which she completely effaced herself, it is now a matter of picking up the pieces.")

– "Ik heb het project overgenomen van Frank. Nou, ik denk dat ik de eerste maand voornamelijk aan het puinruimen ben!" 
("I took over a project from Frank. My, I think that the first month I’ll be mostly cleaning up the mess!")

Related words:
– Puin: debris, rubble, mess [noun] [het puin, <no plural>].
– Ruimen: to clear out [verb] [ruimde, geruimd].
– Puinhoop: pile/heap of rubble/debris [noun] [de hoop, de hopen]. This is also used figuratively.
– Puinzooi: a real mess [noun] [de puinzooi, <no plural>]. Note that "zooi" already translates to "mess/rubbish" so "puinzooi" is really bad 🙂

2. clear up the debris/rubble Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[puin-rui-men, ruim-de puin, puin-ge-ruimd]Puinruimen

This is what construction workers do, or whoever you find willing.

Examples:
– "Je kunt daar niet met de auto langs; ze zijn aan het puinruimen." 
("You can’t pass there with your car; they are clearing debris.")

– "Ruimen ze puin, of zijn ze aan het puinruimen?" – "Huh, is dat niet hetzelfde dan?" 
("Do they clear debris, or are they clearing debris? – "Huh, isn’t that the same?" There is a difference similar to the difference in English. The "aan + het + infinitive" is typically used for an activity that continues for some time. )

Bivakmuts

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balaclava Iconspeaker_3
[noun]Balaclava

[de bi-vak-muts, de bi-vak-mut-sen]

"Bivakmuts" is composed of "bivak" and "muts". The latter translates to hat, and a "bivak" is a bivouac: a (night) camp for soldiers in the open air.

In the Netherlands, "bivakmutsen" are not only worn by soldiers, but also by (small) children when it’s very cold outside, and robbers of shops, banks and gas stations, to conceal their identity 😉

Examples:
– "Sommige protestanten droegen bivakmutsen. De politie heeft hard tegen ze opgetreden." 
("Some of the protesters wore balaclavas. The police have acted with force against them.")

– "Overvallers dragen bivakmutsen, zodat ze niet kunnen worden opgespoord." 
("Robbers wear balaclavas, so that they cannot be traced.")

– "Vroeger, als het winter was, droeg ik altijd een bivakmuts als ik buiten speelde." 
("Back then, during winter, I always wore a balaclava when I played outside.")

Expressions:
– "Goed gemutst": in a good mood (lit.: well hooded).
– "Slecht gemutst": in a bad mood (lit.: badly hooded).

Example:
– "Frank is ‘s morgens altijd chagrijnig en slecht gemutst."
("In the moring, Frank is always cranky and in a bad mood.")

Related words:
– Muts: hat [noun] [de muts, de mutsen].
– Handschoen: glove [noun] [de handschoen, de handschoenen].

Example:
– "Lieverd, doe je je handschoenen aan als je naar buiten gaat?" – "Mam, je bent veel te bezorgd, ik ben geen kind meer!"
("Sweetie, will you put on your gloves when you go outside?" – "Mum, you worry too much, I’m not a child any more!")

– Sjaal: scarf [noun] [de sjaal, de sjaals].

Bezorgd

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1. worried, troubled, concerned Iconspeaker_3 Bezorgd

[adjective]
[be-zorgd]

"Bezorgd" translates to "worried". Related noun is "zorg": care or worry. Literally you could say that "bezorgd" translates to something like beworried… Synonymous to "bezorgd" is "ongerust" (lit.: unrelaxed).

"To worry" translates to "bezorgd zijn" (lit.: to be worried) or "zich zorgen maken" (lit.: to make worries (to oneself)). Related noun is "bezorgdheid": concern.

Examples:
– "Waarom kijk je zo bezorgd?" 
("Why do you look so worried?")

– "Heb ik een gevoelige snaar geraakt?" – "Nee, ik ben gewoon bezorgd om onze klanten." 
("Have I touched a nerve?" – "No, I’m just concerned about our clients.")

– "Je hoeft niet bezorgd te zijn, ik regel het wel." 
("You need not be worried, I’ll take care of it.")

– "Frank is altijd bezorgd om zijn reputatie…ik kan dat niet waarderen…" 
("Franks is always worried about his reputation…I can’t appreciate that…")

Expressions:
– "Geen zorgen": no worries.
– "Geen zorgen voor de dag van morgen": (rhyme) don’t worry about tomorrow.

Related words:
– Zorg: care, worry [noun] [de zorg, de zorgen].
– Fronsen: to frown [verb] [fronsen, fronste, h. gefronst].

Example:
– "Van fronsen krijg je rimpels."
("Frowning causes wrinkles." Lit.: "From frowning you get wrinkles.")

– Ongerust: worried [adjective].


2. delivered, given, provided with Iconspeaker_3
[verb]Bezorgen
[be-zor-gen, be-zorg-de, h. be-zorgd]

"Bezorgd" can also be the past participle of the verb "bezorgen". Since "bezorgen" has already been the Dutch Word Of The Day, we’ll suffice with a selection of examples given in this post.

Examples:
– "Er is voor jou een pakje bezorgd. Je kunt het komen ophalen tussen 9 en 10 uur." 
("A package was delivered for you. You can (come and) collect it between 9 and 10 AM.") 

– "De postbode bezorgt elke dag van de week behalve zondag." 
("The mail man delivers each day of the week apart from Sundays.") 

– "Haar vriend werkt bij een bank en hij heeft mij daar onlangs een baan bezorgd." 
("Her boyfriend works at a bank and he recently got me a job there.")

– "Hij haalt nooit zijn deadlines en dat heeft hem een slechte reputatie bezorgd." 
("He never meets his deadlines and that has earned him a bad reputation.")

Kanshebber

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likely candidate Iconspeaker_3 Kanshebber
[noun]
[de kans-heb-ber, de kans-heb-bers]

Literally a "kanshebber" is a "chance haver": someone who has a chance at winning or gaining something. This may vary from money, a prize, a position or job, etc.

In a sentence you use the idiom "kanshebber zijn voor/op": to be a likely candidate for. (Note that the indefinite article "een" can be left out in Dutch.)

If you’re in the running for something, you can use the idiom "kans maken op" (lit.: to make chance at).

Examples:
– "De premier van Nederland was tot het laatste moment kanshebber voor de positie van Europees president." 
("The Dutch prime minister was a likely candidate for the position of European president until the last moment.")

– "De kanshebbers op deze prachtige prijs zijn: Monica, Frank en Daniel!" 
("In the running for this beautiful prize are: Monica, Frank en Daniel!" Lit.: "The likely candidates for this beautiful prize…")

– "De jury heeft de kandidaten beoordeeld, en er zijn nog twee kanshebbers over." 
("The jury has assessed the candidates, and there are still two people in the running.")

Expressions:
– "Nieuwe ronde nieuwe kansen": (lit.: new round new chances) better luck next time.

Related words:
– Kans: chance, opportunity [noun] [de kans, de kansen].
– Kansloos: hopeless, desperate, without chance [adjective].

Example:
– "Frank komt altijd te laat op afspraken, hij is echt kansloos." 
("Frank’s always late for appointments, he’s really hopeless.") 

– Gelegenheid: opportunity [noun] [de gelegenheid, de gelegenheden].

Example:
– "Ik heb nog geen gelegenheid gehad om de fout op te sporen." 
("I haven’t had the opportunity yet to track down the bug.")