fork [noun] [de vork, de vorken] [‘vork‘]

"Vork" is used for both the cutlery or any other mechanical fork
shaped part. The diminutive is also quite common in case you are
looking for a fork to go with the pieces of cake that you’re serving on
your "verjaardag" or something 🙂

A few common expressions exist with "vork", see below.

Examples:
– "Ork, ork, ork, soep eet je met een …"
("Ork, ork, ork, one eats soup with a …")

– "Ik ben vanochtend aangereden, en nu is mijn voorvork compleet verbogen."
("I was hit by a car this morning, and now my bicycle fork is
completely bent." Here ‘voor’ is used to indicate it’s the fork at the
front. Note that "aangereden" implies being hit by any kind of vehicle,
but it is usually a car in this case.)

– "Gebruik de vorken Bart, gebruik de vorken!"
("Use the forks Bart, use the forks!" This is a pun on the Star Wars ‘use the force’ that occurs in ‘The Simpons‘ episode ‘Mayored to the Mob‘. Of course the pun doesn’t translate to Dutch 🙂 )

Expressions:
– "Weten hoe de vork in de steel zit": to know the ins and outs of the matter. A "steel" is a stick shaped handle (in this case).
–
"Te veel hooi op je vork nemen": stemming from agriculture this
literally says "to take too much hay on your fork". Now it is commonly
used when you are taking too many tasks upon you.
– "Een vorkje prikken": literally "to jab/prod a fork" this is an
informal expression for "to have dinner". We don’t encourage the use of
this expression, since it is a bit over-the-top popular speech, but you might hear it.

Example:
  – "Zullen we vanavond samen een vorkje prikken?" – "Nee ik kan niet, ik ga al eten met Angharad."
("Shall we have dinner together tonight?" – "No, I’m not available, I’m
already having dinner with Angharad." Note that it’s common to use
"gaan eten" or "uit eten gaan" where ‘uit’ is only used if you go to a
restaurant.)

Related words:
– "Riek": the big fork used by farmers (2-3-4-pronged).
– "Bestek": cutlery.
– "Mes": knife.
– "Lepel": spoon.

1. link, connection, relationship [noun] [de link, de links] [‘link‘]

As with quite a few other words, we took this word from English 🙂 And we didn’t even change the plural, which normally would end with "-en". "Linken" does exist though, but it’s the Dutch verb for "to link". In stead of "linken" you can also use "een link leggen" – literally: "to lay a link" – hence "to link" or "to make the connection".

In the context of the Internet, there’s also the verb "doorlinken", which would translate to "to hyperlink".

Examples:
– "De link naar onze website werkt niet meer."
("The link to our website does not work anymore.")

– "Wat is de link tussen die twee mensen?"
("Wat is the relationship between those two people?")

– "Heeft Frank de link nog niet gelegd?" – "Nee, het is ongelofelijk! Het is echt een inkoppertje…"
("Hasn’t Frank made the connection yet?" – "No, it’s unbelievable! It’s really a piece of cake…")

Related words:
– "Schakel": link.

Example:
– "Dat is de ontbrekende schakel…" / "Jij bent de zwakste schakel!"
("That’s the missing link…" / "You’re the weakest link!")

– "Verbinding": connection.
– "Ketting": chain.

Extra:
Let’s do some Internet vocabulary! You may find that a lot of the words are English…
– "(Web)site": (web)site.
– "Mp3-tje": ((informal) diminutive of "mp3"): mp3.
– "Downloaden": to download.
– "Opslaan/saven": to save.
– "klikken": to click.
– "Pagina": page.
– "Plaatje": pic(ture).
– "Tekst": text.
– "Filmpje": ((informal) diminutive of "film") video.

2. risky, dicey, shifty   [adjective] [‘link‘] 

"Link" in the meaning of "risky" has a somewhat informal connotation.

Examples:
– "Ik steek hier niet de snelweg over, dat is veel te link met al die auto‘s die voorbij racen."
("I’m not crossing the highway over here, it’s way too risky with all those cars racing by.")

– "Wie zijn die kleerkasten?" – "Dat zijn linke jongens, laten we gaan…"
("Who are those muscle necks?" – "They are a shifty lot, let’s go…")

Related words:
– "Gevaarlijk": dangerous.
– "Lijp": (informal) risky, tricky.
– "Linke soep": risky business, lit. risky soup 🙂

to apply for (a job), to put in an application [verb] [solliciteerde, gesolliciteerd] [‘so-lie-cie-tee-run’]

Mind that this verb is both used for the process of putting in applications, writing the letters etc., and having the job interview itself.
You can also use "solliciteren naar" if you want to mention the job or position, or jestingly in the meaning of "asking/looking for" trouble or something else unpleasant; see the examples.

Examples:
– "Zo, jij ziet er netjes uit vandaag!" – "Dankjewel, ik ga solliciteren vanmiddag".
("My, you look smart today!" – "Thanks, I have a job interview this afternoon." You can also say "net" instead of "netjes".)

– "Ik ben het solliciteren zat, ik wil gewoon een baan!"
("I’m tired of putting in applications, I just want a job!")

– "Je kunt in Nederland niet zomaar een uitkering trekken, je moet wel solliciteren!"
("You can’t just live on social security in the Netherlands, you have to apply for a job!" Note the expression "een uitkering trekken", this is a bit derogatory and implies just taking advantage.)

– "Het is met veel plezier dat ik solliciteer naar de functie van algemeen medewerker…"
("It’s with great pleasure that I apply for the position of general employee…")

– "Met dit soort gedrag solliciteert Frank echt naar een pak slaag".
("With this kind of behaviour, Frank is really asking for a good hiding." Literally: … a pack of beating.)

Related words:
– "Vacature": job opening, position.
– "Sollicitatie": application.
– "Open sollicitatie": unsolicited application.
– "Sollicitatiebrief": application letter.
– "Sollicitatiegesprek": job interview.
– "Baan": job.
– "Assessment": assessment.

Extra:
There is a well-known song from the eighties that is still frequently played on the radio, called "Sollicitere" by the band  "Janse Bagge Bend" from the Dutch province of Limburg. The missing ‘n’ in ‘sollicitere’ is not a mistake; the song is in dialect. These are the lyrics and see how much you understand from the video! Other bands from Limburg that sing in dialect have succeeded in reaching a wider Dutch audience, for example "Rowwen Hèze".

to lose one’s/the way, to get lost [verb] [verdwaalde, verdwaald] [‘ver-dwaa-lun’]

"Verdwalen" is also sometimes used for appearing in an unexpected location, see the examples.

Examples:
– "Waar is het kompas? Volgens mij zijn we verdwaald…"
("Where is the compass? I think we’re lost…")

– "Meneer, kunt u ons zeggen hoe deze straat heet? We zijn een beetje verdwaald."
("Sir, can you tell us the name of this street? We kind of lost the way.")

– "Ik ben heel slecht in kaartlezen, maar ik heb een TomTom gekocht en nu verdwaal ik vast niet meer."
("I’m very bad at reading maps, but I’ve bought a TomTom and surely I will not get lost anymore.")

– "Hé, hoe komt die CD hier verdwaald?"
("Hey, how did that CD get/land here?")

Related words:
– "De weg kwijtraken": to lose the way.
– "Zoeken": to search, to look for.
– "Naar de weg vragen": to ask for directions (lit. "to ask for the way").