Category Archives: Dutch word of the day

Chagrijnig

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grumpy, grouchy, cranky, bad-tempered [adjective] [‘sja-grij-nug’] Iconspeaker_klein

The related verb is "chagrijnen", which translates to "to grouch/grumble". The related noun is "chagrijn", which can be either a grouchy person, or the bad temper of that person. Both the verb and the noun are not used as frequently as the adjective "chagrijnig".

Often you will hear the pronunciation "sja-gu-rij-nug" or "sja-ga-rij-nug".

Examples:
– "Frank is altijd chagrijnig ‘s morgens."
("Frank is always grumpy in the morning.")

– "Waarom ben je zo chagrijnig?" – "Ik heb gisteravond een blauwtje gelopen bij Ludmilla…"
("Why are you so bad-tempered?" – "I was turned down by Ludmilla last night…")

– "Wat is er met je zus aan de hand?" – "O, niets ernstigs, ze is een beetje chagrijnig."
("What’s wrong with your sister?" – "Oh, nothing serious, she is a bit grumpy." Note the common expression: "aan de hand zijn".)

– "Ik word zo chagrijnig van al die files! Het moet niet gekker worden in dit land!!"
("All these traffic jams make me so cranky! This country has reached the limit!!" Lit.: "I become so cranky… It must not become any crazier in this country!!")

Related words:
– "Chaggie"/"chagge"/"sjaggie"/"sjagge": informal version of "chagrijnig" that you might hear in speech.

Example:
– "Sorry hoor, maar ik ben een beetje chaggie vanochtend."
("I hope you don’t mind, but I’m a bit bad-tempered this morning.")

– "Ochtendhumeur": bad morning temper.
– "Nors": grumpy.
– "Ontvreden": dissatisfied.
– "Boos": angry.
– "Mopperen": to grumble.

Aarsgewei

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ass cap, butt wings [noun] [het aarsgewei, de aarsgeweien] [‘aars-gu-wei’] Iconspeaker_klein_2

Since we’re in the mood, we’ll end this week with another GURU word 🙂 "Aarsgewei" is composed of "aars" and "gewei", which respectively translate to "arse/ass" and "antlers": a tattoo on a woman’s lower back just above the buttocks, also known as an ass cap or butt wings…

The use of "aarsgewei" is somewhat derogatory/sexist, but not necessarily vulgar.

Examples:
– "Ik zie het steeds vaker: jonge meisjes met een aarsgewei. Het is een schande!"
("I see it more and more frequently: young girls with butt wings. It’s a shame!")

– "De aangeklaagde billenknijper zei dat hij zich geprovoceerd voelde door het aarsgewei van de jonge vrouw."
("The accused bottom squeezer said he felt provoked by the young woman’s ass cap.")

– "Wist je dat Valerie een aarsgewei heeft?" – "Ga weg! Dat is ongelofelijk!!"
("Did you know that Valerie has butt wings?" – "No way! That’s unbelievable!!")

Related words:
– "Billenknijper": bottom squeezer.
– "Bil": buttock.

Zweetkakkies

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smelly/sweaty feet [noun] [<no singular>, de zweetkakkies] [‘zweet-ka-kies’] Iconspeaker_klein

Note
that "zweetkakkies" can only be used informally! The normal word for
sweaty feet is "zweetvoeten". The Dutch verb for "to sweat" is "zweten".

Only in the word "zweetkakkies" is the word "kak" associated to feet and only in this plural (informal diminutive) form. In general "kak" is
used for "sh*t/crap" or in connection to posh people or likewise
social environments (see DWOTD Kakker).

You might also hear "zweetkakken".

Examples:
– "Zo, jij hebt vandaag zweetkakkies zeg, wat heb je gedaan?"
("My, you have quite smelly feet today, what have you been up to?")

– "De laatste tijd heb ik last van zweetkakkies, ik hoop niet dat het iets blijvends is!"
("Lately I’m bothered by sweaty feet, I hope it will not stay like this!" Lit. ",… that it will be something staying/remaining.")

– "Toen ik studeerde aan de universiteit deelde ik een kamer met een
jongen die heel erge zweetkakkies had! De hele kamer stonk ernaar!"
("When I went to university I shared a room with a boy who had very smelly feet. The whole room smelled like it!")

Related words:
– "Zweetvoeten": regular word for sweaty feet.
– "Zweten": to sweat.
– "Stinken": to smell.

Blotebillengezicht

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moonface, pudding-face [noun] [het blotebillengezicht, de blotebillengezichten] [‘bloo-tu-bil-lun-gu-zigt’] Iconspeaker_klein

"Blotebillengezicht" is used jokingly. It is composed of "blote",
"billen" and "gezicht", which respectively translate to "naked",
"buttocks" and "face". Apparently, a Dutch naked bottom looks like a
moon or a pudding in English 🙂

Another word for "naked" is "naakt". "Bloot" has the more general meaning of "uncovered".

Examples:
– "Frank heeft echt een blotebillengezicht, vind je niet?"
("Frank really has a pudding-face, don’t you think?")

– "Mijn vader heeft zijn snor afgeschoren. Nu heeft hij een blotebillengezicht van heb ik jou daar!"
("My father has shaved off his moustache. He has a huge moonface now!")

Related words:
– "Naakt": naked.
– "Babyface": baby face :-). Commonly used in Dutch.
– "Billenknijper": bottom squeezer.
– "Moonen": <verb, with ‘moon’ pronounced as in English> to engage in the act of mooning: to show one’s naked bottom.
– "Hoofd": head.

Verhuizen

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to move (house) [verb] [verhuisde, verhuisd] [‘ver-hui-zun’] Iconspeaker_klein_2

A
house in Dutch is a "huis". In this case the derived verb begins with "ver".
When a verb starts with "ver" it can indicate some kind of change. In
this case change of house 🙂

If you work for a Dutch company, in most cases your employer will
grant you 1 or 2 days of leave per 2-year period to help you facilitate
moving house.

In case you want to use "to move" just ‘to move’ something, say a
desk or whatever, then we usually say "verplaatsen" (again a change
there in location/place ("plaats").)

Examples:
– "Madelon is vorige week verhuisd van Den Haag naar Amsterdam."
("Last week Madelon moved from Den Haag to Amsterdam.")

– "Verhuizen is een van de meest stressvolle gebeurtenissen."
("Moving (house) is one of the most stressful events.")

– "Verhuizen jullie zelf, of laten jullie het doen?"
("Are you moving yourselves, or are you hiring somebody?" Lit. ".., or let you do it?")

– "Hé, nog bedankt voor het meehelpen verhuizen hè!" – "Tuurlijk makker, graag gedaan!"
("Hey,
thanks again for helping me move (, eh)!") – "Sure mate/dude, you’re
welcome!" Here, "tuurlijk" is the informal abbreviation of
"natuurlijk": of course, sure.)

Related words:
– "Verhuizing": move, removal [noun].
– "Verhuisbedrijf": mover, remover, moving company.
– "Verhuizer": mover, remover [the person].
– "Verhuislift": elevator used by movers.
– "Verhuisdoos": moving box, removal box.
– "Verhuisbericht": notice of moving (house).