Category Archives: Dutch word of the day

Vrijdag

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Friday [noun] [de vrijdag, de vrijdagen] [‘vrij-dag’] Iconspeaker_klein 

Today is "Goede Vrijdag": Good Friday. It is a Christian holiday,
but it’s not a national holiday: companies do not have to be closed
today. Most are though, and a lot of people take the day off anyway, to
have a long Easter weekend 🙂

On this grey day, you may want to tune into Bach’s Matthäus Passion (St. Matthew Passion): it’s broadcast on Dutch national television at 12 o’clock on channel Nederland 2.

Names of days are not capitalized in Dutch (except when it’s the
name of a holiday, and when it’s the first word of the sentence of
course…)

Examples:
– "Vandaag is het vrijdag."
("Today it’s Friday.")

– "Op Goede Vrijdag wordt de kruisiging en dood van Christus herdacht."
("On Good Friday the crucifixion and death of Christ is commemorated.")

Related words: ‘days of the week’
– "Maandag": Monday.
– "Dinsdag": Tuesday.
– "Woensdag": Wednesday.
– "Donderdag": Thursday.
– "Zaterdag": Saturday.
– "Zondag": Sunday.

Extra:
Sometimes you may hear the phrase "vrijdag visdag":
Friday fish day. Traditionally, Friday is the Catholic day for fasting,
though not many Catholics will still fast every Friday 🙂 Since it was
not allowed to eat meat that day, fish was eaten instead. You may still
find many company restaurants having fish on the menu on Fridays.

Aanstaande

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1. next, coming, approaching [adjective] [‘aan-staan-du’] Iconspeaker_klein

"Aanstaande" literally translates to "onstanding". It is used to indicate that the adjective’s subject is about to happen/become (true) in the near future.

Sometimes, you may find "aanstaande" placed behind its subject. This is only the case when it is used in the context of a time adjunct. In that case, "aanstaande" is often abbreviated to "a.s.", see the Examples.

Examples:
– "Wanneer is de vergadering?" – "Aanstaande donderdag om tien uur."
("When is the meeting?" – "Next/This Thursday at ten o’clock.")

– "Wanneer is de vergadering?" – "Donderdag aanstaande om tien uur."
("When is the meeting?" – "Next/This Thursday at ten o’clock.")

– "Wanneer is de vergadering?" – "A.s. donderdag om tien uur."
("When is the meeting?" – "Next/This Thursday at ten o’clock.")

– "Wanneer is de vergadering?" – "Donderdag a.s. om tien uur."
("When is the meeting?" – "Next/This Thursday at ten o’clock.")

– "Er wordt gezegd dat aanstaande moeders veel augurken eten."
("It is said that expectant mothers eat a lot of pickles.")

– "Het tijdperk van de mens is ten einde, het tijdperk van de ork is aanstaande…"
("The age of man is at an end, the age of the ork is near/imminent…")

Related words:
– "Komende": coming.
– "Volgende": next.

2. fiancé(e), future husband/wife [noun] [de aanstaande, de aanstaanden] [‘aan-staan-du’]  Iconspeaker_klein_2

In this context, "aanstaande" is essentially short for "aanstaande vrouw/man": wife/husband to be. There’s also the synonym "verloofde", but this word has quite a formal connotation.

Examples:
– "Mag ik u mijn aanstaande voorstellen?"
("May I introduce my fiancé(e) to you?")

– "Wie is de vrouw die zo zit te mekkeren?" – "Dat is Franks aanstaande…"
("Who is that wining woman?" – "That’s Frank’s future wife.")

Related words:
– "Verloofde": fiancé(e).
– "Zich verloven": to get engaged.
– "Verloving": engagement.
– "Trouwen": to marry, to get married.

Klant

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1. customer, client, guest [noun] [de klant, de klanten] [‘klant‘] Iconspeaker_klein_5

"Klant" is used to indicate a person/company that purchases a good
or service (of any kind) from a supplier (of any kind). In Dutch,
there’s also the word "cliënt", which is commonly used for customers of
a law firm, or other more formal business relations. When referring to guests in a restaurant or bar, "klant" is
also used, though "gast" would be appropriate too.

Examples:
– "Frank, kun jij deze klant helpen?"
("Frank, can you help this customer?")

– "Vaste klanten krijgen een korting van 10%."
("Regular customers / Regulars receive a 10% discount.")

– "Beste klant, vandaag is er erwtensoep en tomatensoep."
("Dear guest, today we have pea soup and tomato soup.")

– "Omdat er te weinig klanten waren, heeft de winkel zijn deuren moeten sluiten."
("The shop had to close because there were not enough customers." Lit. "…too little customers…, …to close its doors.")

Expression:
– "De klant is koning": The customer is always right. Lit.: The customer is king.

Related words:
– "Winkel": shop, store.
– "Klantenservice": customer service, service department.
– "Klantvriendelijk": customer-friendly.
– "Cliënt": client.
– "Kijken, kijken, niet kopen": phrase sometimes used abroad to describe Dutch shoppers ("look, look, not buy").

2. customer, fellow, bloke [noun] [de klant, de klanten] [‘klant‘] Iconspeaker_klein_5

Like the English "customer", "klant" can be used too to refer to a male person. It is sometimes used in a negative context.

Examples:
– "Ken je die gast?" – "Nee, ik vind hem een vreemde klant."
("Do you know this guy?" – "No, I think he’s an odd customer.")

Related words:
– "Gast": guy, bloke dude.
– "Gozer": guy, bloke, dude.
– "Kerel": fellow, guy, man, chap.

Inkoppertje

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1. piece of cake [noun] [het inkoppertje, de inkoppertjes] [‘in-ko-pur-tju’]  Iconspeaker_klein

The verb "inkoppen" is literally translated with "to head in". "Inkoppertje" is the diminutive of the noun for the act of heading something in. The term is taken from football/soccer jargon, where an "inkoppertje" is a goal you can’t miss by heading it in. Outside this context, the phrase is used when something is very easily accomplished or solved by the person who then uses the phrase.

Examples:
– "Hoe ging je examen Nederlands?" – "Inkoppertje."
("How did your Dutch exam go?" – "Piece of cake.")

– "Als ik zeg: ‘Alle mensen zijn sterfelijk; Socrates is een mens’, wat zeg jij dan?" – "Inkoppertje jongen: dus Socrates is sterfelijk."
("When I say: ‘All human beings are mortal; Socrates is a human being’, what do you say then?" – "Piece of cake, dude: thus Socrates is mortal.")

Related words:
– "Inkoppen": head (the ball) in(to the goal).

Example:
– "De spits kon de 3-0 zo inkoppen."
("The forward could easily head in the 3-0.")

Related expressions:
– "Fluitje van een cent": piece of cake.
– "Appeltje, eitje": piece of cake.

2. a very easy win, easy point [noun] [het inkoppertje, de inkoppertjes] [‘in-ko-pur-tju’] Iconspeaker_klein_2 

Subtle difference with the first translation (see 1.) is that in
this context the phrase is used when someone
indicates that something is very easily done-said for another person.

Examples:
– "Je ben gisteren en eergisteren uitgeweest?? Daarom zie je eruit als een dweil…" – "Ja, ja, inkoppertje…"
("You went out last night and the night before?? So that’s why you look like crap…" – "Yeah, yeah, easy point (for you)…")

Related words:
– "Makkelijk": easy.

379. Rietje

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1. straw [noun] [het rietje, de rietjes] [‘riet-ju’] Iconspeaker_klein_4

When referring to the object with which to suck up fluids, the Dutch have chosen to use the diminutive of a plant with a similar shape: "riet": the long, hard grass that grows in shallow, calm waters.

As a translation, "reed" can be used too, but in the context of the wood-wind instruments, see 2.

Examples:
– "Mam, ik wil een rietje!"
("Mum, I want a straw!")

– "Als je bier met een rietje drinkt, word je sneller zat."
("If you drink beer with a straw, you get drunk faster." Note that "word" does not get the additional ‘t’ since the second person "je" and the verb are swapped.)

– "Mag ik twee bier en een cola alsjeblieft." – "Natuurlijk, wil je een rietje bij de cola?"
("Can I have two beers and a coke please." – "Sure, do you want a straw with the coke?")

Related word:
– "Parapluutje": little umbrella.

2. reed [noun] [het rietje, de rietjes] [‘riet-ju’] Iconspeaker_klein_4

Most of the wood-wind instruments have a small, flat piece of wood, which is part of the mouthpiece, and which produces the actual sound by vibration when blowing the instrument: the reed.

Examples:
– "Mijn klarinet is vals." – "Misschien moet je het rietje vervangen."
("My clarinet is out of tune." – "Perhaps you should replace the reed.")

Related word:
– "Houten blaasinstrument": wood-wind instrument.