Category Archives: DWOTD 1.0

Original DWOTD post 2006 – 2013

Onthouden

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to remember [verb] [ont-hield, ont-hou-den] Iconspeaker_3

Memory
The verb "onthouden" has multiple meanings, but in this DWOTD we focus on the translation of "to remember", as in "to not forget" (for your information, the other translations are "to abstain (from)" or "to withhold"). A common alternative to the verb "onthouden" is the construction "niet vergeten" ("to ‘not’ forget").

Examples:
– "Onthou(d) dat ik altijd van je zal houden, wat er ook gebeurt!" 
("Remember that I will always love you, whatever happens!" Note that you can use both "onthou" and "onthoud" as the imperative form in this case.)

– "Het lukt me niet om namen te onthouden, echt erg!" 
("I am unable to remember names / I am bad at names, really awful!")

– "Echt waar? Dat zal ik onthouden!" 
("(Is it) really (true)? I will remember that!")

– "Ik heb een geheugen als een vergiet, ik kan echt niets onthouden!" 
("I have a really bad memory, I am unable to remember anything!" Lit.: "I have a memory like a colander, I can really remember nothing!")

Related words:
– Vergeten: to forget [verb] [vergat, vergeten].
– Zich herinneren: to remember (something in the past) [verb (reflexive)] [herinnerde, herinnerd].

Kansloos

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hopeless, desperate, without chance [adjective/adverb] [kans-loos] Iconspeaker_3

"Kansloos" consists of "kans" and "-loos". "Kans" means "chance", "opportunity" or "possibility". The ending "-loos" means "without" and refers to the word it follows. Therefore, "kansloos" literally means "without chance" and it is used in that way when describing hopeless plans, hopeless behaviour or any hopeless situation. Informally, "kansloos" is also used when referring to people (see Examples).

The opposite of the "-loos" is "-rijk". "Rijk" literally means "rich". A word ending with "-rijk" means "with many" or "full of", again referring to the word it follows. Like "rijk", the separate "loos" does have a meaning too,  which is somewhat formal: "empty", or the somewhat old-fashioned meaning "missing" (see Extra), and in the expression: "wat is (hier) loos?": "what’s going on (here)?"

Examples:
– "De Atlantische oceaan oversteken in een kano is een kansloze onderneming."
("Crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a canoe is a hopeless plan." Please note that "een kansloze onderneming" can be replaced here by "onbegonnen werk".)

– "Roger Federer was kansloos tegen Jokovic." 
("Roger Federer didn’t stand a chance against Jokovic.")

– "De deelgemeente Rotterdam-Zuid is dit project gestart om kansloze jongeren te helpen."
("The community Rotterdam-Zuid has started this project to support young people with few prospects." Note that in this sentence, "kansloos" can also be replaced by "kansarm" ("underprivileged"), literally "poor in chance".)

– "Hij heeft al zes talen geprobeerd te leren maar stopt steeds na drie maanden, het is echt kansloos." 
("He has already tried to learn six languages but he always quits after three months, it’s really hopeless.")

– "Hij komt altijd te laat voor examens, hij is echt kansloos." 
("He’s always late for exams, he’s really hopeless.")

Expressions:
– "Wat is hier loos?": what’s going on here?
– "Een loze bewering/belofte": An empty statement/promise.

Related words:
– Kans: chance, opportunity, possibility [noun] [de kans, de kansen].
– Kansrijk: full of chance, opportunity, possibility [adverb/adjective].
– Rijk: rich [adverb/adjective].
– Words ending on "-loos": without… [adverb/adjective].
– Arm: poor [adverb].
– Kansarm: underprivileged, having few prospects [adverb/adjective].

Extra:
"Daar was laatst een meisje loos" is the title of an old Dutch sailor song. It literally translates to "Recently a girl has been missing".

Eng

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1. scary, creepy [adjective] [eng] Iconspeaker_3

“Eng” is a homonym: it has multiple meanings, thus multiple translations. First translation is “scary/creepy”, second translation is “narrow/tight”, see 2.

Examples:Scream_2
– “Ik houd niet van griezelfilms, veel te eng.” 
(“I don’t like horror movies, way too scary.”)

– “Die billenknijper is zo’n enge man, het is verschrikkelijk.”
(“That bottom squeezer is such a creepy man, it’s awful.”)

– “Ik durf niet te kijken, wat een enge scene…”
(“I’m too scared to watch, what a scary movie scene.” Lit.: “I don’t dare to watch…”)

Expressions:
– “Zich een hoedje schrikken”: to be scared out of one’s wits.

Related words:
– Schrikken: to be scared [verb] [schrok, geschrokken].
– Akelig: scary, nasty [adjective].

Extra:
One of the first big Dutch “scary movies” was Amsterdamned. It’s about a maniac scuba diver who is on a mad rage killing people in the Amsterdam canals….Actually it’s very outdated now, but still fun to watch 🙂

2. narrow, tight [adjective] [eng] Iconspeaker_3

In this context, “eng” is used to qualify a lack of space: the lack of space in a pair of trousers, or the lack of space in small street.

When used in reference to a pair of trousers, you may hear “strak” more often.

Examples:Alley
– “Dit straatje is veel te eng voor een auto, draai maar om.” 
(“This little street is way too narrow for a car, just turn around.”)

– “Vermijd dit enge steegje ‘s nachts…het is een redelijk enge plek als het donker is.”
(“Avoid this narrow alley at night…it is a pretty creepy place when it’s dark.”)

– “Ik krijg geen lucht…deze spijkerbroek zit veel te eng.”
(“I can’t get any air…these jeans are much too tight.”)

– “Frank heeft zo’n enge visie op het leven: werken, eten, slapen…werken, eten, slapen…”
(“Frank has such a narrow-minded vision on life: work, eat, sleep…work, eat, sleep…”)

Related words:
– Strak: tight [adjective].
– Klein: small [adjective].

Lekker puh!

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Serves you right! [Dutch phrase of the week] Iconspeaker_3

Lekkerpuh
It’s good to know what "lekker puh" means, but mind that it is used mostly by children. It is often accompanied by making a face and sticking the tongue out. The expression is used teasingly, after outsmarting somebody, to rub something in, when you think somebody got what he/she deserved etc. The translation of "serves you right" doesn’t cover it completely, but hopefully you get the gist. Also see some related Expressions.

Examples:
– "Ik ga morgen naar de Efteling en jij niet, lekker puh!" 
("I’m going to the Efteling tomorrow and you are not, ha ha ha!!" The "Efteling" is a popular (fairy tale) fun park.)

– "Ik heb van mamma het laatste snoepje gekregen… Lekker puh!" 
("Mom gave me the last piece of candy… Serves you right!")

– "Jij lachte mij gisteren uit maar nu heb je zelf een puistje, lekker puh!" 
("You laughed at me yesterday, but now you have a pimple yourself, serves you right!")

Expressions:
– "Lekker voor je!": a bit like "lekker puh", but more a cynical "good for you!".
– "(Het is) je verdiende loon!": this is what you deserve! Lit. "it is your deserved wage".

Volledig

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complete(ly), full(y), entire(ly) [adverb/adjective] [vol-le-dig] Iconspeaker_3

"Volledig" consists of two words: "vol" (meaning "full") and "ledig" (the old-fashioned word for "leeg" which means "empty"). So it seems to be a contradictio in terminis: what does it mean, full or empty? "Volledig" means full. A more often used synonym of "volledig" is "helemaal".

Related noun is "volledigheid": completeness, entirety.

Examples:
– "Dacht je dat ik jouw werk zou afmaken? Sorry, dat heb je volledig verkeerd begrepen!"
("Did you think that I would finish your work? I’m sorry, you completely misunderstood.")

– "Hij is volledig blut na zijn reis naar de casino’s in Macau." 
("He is completely broke after his trip to the casinos in Macau.")

– "Heb je de volledige route naar van Amsterdam naar Santiago de Compostela gelopen?"
("Did you walk the entire way from Amsterdam to Santiago de Compostela?")

– "Voor de volledigheid zal ik de doelstellingen van het project nogmaals toelichten." 
("For the sake of completeness I will explain the objectives of the project once more." Please note that "volledigheid" is often used in a formal setting.)

– "Haar vakantie was volledig verziekt door de aanslag in Mumbai."
("Her vacation was totally ruined because of the attack in Mumbai.")

– "Zoek je een gedeeltelijk of volledig gemeubileerd appartement?"
("Are you looking for a partly or fully furnished apartment?")

– "Deze auto is volledig uitgerust om door de bergen te rijden."
("This car is fully equipped to drive through the mountains.")

– "Maak je geen zorgen, je kunt hem volledig vertrouwen."
("Don’t worry, you can trust him completely.")

Related words:
– Volledigheid: completeness [noun] [de volledigheid, de volledigheden].
– Vol: full [adverb/adjective].
– Totaal: total [adverb/adjective].
– Heleboel: a (whole) lot, (quite) a lot, lots [noun] [de heleboel, <no plural>].
– Leeg: empty [adverb/adjective].