Category Archives: DWOTD 1.0

Original DWOTD post 2006 – 2013

Pleite

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"Pleite" is slang and is only used informally. It can be used in two ways:

1. gone, out of here [adjective] [‘plei-tu’] Iconspeaker_klein

Here it is also often used in the phrase "pleite gaan", which translates to "to clear/take off".

Examples:
– "Jongen, ik ben pleite."
("Dude/Mate, I’m out of here.")

– "Weet jij waar Eline is?" – "Nee, ze was ineens pleite."
("Do you know where Eline is?" – "No, all of a sudden she was gone.")

– "Kunnen we nu pleite gaan?" – "Nog heel even Yolanda, het is zo gepiept."
("Can we clear off now?" – "Just a moment Yolanda, it won’t take long.")

 Related words:
– "Peren": to leave.
– "Pleiten": "Pleite" is not to be confused with the verb "pleiten", which translates to "to plead". The following example contains both 🙂

– "Na het pleiten in de rechtszaal ging de advocaat pleite."
("After pleading in court, the lawyer cleared off.")

Extra: more on the background of "pleite" and "pleiten" can be found in this article (in Dutch).

2. nowhere to be found, gone, missing [adjective] [‘plei-tu’] Iconspeaker_klein

Examples:
– "M’n sleutels zijn pleite. Wat nu?"
("My keys are gone. Now what?")

– "Sinds de verhuizing is de afstandsbediening van de TV pleite."
("Since the move, the remote control of the TV is missing.")

Related words:
– "Weg": gone, left missing away.
– "Kwijt": gone, missing.
– "Foetsie": [informal] gone, missing.
– "Verschwunden": [informal] past particple of the German verb "verschwinden": to disappear, and for some reason informally used when something is nowhere to be found and you have absolutely no clue.

 

Kast

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cupboard, closet, wardrobe, cabinet [noun] [de kast, de kasten] [‘kast‘] Iconspeaker_3

You
can use "kast" for basically any type of cupboard, closet, wardrobe or
cabinet. If not clear from context, you can be more specific, such as
"boekenkast", see the Examples.

Good to know is the use of the diminutive "kastje": obviously in use
for a small "kast", but also the general word of choice for any small
electronic box-shaped communication device, e.g. an ADSL modem.

Examples:
– "In oude Nederlandse huizen zijn vaak inbouwkasten aanwezig."
("In old Dutch houses one often finds built-in closets." Lit. "… often built-in closets are present.")

– "De boekenkast ‘Billy‘ van IKEA is erg populair."
("The IKEA bookcase ‘Billy’ is very popular.")

– "Man, we hebben dit weekend een klerenkast gekocht, en nu moeten we 8 weken wachten: niet normaal!"
("Man, we bought a wardrobe this weekend, and now we have to wait for 8
weeks: ridiculous!" Literally we write "not normal!", which is quite
common, and so is the 8 weeks wait by the way 😉 )

Expressions:
– "Op de kast zitten": to be angry.
– "Iemand op de kast jagen/krijgen": to provoke somebody, to needle somebody.
– "Uit de kast komen": to come out of the closet.
– "Een kast van een huis": a very big house.
– "Van het kastje naar de muur gestuurd worden": to be sent from pillar to post.

Example:
  – "Nou, ik heb Casema gebeld want volgens mij doet het kastje, dat ik van hen heb gekregen, het niet. Zij zeggen dat het de schuld is van KPN. Maar KPN zegt dat het de schuld is van Casema. Ik word van het kastje naar de muur gestuurd!"
("Well, I’ve phoned Casema because I believe the device they gave me doesn’t work. They say it’s KPN’s fault. But KPN says Casema is to blame. I’m being sent from pillar to post!")

Related words:
– "La": drawer.
– "Dressoir": sideboard, buffet.
– "Klerenkast"/"Kleerkast": slang for muscular bouncer-types.

Lusten

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to have a taste for, to like/enjoy/be fond of (food/drinks) [verb] [lustte, gelust] [‘lus-tun’] Iconspeaker_3

"Lusten" is only used in conjunction with food and drinks (or anything else that you think is edible or drinkable 🙂 ). This contrary to "houden van" which is also used for "to love somebody".

Mind that the past tense has two "t’s", this is because the stem ends with a ‘t’.

Examples:
– "Wil je een tomaat?" – "Nee, bedankt." – "O, lust je geen tomaten?"
("Would you like to have a tomato?" – "No, thank you." – "Oh, don’t you like tomatoes?")

– "Leuk dat je komt eten! Heb je nog speciale eetwensen?" – "Nee, ik lust eigenlijk alles."
("How nice that you’re coming over for dinner! Do you have any special food requirements/wishes?" – "No, as a matter of fact I enjoy everything.")

– "Vroeger lustte ik geen witlof, nu vind ik het wel OK."
("I did not use to like chicory, now I think it’s quite OK.")

– "Ik zou wel een biertje lusten, en jij?" – "Nee, ik lust geen bier, doe maar een wijntje."
("I wouldn’t mind a beer, would you?" – "No, I don’t care for beer, I’ll have wine.)

Expressions:
– "Er pap van lusten": to enjoy someting greatly.
– "Hij zal ervan lusten": he is going to pay for this.
– "Zo lust ik er nog wel eentje": yeah right! (ironically).
– "Zo lust ik er nog wel een paar!": that’s enough now / are you finished? (after having had enough of somebody’s arguments/excuses).

Related words:
– "Iets vies vinden": to dislike something (food/drinks).
– "Lekker vinden": to find something tasty (in this context).
– "Smaken": to taste.
– "Eetlust": appetite.
– "Lust": desire, lust, joy.

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.

Het is zo gepiept

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It’s easily done/fixed/accomplished, it won’t take long (to complete) [Dutch phrase of the week] Iconspeaker_3

The
verb "piepen" is translated with "to squeak, peep, shriek, wheeze" or
verbs such as "to whine/moan". However in the phrase "het is zo
gepiept" it takes the meaning of "to complete/do/fix/…", and you will
only encounter it as such in this phrase.

Mind that whatever it is that has to be completed, must be a physical activity.

Examples:
– "Hoe lang gaat dit duren denk je?" – "O, maak je geen zorgen, het is zo gepiept!"
("How long do you think this wil take?" – "Oh, don’t worry about, it won’t take long!")


– "Kun je me helpen met het verplaatsen van de wasmachine? Ik zweer het je: het is zo gepiept!"
("Can
you help me move the washing machine? I
swear: it won’t take long!" Lit. "…with the moving of the washing machine? I swear it to you:…".)


– "Dat gaat ons toch nooit lukken, dan moeten we allemaal gaten gaan boren!" – "Nou en, het is zo gepiept, let maar op!"
("We will never be able to do that, we’d have to drill all these
holes!" – "So what, it’s easily done, just watch me!" Lit. "We will
never succeed in doing that…" – "Now and…, just pay attention!")