Category Archives: DWOTD 1.0

Original DWOTD post 2006 – 2013

Goud

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Grammar: <goud> [adjective, noun] [het goud].

Translates to: gold.

The adjective “goud” is part of the group of “stoffelijke bijvoeglijke naamwoorden” or “material adjectives”, and is therefore declined differently (see example 3 below); read more in “Declining adjectives“.

Examples:
1. “Goud is een edelmetaal.”
(“Gold is a precious metal.”)

2. “Deze halsketting is gemaakt van 14-karaats goud.”
(“This necklace is made of 14-carat gold.”)

3. “De gouden Rolex van de bankdirecteur blinkt in de zon.”
(“The bank director’s golden Rolex glitters in the sun.”)

The Dutch word for “to shine/to glitter” is “blinken” and is pronounced a bit like “bling-can”. I wonder if there is a relation with the hip-hop slang term “bling-bling“!

Expressions:
1. “Een gouden hart hebben.”
To have a heart of gold.

Example:
“Isabelle heeft een hart van goud.”
(“Isabelle has a heart of gold.”)

2. “Spreken is zilver, zwijgen is goud.”
Speech is silver, silence is golden.

3. “Iemand gouden bergen beloven.”
To promise someone the sun and the moon. Literally “to promise someone golden mountains”.

Example:
“De getrouwde man beloofde zijn vriendin gouden bergen.”
(“The married man promised his girlfriend the sun and the moon.”)

4. “Eigen haard is goud waard!”
There is no place like home. Literally: “one’s own hearth is worth gold”.

Related words:
1. “Goudsmid”: gold smith.
2. “Juwelier”: jeweller.
3. “Goudmijn”: gold mine.

The word “goudmijn” is often used figuratively.

Example:
“Het onlangs geopende koffietentje is een echte goudmijn voor de eigenaar!”
(“The recently opened coffee place is a true gold mine for the owner!”)

Extra:
One of the readers of the Dutch word of the day wondered if the Dutch city of Gouda has something to do with gold. Gouda is well-known for its cheese, the “Gouda kaas” or “Goudse kaas” (“cheese from Gouda”). The original settlement of Gouda was at the peat river “Gouwe” and a theory exists that says that this peat river had a golden glare and hence the name “Gouwe” originated. Read different theories at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gouda.

The word “goud” appeared earlier in “DWOTD 37. Vis” and “DWOTD 83. Morgen“.

Groenten

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Grammar: <groenten> [noun, plural] [de groenten].

Translates to: vegetables.

Although the singular form "groente" is in fact used, you will more often encounter the plural "groenten". Don’t confuse this with the word "groeten"! (See "DWOTD 91. Groetjes".)

Examples:
1. "Andijvie is een groente en komkommer ook!"
("Endive is a vegetable, and so is cucumber!" See also "DWOTD 10. Komkommer".)

2. "Het gerecht wordt geserveerd met aardappelen en groenten."
("The course is served with potatoes and vegetables.")

Related words:
1. "Groenteboer": greengrocery or greengrocer. Literally "vegetable farmer".

Example:
"Voor verse groenten ga ik liever naar de groenteboer dan naar de supermarkt."
("For fresh vegetables I’d rather go to the greengrocery than to the supermarket.")

2. "Vegetarisch": vegetarian [adjective].
3. "Vegetariër": vegetarian [noun].

Groetjes

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regards [noun, plural diminutive]

frog-306795_640It is very common in Dutch to use a diminutive for informal use. “Groetjes” is derived from “groeten” (plural of the noun “groet”), which translates to “greetings”. So “groetjes” are “little greetings” 🙂

The word “groetjes” is often used when saying goodbye or as a closing for informal written communication. In general, when you are unsure whether or not the informal “groetjes” would be acceptable when saying goodbye, you can use “tot ziens” (literally: till seeing). See below for formal alternatives in written communications, and see the Extra for a list with alternative ways to say goodbye.

Examples:
– “Tot de volgende keer! Groetjes!!”
(<informal:> “Until the next time! Bye bye!!”)

– “Doe de groetjes aan Iris!”
(<while leaving:> Say hi to Iris!”. Literally: “Do the little greetings to Iris!”)

– “Doe de groeten aan je ouders!”
(<while leaving:> “Give my regards to your parents!” The use of “groeten” here is appropriate if your intentions are more formal.)

– “Groetjes, “
(<to end a letter or e-mail informally:> “Regards, “)

– “Met vriendelijke groeten, “
(<to end a letter or e-mail more formally:> “With kind regards, “. Literally this translates to: “with friendly greetings”. Quite often the word “met” (with) is omitted.)

Related words:
1. “Groet”: greeting.
2. “Groeten” <verb>: to greet.
3. “De groeten doen aan”: give regards to, say hi to.
4. “Hoogachtend, “: formal way to end letter or e-mail. Something like: “Sincerely yours, “. Literally: “Highly esteeming, “.

Extra:
There are numerous ways to say goodbye in an informal manner. Here’s a selection:
– “tot ziens!” (till seeing — not too informal, not too formal)
– “doei!” (bye!) See also DWOTD Doei.
– “doeg!” (bye!)
– “houdoe!” (bye! — Used in the province of Brabant)
– “hoihe!” (bye! — Used in the province of Limburg)
– “toedels!” (bye! — A bit nerdy)
– “toedeledoki!” (bye! — A bit nerdy)
– “dag!” (Goodbye! — A bit formal)
– “doedoei!” (byebye!)
– “mazzel!” (bye! — From the hebrew “mazzeltov”: good luck)
– “later!” (later!)
– “laters!” (later!)
– “tot later(s)!” (till later)

Lachen

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to laugh
[verb]
[lachen, lachte, gelachen]

Examples:
1. "Lachen is gezond!"
("Laughter is the best medicine!" Literally: "It’s healthy to laugh!")

2. "Ik had tranen in mijn ogen van het lachen."
("I had tears in my eyes from laughing.")

3. "Heb je de film ‘Borat’ gezien? Lachen man!"
("Have you seen the movie ‘Borat’? Really funny!" Literally: "to laugh, man!")

4. "Laat me niet lachen!"
(<sarcastically:>"Don’t make me laugh!" or "who are you kidding!")

Expressions:
1. "Wie het laatst lacht, lacht het best."
("He laughs best who laughs last.")

2. "Lachen als een boer met kiespijn."
("To laugh sourly", literally: "to laugh like a farmer with a toothache")

Related words:
1. "Uitlachen": to laugh at someone.
2. "Glimlachen": to smile.
3. "Lach": laugh.
4. "Gelach": laughter.
5. "Lachwekkend": laughable, ridiculous.

Example:
– "Hoe was de voorstelling?" – "Het was een lachwekkende vertoning!"
("How was the show?" – "It was a ridiculous display!")

6. "Huilen": to cry.

Slapen

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Grammar: <slapen> [verb] [sliep, h. geslapen].

Translates to: to sleep.

Examples:
1. "Frankt kon vannacht niet slapen door twee vechtende katers."
("Frank couldn’t sleep last night because of two fighting tomcats." See also "DWOTD 84. Kater".)

2. "Als gevolg zat Frank te slapen tijdens een belangrijke vergadering."
("As a consequence, Frank was sleeping during an important meeting.")

3. "Als je een appartement koopt, moet je goed opletten of de ‘Vereniging van Eigenaren’ slapend of actief is."
("When buying an apartment, one needs to check carefully whether the ‘Cooperation of Owners/Residence Association’ is dormant or active.")

4. "Slaap lekker!"
("Sleep well!")

5. "Ik wil alleen maar slapen!"
("I only/just want to sleep". The construction "Ik wil alleen maar …" is also often used to say more explicitly that "The only thing I want is…")

6. "Hoe laat ga jij meestal slapen?" – "Om half elf."
("At what time do you usually go to bed?" – "At half past ten.")

Expression:
"Je moet geen slapende honden wakker maken.": (one has to) let sleeping dogs lie. Literally: "one must not wake up sleeping dogs".

Related words:
1. "Verslapen": to oversleep.
2. "Uitslapen": to sleep late.
3. "Gapen": to yawn.
4. "Slaperig": sleepy.
5. "Slaapkop": sleepy head.
6. "Dromen": to dream.
7. "Kussen": pillow.
8. "Bed": bed.
9. "Winterslaap": hibernation (of animals).