Category Archives: DWOTD 1.0

Original DWOTD post 2006 – 2013

Realiteit

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reality Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[de re-a-li-teit, de re-a-li-tei-ten]

Reality-check "Realiteit" is synonymous with "werkelijkheid", however I have the feeling that the latter is used when discussing actual reality (as opposed to living in The Matrix for example) whereas the first is used when discussing the actual implications.

Common usage includes "harde realiteit" ('harsh reality'), "de realiteit van alledag" ('day-to-day reality') and "de realiteit onder ogen zien" ('to face reality').

Examples:
– "Inbraak, berovingen, aanrandingen en soms zelfs verkrachting; in sommige wijken is het de realiteit van alledag." 
("Burglary, robbery/muggery, sexual assault; in some parts of town it's day-to-day reality." Note that 'aanranding' in Dutch usually means sexual assault.)

– "Stop met klagen jongen, er is niets aan te doen, het is de harde realiteit van deze maatschappij!" 
("Stop complaining son, nothing you can do about it, it is the harsh reality of this society!")

– "Ja, dat kun je nu wel zeggen, maar de realiteit is dat zij het geld vangen en ik met lege handen achterblijf!" 
("Sure, it's easy for you to say that, but the reality is that they will pick up the money and I remain empty-handed!" Lit. "Yes, you can say that now, but … they will catch the money…")

Expressions:
– "De realiteit onder ogen zien": to face reality / the facts.

Example:
– "Het is tijd dat we de realiteit onder ogen zien, we kunnen het gewoon niet langer betalen."
("It's time we face the facts, we just can't afford it any longer." Lit. "…pay it any longer.")

Related words:
– Realisme: realism [noun] [het realisme, <no plural>].

Example:
– "Ken jij Carel Willink niet? Hou je niet van magisch realisme?"
("You don't know Carel Willink? Don't you like magic realism?")

– Realist: realist [noun] [de realist, de realisten].

Example:
– "Ik ben geen pessimist, ik ben een realist!"
("I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist!")

– Realistisch: realistic [adjective].
– Werkelijkheid: reality, truth [noun] [de werkelijkheid, de werkelijkheden].
– Werkelijk: real, actual, true [adjective].
– Reëel: real, actual, true, reasonable [adjective, adverb].

Oppervlakkig

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superficial, shallowOppervlakkig Iconspeaker_3
[adjective] 
[op-per-vlak-kig]

"Oppervlakkig" translates to superficial or shallow. Related nouns are "oppervlakte" (surface, area) and "oppervlakkigheid" (shallowness).

The opposite of "oppervlakkigheid" is "diepgang" (depth, profundity).

Examples:
– "Pas op, Frank is een beetje oppervlakkig." – "Daar heb ik me al op ingesteld…" 
("Be careful, Frank is a little shallow…" – "I'm mentally prepared for that…")

– "Ze is met een oppervlakkige kerel getrouwd…" – "Wat dan nog?" 
("She's married to a shallow guy…" – "So what?")

– "Ik ken haar slechts oppervlakkig, maar ze lijkt me een leuke dame." 
("I just know her superficially, bu she seems like a nice lady.")

Expressions:
– "Aan de oppervlakte komen": <also figuratively> to surface (lit.: to come to the surface).

Example:
– "Heb je gehoord van die enorme ramp?" – "De ware toedracht van de brand zal wel nooit aan de oppervlakte komen…"
("Did you hear about that huge disaster?" – "We will never know the truth about that fire…" Lit.: "The true state of affairs of the fire will probably never surface…")

Related words:
– Diepgang: depth, profundity [noun] [de diepgang, <no plural>].

Example:
– "Frank heeft de diepgang van een regenworm…hij is zoooo oppervlakkig."
("Frank has the profundity of a worm…he's soooo shallow.")

– Oppervlakte: surface, area [noun] [de oppervlakte, de oppervlaktes].

Instellen

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1. to adjust, tune, set Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[in-stel-len, stel-de in, in-ge-steld]

Instellen "Instellen" can generally be used in three translations. It is also figuratively used in the expressions "zich instellen op", or "ingesteld zijn op", which respectively translate as "to (mentally) prepare oneself for" and "to be geared towards / be prepared/equipped for"; see the Expressions for examples.

Examples:
– "Ik weet zeker dat ik de wekker op mijn iPhone goed heb ingesteld en toch ging hij niet af!" 
("I'm positive that I set the alarm on my iPhone correctly, and still it did not go off!")

– "Waren je vakantiefoto's leuk?" – "Man, ik baal als een stekker, de belichting was verkeerd ingesteld; alles is mislukt!" 
("Did your holiday pictures turn out nicely?" – "Man, I'm really upset, the exposure setting was incorrect, everything was ruined!" Note that "mislukken" translates as "to fail / go wrong / be unsuccessful".)

– "Het lukt me nooit om de radiozenders op mijn autoradio goed in te stellen, kun jij me daar een keer bij helpen?" 
("I never succeed in correctly programming the radio stations on my car radio, are you able to help me with that sometime?")

Expressions:
– " (…) ingesteld zijn": to have a (…)-like attitude.

Example:
– "Hij is nogal negatief ingesteld dus ik zou hem niet vragen als ik jou was."
("He is rather negative so I wouldn't ask him if I were you.")

– "Ingesteld zijn op (…) ": to be equipped for, to be geared towards.

Example:
– "Sorry, maar we zijn niet ingesteld op beginners. We raden je aan eerst elders een beginnerscursus te volgen."
("I'm sorry, but we are not geared towards beginners. We recommend that you first do a beginners course elsewhere.")

– "Zich instellen op": to (mentally) prepare (oneself) for.

Example:
– "Is het goed als Eva ook meekomt?" – "Nou, liever niet, je weet hoe het tussen ons is; ik ben er niet op ingesteld, sorry!"
("Is it alright if Eva comes along?" – "Well, preferably not, you know how it is between the two of us; I'm not prepared for it, I'm sorry!")

Related words:
– Instelling: setting, mentality [noun] [de instelling, de instellingen].
– Configureren: to configure [verb] [configureerde, geconfigureerd].
– Voorbereiden: to prepare for [verb] [bereidde voor, voorbereid].

2. to establish, found, institute Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[in-stel-len, stel-de in, in-ge-steld]

Regels This is typically used when establishing rules, setting up a committee etc.

Examples:
– "De commissie is vanochtend ingesteld en gaat direct aan de slag." 
("The committee has been set up this morning and will start work immediately.")

– "Er zijn nieuwe regels ingesteld omtrent het gebruik van de gemeenschappelijke ruimte." 
("New rules have been established regarding the use of the common area.")

Related words:
– Instellling: establishment, creation [noun] [de instelling, de instellingen].

3. to start, to set up Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[in-stel-len, stel-de in, in-ge-steld]

OnderzoekIngesteld In this translation "instellen" is typically used when starting or opening an investigation.

Examples:
– "Er is een onderzoek ingesteld naar het handelen van de dader; we moeten oppassen om geen voorbarige conclusies te trekken!" 
("An investigation has started on the perpretator's actions; we must be careful not to jump to conclusions!" Literally: "…draw premature conclusions".)

Dat belooft wat!

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that sounds promising! / this will be exciting! Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week] Gelukkig2011

Best wishes to all of our readers!! May 2011 become a year of many Dutch Word of the Days that will help you understand Dutch and the Dutch even better than in 2010. And now…gaan met die banaan!

"Dat belooft wat" literally translates to "that promises something", in other words: "that sounds promising!"

The other way around: the literal translation of "that sounds promising" is "dat klinkt veelbelovend",  which can be used synonymously to "dat belooft wat". Sometimes you may hear "dat belooft heel wat": that sounds very promising.

Examples:
– "We hebben in 2010 veel bereikt met de Dutch Word of the Day, maar 2011 wordt nog beter!" – "Dat belooft wat!" 
("Way have achieved a lot with the Dutch Word of the Day in 2010, but 2011 will be even better!" – "That sounds promising!")

– "Frank was vanochtend erg chagrijnig." – "Dat belooft wat voor de vergadering vanmiddag…" 
("Frank was very grouchy this morning." – "That sounds promising for the meeting this afternoon…")

– "Hoe zal Ed reageren op de afwijzing van Tina? Dat belooft heel wat…blijf kijken, terug na de reclame!" 
("How will Ed react to Tina dismissing him? This will be very exciting….stay tuned, back after the commercial break!")

Related words:
– Beloven: to promise [verb] [beloven, beloofde, h. beloofd].

Example:
– "Iemand gouden bergen beloven."
("To promise someone the sun and the moon. Literally "to promise someone golden mountains".")

– Veelbelovend: promising [adjective].

Example:
– "Frank was ooit een veelbelovende advocaat, maar omdat hij in de rechtszaal meerdere keren gefaald heeft, is hij nu werkloos."
("Frank was once a promising lawyer, but because he messed up in court several times, he's currently unemployed.")

Het zit er weer op!

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it's over/gone again, we're done Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]
[Het zit er weer op]

HetZitErWeerOp You can use this phrase when you've completed an activity or when a period of time (such as: morning, hour, year) has ended. Either use "het" when it's clear from context or be more specific, see the examples. The use of 'weer' indicates that it's over 'again' (as in rather quickly or when it feels that way). You can leave it out if you want ("het zit er op!")

Examples:
– "Het jaar zit er al weer bijna op!" 
("The year is almost over again! / the year has almost ended!")

– "Jongens, het zit er op, we kunnen gaan lunchen!" 
("Guys, we're done, let's have lunch!" Lit. "we can have lunch / we are able to have lunch".)

– "En daarmee sluiten we af, de ochtendsessie zit er weer op, en dan nu het nieuws van 12 uur." 
("And with that we conclude, the morning session is over again, next the 12 o'clock news.")

– "De week zit er weer op, heerlijk, eindelijk weekend!" 
("The week has come to an end again, splendid/great, weekend finally!")

– "Het zit er weer op voor dit jaar, in 2011 zijn er weer nieuwe DWOTD's!" 
("And we're done for the year, in 2011 there will be new DWOTDs again!")

Related words:
– Voorbij: over, gone, past, finished[adjective].

Example:
– "De vakantie is weer voorbij; balen!"
("The holidays are over again; bummer / that sucks!")

– Over: past, finished [adjective].

Example:
– "Het is over, klaar, voorbij! Wat snap je daar niet aan?"
("It's over, finished, done! What part do you not understand?")