Category Archives: DWOTD 1.0

Original DWOTD post 2006 – 2013

Aardappel

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potato Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[de aard-ap-pel, de aard-ap-pel-en/aard-ap-pels]

potatoes-411975_640“Aardappel” literally translates to “earth apple”. It’s actually a potato 🙂

“Aardappels” play an important role in Dutch cuisine, which is not too ambitious, but quite nutritious by intention. It is inspired by the Dutch fishing and farming history. Nowadays, Dutch cuisine has incorporated many foreign cuisines. For more info, check this article on Wikipedia.

“Aardappel” can also be used when you call somebody names. It’s a mild form of abusive language though 🙂

Examples:
– “Vanavond een lekker Hollands maal: aardappelen en bloemkool met een papje, heerlijk!” 
(“Tonight a good Dutch dinner: potatoes and cauliflower with sauce, delicious!”)

– “Ik vind gekookte aardappels niet bijzonder lekker.” 
(“I don’t find boiled potatoes particularly tasty.”)

– “Frank is een saaie aardappel, vind je niet?” 
(“Frank is a bore head, don’t you think?” Lit.: “…a boring potato…”)

Expressions:
– “Met een hete aardappel in de mond praten / praten alsof je een hete aardappel in de mond hebt”: to speak/talk like a “kakker“: a stuck-up pompous, posh person. Also called “bekakt praten” in Dutch.

Related words:
– Aardappelmesje: little knife for peeling potatoes [noun] [het aardappelmesje, de aardappelmesjes].
– Aarde: earth, ground [noun] [de aarde, de aardes].
– Appel: apple [noun] [de appel, de appels/appelen].

Example:
– “Snoep verstandig, eet een appel!”
(Lit.: “Eat candy wisely, eat an apple!” Used to be a well-known Dutch slogan to promote the consumption of fruit. The verb “snoepen” is the act of eating sweets/candy or other sweet unhealthy food.)

– Dunschiller: (lit.: thin peeler) potato peeler [noun] [de dunschiller, de dunschillers]. Like in the picture!
– Keuken: kitchen [noun] [de keuken, de keukens].
– Koken: to cook, to boil, to prepare dinner [verb] [koken, kookte, h./i. gekookt].
– Schillen: to peel [verb] [schillen, schilde, h./i. geschild].

Averechts

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counterproductive, (all) wrong Iconspeaker_3
[adjective/adverb]  Averechts
[a-ve-rechts]

"Averechts" is a bit of an old-fashioned word, however you will still encounter it in the expression "dat werkt averechts" or when something has an "averechts effect". The sentences below illustrate the use of "averechts".

If for some reason you like to knit, and you like to knit in Dutch [ 😉 ] you may come across the term "averecht(s) breien" (to purl, as in 'knit one, purl one'). If not, ask your Dutch (great-)grandmother.

(Picture taken from dreamstime.com)

Examples:
– "Nu ga ik je leren hoe je averecht(s) moet breien!" – "Nee oma, ik ben pas net begonnen en te veel informatie werkt alleen maar averechts!" 
("Now I will teach you how to purl!" – "No grandma, I've just started and too much information will only be counterproductive!" My grandmother actually taught me how to purl. My grandfather thought that was "wrong" (the whole knitting thing) so she stopped 🙂 .)

– "Je moet Sander gewoon eens vertellen wat hij moet doen!" – "Nee joh, dat heeft op hem alleen maar een averechts effect!" 
("You just have to tell Sander what he has to do!" – "No not at all, that will only have the wrong effect on him!")

– "Mijn dochter is gaan roken, moet ik het haar verbieden?" – "Ik zou met haar het gesprek aangaan, zomaar iets verbieden werkt averechts bij pubers!" 
("My daughter started smoking, should I forbid her to?" – "I would talk to her about it, simply forbidding something will only be counterproductive when it regards teen-agers!" Note that 'pubers' emphasizes being adolescent more than just a teen-ager ('tiener' in Dutch). "Het gesprek aangaan" literally translates as "starting the conversation with somebody".)

– "Zie je die fiets? Het lichtje brandt nog, wacht ik doe het even uit." – "Niet doen! Dat werkt averechts, want zo leert die persoon het nooit!" 
("Do you see that bicycle? Its light is still on, wait, I'll turn it off." – "Don't do that! That will only be counterproductive, that way the owner will never learn!" Note that 'persoon' translates as 'person', the ownership of the bicycle is implied. Dutch bicycles typically come with battery powered lights these days, or you will see people using 'click-on' lights. This seems much more resilient against the hardships of use in Dutch cities. Note that one is allowed to attach lights to the body instead of the bicycle (it used to be forbidden but Dutch police now figure that 'a light' is better than 'no light'. Although one light instead of two does not reduce the fine [as I found out myself 🙂 ] ) ).

Related words:
– Contraproductief: counterproductive [adjective/adverb].
– Verkeerd: wrong [adjective/adverb].
– Fout: wrong, incorrect [adjective/adverb].
– Onjuist: incorrect [adjective/adverb].

Example:
– "De verdachte heeft onjuist gehandeld, maar geen misdrijf gepleegd."
("The suspect has done wrong, but did not commit a crime.")

Normaal gesproken

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generally speaking, normally, usually Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]

Man en vrouw praten met elkaar“Normaal gesproken” literally translates to “normally spoken”. “Gesproken” is the past participle of the irregular verb “spreken” [sprak, h. gesproken].

Examples:
– “Heb je een scheetje gelaten? Die zijn normaal gesproken niet te harden, bah…” 
(“Did you fart? The stench of your farts is usually unbearable, yuck…”)

– “Ik gebruik normaal gesproken een QWERTY toetsenbord.” 
(“I use a QWERTY keyboard, generally speaking.”)

– “Ik was mijn handen normaal gesproken met zeep nadat ik naar de w.c. ben geweest.” 
(“I normally wash my hands with soap after using the toilet.” Lit.: “…after I have been to the toilet.”)

Related words:
– Normaal: normal, usual [adjective/adverb].
– Spreken: to speak [verb] [spreken, sprak, gesproken].

Example:
– “Ik heb in het ziekenhuis met de dokter gesproken, ze hebben niks vreemds in mijn bloed kunnen ontdekken.”
(“I have spoken with the doctor in the hospital, they couldn’t find anything strange in my blood.”)

Bijzonder

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special, particular, peculiar Iconspeaker_3
[adjective/adverb]

Bird_of_paradise "Bijzonder" can both be used as an adjective or an adverb. When used as an adverb it is commonly translated as "very", see the examples. The "ij" in "bijzonder" is pronounced as "ie".

Note the use of "iets/niets bijzonders": something/nothing special.

Examples:
– "Goedemiddag, kan ik u helpen, zoekt u iets bijzonders?" 
("Good afternoon, can I help you, are you looking for something special?" Note that it is typically Dutch to want to be left alone at first when looking around in a store, reason why Dutch shop personnel seem uninterested at first. Although some of them really are 😉 )

– "Wat was er aan de hand?" – "O, niets bijzonders, een opstootje…" 
("What was going on?" – "Oh, nothing special, a small fight…")

– "Ik ben nog steeds een beetje stil van de film…" – "Ja, hij is heel bijzonder vind je niet…" 
("I'm still impressed by the film…" – "Yes, it is very special dont't you think so?" Lit. "I'm still a bit quiet because of the film".)

– "Meneer, u heeft een bijzonder kind! Misschien is het wel hoogbegaafd!" – "Nou, dat lijkt me bijzonder onwaarschijnlijk, maar bedankt voor het compliment!"
("Sir, you have a very special child! Perhaps it is highly gifted!" – "Well, that seems highly unlikely, but thank you for the compliment!")

– "Heb je gehoord dat Frank een kluizenaar is geworden?" – "Nee, maar het verbaast me niks; hij was altijd al een beetje bijzonder." 
("Did you hear that Frank has become a hermit/recluse?" – "No, but it does not surprise me one bit; he always was a bit peculiar.")

– "Alan daarentegen is een gewone jongen, een bijzonder gewone jongen kan ik wel zeggen." 
("Alan, on the contrary, is an ordinary guy, a very ordinary guy I may say.")

– "Heeft het u gesmaakt?" – "Zeker, ik heb bijzonder lekker gegeten, dankuwel." 
("Did you enjoy your meal?" – "Absolutely, it was very tasty, thank you.")

Expressions:
– "In het bijzonder": in particular.

Related words:
– Speciaal: special [adjective]. If you don't like the Dutch fries with mayonnaise you can order a 'patat speciaal'. The sauce you'll get is a mix of mayonnaise and ketchup (or curry sauce) and… chopped onions 🙂
– Ongewoon: unusual [adjective].

Example:
– "Vind je dat deze broek bij deze trui past?" – "Uhm, ik vind het een beetje een ongewone combinatie als ik eerlijk ben!"
("Do you think these pants match this jumper/sweater? – "Ehm, to be honest, I think it is a bit of an unusual combination!")

– Apart: different, separate, distinct [adjective]. Note the infamous word 'apart-heid': "separate-ness". This word is not used in Dutch other than in the context of the former regime in South-Africa.

Ontdekken

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to discover Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[ont-dek-ken, ont-dek-te, ont-dekt]

VOC replica "Ontdekken" can both be used for locating hidden objects/places as well as intellectual findings. Related noun is "ontdekking". When you want to 'cover' something, we say 'bedekken'.

Examples:
– "De Nederlandse ontdekkingsreizigers hebben veel exotische landen ontdekt." 
("The Dutch explorers have discovered many exotic countries." The Dutch are known for their 'ontdekkingsreizen' and colonial activities, especially in the East-Indies through the VOC ('Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie").)

– "Daar ben je eindelijk! Ik kon je nergens ontdekken in de menigte!" 
("Finally, there you are! I was unable to locate you in the crowd!" Literally: "I could find you nowhere in the crowd". The word "menigte" is composed of "menig" and "te", which means something like "manyness" (compare "gekte": madness).)

– "Soms zou ik willen dat ik 100 jaar geleden leefde, er was toen nog zo veel te ontdekken…" – "Ach, dat is toch alleen maar nostalgie, er is nu ook nog steeds heel veel te ontdekken!" 
("Sometimes I wish I lived 100 years ago, there was so much still to discover back then…" – "Oh well, isn't that just nostalgia, there is still a lot to discover these days!")

– "Ik heb onlangs een heel leuk koffietentje ontdekt, daar moeten we een keer samen heen!" 
("I've recently discovered a very nice coffe place, we have to (once) go there together!" Note that 'heen' is often used with the verb 'gaan' but you can also use it this way.)

– "Heb je je sleutels al gevonden?" – "Nee, ik heb ze nog steeds niet ontdekt." 
("Have you found your keys yet?" – "No, I still haven't discovered them.")

Expressions:
– "De ontdekking van de eeuw": the find of the century, the big discovery.

Related words:
– Ontdekker: discoverer [noun] [de ontdekker, de ontdekkers].
– Ontdekkingsreis: voyage of discovery [noun] [de reis, de reizen].
– Ontdekkingsreiziger: explorer [noun] [de reiziger, de reizigers].
– Ontdekking: discovery, find [noun] [de ontdekking, de ontdekkingen].

Example:
– "Ken jij het boek 'De ontdekking van de hemel' door Harry Mulisch? Het is echt een aanrader!"
("Do you know the book 'The discovery of heaven' by Harry Mulisch? I highly recommend it!" The noun 'aanrader' is derived from 'aanraden': to recommend. Read more on Harry Mulisch in the Extra below.)

Extra:
Those of you who live in the Netherlands may have noticed the recent news coverage on Dutch writer Harry Mulisch who passed away last Saturday. Harry Mulisch is known as one of 'de grote drie' (the big three of post-WWII Dutch literature): Gerard Reve, Willem Frederik Hermans, Harry Mulisch. The works of Harry Mulisch have been translated into 30 languages. Read more on wikipedia.
Harry Mulisch will be buried this Saturday in Amsterdam.