Category Archives: DWOTD 1.0

Original DWOTD post 2006 – 2013

Niet te harden

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unbearable Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]
[Niet te har-den]

233574885_8aa7c0a4c1_zThe verb “harden” translates as “to harden”, “to toughen up” or “to bear/stand”. In case of the latter, one often uses the phrase “niet te harden” to say that something is unbearable. This can basically be anything, see the examples.

A common construction is “niet te harden zo [adjective]”, meaning that the situation was unbearable with respect to the adjective used.
(Photo: Tjflex2 (flickr.com) – some rights reserved.)

Examples:
– “Je kunt op zaterdag beter niet naar de Kalverstraat in Amsterdam gaan, het is er dan heel druk; niet te harden!”
(“One had better not go to the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam on a Saturday, it is very crowded; unbearable!”)

– “Het vuilnis is nu drie weken niet opgehaald, de stank is niet te harden!” 
(“The garbage has not been collected for three weeks now, the stench is unbearable!”)

– “Bas is in Sint-Petersburg naar de sauna geweest, hij zei dat het er niet te harden was zo heet!”  
(“Bas went to the sauna in Saint Petersburg, he said that the heat was unbearable!”)

– “Ik ben eerder weggegaan van het concert, het volume was niet te harden zo hoog!” 
(“I left the concert early, the loudness of the volume was unbearable!”)

– “Het etentje met mijn schoonouders was rampzalig, de spanning was niet te harden!” 
(“The dinner with my in-laws was desastrous, the tension was unbearable!”)

Expressions:
– “Niet te doen!”: impossible, tough, unpleasant.

Related words:
– Harden: 1. to harden 2. to toughen up 3. to bear/stand [verb] [hardde, gehard].
– Ondraaglijk: unbearable [adjective].

Example:
– “De ondraaglijke lichtheid van het bestaan.”
(“The unbearable lightness of being.”)

– Verdragen: to bear, stand [verb] [verdroeg, verdragen].

Tocht

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1. draught/draft Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[de tocht, <no plural>]

14898589323_4bb78091ef_z“Tocht” is the suction of the wind in a room when you for example open windows on opposite sides. The verb is ‘tochten’. A common expression is ‘op de tocht komen te staan’, see below.
(Photo: Julie Kertesz (flickr.com) – some rights reserved.)

Examples:
– “Mijn moeder kan niet tegen tocht, dan krijgt ze last van haar gewrichten weet je wel…” 
(“My mother can’t stand draught/draft, her joints start to bother her you know…”)

– “Er ligt overal stof in huis, ik word er gek van!” – “Tja, dat krijg je met die tocht!” 
(“There’s dust everywhere in the house, it’s driving me crazy!” – “What can I say, that’s what you get with all that draught/draft.”)

– “Tocht is wind in huis, maar wind in huis hoeft niet altijd tocht te zijn.” 
(“Draught/draft is wind in your home, but wind in your home does not necessarily have to be draught/draft.” Quote by “Frits van Egters”, main character in the famous Dutch book “De Avonden” by Gerard Reve.)

Expressions:
– “Op de tocht zitten”: to sit in a draught.
– “Op de tocht (komen te) staan”: to be put at risk, to be in the balance.

Example:
– “Door de bezuinigingen komen veel banen op de tocht te staan.”
(“Due to the cutbacks many jobs will be put at risk.”)

Related words:
– Tochten: to be draughty/drafty, to let the wind through (a room) [verb] [tochtte, getocht].

Example:
– “Het tocht hier!” – “Doe het raam dan dicht als je er last van hebt!”
(“There’s a draught here!” – “Well then, close the window if it bothers you!”)

– Tochtig: draughty/drafty [adjective]. You can also talk about a ‘tochtige koe’: a cow in heat.
– Tochtgat: blowhole, draughty/drafty spot [noun] [het tochtgat, de tochtgaten].
– Wind: wind [noun] [de wind].

2. journey, trip, outing Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[de tocht, de toch-ten]

15193688140_690798ea87_z“Tocht” can also be used for ‘journey’ or ‘trip’. Duration of the ‘tocht’ should be clear from context, a ‘tochtje’ is a short trip like an outing. A ‘dagtocht(je)’ is an outing for the day.
(Photo: Henk-Jan van der Klis (flickr.com) – some rights reserved.)

Examples:
– “Na een barre tocht door de bergen, kwamen de vluchtelingen aan in het kamp.” 
(“After a tough journey through the mountains, the refugees arrived in the camp.”)

– “Hoe was het museum?” – “Fantastisch! Echt een tocht door de eeuwen heen!” 
(“How was the museum?” – “Fantastic! Truly a journey through the centuries!”)

Expressions:
– “Een (dag)tochtje maken”: to go on an (day) outing. You can also use this expression (without the ‘dag’) to say that you are going for a ride, but it would be a longer ride than just around the block.

Example:
– “Wat hebben jullie zaterdag gedaan?”  – “We hebben een dagtochtje gemaakt naar de Zaanse Schans.”
(“What did you do on Saturday?”  – “We went on an outing for the day to the Zaanse Schans.”)

Related words:
– Uitje: outing [noun] [het uitje, de uitjes]. Here you can also say ‘een uitje maken’: to go on an outing.
– Reizen: to travel [verb] [reisde, gereisd].
– Reisje: short trip [noun] [het reisje, de reisjes].

Toetsenbord

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(computer) keyboard Iconspeaker_3
[noun] Toetsenbord
[het toet-sen-bord, de toet-sen-bor-den]

"Toetsenbord" is composed of "toetsen" and "bord", which respectively translate to "keys" and "board", hence 'keyboard'. "Toetsenbord" is nearly always used in the context of a computer. The musical keyboard translates to "keyboard" in Dutch 🙂

In the Netherlands, the keyboard standard that is mostly used is QWERTY.

Examples:
– "Ik heb pijn aan mijn arm…" – "Heb je al een ergonomisch toetsenbord?" 
("My arm is aching…" – "Do you already have an ergonomic keyboard?" Lit.: "I have pain on my arm…")

– "Ik gebruik nauwelijks een muis, alleen het toetsenbord van mijn computer." 
("I hardly use a mouse, only the keyboard of my computer.")

– "Frank computert meer dan tien uur per dag…" – "Dan zal zijn toetsenbord wel versleten zijn…" 
("Frank uses the computer more than ten hours a day…" – "His keyboard will be worn out then…")

Related words:
– Bord: plate, board [noun] [het bord, de borden].
– Computeren: to use the computer for recreational purposes [verb] [computeren, computerde, h. gecomputerd].
– Keyboard: keyboard [noun] [het keyboard, de keyboards].

Example:
– "Speel jij Mozart op je keyboard? Hartstikke goed man!"
("Do you play Mozart on your keyboard? That's awesome man!" Lit.: "Really good man!")

– Muis: mouse [noun] [de muis, de muizen].
– Toets: 1. key [noun] [de toets, de toetsen]. 2. test, examination [noun] [de toets, de toetsen].
– Typen: to type [verb] [typen, typte, h. getypt].

Door de mand vallen

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to be exposed as incompetent/a liar/cheater/fraud/fool, to be seen through Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week] Door de mand vallen

Literally, "door de mand vallen" translates to "to fall through the basket". It is used in a situation where   someone initially denies an accusation, but is then confronted with so many counter-arguments that he/she has to admit that the accusation is rightful. This person is then exposed as a liar, cheater, fraud or fool.

Examples:
– "Dit nieuwe kabinet zal snel door de mand vallen…" – "Wat weet jij nou van politiek?" 
("This new cabinet will be exposed as incompetent…" – "Now what do you know of politics?")

– "Met dit akkefietje val je echt door de mand, ik eis een verontschuldiging!" 
("With this little incident you really expose yourself as a liar, I demand an apology!")

– "Frank is vorige week behoorlijk door de mand gevallen…zijn vriendin is bij hem weggegaan nadat hij met een ander was vreemdgegaan." 
("Frank was quite exposed as an adulterer last week…his girlfriend left him after he cheated on her with another woman.")

Expressions:
– "Nat gaan": to fall through. Lit.: to go wet.

Example:
– "Vorig jaar is hij behoorlijk nat gegaan met zijn bedrijf: echt een miljoenenverlies…"
("Last year, he really fell through with his company: lost really millions…" Lit.: "…a million's loss")

Related words:
– Mand: basket [noun] [de mand, de manden].
– Ontmaskeren: to unmask, to expose [verb] [ontmaskeren, ontmaskerde, h. ontmaskerd].
– Vallen: to fall [verb] [vallen, viel, gevallen].

Example:
– "Pardon meneer, u laat een munt vallen."
("Excuse me sir, you've dropped a coin."

Kabinet

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cabinet Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[het ka-bi-net, de ka-bi-net-ten]Kabinet

In case you missed it: the Netherlands has a new cabinet since last week. The liberal party VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) and the CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal) have joined forces in the first minority cabinet since World War II – and the first liberal prime minister since 1918.

Examples:
– "Na 127 dagen formeren is het kabinet-Rutte op 14 oktober gestart." 
("After 127 days of negotiations to form a government, Rutte's Cabinet started on October 14.")

– "Het kabinet-Rutte I is het eerste minderheidskabinet sinds de Tweede Wereldoorlog." 
("Rutte's first Cabinet is the first minority cabinet since World War II.")

– "Voor een meederheidskabinet zijn tenminste 76 van de 150 zetels in de Tweede Kamer nodig." 
("For a majority cabinet, at least 76 of 150 seats in the Second Chamber [House of Commons] are required.")

– "Het kabinet-Rutte heeft 52 zetels, en haalt met steun van Wilders' party PVV 76 zetels." 
("Rutte's Cabinet has 52 seats, and reaches 76 seats with support of Wilders' party PVV.")

– "De meeste leden van het kabinet Rutte I zijn zeer ervaren politici, de vijftig gepasseerd en man." 
("Most members of Rutte's first Cabinet are very experienced politicians, over fifty, and male.")

Related words:
– Verkiezingen: elections [noun] [de verkiezing, de verkiezingen].
– Kabinetsformatie: the formation of a cabinet [noun] [de formatie, de formaties].

Extra:
The support that WIlders' party PVV gives to the cabinet is called "gedoogsteun". The Dutch are known worldwide for their "gedogen" of soft drugs: even though illegal by law, offenders are not persecuted. In the case of Wilders' PVV, the party gives "gedoogsteun" to the minority cabinet, i.e. a party supports the cabinet even though the party is formally an opposition party. The support is agreed on in a formal agreement, the "gedoogakkoord".