Category Archives: DWOTD 1.0

Original DWOTD post 2006 – 2013

D.w.z. / Dat wil zeggen

Posted on by


i.e., that is (to say) Iconspeaker_3 Datwilzeggen

[Dutch
phrase of the week]

"D.w.z." is the abbreviation of "dat wil zeggen", literally: "that wants to say". English equivalent is "i.e." or "that is (to say)". "I.e." (which is of course an abbreviation of the Latin "id est") is also used in Dutch.

Related acronym is "m.a.w.": "met andere woorden", which translates to "in other words".

Examples:
– "Die uitleg is te vaag, dat wil zeggen, ik snap het gewoon niet…" 
("That explanation is too vague, that is, I just don’t get it…")

– "De lucht klaart op, dat wil zeggen, ik kan de zon af en toe zien." 
("The sky is clearing up, that is, I can see the sun now and then.")

– "Ik vind Raymond bijzonder geschikt, d.w.z. hij laat zijn handen wapperen." 
("I think Raymond is especially suited, i.e. he puts his shoulder to the wheel.")

Expressions:
–
"M.a.w. / met andere woorden": in other words.

Example:
– "Ik ben te laat opgestaan, met andere woorden: ik heb me verslapen."
("I got up too late, in other words: I overslept.")

Related words:
– Zeggen: to say [verb] [zeggen, zei, h. gezegd].

Example:
– "Wat ik nu ga zeggen, zul je misschien vervelend vinden."
("What I’m going to say now, you may find annoying.")

Opklaren

Posted on by

to clear/brighten up Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[op-kla-ren, klaar-de op, op-ge-klaard]

Opklaren
Today is Koninginnedag and that is one of the days in the year of which you can be sure there will be no DWOTD… Well, as the weather is not cooperating much, I haven’t gone ‘downtown’ yet 🙂 However, it seems the sky is clearing up! "Opklaren" can also be used figuratively.

Examples:
– "Het leek vandaag een grauwe dag te worden, maar nu klaart het gelukkig op."
("It looked like today was going to be a gray day, but fortunately it’s brightening up now.")

– "Gaat het nog regenen denk je?" – "Volgens mij niet, de lucht is opgeklaard!" 
("Do you think it will rain?" – "I don’t think so, the sky has cleared up!")

– "En, hoe is het nu?" – "Nou, de situatie leek uitzichtloos, maar nu lijkt het op te klaren!" 
("So, how are things now?" -"Well, the situation seemed hopeless, but now it looks like it’s brightening up!" ‘Uitzichtloos’ translates as something like "without a positive outlook at all"; you can also use ‘hopeloos’.)

Expressions:
– "Na regen komt zonneschijn": after a storm comes a calm. Lit.: "after rain comes sunshine".

Related words:
–
Betrekken: to become overcast, to cloud over [verb] [betrok, betrokken].

Example:
– "De lucht was opgeklaard, en nu betrekt hij weer. Wat hebben we daar nu aan?!"
("The sky cleared up, and now it’s clouding over again. What good is that to us?!")

– Onbewolkt: cloudless, clear [adjective].
– Zonnig: sunny [adjective].

Opstaan

Posted on by

 

to get up, to stand up, to rise Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[op-staan, stond op, ben/bent/is/zijn op-ge-staan]

8416652712_bd86340592_z“Opstaan” is composed of “op” and “staan”, which respectively translate to “up” and “stand”.

Related adverb is “overeind”: upright, on end, erect. You could say that the result of “opstaan” is being “overeind”…
(Photo: Tambako The Jaguar (flickr.com) – some rights reserved.)

Examples:
– “Sta op, sta op, sta op voor je rechten!” 
(“Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!”)

– “Rechter Gijselaers, allen opstaan!” 
(“Judge Gijselaers, all rise!”)

– “Ik verveel me…” – “Dan sta op, en laat je handen wapperen!” 
(“I’m bored…” – “Then get up, and get to it!”)

– “Ik heb ‘s ochtends altijd veel moeite om op te staan.” 
(“I always find it very difficult to get up in the morning.” Lit.: “…have difficulties with…”)

Expressions:
–
“Met het verkeerde been uit bed stappen“: to get up on the wrong side of the bed.
– “Uit de dood opstaan”: to rise from the dead.

Example:
– “Prijs de Heer, want Christus is uit de dood opgestaan!”
(“Praise the Lord, for Christ has risen from the dead!” Lit.: “…risen from death.”)

– “Opgestaan, plaats vergaan”: leave your seat and lose it.
– “Met vallen en opstaan”: (lit.: with falling and getting up) by trial en error.

Related words:
– Op: up, on [preposition].
– Staan: to stand [verb] [staan, stond, h. gestaan].
– Overeind: upright, on end, erect [adverb].

Example:
– “De laatste man die nog overeind staat, dat ben ik…” – “Maak dat de kat wijs, alles loopt op rolletjes!”
(“The last man standing, that’s me…” – “Go fool someone else, everything goes like clockwork!!”)

– Vroeg: early [adjective].

Ik heb met hem te doen

Posted on by

I feel sorry for him Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]

5344612871_40eaf88962_z“Met iemand te doen hebben” does not translate as “to have to do with somebody” but as “to feel sorry for somebody” and implies you feel empathy for that person. Today’s phrase with “hem” is just an example of its usage, see the examples below for more. It’s quite common to emphasize with the word “echt”: I feel really sorry for him.

Note that the Dutch also use the word “sorry”, but then as an “excuse me” or a weak “I apologize”. Infamous is the “sorry hoor!” 🙂
(Photo: The Pug Father (flickr.com) – some rights reserved.)

Examples:
– “Simons vriendin heeft het uitgemaakt en nu zit hij in de put. Ik heb echt met hem te doen.” 
(“Simon’s girlfriend broke up with him and now he feels really down. I really feel sorry for him.” Lit.: “and now he sits in the pit/hole/well.)

– “Annelies had net een nieuw fietsje gekregen en toen werd het direct dezelfde dag gestolen! Ik had zo met haar te doen…” 
(“Annelies just got a new bicycle and then it got stolen the exact same day! I felt really sorry for her.” Note that the use of “fietsje” implies that Annelies is a child.)

– “Al die gestrande reizigers op het vliegveld… Je zou er maar 4 nachten moeten slapen; ik heb met ze te doen.” 
(“All those stranded travellers at the airport… Imagine having to spend 4 nights there; I feel sorry for them.” Literally “je zou” translates as “you should” but is also often used as in this example.)

– “Na al die jaren nog steeds geen promotie, het is een schande, ik heb met je te doen hoor!” 
(“After all these years still no promotion, it is a disgrace, believe me I feel sorry for you!”)

Related words:
– Medelijden: pity [noun] [het medelijden, <no plural>].
– Meeleven: to feel for, to empathize with [verb] [leefde mee, meegeleefd].

Example:
– “Wij hebben enorm met de slachtoffers meegeleefd.”
(“We really empathized with the victims.”)

As

Posted on by


1. ash, ashes Iconspeaker_3 Aswolk
[noun]

[de as, de as-sen]

The grayish-white to black powdery residue left when something
is burned, is called "as". "As" has no plural form, so both ash and ashes translate to "as".

Examples:
– "Pas op met die peuk, de as valt op de vloerbedekking." 
("Watch out with that cigarette, the ash is dropping on the carpet.")

– "De vulkaan in IJsland heeft een enorme wolk van as de dampkring ingestoten." 
("The Iceland volcano has thrust a huge cloud of ash into the atmosphere.")

Expressions:
–
"In de as leggen": (lit.: to lay in the ash) to reduce to ashes.

Related words:
– Peuk: smoke, fag, cig(arette) [noun] [de peuk, de peuken].
– Asbak: ash tray [noun] [de asbak, de asbakken].

Example:
– "Schat
heb je weer gerookt? Je ruikt naar asbak…"
("Baby have you been
smoking again? You smell like an ashtray…") 

– Assepoester: Cinderella [noun] [de Assepoester, de Assepoesters], see Extra.

Extra:
In Dutch, Cinderella is called Assepoester. She’s called "assepoester" because – forced by the wicked stepmother and her daughters – she’s had to do a lot of dirty shores, such as lighting the fireplace, which made her have a lot of ash stains on her face and clothes. "Poester" is probably derived from or a corruption of "poetsen": to clean. So literally "Assepoester" would be "ash cleaning woman"…


2. axis Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[de as, de as-sen]

An "as" is also an axis. In this case, "as" has a plural form: "assen".Xyas

Examples:
– "De as van het kwaad bestaat uit een aantal schurkenstaten." 
("The axis of evil consists of a number of rogue states.")

– "De aarde draait in 24 uur om zijn as." 
("The earth revolves on its axis in 24 hours.")

– "Tijd staat op de x-as, winst op de y-as." 
("Time is on the x-axis, profit on the y-axis.")

Related words:
– Spil: pivot [noun] [de spil, de spillen].


3. A flat Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[de as, de as-sen]

"As" is also a musical note or key. As

Examples:
– "Chopins wals in As Groot is niet erg makkelijk om te spelen." 
("Chopin’s waltz in A-flat major is not very easy to play.")

– "Chopin stond erom bekend dat hij veel stukken in as groot componeerde."
("Chopin was known for composing a lot of pieces in A-flat major.")

Expressions:
–
"Een gevoelig snaar raken": to touch (upon) a tender string, to strike a sensitive chord.

Example:
– "Heb je hem al gevraagd of hij wil trouwen?"
– "Nee, dat raakt een gevoelige snaar…"
("Have you already asked him if he wants to get
married?" – "No, that touches upon a tender string…") 

Related words:
– Toonladder: scale [noun] [de toonladder, de toonladders].
– Noot: note, key [noun] [de noot, de noten].
– La: <musical note> la [noun] [de la, de la’s].

Example:
– "Do – re – mi – fa – sol – la – si – do!"
("Do – re – mi – fa – sol
– la – ti – do!" Note that the "si" is not a typo!)