Category Archives: Vocabulary Basic

Beer

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bear [noun] [de beer, de beren]

Not to be confused with "bier", which means "beer" (in English). To distinguish between the pronunciation of the Dutch words "beer" and "bier" is often found difficult by non-Dutch.

Example:
– "De beer vangt een zalm in de rivier."
("The bear catches a salmon in the river.")

Expressions:
1. "Beresterk": strong as a lion/ox (literally: strong as a bear).

2. "Een ongelikte beer": a rude guy (literally: an unlicked bear).

3. "Hij is een beer van een vent, zeg!"
("Say, he’s really a strong big guy!" Literally: "He’s really one bear of a guy!")

4. "Frank ziet altijd veel beren op de weg."
("Frank always sees a lot of obstacles on the way ahead / Frank always has a pessimistic view on things." Literally: "Frank always sees a lot of bears on the road").

5. "Je moet de huid niet verkopen voordat de beer geschoten is."
One should not promise something if one doesn’t have control over it yet or if it’s not at one’s disposal yet. (Literally: "You should not sell the hide before the bear has been shot.")

Related words:
1. "Teddybeer": teddy bear.
2. "IJsbeer" : polar bear, see also DWOTD IJsbeer.

Das

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Grammar: <das> [noun] [de das, de dassen].

Translates to: tie, scarf, badger.

In the meaning of tie you will also see the word "stropdas" of which "das" is the more common short version.

A long time ago I went into a tie shop and asked for a black tie ("zwarte das"). The shop assistant replied that he had no ties. This was of course confusing. It turned out that my adolescent left-wing look made him think my request for a "das" was not for a "tie" but for a "scarf" 🙂

Examples:
1. "Deze das past niet bij dit overhemd."
("This tie does not match this shirt.")

2. "Vlinderdas": bow tie (literally: butterfly tie).

Expressions:
1. "Jasje dasje".
Informal way to say that a jacket ("jas") and tie are required.

Example:
"Spijkerbroek of jasje dasje?"
("Jeans or jacket and tie?")

2. "Iemand de das omdoen."
("To finish someone." Literally: "to put a tie around someone’s neck" where "neck" is implied. However, there might be a connection with the meaning of the word "strop", see ‘Related words’.)

Example:
"Het wisselvallige weer deed hem de das om."
("The unstable weather finished him." In this context this implies that he fell ill.)

Related words:
1. "Knoop": (tie) knot.
2. "Strop": hangman’s rope, noose.

Extra:
Learn how to tie a tie at http://www.tie-a-tie.net .

Hamer

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Grammar: <hamer> [noun] [de hamer, de hamers].

Translates to: hammer.

Examples:
1. "Hamerhaai": hammerhead shark.

2. "Hameren": to hammer.

3. "Hamerstuk": a proposal on which the decision is a formality (literally: hammer piece/document).
This word comes from the world of meetings in which the chairman uses his hammer to close the decision making on a topic.

Expressions:
1."Afhameren": to deal with / decide quickly (literally: to hammer off). See "hamerstuk" above.

2. "Ergens op blijven hameren."
("To keep harping on something." Literally: "to keep hammering on something.")

Example:
"Frank bleef erop hameren dat iedereen zijn uren moet schrijven."
("Frank kept harping on how everyone must book his hours.")

3. "De man met de hamer tegenkomen."
This expression is used when one is about to collapse due to exhaustion during a sports activity. (Literally: "To run into / encounter the man with the hammer.")

Example:
"Na 35 kilometer kwam de marathonloper de man met de hamer tegen."
("After 35 kilometres the marathon runner was about to collapse.")

Related word:
"Spijker": nail.

Extra:
Learn more about the hammerhead shark at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammerhead_shark

Wekker

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alarm clock [noun] [de wekker, de wekkers]

"Wekker" is the noun that goes with the verb "wekken" (see ‘Related words’).

Examples:
1. "Wekkerradio": radio alarm (clock).

2. "Hoe laat heb je de wekker gezet?"
("For what time did you set the alarm?")

3. "Ik heb de wekker op 7 uur gezet."
("I have set the alarm for 7 o’clock.")

Related words:
1. "Wekken": to wake somebody up.
Example: "Je moet je vader om 6 uur wekken."
("You have to wake up your father at 6 o’clock.")

2. "Wakker": awake.

3. "Wakker worden": to wake up.

Raket

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rocket, missile [noun] [de raket, de raketten]

Examples:
1. "De raket wordt om half negen gelanceerd."
("The rocket will be launched at half past 8.")

2. "De lancering ging niet door, want de raket had gebreken."
("The launch was cancelled because the rocket had some defects.")

3. "De regering erkent het gevaar van een raketaanval."
("The government acknowledges the danger of a missile attack.")

Extra:
Raketje"Raket" is also the name of a traditional and still very popular popsicle/ice lolly, which to no surprise looks like a rocket. It was introduced in 1962 by a company called "Ola" (www.ola.nl) and an estimated 30 million "raketjes" are consumed yearly in the Netherlands (source Wikipedia).

Example:
"Een raketje alstublieft!"
("A raketje please!")