Category Archives: Vocabulary Basic

Vis

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Grammar: <vis> [noun] [de <vis> -en, s -> ss].

HaringTranslates to: fish.

Examples:
1. “Goudvis”: goldfish.

2. “Zwaardvis”: swordfish.

Expressions:
1. “Bakvis”: teenage girl.

2. “Achter het net vissen.”
(“To miss the boat.” Literally: “fish behind the net.”)

3. “Boter bij de vis.”
This expression is used to indicate you have to pay cash before the goods are handed over. Literally: “Butter with the fish.”

4. “Hij voelt zich als een vis in het water.”
(“He feels like a fish in water.”)

5. “De vis wordt duur betaald.”
(Literally: the fish is paid for dearly.”)
This is a classic Dutch saying used when you have to pay a lot for something that is not worth it. This saying became well-known when it was used in the Dutch play “Op hoop van zegen” (1900) by Herman Heijermans. In this play fishermen did not return to their village from their fishing trips. Hence the fish in the village was paid for dearly.

Extra:
Read about the play “Op hoop van zegen”, or watch the movie:
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op_hoop_van_zegen (in Dutch)

http://imdb.com/title/tt0091685/plotsummary

Kloppen

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to knock, to beat/pound, to be correct/in order [verb] [klopte, geklopt]

Deur met deurklopper“Kloppen” is a so-called homonym: a word that has more than one meaning. The Dutch language is (in)famous for its frequent use of homonyms, check out DWOTD “Aankomen“.

Examples:
1. “Toen de postbode zag dat er geen bel was, klopte hij drie maal op de deur.”
(“When the postman saw that there was no doorbell, he knocked on the door three times.”)

2. “Het decolleté van de aantrekkelijke projectmanager deed het hart van de jonge programmeur sneller kloppen.”
(“The attractive project manager’s cleavage made the young programmer’s heart beat faster.”)

3. “Toen de politieagent zag dat het slot van de deur geforceerd was, wist hij dat er iets niet klopte.”
(“When the police officer saw that the doorlock had been forced open, he knew that something was wrong).”

Expressions:
1. “Dat klopt als een bus!”.
(“That’s absolutely correct/right!”. Literally: “That knocks like a bus!”)

Also: “Dat klopt als een zwerende vinger!”
(Literally: “That pounds like a gathering finger!”)

–> It is very common to just say: “dat klopt!”

2. “Bij iemand aankloppen”.
(“To ask someone for help or advice”. Literally: “To knock at somebody’s”, where “door” is implied).

Related words:
1. “Afkloppen”.
(Literally: “to knock
down”). Translates to “to knock on wood”: the superstitious habit to
renounce bad luck by knocking on a wooden object.

2. “Schouderklopje”.
(Literally: “little pat on the shoulder”). Translates to “pat on the back”.

Example:
– “Iedereen vindt het prettig om af en toe een schouderklopje te krijgen.”
(“Everybody likes getting a pat on the back now and then.”)

Extra:
Two well known children songs frequently use the word “kloppen”:

1. “Daar wordt aan de deur geklopt.”
(“There is knocking at the door.”)
Read the lyrics and listen to the song here.

2. “Hoor, wie klopt daar kinderen?”
(“Hear, who is knocking there children?”)
Read the lyrics and listen to the song here.

Both songs are “Sinterklaasliedjes”. “Sinterklaas” is a direct competitor of Santa Claus, whom the Dutch refer to as the “Kerstman”. (Both originate from the same catholic saint though: Sint Nicolaas (“Saint Nicolas”)).

More info on “Sinterklaas”:
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas (English)
– http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas (Dutch)

Fronsen

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to frown, to scowl [verb] [fronsde, gefronst]

"Fronsen" is again one of those Dutch verbs that can only be used in conjunction with a specific body part, see also 30. Snuiten. The Dutch frown two parts of the body: 1. "de wenkbrauwen" ("the eyebrows") or 2. "het voorhoofd" ("the forehead").

The noun "frons" translates into "frown", the wrinkle on one’s forehead as a sign of being disgruntled or contemplating intensely.

Examples:
1. "Toen de formule niet bleek de kloppen, fronste de professor zijn wenkbrauwen."
("When the formula appeared not to be correct, the professor frowned (his eyebrows).")

2. "Van veel fronsen, krijg je rimpels in je voorhoofd."
("Frowning a lot causes wrinkels in your forehead."

Related words:
1. "Kraaiepootjes": translates to "crow’s feet".
These are the little wrinkles around the corners of the eyes caused by aging. Example:
"Een goede dagcrème voorkomt kraaiepootjes op vroege leeftijd".
("A good day cream prevents from having crow’s feet at an early age.")

2. "Wallen": translates to "bags (under one’s eyes)". Example:
"Het verdriet om zijn verloren liefde had grote wallen onder zijn ogen veroorzaakt".
("The sorrow for his lost love had caused great bags under his eyes.")

Aansteken

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to light, to infect/contaminate [verb] [aansteken, aangestoken]

Examples:

1. "Kun jij de kaarsen aansteken alstjeblieft?"

("Can you light the candles, please?" See also 32. Kaars)

2. "Door de wind kun je geen sigaret aansteken."

("Because of the wind, one cannot light a cigarette.")

3. "Op de kleuterschool steken kinderen elkaar vaak aan."

("In kindergarten children often contaminate each other." And obviously
not: "… light each other." 🙂 but it would not be an incorrect
translation.)

Related words:
– In the meaning of "to infect/contaminate" the word "aansteken" is only used when you talk about a cold or the flu. "Serious" illnesses require the use of the verb "besmetten". A "contagious disease" is a "besmettelijke ziekte".

– A lighter is called an "aansteker".

Example: "Mag ik je aansteker even lenen?"

("Can I borrow your lighter?")

Oud

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old [adjective]

Examples:
1. "Oude kaas": old cheese.
"Oude kaas" has a much sharper flavour than the standard "jonge kaas" (young cheese). Also its structure is crumblier. Types of cheese that are somewhere in-between are "jong belegen", "belegen" and "extra belegen".

2. "Oudejaarsavond": new year’s eve.
Literally this word translates to "old years eve", I guess it is just a different way of looking at it!

3. "Hoe oud ben jij?"
("How old are you?)

4. <saying> "Een oude bok lust nog wel een groen blaadje."
("An old goat still has taste for a green leave.")
This saying is used to describe the interest shown by old men in young women.

Dutch slang:
It is common in informal speech to replace the ‘d’ in ‘oude’ by a ‘w’: ‘ouwe’. Compare "ouwe snoeperd" in DWOTD 29. Snoep.
However, replacing ‘d’ by ‘w’ is only done with adjectives that have ‘oud’ at their core.

Another example is ‘koud’, which means ‘cold’. A person showing no emotions is sometimes called a ‘kouwe kikker’ ("a cold frog").