Category Archives: Vocabulary Basic

Kaars

Posted on by

candle [noun] [de kaars, de kaarsen]

Examples:
1. "De aangestoken kaarsen gaven het kerstdiner een romantische sfeer."
("The lit candles gave the christmas dinner a romantic touch/atmosphere.")

2. "Met slechts een kaars, doolde de prinses door het donkere kasteel."
("With only a candle, the princess wandered through the dark castle."

Expressions:
1. "Kaarsrecht": "Straight as an arrow" (literally: "candlestraight").

Example:
"De lasergestuurde raket vloog kaarsrecht op zijn doel af."
("The laser-guided missile headed (in a very) straight (line) for its target.")

2. "Zo iemand moet je met een kaarsje zoeken".
("You can count people like that on the fingers of one hand." Literally: "You have to look for a person like him/her with a little candle.")

3. "(Voor iemand) een kaarsje opsteken."
("To light a little candle (for somebody)." (for good luck/fate) )

Related words:
1. "Kandelaar": translates to "candlestick/candleholder/candlestand".
2. "Theelichtje" or "waxinelichtje": translates to "nightlight": a very small candle, often in an aluminum cup/holder.
3. "Doven": translates to "to extinguish / to put out".

Extra:
In the old days, "theelichtjes" were mostly used to keep the tea warm. A "theelichtje" was placed into some kind of supporting frame with the tea pot on top, hence "theelichtje": "little tealight".

Fiets

Posted on by

bicycle, bike [noun] [de fiets, de fietsen]

The "fiets" is a very common means of transportation in the Netherlands. Most children learn how to bike at a very young age.

You can turn "fiets" into a verb by adding -en. The verb "fietsen" translates to "to bike","to cycle" or "ride a bike".

Examples:
1. "Geen fietsen tegen het raam plaatsen, a.u.b."
("No bike parking against the window, please.")

2. "Naar het werk fietsen is gezond."
("Biking to work is healthy.")

Expressions:
1. "Ga (toch) fietsen!"
(<grumpy:> "Go away!" Literally: "Go bike (won’t you)!."

2. "Wat heb ik nu aan mijn fiets hangen?"
(<suprised:> "Hey, what’s all this?" Literally: "What’s hanging on my bike now?")

3. "Ah, op die fiets!"
(<comprehendingly:> "Aha, it’s like that!" Literally: "Ah, on that bike!")

4. "Op een ouwe fiets moet je het leren."
(Literally: "One has to learn it on an old bike." This expression has a slight sexual connotation and is used to justify a young man dating an older woman.)

Related words:
1. "Mountain bike": translates to "mountain bike" 🙂
2. "Wielrennen": translates to "(bi)cycle racing" (literally: "wheelrunning"), like the Tour de France.
3. "Rijwielhandel": old fashioned Dutch word for "bikeshop", literally: "ridewheel trade".

Extra:
A popular and typical Dutch type of bike is the socalled "omafiets" or "opoefiets" ("granny’s bike"). An "oma" or "opoe" is a "granny", not to be confused with "opa", which means "grandfather".
It is an old-fashioned women’s model, with a bent second tube between the (relatively high and wide positioned) handlebars and the pedals. It usually does not have gears and has a backpedal brake. Although it is a women’s model, it is used by men and women.
More info on the "omafiets" can be found on http://www.omafiets.nl

Snuiten

Posted on by

to blow one’s nose [verb] [snoot, gesnoten]

"Snuiten" is one of those Dutch verbs that can only be used in conjunction with a specific body part, in this case: the nose.

The noun "snuit" translates into "snout", an animal’s protruding nose-mouth combination. In case of birds, the word "snavel" is used: "bill" or "beak". (Parts of) Animals are often used in Dutch expressions to emphasize a human feature or characteristic, see also ‘Expressions’.

Examples:
1. "Als mijn collega z’n neus snuit, hoor je dat in de kamer ernaast."
("When my colleague blows his nose, it can be heard in the adjacent room.")

2. "Met z’n lange gevoelige snuit gaat de miereneter op zoek naar mieren." ("With his long sensitive snout, the ant-eater goes out to search for ants."

Expressions:
1. "Hou je snuit!"
("Shut up!". Literally: "Shut your snout!")

2. "Hou je snavel!"
("Shut up!" Literally: "Shut your bill/beak!")

3. "Hij is een rare snuiter!"
("He is a strange guy / weirdo!" Literally: "He is a strange noseblower!")

4. Equivalent to 3. : "Hij is een vreemde vogel!" (Literally: "He is a strange bird!")

5. "De nieuwe manager is echt een hippe vogel!"
("The new manager is really a fashionable/hip dude!" Literally: "The new manager is a really hip bird!")

Related words:
1. "Zakdoek": handkerchief (literally "sack cloth").
2. "(Papieren) zakdoekje": translates to "little paper handkerchief", not to be confused with "tissue", which translates to "tissue" :-), see ‘Extra’.

Extra:
What a "papieren zakdoekje" and a "tissue" have in common is that they both can be used for blowing one’s nose. The difference though between them is that "papieren zakdoekjes" are bought in a tightly folded thin plastic rectangular wrapper. This is called a "pakje zakdoekjes", usually sold in a multi-pack.
"Tissues" come in cardboard boxes, out of which they are pulled, unfolded, ready to use. "Papieren zakdoekjes" first need to be unfolded before use.
"Tissue" boxes are commonly placed in a room to be used by more than one person, e.g. in a psychiatrist’s office. A "pakje zakdoekjes" is more for personal use.

Snoep

Posted on by

candy, sweets [noun] [het snoep]

The word "snoep" is used for candy in general. When talking about a piece of candy, use the diminutive "snoepje".

Sometimes a young attractive woman might be called a "snoepje" by men, but that is a bit derogatory (like "eye candy").

You can turn "snoep" into a verb by adding -en. The verb "snoepen" translates to "eating candy".

Examples:
1. "Kinderen houden van snoep."
("Children/kids like candy.")

2. "Te veel snoepen is slecht voor je gebit."
("Eating too much candy is bad for your teeth." See 24. Tandpasta.)

Dutch slang: "ouwe snoeperd".
An "ouwe snoeperd" is an older man (near ‘elderly’ old) clearly checking out very young girls. "Snoeperd" is derived from "snoeper": one who eats candy.

Example:
"<verbaasd:> Moet je die ouwe snoeperd eens zien!"
(<amazed:> "Take a look at that ouwe snoeperd!")

Extra:
A well-known shop in the Netherlands to buy candy is ‘Jamin’. Find the store nearest to you in the Netherlands at:
www.jamin.nl/winkels.html

Blad

Posted on by

leaf, sheet, tray, magazine, newspaper [noun] [het blad, de bladen/bladeren; diminutive: blaadje]

In the meaning of ‘leaf’, the plural form ends in ‘-eren’ (just like the plural form of ‘ei’, see 22. Ei.
In all other meanings the plural ends in ‘-en’.

"Bladeren" is also a verb, meaning "to thumb, to leaf", e.g. "door een
boek bladeren" ("to thumb/leaf through a book").

In general the noun ‘blad’ is associated with flat shapes.

Examples:
1. "De veelheid aan kleuren van de bladeren in de herfst is prachtig!"
("In autumn, the multitude of coloured leaves is beautiful!")

2. "Bladmuziek": sheet music.

3. "Dienblad": (serving) tray.

4. "Ik ben op drie bladen geabonneerd."
("I am subscribed to three magazines.")

5. "Vandaag schrijven alle bladen over de uitslag van de verkiezingen."
("Today, all newspapers write about the election’s outcome.")

6. "Tafelblad": tabletop.

Expressions:
1. "Een blaadje bier": tray of beer.
"Na de wedstrijd nam de trainer voor de spelers een blaadje bier mee de kleedkamer in."
("After the match, the coach brought the players a tray of beer in the changing room.")

2. "Hij neemt geen blad voor de mond".
Translates to: "He really speaks out".