Vogel

bird Iconspeaker_3
[noun]
[de vo-gel, de vo-gels]

Dutch wildlife is not too impressive. Here’s a list of our most common birds:
– Merel: blackbird [noun] [de merel, merels].
– Mus: sparrow [noun] [de mus, de mussen].Vogel
– Duif: pigeon [noun] [de duif, de duiven].
– Meeuw: seagull [noun] [de meeuw, de meeuwen].
– Ekster: magpie [noun] [de ekster, de eksters].
– Spreeuw: starling [noun] [de spreeuw, de spreeuwen].
– Eend: duck [noun] [de eend, de eenden].
– Kip: chicken [noun] [de kip, de kippen].

For the bird watchers among us: check out a more complete list at Wikipedia.

Examples:
– "Er vloog een vogel hoog in de lucht." 
("A bird flew high in the sky." Lit.: "There flew a bird…")

– "De struisvogel is geen inheemse vogel." 
("The ostrich is not a domestic bird.")

– "Ik vind de meeuwen op het strand zulke agressieve vogels." 
("I think the seagulls at the beach are such aggressive birds.")

Expressions:
– "Een vroege vogel": an early bird.
– "De vogel is gevlogen": the bird has flown, he/she’s gone/disappeared/escaped.
– "Een vreemde vogel": a strange fellow.

Example:
– "Ik vind Frank een vreemde vogel…hij heeft zo’n bleek blotebillengezicht…"
("I think Frank’s a strange fellow…he has such a pale pudding face…")

– "[…] in vogelvlucht": a bird’s-eye view of […].

Example:
– "Amsterdam in vogelvlucht."
("A bird’s-eye view of Amsterdam.")

– "Beter één vogel in de hand, dan tien in de lucht": a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Related words:
Vogelvrij: outlawed [adjective].
– Vogelpoep: bird poop [noun] [de vogelpoep, <no plural>].

Example:
– "He…er zit vogelpoep op mijn auto…bah"
("Hey..there’s bird poop on my car…yuck")

– Vliegen: to fly [verb] [vliegen, vloog, gevlogen].
– Vleugel: wing [noun] [de vleugel, de vleugels].
– Snavel: beak [noun] [de snavel, de snavels].
– Nest: nest [noun] [het nest, de nesten].

Extra:
One of the oldest written Dutch texts is known as "Hebban olla vogala", which are the first three words of the sentence "Hebban olla vogala nestas hagunnan hinase hi(c) (a)nda thu uuat unbidan uue nu", which
translates to "Hebben alle vogels nesten begonnen, behalve ik en jij. Waarop wachten we nu?" In English: "Have all birds started nests, except you and me. What are we waiting for now?"…

Een goed begin is het halve werk

well begun is half done Iconspeaker_3 Duim
[Dutch phrase of the week]

We’re back! And we’ll start off with a somewhat old-fashioned expression. But as they say: well begun is half done 🙂

Examples:
– "Ik heb de stofzuiger al klaar gezet." – "Uitstekend! Een goed begin is het halve werk!"
("I’ve already taken out the vacuum cleaner." – "Excellent! Well begun is half done!")

– "Marc, wees eens niet zo lui, een goed begin is het halve werk!" 
("Marc, don’t be lazy like that, well begun is half done!")

– "Even goed luisteren lui, een goed begin is het halve werk!" 
("Just listen up people, well begin is half done!")

Expressions:
– "Goed bezig!": nice job!.

Related words:
– Goed: good [adjective].
– Begin: beginning, start [noun] [het begin, <no plural>].

Example:
– "Dit is het begin van het einde…"
("The end is near…" Lit.: "This is the beginning of the end…")

– Half: half [adjective].
– Werk: work [noun] [het werk, de werken].

Te gek om los te lopen

too ridiculous/absurd for words  Iconspeaker_3
[Dutch phrase of the week]Tbs

Because it’s the DWOTD Summer Schedule, here’s a Dutch Phrase of the Week on Friday 🙂

"Te gek om los te lopen" literally translates to "too crazy to walk loose". You may also see the more literal equivalent "te gek voor woorden" or "te zot voor woorden".

Examples:
– "Gisteren is een vrouw op klaarlichte dag neergestoken. Dat is toch te gek om los te lopen??" 
("Yesterday, a woman was stabbed in broad daylight. That’s too absurd for words, isn’t it??" Note that "toch" is translated with "…, isn’t it??")

– "Frank heeft afgelopen maand met vier vrouwen tegelijkertijd gedate."  – "Dat is te gek om los te lopen!"
("Frank has dated four women at the same time last month." – "That’s too ridiculous for words!")

Expressions:
– "Te gek/zot voor woorden": too absurd for words.

Related words:
Gek/Zot: crazy [adjective].
– Lopen: to walk [verb] [liep, gelopen].
– Los: loose [adjective].
– Ontoerekeningsvatbaarheid: insanity defence [noun] [de ontoerekeningsvatbaarheid, <no plural>]. See Extra

Extra:
"Ontoerekeningsvatbaarheid" (tongue breaker alert 🙂 ) is a Dutch juridical term, which more or less translates to "insanity defence" in English. It means that when a person commits a crime which can be related to a mental disorder or illness, this person receives a declaration of insanity, which may lead to a less severe sentence, or no sentence at all. A person is then "ter beschikking gesteld aan de regering" (lit.: placed at the disposal of the government). This procedure is called "T.B.S." Someone who is subjected to T.B.S. is called a "T.B.S.-er". T.B.S.-ers are treated under coercion in a "T.B.S. kliniek" (a penitentiary clinic).

In 2008, the Dutch movie "TBS" was released, in which a T.B.S.-er, convicted for killing his own father and sister, escapes from a T.B.S. clinic and tracks down his mother in order to prove his innocence.

Lui

1. lazy, idle Iconspeaker_3
[adjective]Luiaard

“Lui” commonly translates to “lazy”.

Examples:
– “Frank is echt lui: hij haalt nooit koffie voor andere collega’s…” 
(“Frank is really lazy: he never gets coffee for other colleagues…”)

– “Er gaat niks boven een luie zondagmiddag!”
(“There’s nothing like a lazy Sunday afternoon!” Lit.: “There goes nothing above…”)

– “Ik ben zo lui vandaag, niet te filmen!”
(“I’m (feeling) so lazy today, unbelievable!”)

Expressions:
– “Een lui leventje”: easy living.
– “Een luie stoel”: an easy chair.
– “Hij is liever lui dan moe”: he was born tired.

Related words:
– Luiaard: 1. lazy-bones, lazy person [noun] [de luiaard, de luiaards]. 2. sloth [noun] [de luiaard, de luiaards].
– Luieren: to be lazy, to (be) idle [verb] [luierde, geluierd].

Example:
– “Wat ben je aan het doen?” – “Helemaal niks, ik ben lekker aan het luieren…”
(“What are you doing?” – “Absolutely nothing, I’m just being lazy…”)

– Loungen: to lounge [verb] [loungede, gelounged].

2. people, folk Iconspeaker_3
[noun]People
[<no singular>, de lui]

“Lui” has no specific singular form. Of course you can use the singular “mens” (human, person) or “persoon” (person).

Synonymous to “lui” is the more informal diminutive “luitjes” and the more formal “lieden”.

Examples:
– “Zeg, lui! Even opletten alsjeblieft!” 
(“Say, folks! Just pay attention for a moment, please!”)

– “De vrienden van Frank…altijd oppassen met die lui…”
(“Frank’s friends…you always have to be careful with those people…”)

– “Lieve luitjes…mag ik even jullie aandacht?”
(“Dear people, can I have your attention just now?”)

Related words:
– Luitjes: people, folks [noun] [<no singular>, de luitjes].
– Lieden: people, folks [noun] [<no singular>, de lieden].
– Mens: human (being) [noun] [de mens, de mensen].
– Mensen: people, humans [noun] [de mens, de mensen].
– Persoon: person [noun] [de persoon, de personen].

Even

1. just (for a moment) Iconspeaker_3
[adverb]

“Even” is used very regularly in Dutch in the meaning “just for a moment” or “just for a little while”. Even_3 When writing emails or texts on a cellphone, it’s often abbreviated to “effe” or “ff”. (The sign in the picture says: “ff pauze”, meaning: “[take a] little break”).

Examples:
– “Het is veel te lekker weer vandaag om binnen achter een scherm te zitten; ik ga even naar buiten.” 
(“The weather is far too good today to sit inside behind a screen; I’m just going outside (for a moment).”)

– “Waar is Linda?” – “Ze is even boodschappen doen”.
(“Where is Linda?” -“She just went out to do shopping.”)

– “Heb je even een kwartiertje voor me?” -“Liever later, ik ben net met iets bezig en dat gaat nog wel even duren.”
(“Can you spare me 15 minutes?” – “I prefer later, I’m just working on something that is going to take a little while”.)

– “Even geduld a.u.b., u wordt zo spoedig mogelijk geholpen.”
(“Please be patient, we will assist you as soon as possible”. Lit.: “[…] you will be helped as soon as possible.”)

Expressions:
– “Ho eens even”: wait a minute.

Example:
– “Ho eens even, als je mijn fiets wilt lenen moet je dat wel even vragen.”
(“Wait a minute, if you want to borrow my bike, you should ask.”)

Extra:
Dutch singer Gordon (who went to last year’s Eurovision Songfestival as one of the Toppers) had his biggest hit with “Kon ik maar even bij je zijn” (“If only I could be with you for just a while”).

2. even
[adjective/adverb]

The second meaning of “even” is “even” (not odd).

Examples:
– “Wat is je geluksgetal? Een even of een oneven getal?” 
(“What’s your lucky number? An even or uneven number?”)

Expressions:
– “Het is mij om het even”: It’s all the same to me, I don’t prefer one option over the other.

Related words:
– Oneven: odd, uneven [adjective/adverb].