bald, bare [adjective] [kaal]

"Kaal" can refer to a landscape without trees, a head without hair, a room without furniture, a piece of worn out fabric or a bare wall. Check out this DWOTD for an example of an expression referring to the meaning "bald".

Examples:
– "Wat een kaal, kleurloos landschap, er is geen boom of grassprietje te zien."
("What a bare, colourless landscape, there’s not even one tree or tiny blade of grass.")

– "Als je in het leger gaat, scheren ze je hoofd kaal." 
("If you join the army, they’ll shave your head.")

– "Val jij op kale mannen of mannen met een flinke haardos?"
("Do you fancy bald men or men with a head of hair?")

– "Veel kale vrouwen dragen een pruik." 
("Many bald women wear wigs.")

– "Ik ben net verhuisd dus mijn nieuwe appartement ziet er nog wat kaal uit."
("I’ve just moved so my new apartment still looks a bit empty.")

– "Ik ga een grote spiegel aan die kale muur hangen."
("I’m going to put up a large mirror on that bare wall.")

– "Je kunt die jas echt niet meer aan, hij is helemaal kaal op de ellebogen."
("You really cannot wear that coat anymore, it’s all bare on the elbows.")

Related words:
– Kaalheid: baldness [noun] [de kaalheid, <no plural>].
– Kalend: getting bald [adjective].
– Haardos: hair of head [noun] [de haardos, de haardossen].
– Pruik: wig [noun] [de pruik, de pruiken].

nose [noun] [de neus, de neu-zen]

Not a very exciting word, however there are many (many many) expressions involving the "neus", see the Examples and Expressions below. The word "neus" is also often used to denote the point or tip of an object, see the Examples. And there is also the verb "neuzen": to browse, nose about/round.

Examples:
– "Pardon, ik moet even mijn neus snuiten." 
("Excuse me, I have to blow my nose.")

– "Ja dag! Dat ga ik jou niet aan je neus hangen!" 
("Yeah right! As if I would ever tell you about that! / That is none of your business!" Lit. "I am not going to hang that to your nose!")

– "Wat is er?" – "O niks, alleen een beetje een bloedneus." 
("What’s wrong?" – "Oh nothing, just a bit of a nosebleed." Lit. "blood nose.")

– "Ik heb slecht geslapen, de hele nacht een verstopte neus!" 
("I slept really badly, all night long a stuffy nose!")

– "Sorry dat ik te laat ben, de trein reed vlak voor mijn neus weg!" 
("My apologies for being late, I just missed the train!" Lit. "the train took off right in front of my nose".)

– "Draag je wel eens schoenen met stalen neuzen?" 
("Do you ever wear steel-capped shoes?")

– "Zie ik daar een scheur?" – "Waar?" – "Daar bij de neus van het vliegtuig…" 
("Is that a crack up there?" – "Where?" – "There, near the nose of the plane…")

– "Stop eens met in je neus te peuteren, dat is niet netjes!"
("Stop picking your nose, it’s not decent!")

Expressions:
– "Het neusje van de zalm": the cream of the crop, the crème de la crème.
– "Je neus in andermans zaken steken": to be nosy, to pry, to interfere with somebody else’s business.
– "Ergens een neus voor hebben": to have a good eye for something.
– "Iemand bij de neus hebben": to fool somebody.
– "Het komt mijn neus uit": I’m fed up (with it).
– "Doen alsof je neus bloedt": to pretend you are innocent / you don’t know what happened.
– "Een frisse neus halen": to get a breath of fresh air. Lit. "to get a fresh nose".
– "Met je neus kijken": to not look properly / to look for something with your eyes closed. Particularly applicable to men 😉
– "Je staat er met je neus bovenop": it’s right in front of you. Lit. "you are standing on it with your nose".
– "Iemand met zijn neus op de feiten drukken": to make someone face the facts. Lit. "to press somebody’s nose on the facts."
– "Iemand iets onder zijn neus wrijven": to rub someone’s nose in it, to accuse somebody of something.
– "Dat is een wassen neus": that is just for show / that is fake. A "wassen neus" is a "wax nose".

And then there are many more!

Related words:
– Reukorgaan: olfactory / nasal organ [noun] [het orgaan, de organen].
– Ruiken: to smell [verb] [rook, geroken].
– Snuiten: to blow one’s nose [verb] [snoot, gesnoten].
– Neuzen: to browse, nose around/about [verb] [neusde, geneusd]. You will also here "rondneuzen": to prowl / nose about.

Example:
– "Ik vind het heerlijk om rond te neuzen in tweedehands-platenwinkels."
("I really enjoy nosing around in second-hand record stores.")

broken, cracked, torn, gone to pieces, out of order [adjective] [ka-pot]

"Kapot" is used as a qualification for a general dysfunctional state. This goes for both objects and persons, physically as well as mentally. "Kapot" can be used in conjunction with a various number of verbs, which will lead to various translations, but all will somehow refer to a dysfunctional state.

You will hear the synonymous "stuk" a lot as well.

Examples:
– "De lamp is kapot." 
("The lamp is broken.")

– "Mam, ik heb de vaas laten vallen, en nu is hij stuk…" 
("Mum, I’ve dropped the vase, and now it’s gone to pieces…")

– "Laat me een keer slapen, want ik ga kapot." 
("Let me sleep just one time, because I’m going to pieces." Line from a song by famous Dutch 80s band Doe Maar)

Expressions:
– "Zich kapot lachen": to laugh one’s ass off.
– "Zich kapot schrikken": to be scared to death.

Example:
– "Frank ziet er slecht uit…ik heb me kapot geschrokken…"
("Frank is looking awful…I was scared to death (by it)…")

– "Zich kapot werken": to work oneself to death.
– "Ergens kapot van zijn": <positive> to be (really) impressed by something, to (really) love something.

Example:
– "Wat vind je van de nieuwe CD van Duffy?" – "Ik ben er helemaal kapot van!"
("What do you think of Duffy’s new CD?" – "I really love it!)

– "Ergens kapot van zijn": <negative> to be dreadfully cut up by something.

Example:
– "Hoe lang is het al uit?" – "Zes maanden, maar ik ben er nog steeds kapot van."
("It’s been how long since the breakup?" – "Six months, but I’m still heart-broken.")

Related words:
– Stuk: broken [adjective].
– Uitgeput: exhausted [adjective].

scoundrel, rascal, villain [noun] [de boef, de boe-ven]

Another word for “boef” is “schurk”. The word “boef” however can also take on the meaning of “lawbreaker”. In both translations it is a bit of an old-fashioned word but there is an expression you should know about (see below). Also, the diminutive “boefje” can be used for naughty, mischievous children.

Examples:
– “De Disneyfiguur “Black Pete” heet in het Nederlands “Boris Boef”.” 
(“The Disney character “Black Pete” is called “Boris Boef” in Dutch.”)

– “Ik vraag me af wat er later van het buurjongetje terecht zal komen; hij is nu al een echt boefje.”
(“I wonder what will later become of the boy next-door; he is already quite a scamp.”)

Expressions:
– “Ga (toch) boeven vangen!”: literally “go catch lawbreakers/thieves/etc.”, this expression can be used by people who are fined by the police for a (in their opinion) trivial violation of the law, and who feel that the police should focus on the real bad guys. The ministry of Justice is now actively asking the general public for help with finding wanted criminals on the web site www.boevenvangen.nl .

Related words:
– Schurk: scoundrel, villain [noun] [de schurk, de schurken]. See also DWOTD Schurkenstaat.
– Politie: police [noun] [de politie, <no plural>].