someone, anyone [indefinite pronoun]

You’ll come across "iemand" meaning "someone" or "anyone" very frequently in the Dutch language. It is also very often used in personal interviews when the interviewee describes himself (please see "Extra"). Related to "iemand" is "niemand", which means "nobody" or "no one".

Examples:
– "Ik heb het iemand horen zeggen, maar ik weet niet meer wie." 
("I heard someone say this, but I can’t remember who.")

– "Ik dacht dat er iemand aanbelde, maar toen ik de deur opendeed, zag ik niemand." 
("I thought that someone rang the doorbell, but when I opened the door, I didn’t see anyone." Lit.: "…, I saw no one".)

– "Ik zoek een klusjesman, weet je iemand?" 
("I’m looking for a handyman, do you know anyone?")

– "Ik heb ook geen zin om de badkamer te poetsen, maar iemand moet het doen!" 
("I don’t feel like cleaning the bathroom either, but someone has to do it!")

– "Ken jij iemand die zijn geld bij Icesave heeft gezet?" 
("Do you know anyone who put his money on the Icesave bank?")

Expressions:
– "Iemand zijn": to be someone (special, important).

Example:
– "Sinds hij een BN’er is geworden, denkt hij echt dat hij iemand is."
("Since he has become a Dutch celebrity, he really thinks he’s very important.")

Example:
– "Kijk uit wat je zegt, hij is niet zomaar iemand."
("Mind your words, he’s not just anybody.")

Extra:
In interviews, people often start their sentence with "ik ben iemand die…" which means "I am someone who…" followed by features of their character.

Example:
– "<Interviewer:> – Wat voor persoon ben je? <Geïnterviewde:> Ik ben iemand die niet makkelijk opgeeft."
("<Interviewer:> – What type of person are you? <Interviewee:> I am someone who does not give up easily.")

Related words:
– Niemand: nobody, no one [indefinite pronoun].

nonsense [noun] [de onzin, no plural]

"Onzin" means "nonsense". A synonym very much related to the English translation is "nonsens". The composition of "on-zin" is similar to the English "non-sense". "On" preceding a word usually reverses the meaning of that word. "Zin" can be translated as "sense" but can also be used in many different meanings, such as "phrase", "mood", "mind" or "liking". The adjective/adverb that is related to "onzin" is "onzinnig", which can be translated as "senseless, inept".

Examples:
– "Je praat onzin, houd alsjeblieft je mond." 
("You’re talking nonsense, please shut up!")

– "Wat een onzin dat je dat examen niet zou kunnen halen! Natuurlijk kun je het!" 
("What a nonsense that you wouldn’t be able to pass that exam! Of course you can do it!")

– "Het is nonsens dat Nederland niets van de kredietcrisis merkt." 
("It is nonsense that the Netherlands isn’t affected by the credit crisis." Lit.: "It is nonsense that the Netherlands notices nothing of the credit crisis.")

– "Wat een onzinnig gesprek, dit is zonde van de tijd." 
("What a senseless conversation, this is a waste of a time.")

– "<Plaatje:> In de herfst komen ze binnen; Zin en onzin over spinnen."  ("<Picture:> They enter [your house] in the autumn; Sense and nonsense about spiders.")

– "Ik heb zin om het weekend lekker lang uit te slapen." 
("I feel like sleeping long this weekend.")

– "Sorry, ik heb echt geen zin om uit te gaan." 
("Sorry, I really don’t feel like going out.")

– "Heb je slechte zin? " 
("Are you in a bad mood?" Lit.: "Do you have a bad mood?")

Expressions:
– "Klinkklare onzin": outright nonsense.

Example:
– "<Krantenkop:>Transfergeruchten Boulahrouz klinkklare onzin."
("<Newspaper headline:> Transferrumours Boulahrouz blatant nonsense.")

Related words:
– Zin: phrase [noun] [de zin, de zinnen].
– Zin: mood, liking [noun] [de zin, no plural].
– Zin: sense [noun] [de zin, de zinnen].
– Zinnig: sensible [adjective/adverb].
– Onzinnig: senseless, absurd [adjective/adverb].
– Nonsens: nonsense [noun] [de nonsens, no plural].

nice, funny, amusing, entertaining [adjective]

"Leuk" is used a lot in the Dutch language. It is generally used to positively qualify a situation, person or object. The combination "leuk vinden" (lit.: to find nice/funny) is commonly translated with "to like".

When it comes to liking a person, there are various adverbs to add certain subtleties, e.g.:
– "wel leuk": quite nice.

– "gewoon leuk": just nice.
– "echt leuk" really nice.
– "erg leuk": very/really nice.
– "leuk leuk": nice as in ‘really nice’.
– "heel erg leuk": really really nice.
The latter four imply a certain degree of being in love…

Examples:
– "Leuk horloge! Nieuw?" 
("Nice watch! New?")

– "Ik heb ‘Kung-Fu Panda’ gezien tijdens mijn vlucht van Amsterdam naar Lima. Erg leuk!" 
("I saw ‘Kung-Fu Panda’ during my flight from Amsterdam to Lima. Very funny!")

– "Hoe vond je het feest?" – "Het was uitermate leuk, dankjewel!"
("What did you think of the party" – "It was extremely entertaining, thank you!)

– "Vanochtend is de hele uitlaat van mijn auto eraf gevallen!" – "Ai, dat is niet leuk, Marc…"
("This morning the entire exhaust of my car fell off!" – "Ouch, that’s not funny, Marc…")

– "Suzanne is een leuke meid, niet?" – "Ja, ik vind haar wel leuk" – "Leuk leuk?" – "Nee, gewoon leuk…"
("Suzanne is a nice girl, isn’t she?" – "Yes, I quite like her." – "Like as in ‘really like’?" – "No, I just like her…")

Expressions:
– "Leuk is anders": <ironic> That’s is not very nice. Lit.: Nice is different.

Example:
– "Mijn aandelen zijn vandaag met meer dan 50 procent gedaald." – "Leuk is anders…"
("My shares have dropped more than 50 percent today." – "That’s not very nice…")

– "Het is leuk geweest": Enough is enough. Lit.: It’s been nice.

Example:
– "Zullen we nog een afzakkertje nemen?" – "Nee ik ga naar huis, het is leuk geweest."
("Shall we have one for the road?" – "No, I’m going home, enough is enough…")

– "Leuk hoor": <ironic> really nice.
– "Jij bent zeker de leukste thuis.": <ironic reply> You really think that you are funny, don’t you? Lit.: You must be the funniest (person) at home.

Related words:
– Vermakelijk: entertaining [adjective].
– Tof: great, cool [adjective].
– Gaaf: awesome, great [adjective].
– Prachtig: beautiful [adjective].

beautiful, gorgeous, splendid, exquisite [adjective, adverb] 

"Prachtig" means "beautiful" and can apply to almost everything:
people, an event or experience, feelings, and things (but not, for
instance, to food which is " lekker" or "heerlijk").
Please note that "mooi" also means beautiful. "Prachtig" however is
even better than mooi and has no comparative or superlative.

Examples:
-"Wat een prachtige zonsondergang!" 
("What a beautiful sunset!")

-"Ik heb prachtige schoenen gekocht bij Massimo Dutti!" 
("I bought beautiful shoes at Massimo Dutti.")

– "Heb je ooit zo’n prachtige vrouw gezien? Ik ben tot over mijn oren verliefd op haar!" 
("Have you ever seen such a beautiful woman? I’m head over heels in love with her!")

– "Uitverkoop? Nederlanders vinden het prachtig! Kijk maar naar de ‘Drie Dwaze Dagen’ in de Bijenkorf…die zijn vandaag weer begonnen…" 
("Bargain
sale? The Dutch just love it! Just take a look at the ‘Drie Dwaze
Dagen’ at Bijenkorf…they’ve started again today…")

– "Ik vind Rio de Janeiro een prachtige stad."  – "Vind je? Ik vind Buenos Aires mooier." 
("I find Rio de Janeiro a beautiful city." – "Do you think so? I think Buenos Aires is more beautiful.")

– "Ik zag ‘Adam’ van Barnett Newman laatst in het Tate museum; wat een prachtig schilderij!" 
("I saw ‘Adam’ by Barnett Newman in the Tate museum the other day; what an exquisite painting!")

– "Zie ik er mooi uit?" – "Je ziet er prachtig uit!" 
("Do I look beautiful?" – "You look gorgeous")

– "Wat vond u van de dansvoorstelling?" – "Prachtig, prachtig! Ik heb nog nooit zo’n prachtige choreografie gezien!"
("What did you think of the ballet performance?" – "Marvellous, marvellous!! I’ve never seen such a magnificent choreography")

Related words:
– Mooi: beautiful [adjective, adverb] [comparative: mooier, superlative: mooist].

in a while/moment, soon, later [adverb]

You will often hear "straks" in the expression "tot straks": see you soon/later/in a while. There are subtle differences between "tot ziens", "tot straks", "tot zo" etc. and these can be difficult to grasp at first. See the Extra for an explanation. Don’t mistake "straks" for "strak" which means "tight".

An informal variation of straks is "strakjes" or (even more informal): "strakkies".

Examples:
– "En nu je troep opruimen!" – "Jahaa, straks…" – "Nee, niet straks, nu!!" 
("And now you are going to clean up your mess!" – "Yeah yeah, in a while…" – "No, not in a while, now!!")

– "We gaan straks in de stad koffie drinken. Heb je zin om mee te gaan?" 
("We are going downtown to drink coffee in a while. Do you feel like coming along?")

– "Ik denk dat het straks gaat regenen, dus ik neem alvast mijn paraplu mee."
("I think it will rain later, so I will bring my umbrella just now.")

Related words:
– Dadelijk: like "straks" but usually a little ‘sooner than’ "straks" [adverb]. You will also hear "dalijk".
– Zo: in a bit, in a short while [adverb].

Example:
– "Ik ga zo naar huis, kan ik je nog ergens mee helpen?"
("I’m going home in a bit, is there something I can help you with before I go?" Here the "nog" is translated with "before I go".)

Extra:
If you plan on meeting somebody the same day and it will not be too long from the moment of departing, you can say "tot straks". If you know it will be a different part of the day (as in afternoon, evening etc.) you can be more specific by saying "tot vanavond/vanmiddag" etc. If you know you are going to see eachother again really soon (as in within a few minutes) you can say "tot zo". If you want to express the (polite) wish to meet again, you can say "tot ziens", this is also the normal polite way to say goodbye.

You might also hear "tot dadelijk" (somewhere inbetween "zo" and "straks"), "tot zometeen" (same as "tot zo"), "tot binnenkort" ("see you soon" when you know you will meet again soon), "tot snel" (same as "binnenkort" but can also be used to express the wish of meeting soon again), and finally "tot gauw" (like "tot snel"). But probably this list is not complete! 🙂