thing [noun] [het ding, de dingen] 

The use of “ding” in Dutch is almost identical as the use of “thing” English.

Examples:
– “Zie je dat rare ding? Wat is dat?”
(“Do you see that funny thing? What’s that?”)

– “Ik heb veel dingen gezien, maar dit slaat nergens op!”
(“I’ve seen many things, but this makes no sense at all!”)

– “Doe je ding!”
(“Do your thing!”)

– “Dat meisje is helemaal doorweekt.” – “Arm ding.”
(“That girl is completely soaked.” – “Poor thing.”)

Expressions:
– “Lekker ding”: hot little thing, (hot) babe.

Example:
– “Hee lekker ding, wil je met me dansen?”
(“Hey babe, do you wanna dance with me?”)

– “Het zijn de kleine dingen die het doen”: The difference is in the little things.
– “<verzuchtend:> Dat zijn van die dingen…”: <sighing:> These things…

Related words:
– “Zaak”: case, affair [noun] [de zaak, de zaken].
– “Dinges/Dingetje”: what’s his/her name? [Used when you can’t think of someone’s name, see this funny Dutch commercial)

Extra:
In early nineties Dutch artist “Dingetje” (lit.: little thing) scored a modest hit with the song “Kaplaarzen” (jackboots). The song is (supposed to be) funny, because the lyrics are pretty stupid (about the purchase of a pair of jackboots), whereas the music has a tough housebeat accompanying a moaning woman….ah well….the nineties…:-)

1. mess, rubbish, junk [noun] [de troep, no plural]

"Troep" is what you typically find in your attic: old junk. Quite a few synonyms exist for "troep" (see ‘Related words’). "Troep" is also used to describe a disorganised state of a room or place, or – by some people – of a hairdo: the so-called "Coupe troep" ("Messy haircut") 😉

Examples:
– "Zijn kamer is één grote troep omdat hij nooit opruimt."
("His room is one big mess bacuse he never tidies it".)

– "Heb je nog oude troep die ik op de rommelmarkt kan verkopen?"
("Do you have any old junk that I can sell on the rummage sale?")

– "Wat een troep! Halen ze het vuilnis niet op in dit land?"
("What a mess! Don’t they collect the garbage in this country.")

Related words: 
– Bende: mess [noun] [de bende, no plural].
– Rotzooi: junk [noun] [de rotzooi, no plural].
– Zooi: mess [noun] [de zooi, no plural]. Also the diminutive is very common: zooitje.
– Rommel: junk [noun] [de rommel, no plural].

2. troop, body of soldiers [noun] [de troep, de troepen]

"Troep" – more often used in the plural ‘troepen’ – also has a totally different meaning: a group of soldiers. Beside the more cheerful news on the Olympic Games, you’ll probably find this word in the headlines of this week’s newspapers.

Examples: 
– "<Voorpagina van NRC vanochtend:> ‘Russische troepen verlaten Gorï’."
("<Front page of NRC this morning:> ‘Russian troops leave Gori’.")

– "De VN pleiten de inzet van vredestroepen in deze regio."
("The UN pleads for the deployment of peace troops in this region.")

Related words: 
– Vredesmacht: peacekeeping force [noun] [de vredesmacht, de vredesmachten].
– Leger: army [noun] [het leger, de legers].

nervous, tense [adjective, adverb]

"Zenuwachtig" is related to the word "zenuw" which means "nerve" (the plural is "zenuwen" which can be translated with "nerves"). A synonym of "zenuwachtig" is "nerveus" which is closely related to the English "nervous".

Examples:
– "Hij bijt altijd op zijn nagels als hij zenuwachtig is."
("He always bites his nails when he is nervous".)

– "Doe niet zo zenuwachtig; je maakt me nerveus."
("Stop fidgeting; you’re making me nervous.")

Expressions:
– "Op iemands zenuwen werken": to grate under someone’s skin.

Example:
– "De huilende baby werkte me op mijn zenuwen."
("The crying baby got on my nerves.")

– "Op zijn van de zenuwen": to be a nervous wreck (please note that the emphasis is on "op").

Example:
– "De Miss Universe-kandidate was op van de zenuwen toen ze de vraag over klimaatverandering moest beantwoorden."
("De Miss Universe-candidate’s nerves were in tatters when she had to answer the question on climate change.")

– "Stalen zenuwen hebben": to have nerves of steel.

Related words: 
– Zenuwpees: fidget [noun] [de zenuwpees, de zenuwpezen].
– Nerveus: nervous [adjective].

1. to nod [verb] [knikte, geknikt] [‘knik-kun’]

“Knikken” is mostly used in the meaning ‘to nodd (in agreement)’, jaknikken (lit: ‘to nodd yes’). The related noun is “jaknikker” which can be translated as “yes-man” or “nodder”. Because of its appearance, pumpjacks or nodding donkeys (see picture below) are called “jaknikkers” in Dutch.

Examples:
– “Ze knikte ja maar volgens mij snapte ze er geen woord van.”
(“She nodded (in agreement), but I think she didn’t understand a word”. Lit: “She nodded yes but according to me she didn’t understand a word of it.”)

– “Jaknikkers kunnen we niet gebruiken in dit bedrijf; we zoeken mensen met lef!”
(“We don’t need nodders in this company; we are looking for people with guts!”)

– “De jaknikkers zagen er indrukwekkend uit in het lege landschap.”
(“The grasshoppers looked impressive in the empty landscape.”)

Related words: 
– “Jaknikker” [noun] [de jaknikker, de jaknikkers]: yes-man, nodder.
– “Jaknikker” [noun] [de jaknikker, de jaknikkers]: pumpjack, nodding donkey, grasshopper.
– “Knik” [noun] [de knik, de knikken]: nodd.

2. to twist, to fold, to bend [verb] [knikte, geknikt] [‘knik-kun’]

Another meaning of “knikken” is “to bend (sharply)”. In this context a “knik” is a “bend”, “kink” or “twist”. Besides “knikken” you will see the synonymous “knakken” more often, see the Examples.

Examples:
– “De bloemstelen waren geknakt door de regen.”
(“The flowers stalks were bent by the rain.”)

– “Met knikkende knieën stapte zij op hem af.”
(“She approached him with knocking knees.”)

Related words: 
– “Knakken”: to crack, to snap, to break.