to sit back and relax (after dinner) [verb] [buikte uit, uitgebuikt]

"Uitbuiken" is composed of "uit" and "buiken", from "buik", which respectively translate to "out" and "belly". Here the noun "buik" has been transformed into a (non-existent) verb by adding "-en" to it to create the infinitive form.

"Uitbuiken" is used informally, and was earlier described in DWOTD "Bierbuik". As said then, "uitbuiken" is what you do after a lavish dinner: sit back and relax to (literally) "stomach out", or give your stomach or belly some room. Typically, people who are in the event of "uitbuiken" will stretch their legs and lean backwards on the couch or a chair to provide their stomach with the necessary space to stimulate the digestion process 🙂

Examples:
– "Na het eten moet ik altijd even uitbuiken." 
("After dinner I always have to sit back and relax.")

– "Altijd als we het eten bij een afhaalchinees bestellen, moet ik daarna echt uitbuiken." 
("Always when we order food at a take-away Chinese, I really have to sit back and relax afterwards.")

– "Heb jij net die joekel van een taart in je eentje opgegeten?" – "Ja, ik denk dat ik heel even moet uitbuiken…" 
("Did you just eat that giant cake all by yourself?" – "Yes, I think I need to sit back and relax for just a tiny bit now…")

Expressions:
– "Het eten laten zakken": to let one’s food go down.

Example:
– "Liefie, het toetje was erg lekker. Ik ga even uitbuiken." – "Ja, ik ga ook even het eten laten zakken."
("Sweetie, dessert was very good. I’m gonna just sit back and relax now." – "Yes, I’m gonna let my food go down too.")

– "Smakelijk eten": bon appetit.

Related words:
– Natafelen: to linger at the dinner table [verb] [tafelde na, nagetafeld].

Example:
– "Met kerst kan onze familie altijd erg lang natafelen met franse kaas en rode wijn."
("During Christmas our family can always linger at the dinner table for a long time with French cheese and red wine.")

– Ontbijt: breakfast [noun] [het ontbijt, de ontbijten].
– Bierbuik: beer belly [noun] [de bierbuik, de bierbuiken].

marble [noun] [de knikker, de knikkers]

Unless you are still a child (that doesn’t like computer games) you will probably not shoot or play marbles anymore. There are however a few good expressions with "knikker" or the verb "knikkeren", see below.

Mind the pronunciation: in ‘kn’ the ‘k’ is always pronounced.

 Examples:
– "Ik ben gisteren bijna gevallen omdat er een knikker op de vloer lag in de keuken."
("Yesterday I almost fell because there was a marble on the floor in the kitchen.")

– "Knikkers? Nee volgens mij verkopen we die niet, is dat de naam van een Nintendo-spel?"
("Marbles? No I don’t think we sell those, is that the name of a Nintendo game?")

– "De namen die kinderen aan knikkers geven, verschillen per regio."
("The names that children give to marbles differ per region.”)

Expressions:
– "Er is stront aan de knikker": we’re in trouble, there is trouble, the shit hits the fan etc. Lit.: "there is shit/crap on the marble", but my guess is that "knikker" might have a different meaning here.
– "Zo kaal als een knikker": literally "as bald as a marble", this says you are really bald.
– "Het gaat om het spel, niet om de knikkers": it’s not winning that counts, but taking part. Lit.: "It’s about the game, not about the marbles." There are several variations to this expression.
– "Ik heb nog met hem geknikkerd": I know him from when we were young, lit.: "I used to play marbles with him".
– "Iemand eruit knikkeren": to chuck somebody out. Usually out of a group activity, a team, job position etc.

Example:
– "Na de slechte prestatie van het afgelopen jaar is de manager eruit geknikkerd."
("Due to the bad performance of the past year the manager was chucked out.")

Related words:
– Knikkeren: to play/shoot marbles [verb] [knikkerde, geknikkerd].
– Knikkerspel: game of marbles [noun] [het spel, de spelen].
– Potje: game [noun] [het potje, de potjes]. Also "pot", this is an informal synonym for "spel".

Example:
– "Zullen we nog een potje knikkeren?"
("Shall we play another game of marbles?")

– Knikkerzak: marbles pouch/bag [noun] [de zak, de zakken].

attempt, effort, try [noun] [de poging, de pogingen]

"Poging" is related to the verb "pogen", which is quite formal, which "poging" isn’t. Instead of "pogen" you’ll see "proberen", which translates to "to try". However, "proberen" doesn’t have a directly related noun, well… that would be "poging" then 🙂

"Poging" is often used in combination with the verb "wagen": "een poging wagen", which literally translates to "to wager/bet/risk an attempt", hence "to give it a try" or plain "to attempt/try".

In court, you’ll encounter the expression "poging tot [subject]" – literally translating to "attempt at […]", but which is commonly translated with "attempted […]", as in "attempted murder": "poging tot moord".

Examples:
– "Dit is al haar derde poging om haar rijbewijs te halen." 
("This is already her third attempt to get her driver’s license.")

– "En daar gaat-ie! Eerste poging voor de 2 meter 10 centimeter…" 
("And off he goes! First attempt at 2 meter and 10 centimeters." Note that in Dutch "centimeter" stays singular..)

– "De verdachte wordt beschuldigd van poging tot moord." 
("The suspect is charged with attempted murder.")

– "Marc, kun jij vandaag een DWOTD schrijven."  – "Ik heb eigenlijk geen tijd, maar ik zal een poging wagen…"
("Marc, can you write a DWOTD today?" – Actually, I don’t have time, but I’ll give it a try…")

Expressions:
– "Wie niet waagt, die niet wint": nothing ventured, nothing gained, fortune favours the bold. Lit.: Who doesn’t risk/bet, doesn’t win.

Related words:
– Proberen: to try [verb] [probeerde, geprobeerd].
– Pogen: to attempt [verb] [poogde, gepoogd].
– Probeersel: try-out [noun] [het probeersel, de probeersels].

Example:
– "Wat is dit voor presentatie?? Zeker één van Frank’s gekke probeersels…"
("What kind of presentation is this?? Must be one of Frank’s funny try-outs…")

to be on fire, to burn [verb] [fikte, gefikt]

"Fikken" is the informal synonym for "branden" ("to burn") in its translation of "to be on fire". Both "brand" and "fik" mean "fire" (as in "a fire"), but again "fik" would be informal. The noun for the phenomenon "fire" is "vuur". A related verb is "affikken": to burn down/out. They say that Dutch and German are similar, but in this case it is far from true (inside joke for our German readers).

There are a few expressions with the noun "fik" and not the verb, but I have included them below anyway.

Examples:
– "Zo, dat fikt goed!" 
("My, that burns well!")

– "Marcs auto is gisteren bijna afgefikt." 
("Marc’s car almost burnt down yesterday.")

– "De ene houtsoort fikt beter dan de andere." 
("The one type of wood burns better than the other.")

Expressions:
– "De fik erin!": burn it (down)!
– "Een fikkie stoken": to start a controlled fire, to set something on fire. This is not your arsonist type of fire but usually kids setting a few things (twigs, garbage etc.) on fire.

Example:
– "Laten we een fikkie gaan stoken!" – "Nee man, dat is veel te gevaarlijk!"
("Let’s set something on fire!" – "No man, that is way too dangerous!")

– "In de fik staan": to be on fire. Usually for things, not persons. The formal alternative is "in brand staan".

Related words:
– Branden: [verb] [brandde, gebrand].
– Brand/fik: fire [noun] [de brand/fik, de branden/fikken].
– Vuur: fire [noun] [het vuur, de vuren].
– Lucifer: match [noun] [de lucifer, de lucifers]. You can also use "Lucifer" for Lucifer the devil.
– Afbranden/fikken: to burn down/out [verb] [brandde/fikte af, afgebrand/fikt].

The word "sportief" is used in three common translations. The link with the noun "sport" is obvious.

1. sporty, sports [adverb/adjective]

Here "sportief" is used to describe appearance or character.

Examples:
– "Ik heb afgelopen zaterdag een proefrit gemaakt in een Toyota Prius, maar ik denk dat ik toch voor een sportievere auto ga." 
("I test-drove the Toyota Prius last Saturday, but I think that I prefer / will go for a more sporty car.")

– "Leuk jasje heb je aan, sportief hoor!" 
("Nice jacket! Sporty/casual!")

Related word:
– Sport: sport [noun] [de sport, de sporten]. Also used in the translation of "sports" (the category).

2. sports-loving, fond of sports [adverb/adjective]

Here you can use "sportief" to say that somebody likes to sport or exercise, or that the person is in fact quite fit.

Examples:
– "Madelon gaat een paar keer per week fitnessen. Ze is best wel sportief!" 
("Madelon goes to fitness training a few times a week. She likes to exercise / she is quite fit!")

3. sportsmanlike, sporting [adverb/adjective]

The expression "sportief zijn" is commonly used in the context of
this translation. It translates as "to be a good sport (about
something)". Along the same lines you can also say "dat is (niet) sportief (van jou)" (something like "that’s (not) sportsmanlike (of you)").

Examples:
– "Marc is heel sportief, want hij geeft doorgaans direct zijn fouten toe." 
("Marc is a good sport, because he usually admits his mistakes straight away.")

– "Het gedrag van de supporters was niet bepaald sportief te noemen…" 
("The behaviour of the supporters wasn’t quite sportsmanlike…" Lit. : "… couldn’t really be called sporting".)

– "Ik zal dit keer de rekening betalen." – "Tof, dat is sportief van je." 
("I will pick up / pay the bill this time." – "Cool. You are being a good sport.")

Expression:
– "Iets sportief opvatten": to take something well/with grace.

Related word:
– Eerlijk: fair [adjective/adverb].