Category Archives: Vocabulary Intermediate

Zo slap als een vaatdoek

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very weak/feeble, like a wet rag, as weak as water
[Dutch phrase of the week]
[zo slap als een vaat-doek] 

I have been ill for the past few days, but in order to keep your Dutch going, I’m quickly posting this week’s phrase ‘(ik voel me) zo slap als een vaatdoek’. A ‘vaatdoek’ is a dishcloth, the one you (may) use to clean the kitchen sink and top, and ‘slap’ means ‘weak/feeble’ or ‘soft, limp’. So you can guess how I feel. An alternative phrase is ‘zo slap als een dweil’ which we have covered in DWOTD Dweil.

Examples:
– “Jongen, ik moet het kort houden, ik voel me zo slap als een vaatdoek.” 
(“I have to be a bit brief mate/buddy, I feel like a wet rag.”)

– “Sander hoe gaat het nu?” – “Gelukkig beter, maar ik voel me nog zo slap als een vaatdoek, dus ik doe het even rustig aan.” 
(“Hey Sander, so how are things now?” – “Luckily things have improved, but I still feel as weak as water, so I’m taking things easy for now.” Lit. “Luckily better, …”)

Related words:
– Vaatdoek: dishcloth [noun] [de vaatdoek, de vaatdoeken].
– Vaat: washing-up, dishes [de vaat]. Synonym for ‘afwas‘.
– Dweil: rag, mop, floorcloth [noun] [de dweil, de dweilen].
– Slap: weak/feeble, limp, soft [adjective/adverb].
– Ziek: ill, sick [adjective].
– Verkouden: used with auxiliary verb ‘zijn’ this translates as ‘to have a cold’.
– Verkoudheid: (common) cold [noun] [de verkoudheid].

Bereid

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willing/prepared, ready(-made)
[adjective]
[be-reid] 

The adjective ‘bereid’ is derived from the verb ‘bereiden’: to prepare/cook, to get ready. However even though it is grammatically correct to translate ‘ik ben bereid’ as ‘I am (/have been) cooked’, in this construct ‘bereid’ typically takes on the meaning of ‘being prepared or willing’.

Examples:
– “Ik ben altijd bereid om een vraag van Marsha te beantwoorden…” 
(“I’m always willing to answer a question from Marsha…”)

– “Ik twijfel er geen moment aan dat deze kannibalen bereid zijn om ons te bereiden.” 
(“There is no doubt in my mind that these cannibals are willing to cook us (/turn us into a meal).” Lit. “I doubt not a moment…”)

– “De vraag is of je bereid bent dat te doen….” – “Ok. Als ik eerlijk ben, denk ik niet dat ik daartoe bereid ben.” 
(“The question is whether you are prepared to do that…” – “Ok. Honestly speaking, I don’t think I’m prepared to do that.” Note the use of ‘daartoe’.)

– “Ben je bereid om voor het werk vaak te reizen?” 
(“Are you willing to travel frequently for work?”)

– “Ik ben tot alles bereid om ervoor te zorgen dat jij je goed voelt!” 
(“I am prepared to do anything to ensure that you are happy.” Lit. “that you feel good.”)

– “Mijn collega heeft zich bereid verklaard om voor mij in te vallen, mocht dat nodig zijn.” 
(“My colleague has declared himself willing to stand in for me, in case that will be necessary.”)

– “Goede vrienden zijn altijd bereid elkaar te helpen, toch?” 
(“Good friends are always willing to help each other, right?”)

– “Ik eet liever een vers bereide maaltijd dan een kant-en-klaarmaaltijd. Maar ja, iemand moet hem bereiden!” 
(“I’d rather eat a freshly made meal than a ready-made (microwave) meal. But the thing is, someone needs to prepare it!” In general ‘kant-en-klaar’ means ‘ready-made’ or ‘ready for use’, e.g. ‘een kant-en-klare oplossing’: a solution ready for (immediate) use.)

Related words:
– Klaarmaken: to prepare/cook, to get ready [verb] [maakte klaar, klaargemaakt].
– Bereiden: to prepare/cook [verb] [bereidde, bereid].
– Hulpvaardig: helpful, willing to help [adjective].

– “De mensen zijn hier over het algemeen heel hulpvaardig.”
(“In general the people here are very helpful.”)

Haarfijn

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as fine as hair, minute, subtle /  in great detail
[adjective/adverb]
[haar-fijn] 

‘Haarfijn’ can be used as an adjective or an adverb. Literally it translates as ‘as fine as hair’ and you use it when something is very detailed or minute. As an adverb it is commonly used in the phrases ‘iets haarfijn uitleggen’ (to explain something in great detail) or ‘iets haarfijn weten’ (to know something inside out).

The dictionary told me that the emphasis is on the last syllable ‘fijn’, however it is my experience that people usually say ‘haar-fijn’.

Examples:
– “Een haarfijn scheurtje in de romp van een spaceshuttle kan desastreuze gevolgen hebben.” 
(“A minute crack in the fuselage of a space shuttle can have devastating consequences.”)

– “Hij staat erom bekend dat hij de dingen haarfijn uit kan leggen.” 
(“He is known for his ability to explain something in great detail.“)

– “Vraag het maar aan opa, die weet dat haarfijn.” 
(“Go and ask grandpa, he knows that inside out.”)

– “De restauratie van het schilderij heeft haarfijne details blootgelegd.” 
(“The restoration of the painting has exposed minute details.”)

– “Leen anders mijn camera, daar kun je haarfijne foto’s mee maken!” 
(“Why don’t you borrow my camera, it shoots highly detailed pictures!”)

Related words:
– Haar: hair [noun] [de haar, de haren].
– Fijn: fine, subtle, delicate [adjective].
– Gedetailleerd: detailed [adjective/adverb].
– Detail: detail [noun] [het detail, de details].

Het was (weer) lachen, gieren, brullen

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we really had a good laugh (again), it was a real scream (again)
[Dutch phrase of the week]
[het was weer la-chen, gie-ren, brul-len] 

‘Lachen’ translates as ‘to laugh’ and ‘gieren’ and ‘brullen’ used to be synonyms for ‘lachen’, however ‘gieren’ nowadays is better translated as ‘to shriek/scream’ and ‘brullen’ as ‘to roar’. This week’s phrase can be used to say that an experience was a lot of fun. It can also be used ironically, perhaps preceding it with ‘nou’ and adding a ‘hoor’ at the end 🙂

You may also use different tenses and variants, e.g. ‘Het is altijd/weer lachen, gieren, brullen’.

Examples:
– “Ben jij een fan van Mr. Bean?” – “Ja man, elke keer als ik naar hem kijk op tv is het weer lachen, gieren, brullen!” 
(“Are you a fan of Mr. Bean?” – “For sure, every time I watch him on TV it’s a real scream again.”)

– “Lachen, gieren, brullen hoor! Als jullie met mij de spot willen drijven dan ga ik wel naar huis, doei!” 
(“Are we having a good laugh again?? If you want to poke fun at me I’ll just go home, bye!”)

– “Ik ben naar Hans Teeuwen geweest in de Heineken Music Hall.” – “En, hoe was het?” – “Het was weer lachen, gieren, brullen!” 
(“I went to see Hans Teeuwen in the Heineken Music Hall.” – “How was it?” – “I had a really good laugh again!”)

Expressions:
– “Lachen als een boer met kiespijn”: literally ‘to laugh like a farmer who has toothache’ this says that one is laughing sourly.

Related words:
– Schateren: to roar with laughter [verb] [schaterde, geschaterd]. Birds can also ‘schateren’: to chatter.
– Schaterlachen: synonym for ‘schateren’ [verb] [schaterlachte, geschaterlacht].

Jennen

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to tease, pester, badger, annoy
[verb]
[jen-nen, jen-de, ge-jend] 

The alphabetical overview tells me that we have not covered many words starting with ‘J’. So, to improve the situation, today’s word is ‘jennen’. The verb ‘jennen’ in general is less serious than ‘pesten’ which can take the meaning of ‘to bully’. Also, ‘jennen’ is used when you are teasing somebody with the objective to annoy, as opposed to ‘pesten’ which you can also use to tease somebody about say a physical characteristic. A synonym of ‘jennen’ is ‘plagen’ however I have the feeling that the ‘annoyance factor’ is bigger for ‘jennen’.

Examples:
– “Waarom hebben ze de linkerrijstrook afgesloten? Er is niets aan de hand! Het is gewoon om ons te jennen zeg ik je!” 
(“Why did they close off the left lane? There is no reason at all! They do it merely to annoy us I say!”)

– “Hou op met je zus te jennen en help je moeder met de afwas!” 
(“Stop badgering your sister and help your mother wash up / do the dishes.”)

– “Het kind van de buren is zo irritant, het zit constant te jennen en kan niet normaal met anderen spelen.” 
(“The neighbour’s child is so annoying, it’s constantly teasing and is unable to play with others.”)

Related words:
– Plagen: to pester, annoy, torment, bully [verb] [plaagde, geplaagd].
– Treiteren: to torment, provoke [verb] [treiterde, getreiterd].

Example:
– “Ze hebben die arme man net zo lang getreiterd totdat hij is verhuisd.”
(“They have kept tormenting that poor man until he moved.”)

– Pesten: to pester, badger [verb] [pestte, gepest].
– Lastigvallen: to bother, harass [verb] [viel lastig, lastiggevallen].