regret 
[noun]
[de spijt, <no plural>]

"Spijt" is the Dutch equivalent of "regret". It is often used in the construction "spijt hebben van iets", which literally translates to "to have regret over something", but which is commonly translated with "to regret something".

The related verb is "spijten": to regret. You may sometimes here the somewhat formal phrase: "Het spijt me", which literally translates to "It regrets me", but which is best translated with "I’m sorry". However, the Dutch mostly use "sorry" to express their regret over small everyday issues 🙂

Examples:
– "Ik heb geen spijt van mijn beslissing." 
("I don’t regret my decision.")

– "Zullen we nog een afzakkertje doen?" – "Het spijt me, ik ben blut…"
("Shall we have one for the road?" – "I’m sorry, I’m broke…")

– "Spijt…dat heb ik een paar keer gehad…" 
("Regrets…I’ve had a few…" Lit.: "Regret…I’ve had that a couple of times…")

– "Het spijt me voor je."
("I feel sorry for you.")

– "Waarom heb je de afwas nog niet gedaan?" – "Sorry schat, er was voetbal op TV…"
("Why haven’t you done the dishes yet?" – "Sorry honey, there was (a) soccer (match) on TV…")

Expressions:
– "Tot mijn/onze spijt": I/we regret to [+ verb]. Lit.: "To our regret".

Example:
– "Tot onze spijt moeten wij u mededelen dat de trein van half tien niet zal vertrekken vandaag." 
("We regret to inform you that the 9.30h train will not depart today.")

– "Spijt betuigen": to express one’s regrets.

Related words:
– Helaas: unfortunately [adverb].
– Jammer: too bad, (it’s a) pity [adverb].
– Berouw: remorse [noun] [het berouw, <no plural>].

Example:
– "Zondaar! Toon berouw over uw zonden, en gij zult vergeven worden!"
("Sinner! Show remorse over your sins, and thou shallt be forgiven")

border, limit
[noun]
[de grens, de gren-zen]

"Grens" means "border" or "limit". If you ever travel by public transport, you’ll hear it every time you cross from one zone into another (you pass the "zonegrens"). Within most countries in Europe, borders can be easily crossed without check-ups but you’ll still find the "grenspalen" ("border posts") and "grenskantoren" ("border offices") marking the border. "Grens" is also often used in a figurative sense.

Examples:
– "Op de grens tussen Nederland en België staan grenspalen." 
("On the border of The Netherlands and Belgium there are border posts." See a "border post" in the picture.)

– "Ik begrijp dat je iedereen wilt helpen, maar we moeten ergens een grens trekken." 
("I understand that you want to help everyone, but we have to draw a line somewhere.")

– "Ik heb alles geprobeerd met haar: praten, schelden, dreigen; nu is mijn grens bereikt!" 
("I’ve tried everything with her: talking, scolding, threatening; now I’ve had enough!" Lit.: "…now my limit has been reached.")

– "Het slachtoffer van het ongeluk balanceerde twee uur op de grens tussen leven en dood." 
("The victim of the accident balanced on the verge between life and death for two hours.)

Expressions:
– "Je grenzen opzoeken": to find out how far you can go.

Example:
– "Je kunt beter vanaf het begin duidelijk zijn wat mag en wat niet mag, want hij zoekt je grenzen op."
("You’d better be clear from the start what’s allowed and what’s not, because he will try to find out how far he can go with you.")

– "Geen grenzen hebben": to have no limits.

Example:
– "Zij werkt dag en nacht; haar ambitie kent geen grenzen."
("She works night and day; her ambition has no limits.")

– "Er zijn grenzen!": there are limits (and you’ve reached them now)!

– "Een woordje over de grens spreken": to speak other languages (bit old-fashioned).

Example:
– "Hij spreekt een aardig woordje over de grens."
("He speaks other languages.")

Related words:
– Zonegrens: zone limit [noun] [de zonegrens, de zonegrenzen].
– Grenspaal: border post [noun] [de grenspaal, de grenspalen].
– Grenswachter: border guard [noun] [de grenswachter, de grenswachters].
– Grenspaal: border post [noun] [de grenspaal, de grenspalen].

1. belt
[noun]
[de riem, de rie-men]

The most common use for "riem" is in combination with a pair of trousers. To clarify the use of a "riem", its ‘purpose’ is sometimes added, e.g. "broekriem": (lit.) pants belt, or "veiligheidsriem": safety belt.

Examples:
– "Die bruine riem past niet bij die zwarte broek." 
("That brown belt does not go well with those black trousers.")

– "Ik doe even mijn riem los, ik moet even uitbuiken…" 
("I’m just gonna loosen up my belt, I have to sit back and relax for a minute…")

– "Dames en heren, we tonen u nu het gebruik van de veiligheidsriem."
("Ladie and gentlemen, we will now show you the use of the safety belt.")

– "Het slachtoffer dat met een riem geslagen was, heeft tegen de dader aangifte gedaan van zware mishandeling." 
("The victim that had been slapped with a belt, has pressed charges against the perpetrator over severe molestation.")

Expressions:
– "Een hart onder de riem steken": to put new heart into a person.
– "(Een stoot) onder de gordel": (a punch) below the belt.

Related words:
– Band: band, belt, strip, ribbon, tire [noun] [de band, de banden].
– Gordel: girdle [noun] [de gordel, de gordel].

2. paddle
[noun]
[de riem, de rie-men]

Second translation of "riem" is in the context of rowing: "paddle". Synonymous to "riem" in this context is "peddel" (sounds like the English "paddle"…) or "roeispaan".

Examples:
– "De kredietcrisis komt behoorlijk hard aan." – "Ja, we moeten maar roeien met de riemen die we hebben." 
("The financial crisis is a quite a punch in the face." – "Yes, we’ll just have to make shift with what we have." )

Expressions:
– "Roeien met de riemen die je hebt": one must make shift with what one has.

Related words:
– Roeien: to row [verb] [roeide, geroeid].