Een kind kan de was doen

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It’s as simple as that [Dutch phrase of the week] Iconspeaker_3

The literal translation of "Een kind kan de was doen" is "A child can do the laundry". This expression is often an addition to an instruction for an activity or action at hand. It stresses the fact that the action is childlishly simple. Eenkindkandewasdoen

Examples:
– "Je sluit de webcam aan op de laptop en de installatie gaat vanzelf! Een kind kan de was doen!" 
("You connect the webcam to the laptop and the installation is done automatically! It’s as simple as that!")

– "Ik stop de afwas in de afwasmachine en een uur later is alles schoon…een kind kan de was doen…" 
("I put the dishes in the dishwasher and after an hour everything is clean…it’s as simple as that…")

– "Het is nu ook mogelijk om on-line belastingaangifte te doen. Een kind kan de was doen."  – "Echt niet, ook on-line blijft het een vervelende klus."
("It’s possible now to do your tax report on-line. It’s as simple as that." – "Really no! Also on-line, it’s still an annoying job.")

Expressions:
– "Eitje": piece of cake.
– "Appeltje-eitje": a piece of cake. Lit.: little apple, little egg. An extended version the expression "eitje".
– "Een fluitje van een cent": a piece of cake. Lit.: a little whistle of a cent.
– "Een inkoppertje": a piece of cake.
– "Een peuleschil": a piece of cake. Lit.: a bean’s peel.

Example:
– "Deze kruiswoordpuzzel is echt geen peuleschil, level ‘Goeroe’ is in feite onbegonnen werk…"
("This crossword puzzle is really not a piece of cake, level "Guru" is in fact a hopeless task…")

– "Een koud kunstje": a piece of cake. Lit.: a cold little trick.
– "Een abc’tje": a piece of cake. Lit.: a little a-b-c.

Related words:
– Kind: child [noun] [het kind, de kinderen].
– Was: wash, washing, laundry [noun] [de was , <no plural>].
– Doen: to do [verb] [deed, gedaan].

Neus

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nose [noun] [de neus, de neu-zen] Iconspeaker_3

Neus
Not a very exciting word, however there are many (many many) expressions involving the "neus", see the Examples and Expressions below. The word "neus" is also often used to denote the point or tip of an object, see the Examples. And there is also the verb "neuzen": to browse, nose about/round.

Examples:
– "Pardon, ik moet even mijn neus snuiten." 
("Excuse me, I have to blow my nose.")

– "Ja dag! Dat ga ik jou niet aan je neus hangen!" 
("Yeah right! As if I would ever tell you about that! / That is none of your business!" Lit. "I am not going to hang that to your nose!")

– "Wat is er?" – "O niks, alleen een beetje een bloedneus." 
("What’s wrong?" – "Oh nothing, just a bit of a nosebleed." Lit. "blood nose.")

– "Ik heb slecht geslapen, de hele nacht een verstopte neus!" 
("I slept really badly, all night long a stuffy nose!")

– "Sorry dat ik te laat ben, de trein reed vlak voor mijn neus weg!" 
("My apologies for being late, I just missed the train!" Lit. "the train took off right in front of my nose".)

– "Draag je wel eens schoenen met stalen neuzen?" 
("Do you ever wear steel-capped shoes?")

– "Zie ik daar een scheur?" – "Waar?" – "Daar bij de neus van het vliegtuig…" 
("Is that a crack up there?" – "Where?" – "There, near the nose of the plane…")

– "Stop eens met in je neus te peuteren, dat is niet netjes!"
("Stop picking your nose, it’s not decent!")

Expressions:
– "Het neusje van de zalm": the cream of the crop, the crème de la crème.
– "Je neus in andermans zaken steken": to be nosy, to pry, to interfere with somebody else’s business.
– "Ergens een neus voor hebben": to have a good eye for something.
– "Iemand bij de neus hebben": to fool somebody.
– "Het komt mijn neus uit": I’m fed up (with it).
– "Doen alsof je neus bloedt": to pretend you are innocent / you don’t know what happened.
– "Een frisse neus halen": to get a breath of fresh air. Lit. "to get a fresh nose".
– "Met je neus kijken": to not look properly / to look for something with your eyes closed. Particularly applicable to men 😉
– "Je staat er met je neus bovenop": it’s right in front of you. Lit. "you are standing on it with your nose".
– "Iemand met zijn neus op de feiten drukken": to make someone face the facts. Lit. "to press somebody’s nose on the facts."
– "Iemand iets onder zijn neus wrijven": to rub someone’s nose in it, to accuse somebody of something.
– "Dat is een wassen neus": that is just for show / that is fake. A "wassen neus" is a "wax nose".

And then there are many more!

Related words:
– Reukorgaan: olfactory / nasal organ [noun] [het orgaan, de organen].
– Ruiken: to smell [verb] [rook, geroken].
– Snuiten: to blow one’s nose [verb] [snoot, gesnoten].
– Neuzen: to browse, nose around/about [verb] [neusde, geneusd]. You will also here "rondneuzen": to prowl / nose about.

Example:
– "Ik vind het heerlijk om rond te neuzen in tweedehands-platenwinkels."
("I really enjoy nosing around in second-hand record stores.")

Borrelpraat

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twaddle [noun] [bor-rel-praat] Iconspeaker_3

“Borrelpraat” is composed of “borrel” and “praat”. Traditionally,
“borrel” refers to a strong alcoholic drink, but it is also often used
to describe a drink with colleagues or friends to celebrate a certain
event (graduation, Christmas (the so-called “kerstborrel“),
or your birthday). “Praat” means “talk” or “story”. Hence, “borrelpraat”
refers to the conversations people have at a “borrel”. As you’ll all
understand, these conversations often lead nowhere but are very
enjoyable. The more alcohol is consumed, the more “borrelpraat” can be
heard.

Examples:
– “Luister maar niet naar die borrelpraat; als je nuchter bent is het niet te volgen.”
(“You’d better not listen to that twaddle; if you’re sober it’s impossible to follow.”)Borrel_2

– “Moeten jullie nog werken of kunnen we gaan borrelen om het weekend te vieren?” 
(“Do you still have work to do or can we go and have a drink to celebrate the weekend?”)

– “Kom eens met ons borrelen.”
(“Join us for a informal drink.”)

– “Je gelooft die roddels toch niet; het is gewoon borrelpraat.”
(“You don’t believe that gossip, do you; it’s just twaddle.”)

Related words:
– Borrel: drink, informal reception [noun] [de borrel, de borrels].
– Borrelen: drink and talk [verb] [borrelde, geborreld].
– Praat: talk [noun] [no singular, de praat].

Kapot

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broken, cracked, torn, gone to pieces, out of order [adjective] [ka-pot] Iconspeaker_3

"Kapot" is used as a qualification for a general dysfunctional state. This goes for both objects and persons, physically as well as mentally. "Kapot" can be used in conjunction with a various number of verbs, which will lead to various translations, but all will somehow refer to a dysfunctional state.

You will hear the synonymous "stuk" a lot as well.Kapotte_lamp

Examples:
– "De lamp is kapot." 
("The lamp is broken.")

– "Mam, ik heb de vaas laten vallen, en nu is hij stuk…" 
("Mum, I’ve dropped the vase, and now it’s gone to pieces…")

– "Laat me een keer slapen, want ik ga kapot." 
("Let me sleep just one time, because I’m going to pieces." Line from a song by famous Dutch 80s band Doe Maar)

Expressions:
– "Zich kapot lachen": to laugh one’s ass off.
– "Zich kapot schrikken": to be scared to death.

Example:
– "Frank ziet er slecht uit…ik heb me kapot geschrokken…"
("Frank is looking awful…I was scared to death (by it)…")

– "Zich kapot werken": to work oneself to death.
– "Ergens kapot van zijn": <positive> to be (really) impressed by something, to (really) love something.

Example:
– "Wat vind je van de nieuwe CD van Duffy?" – "Ik ben er helemaal kapot van!"
("What do you think of Duffy’s new CD?" – "I really love it!)

– "Ergens kapot van zijn": <negative> to be dreadfully cut up by something.

Example:
– "Hoe lang is het al uit?" – "Zes maanden, maar ik ben er nog steeds kapot van."
("It’s been how long since the breakup?" – "Six months, but I’m still heart-broken.")

Related words:
– Stuk: broken [adjective].
– Uitgeput: exhausted [adjective].