Het zal je maar gebeuren!

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Imagine something like that happening to you!
[Dutch phrase of the week] Iconspeaker_klein_2

This sentence is used if someone wants to express his sympathy about an unfortunate and unexpected event happening to (usually a third) person. The literal translation of “Het zal je gebeuren” is “It will happen to you”; it’s the “maar” that gives this sentence the imaginative meaning: “Just imagine that that would happen to you”. The event that is referred to can range from an unimportant occurence to a grave accident or crime.

Examples:
– “Een week voor zijn vakantie ging de luchtvaartmaatschappij waar hij zijn ticket had geboekt, failliet. Het zal je maar gebeuren!”
(“One week before his vacation the flight company where he had booked his ticket went bankrupt. Imagine that happening to you!”)

– “Het zal je maar gebeuren dat iemand drugs in je drankje stopt!” Gebeuren
(“Imagine that someone would put drugs in your drink!”)

– “Toen zij haar vriend ten huwelijk vroeg, maakte hij het uit! Het zal je maar gebeuren!”
(“When she proposed to her boyfriend, he dumped her! Imagine that!”)

– “Het zal je maar gebeuren dat je wakker wordt en je boot op de punt van een rots vastzit!”
(“Just imagine that you wake up and your boat is stuck on the peak of a rock!”)

– “Toen ze de inbreker op heterdaad betrapte, heeft hij haar neergestoken. Het zal je maar gebeuren!”
(“When she caught the burgler red-handed, he stabbed her. Imagine something like that happening to you!”)

Ding

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thing [noun] [het ding, de dingen] Iconspeaker_klein_2

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

Examples:Thing
– “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…:-)

Zwerver

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tramp, vagabond, hobo, homeless person [noun] [de zwerver, de zwervers] Speaker_2

Zwerver
The word "zwerver" can also be translated with "drifter" or "wanderer", the associated verbs being "zwerven" or "rondzwerven" (see Related words). However, usually the meaning is more negative: "tramp" or "homeless person".

In the Netherlands we are not doing too badly in preventing people from becoming homeless. However, we do have our fair share of "zwervers" in the bigger cities. The situation seems to have improved in the last decade and one is not confronted with beggars as much as for example in the 80s.

Examples:
– "De zwerver probeerde wat geld te verdienen voor een slaapplaats door op straat liedjes te zingen."
("The tramp tried to make some money for a sleeping-place by singing songs on the street.") 

– "Ach moet je die zwerver zien, echt zielig…"
("My, look at that hobo, how sad/pitiful…")

– "Je hebt ook mensen die er voor kiezen om zwerver te zijn."
("There are people who choose to be homeless.")

– "In Italië lopen overal zwerfkatten."
("In Italy, stray cats are everywhere.") 

Related words:
– Zwerven: to wander, float, drift [verb] [zwierf, gezworven].
– Rondzwerven: to wander/roam about [verb] [zwierf rond, rondgezworven].

Examples:
– "Wie laat zijn kinderen nou zo laat op straat rondzwerven?"
("Who would let his children wander on the streets this late?")

– "We gaven de rondzwervende huisdieren wat eten en water."
("We gave the stray pets some food and water.")

– Bedelaar: beggar [noun] [de bedelaar, de bedelaars].
– Bedelen: to beg [verb] [bedelde, gebedeld].
– Dakloos: homeless [adjective]. Literally: "roofless".
– Dakloze: homeless person [noun] [de dakloze, daklozen].
– Verslaafd: addicted [adjective].
– Opvang: shelter [noun] [de opvang, no plural]. Usually this implies food and a bed.

Bierbuik

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beer belly [noun] [de bierbuik, de bierbuiken] Speaker

"Bierbuik" is the Dutch word for "beer belly". It’s definitely not a
nice thing to say that someone has a beer belly. "Buik" is used in many
other ways (see DWOTD "Buik") and the Dutch even use it as part of a verb (see "Extra").

Examples:
– "Als je zo doorgaat met bier drinken heb je op je 30e een bierbuik!"
("If you continue drinking beer like that you’ll have beer belly when you’re 30!" Note that in Dutch the word "beer" translates to "bear".) Buikje_2

– "Ondanks zijn bierbuik is het hem gelukt de marathon van New York uit te lopen!"
("Despite his beer belly, he managed to finish the New York marathon!")

– "Hij gaat elke week naar de sportschool om zijn bierbuik weg te krijgen, hij traint net zolang tot hij een wasbordje heeft."
("He goes to the gym every week to get rid of his beer belly, he will
train until he has six pack abs." Please note that "wasbordje"
literally means "washboard", the board that was used by your
grandmother to wash clothes on.)

Related words: 
– "Buikspreker": ventriloquist [noun] [de buikspreker, de buiksprekers].
– "Buikpijn": stomachache [noun] [de buikpijn, no plural].
– "Buikje": little belly [noun] [het buikje, de buikjes].
– "Uitbuiken": digest your food comfortably [verb] [uitbuikte, uitgebuikt].

Extra:
Buikje_3_3When you sit back and relax after a lavish dinner, this is called
"uitbuiken" in Dutch. Literally, it means something like "to stomach
out", or give your stomach 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 give their stomach some space.

Example:
– "Pff, ik heb zoveel gegeten, even uitbuiken!"
("Pff, I ate so much, let’s sit back and relax!")

Verreweg

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by far, far and away, easily [adverb] Iconspeaker_klein_2

"Verreweg" is composed of "ver" ("far") and "weg" ("way/road"). The additional "re" in the middle is basically glue, but comes natural to the Dutch speaker. Mind that without the "re" it would sound as "ver weg" which means "far away".

Examples:
-"Pieter van den Hoogenband is verreweg de meest succesvolle Nederlandse zwemmer."
("Pieter van den Hoogenband is easily the most successful Dutch swimmer." Read more about Pieter in the Extra below.)

– "Bea is verreweg het aardigste meisje dat je in de trein van Den Haag naar Amsterdam kan ontmoeten."
("Bea is by far / far and away the nicest girl who one can meet on the train from The Hague to Amsterdam.")

– "Ik was vroeger goed in alle vakken op school, maar ik vond wiskunde verreweg het leukste vak."
("I used to be proficient in all subjects at school, but mathematics was by far my favourite subject.")

Extra:
Pieter_van_den_hoogenband_2
Other than being very successful, Pieter van den Hoogenband is also a very popular sportsman. In fact he has almost become a BN’er (Bekende Nederlander) by now. Pieter van den Hoogenband officially retired from professional swimming after the Beijing Olympics where he was not as successful as he and the entire Dutch population had hoped.
He was world record holder on the 100m freestyle for 8 years, a record set in Sydney 2000. In the past 6 months this record was broken 12 times, attributed to the recent advances in swimming attire of which the more force-driven swimmers seem to take most advantage. Pieter van den Hoogenband however was never renowned for his strength, but more for his technique.

Reason for Pieter’s popularity outside the swimming pool is his genuine friendlinMaarten_van_der_weijdeness and down to earth, modest, mentality. A typical Pieter van den Hoogenband performance in this context is his reaction to his friend Maarten van der Weijden winning the 10km open water race during Beijing 2008. Check out this video of the last meters of Maarten’s winning race (first wait for the commercial to end). You will hear Pieter – a commentator during the race – screaming euphorically and then after the race you will see him hugging Maarten. The fragment is taken from yesterday’s talkshow "Holland Sport". If you are bored and your Dutch is good enough you can keep watching the show which is all about Pieter van den Hoogenband and Maarten van der Weijden. Another interesting note is the fact that Maarten van der Weijden recovered from leukaemia in 2001 and managed to return to professional swimming.