Balen

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1. to be fed up (with), be sick (and tired / to death) (of), to be heavily disappointed [verb] [baalde, gebaald; 'baa-lun']

In this context, "balen" is often used in conjuction with the preposition "van".

Examples:
– "Dat is balen!"
("That's tough luck!")

– "Frank baalt al heel lang van zijn werk."
("Frank has been fed up with his job for a really long time.")

Related expression:
– "Balen als een stekker": to be really fed up with something / to be really disappointed / to be really pissed off. (Literally: "…like a plug.")

Example:
– "Marc baalde als een stekker omdat de file 16 kilometer lang was."
("Marc was really pissed off because the traffic jam was 16 kilometers long.")

2. bags, sacks, bales [noun] [plural of "baal"]

Example:
– "In juli liggen er altijd veel hooibalen in het veld."
("In July, there are always a lot of hay bags laying in the (country) field.")

Bui

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The word “bui” has appeared earlier in 21. Ui.

1. (rain) shower [noun] [de bui, de buien]

Examples:
– “De boeren zaten erg te wachten op een stevige bui.”
(“The farmers were waiting very much for good rain shower.”)

– “Het weer is vandaag wisselvallig met veel buien.”
(“The weather today is unstable/changeable with lots of showers.”)

Related words:
– “Regenbui”: rain shower.
– “Regen”: rain.

2. mood [noun] [de bui, de buien]

Examples:
– “Frank was in een slechte bui vanwege de hevige buien.”
(“Frank was in a bad mood because of the severe rain showers.”)

– “Heeft ze weer zo’n bui?”
(“Is she having a bad mood again?” Literally: “Is she having another one of those moods again?”)

Related word:
– “Stemming”: mood, atmosphere (lit.: tuning).

Rit

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Instead of "rit", its diminutive is often used in an informal context: "ritje".

ride, drive [noun] [de rit, de ritten]

Examples:
– "Wat een rit!"
("What a ride!")

– "Van Groningen naar Maastricht is een flinke rit."
("It’s quite a drive from Groningen to Maastricht." At least by Dutch standards 🙂 )

– "Hee schatje, heb je zin in een ritje?"
("Hey baby, wanna go for a ride?")

– "Waar is Frank? – Hij is een ritje aan het maken in zijn nieuwe auto."
("Where’s Frank?" He’s gone for a drive in his new car.")

– "De laatste busrit is om twaalf uur."
("The last bus leaves at twelve o’clock.")

Related words:
– "Rijden": to ride, to drive.
– "Reis": trip, journey.

Expression:
– "De rit uitzitten": to ride it out (literally: to sit out the ride).

Pech

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1. bad/hard/tough luck [noun] [de pech, <no plural>]

Examples:
– "Wat een pech, man!"
("That’s tough luck, man!")

– "Frank heeft altijd pech."
("Frank is always out of luck.")

2. breakdown, trouble [noun] [de pech, <no plural>]

Example:
– "Marc heeft vandaag pech met zijn auto: de ruitenwissers doen het niet meer."
("Marc has trouble with his car today: the windshield wipers don’t work anymore.")

– "Er stond een auto met pech op de vluchtstrook."
("There was a broken-down car on the (hard) shoulder.")

Related word:
– "Panne": break-down/failure (of a car)

Burger

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"Burger" appeared earlier in DWOTD 149. Arresteren.

1. citizen, civilian [noun] [de burger, de burgers; ‘bur-gur’]

Examples:
– "Burgers en militairen."
("Civilians and soldiers.")

– "Vandaag zijn bij een explosie in Bagdad 15 onschuldige burgers gedood."
("15 innocent citizens were killed in an explosion in Bagdad today.")

"Burger" can also be used in conjunction with another noun. This usually translates to an adjective-noun construction in English.

Example:
– "De politie patrouilleert in burgerkleding.")
("The police are patrolling in plain/civilian clothes.")

Expression:
– "Dat geeft de burger moed!": That’s heartening/encouraging! (Literally: "That gives courage to the citizen!")

2. burger [noun] [de burger, de burgers]

Example:
– "Welke burgers vind je het lekkerst? Die van de Mc Donald’s of die van de Burger King?"
("Which burgers do you like most? Those from Mc Donald’s or the ones from Burger King?")

Related words:
– "Burgemeester": mayor.