Dutch Belgium

een ezel stoot zich geen tweemaal aan dezelfde steen

Proverb USED On Occasion BY Some People

literally it means "A donkey does not bump into the same stone twice" which means you don't make the same mistake twice. However if you say "Even a donkey does not bump into the same stone twice" it means you are not very bright.

“Het was dezelfde vraag op je examen als vorige keer en je hebt weeral fout geantwoord? Zelfs een ezel stoot zich niet twee keer aan dezelfde steen.”

“You got the same question as last time on your exam and you answered wrong again? Even a donkey doesn't bump into the same stone twice.”

Dutch Netherlands

nu komt de aap uit de mouw

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Everybody

(now the monkey comes out of the sleeve) • When everything suddenly makes sense. The truth comes out. The cat is out of the bag. Someone's true nature becomes clear.

Caleb wil geld van zijn vader. Hij gaat bij zijn vader op bezoek. Zijn vader vindt dat heel gezellig. Dan vraagt Caleb om geld. Zijn vader zegt: “Nu komt de aap uit de mouw! Je kwam niet voor de gezelligheid, je komt alleen omdat je geld wil.”

Caleb wants money from his father. He visits his father. His father really enjoys the company. Then Caleb asks his father for money. His father says: "Now the monkey comes out of the sleeve! You didn't come here to keep me company, you just came here because you wanted money."

Dutch Netherlands

appeltje-eitje

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everybody

(little apple - little egg) • When something's really easy, it is 'appeltje eitje'!

"Was het examen moeilijk?" "Nee, het was appeltje-eitje! Ik was heel snel klaar."

"Was the exam difficult?" "No, it was little apple - little egg! I was done really quick."

Dutch Netherlands

AVG

Name USED On Occasion BY Students

A standard Dutch meal of potatoes (aardappelen), meat (vlees) and vegetables (groenten).

"Wil je wat van mijn pasta?" "Nee gast, ik ga vanavond een AVG'tje doen."

"Do you want some of my pasta?" "No dude, I am going to do a little AVG tonight."

Dutch Netherlands

restaurant de Gouden Bogen

Name USED On Occasion BY students

(n.) • (restaurant the Golden Bows) • McDonalds.

"Gaan we na het afpilsen nog naar restaurant de Gouden Bogen?"

"After the last beer, are we going to the restaurant the Golden Bows?"

Dutch Netherlands

natte tosti

Slang USED On Occasion BY Students

(n.) • (wet grilled cheese sandwich) • Slick frat boy who uses a lot of hair gel.

"Zie je die corpsbal met dat haar? Wat een natte tosti!"

"Do you see that frat boy with that haircut? What a wet grilled cheese sandwich!"

Dutch Netherlands

iets in het contract fietsen

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY business people

(to cycle something in the contract) • To add something to a contract during negotiations.

"Het aantal vakantiedagen moeten we nog wel in het contract fietsen."

"We still have to cycle the number of vacation days in the contract."

Dutch Netherlands

op een oude fiets moet je het leren

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(you have to learn it on an old bicycle) • Used to refer to a young person going out with an older partner (often younger men with older women). It can also be used for people using other learning tools that are quite old (like old books, etc.)

"Heb je de nieuwe vriendin van Jos gezien?" "Tsja, op een oude fiets moet je het leren."

"Have you seen Jos's new girlfriend?" "Well, you have to learn it on an old bicycle."

Dutch Netherlands

de fiets aan de haak hangen

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(to hang the bike on the wall) • Originally refers to someone stopping with cycling, putting their bike up on the wall, but can now be used for anyone stopping with something.

"Na 30 jaar heeft hij de fiets aan de muur gehangen."

"After 30 years he hung his bike from the wall."

Dutch Netherlands

iets boven de tafel fietsen

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(to bike something above the table) • To get clarity about something or someone's intentions.

"Voordat we verder gaan met dit voorstel moeten eerst zijn bedoelingen boven tafel fietsen."

"Before we continue with this proposal we must first cycle the intentions above the table.

Dutch Netherlands

eerst mijn fiets terug

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(first my bike back) • "First my bicycle back" is a statement in the Netherlands, referring to the seizure of bicycles in the Netherlands in World War II by the German occupiers. In the first two decades after the war, it was regarded as an expression of anti-German sentiment. After that, it became more and more an ironic joke, which can be made in any way, shape or form referring to German having stolen bikes and not giving them back.

*ziet Duitser op fiets* "Nog steeds die fiets niet teruggegeven, hè?"

*sees German on bike* "They still haven't given those bikes back, have they?"

Dutch Netherlands

Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(What have I got hanging from my bike now?) • It means "What is going on?" or "What kind of strange thing is happening now?"

"Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen? Sneeuw in de zomer?"

"What have I got hanging from my bike now? Snow in summer?"

Dutch Netherlands

op die fiets

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(on that bike) • When you previously didn't understand correctly, but now you do, you can say "Ah, op die fiets".

"Dus je gaat alleen?" "Nee, maar ik ben de enige van onze familie die gaat." "Ah, op die fiets."

"So you are going alone?" "No, but I am the only person of our family that is going." "Ah, on that bike."

Dutch Netherlands

ga toch fietsen

Standard Phrase USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(go ride a bike) • A way of telling someone to go away or to stop being ridiculous.

"10 euro voor een biertje? Ga toch fietsen."

"10 euro for a beer? Go ride a bike."

Dutch Netherlands

iets over het hoofd zien

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(to see something over the head) • To miss or to forget something.

"Is het goed zo, of heb ik iets over het hoofd gezien?"

"Is is okay, or did I see something over the head?"

Dutch Netherlands

koffie verkeerd

Name USED On Occasion BY Some People

(wrong coffee) • A coffee that contains 2/3 milk and 1/3 coffee. It is called "wrong coffee" because it contains more milk than coffee.

"Doe mij maar een koffie verkeerd, alstublief."

"I would like a wrong coffee, please."

Dutch Netherlands

wonder boven wonder

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(miracle above miracle) • When something truly miraculous happens.

"Ik was mijn sjaal al jaren kwijt, en wonder boven wonder vond ik hem vorige week in een tweedehandswinkel."

"I had lost my scarf for years, but miracle above miracle I found it last week in a second hand shop."

Dutch Netherlands

soggen

Abbreviation USED On Occasion BY Students

(v.) • The act of committing sog, abbreviation of studie-ontwijkend gedrag (study avoiding behaviour).

“Ik verveel me stierlijk in de UB. Dus het is tijd om te soggen, en dan maak ik memes.”

“I'm terribly bored in the university library. So it is time to sog, and then I make memes.”

Dutch Belgium

boefdoef

Slang USED Frequently BY From ages 15-35

In some Belgian dialects of Dutch we call a food coma a "boefdoef" [bu:fdu:f] . 'Boef' being the bare infinitive of a very informal verb meaning 'to eat', and 'doef' being an informal form of a punch. Kind of getting hit by your meal on the head with a hammer, and being very colloquial about it.

"Amai man, 'k heb nen boefdoef. Maar het was het waard, want pizza."

"Wow man, case of food coma over here. Worth it though, because pizza."

Dutch Netherlands

op hoop van zege

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(on hope of victory) • Used when you can not change much about the situation but you hope the outcome is positive.

"Ik heb m'n paper net ingeleverd, op hoop van zege."

"I just handed in my paper, on hope of victory."