Dutch Netherlands

lekker

Word USED Very frequently BY Everyone

(adjective) • (tasty) • An adjective or adverb that can be used to describe almost every positive thing, and can also be translated as "nice", or "good". If a person is "lekker" they are very attractive. If an action is "lekker" it is enjoyable and it goes well. "Niet lekker" (not lekker) can also mean sick or crazy.

"Lekker weertje vandaag, hè?" "Ja, maar ik voel me helaas niet zo lekker vandaag." "Jammer, anders hadden we lekker naar het strand kunnen gaan om lekker lekkere wijven te kijken." "Dat zou wel lekker geweest zijn, ja, maar ik blijf lekker in bed liggen vandaag. Ik zou niet lekker zijn als ik in deze toestand de deur uit zou gaan."

"Tasty weather today, huh? "Yes, but unfortunately I don't feel very tasty today." "Pity, otherwise we could have tastily gone to the beach to tastily watch tasty chicks." "That would have been tasty, yes, but i'm tastily staying in bed today. I wouldn't be tasty if I went out the door in this state."

Dutch Netherlands

oid

Acronym USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone

(or something alike) • Stands for "of iets dergelijks" (or something alike) and is used after an array of things to indicate there are more examples along the same lines are possible.

"Neem een trui oid mee voor de kou."

"Take a sweater or something alike against the cold."

Dutch Belgium

blaffende honden bijten niet

Expression USED On Occasion BY mainly older generations

(barking dogs don't bite) • Someone who's annoying or threatening usually doesn't do much after all.

"Hij dreigde ermee dat hij m'n gsm zou afpakken als ik niet stopte met sms'en" "Maak je maar geen zorgen, blaffende honden bijten meestal niet"

"He threatened to take my phone away if I wouldn't stop texting" "Don't you worry, barking dogs usually don't bite"

Dutch | Flemish Belgium

dat maak je de kat wijs

Expression USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone

(make the cat believe that) • If someone says something that's so obviously untrue or ridiculous, you can even tell your cat about it because it just makes no sense.

"Ik heb dit examen op twee uur gestudeerd!" "Dat kan niet! Dat maak je de kat wijs!"

"It only took me 2 hours to study for this exam!" "What, That's impossible! Make that the cat believe!"

Dutch Netherlands

stokoud

Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(adj.) • (stick old) • Very old. Often with slightly negative connotations.

"Als ik al die kinderen op TikTok zie voel ik me echt stokoud."

"When I see all those kids on TikTok, I feel stick old."

Dutch Various countries

een kat in een zak kopen

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(to buy a cat in a bag) • Buying somehing that ends up being very disappointing

"Test eerst even de auto voordat je hem koopt, je wil geen kat in een zak kopen!"

Try out the car before you buy him, you don't want to buy a cat in a bag!

Dutch Belgium and the Netherlands

maak dat de kat wijs

Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(make that the cat wise) • This is too unbelievable, I dont't believe you.

"Heb je maar twee uur slaap per nacht nodig? Maak dat de kat wijs!"

"You only need two hours of sleep every night? Make that the cat wise!"

Dutch Netherlands

held op sokken

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Everyone

(n.) • (hero on socks) • Someone who might pretend to be brave, but is actually really scared and not follow through with any brave acts.

"Onze hond is echt een held op sokken - blaffen naar iedereen die voorbij komt, maar zodra iemand zich omdraait verstopt ze zich achter de bank."

"Our dog is a real hero on socks - barking at everyone who passes, but as soon as someone turns around she's hiding behind the sofa."

Dutch Netherlands

uitspoken

Word USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(v.) • (to ghost out) • To do something that is formally not allowed. To get up to something.

"Ik vraag me af wat de kinderen uitspoken als wij niet thuis zijn."

"I wonder what the kids ghost out when we are not at home."

Dutch | Flemish Belgium

van de pot gerukt

Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(torn from the jar) • When something is very crazy or unbelievable and completely random.

"Dat verhaal met die baby's is helemaal van de pot gerukt." "Ja, ik kan het nauwelijks geloven!"

"This story about those babies is completely torn from the jar." "Yeah, I can hardly believe it!"

Dutch Netherlands

dweilen met de kraan open

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(mopping with the tap open) • To have no chance of success, because the symptoms are controlled without addressing the cause.

"Geld geven aan de banken omdat ze bijna failliet gaan blijft gewoon dweilen met de kraan open."

"Giving money to the banks because they are about to go bankrupt is just mopping with the tap open."

Dutch Netherlands

Heb ik iets van je aan?

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(Am I wearing your clothes?) • Said when someone is looking at you strangely.

"Waarom kijk je zo? Heb ik iets van je aan ofzo?"

"Why are you looking at me like that? Am I wearing your clothes or something?"

Dutch Netherlands

resten van een losbandig leven

Expression USED On Very Rare Occasion BY Some People

(remains of a dissolute life) • When you see trash leftover from a party, like empty bottles, cigarette buds, or anything else that is leftover as the result of a good time.

"Hoe komt de kat op een toren van lege wodka flessen?" "Dat zijn de resten van een losbandig leven."

"How did the cat get to a tower of empty vodka bottles?" "Those are the remains of a dissolute life."

Dutch Netherlands

ver-van-je-bed-show

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(n.) • (far-from-your-bed-show) • Something that is happening far away, outside of your world view or life experiences.

"Toen corona uitbrak in China was het een beetje een ver-van-je-bed-show, maar dat is nu wel anders."

"When Corona broke out in China it was a far-from-your-bed-show, but that's different now."

Dutch Netherlands

al sla je me dood

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(even if you beat me to death) • Used to say you really have no idea. It is like saying "even if you beat me to death, I wouldn't be able to give you an answer."

"Hoe heet het portret in olieverf op paneel geschilderd door Jan van Eyck in 1436?" "Al sla je me dood."

"What is the name of the portrait in oil on panel painted by Jan van Eyck in 1436?" "Even if you beat me to death."

Indonesian Indonesia

sampai jumpa

Standard Phrase USED Frequently BY Indonesians

(see you again) • A formal way to say "good-bye" in Indonesian. Although most Indonesians use "Dah" that comes from the Dutch word "Dag" that means bye, "sampai jumpa" is still frequently used on formal occasions.

"Ya, saya pergi dulu ya." "Oke sampai jumpa!"

"Okay, I'll go now." "Okay, see you again!"

Dutch Netherlands

de smaak te pakken hebben

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(to have caught the taste) • To get the hang of something or to be on a roll after maybe struggling at first.

"Het duurde even, maar hij heeft nu eindelijk de smaak te pakken."

"It took a while, but now he has finally caught the taste."

French & Dutch Belgium

kot

Word USED Frequently BY Students

(n.) • Typical Belgian word used by Dutch- and French-speakers. It is a student accommodation, often a flat shared with other students.

"Ce soir, je fais une pré à mon kot; tu viendras?"

"Tonight, I'm having a preparty at my dorm; will you come?"

Dutch | Flemish Flanders, Belgium

As ons kat een koei was, konnen we ze melken veu de stoof

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(If our cat was a cow, we could milk it in front of the hearth) • Used as a reply when someone says something hypothetical starting with "If". It expresses something like: "it's no use thinking that way, because things aren't that way."

"As we een kaart hadde meegenome zoude we nà zo nie zitte zuken." "Ja, en as ons kat een koei was, konnen we ze melken veu de stoof."

"If we had brought a map, we wouldn't be searching like this." "Yes, and if our cat was a cow, we could milk it in front of the hearth."

Dutch Netherlands

Ben je in een kerk geboren?

Expression USED Frequently BY Some People

(Were you born in church?) • An expression frequently used when someone doesn't close the door. This is due to churches having no closed doors because churches should always be accessible to believers.

"Ben je in de kerk geboren? Doe alsjeblieft de deur dicht."

"Were you born in church? Please close the door."