Whilst tasty or hearty food is commonly called lekker, the word extends well beyond gastronomy and is often applied to attractive people, well-made clothing, nice … Learn Dutch Slang to converse and have a good time with the locals How to say yes and no in Dutch! 9. This is the Dutch word for toothpaste! Massive thanks to Laura Frame for the amazing illustrations! You just have to know where to look. Learning a new language can be hard, frustrating even… but it can also be fun. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. We will teach you: How to say Hello! Here are some funny Dutch words and phrases I’ve learned so far. A brilliant Sounds like kicker. ( Log Out / The Dutch don’t find things easy…rather it’s ‘a whistle of a cent!’ (Een fluitje van een cent). [Edit… Ok, about a million Dutch people told me that catfish is meerval. (And what’s acorn I hear you ask? The feeling of excitement before an event is translated literally as ‘pre-fun’. (Thanks to the party poopers who pointed out that pasta can also mean paste!). Handschoenen . Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Monster. Muilpeer, courtesy of Laura Frame Illustration. Don’t fret, it means “sample”. Instead of fumbling for a string of words in English, sometimes all it takes is one, well-picked cool Dutch word. Another cute one… granny flat’s literal translation is “kangaroo house”. You can of course change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time, by returning to this site after clearing the cookies on your computer or device. ( Log Out / Meaning “ant fucker” – it describes someone who frets and fusses over completely insignificant and minor details. Doe even normaal. If you are about to travel to the Netherlands, this is exactly what you are looking for! My first Dutch ‘whatttt?’ moment was watching a film with subtitles when the screen flashed up ‘Ik ben apetrots op je’ literally meaning ‘I am monkey proud of you’. That’s a “sick car” man. Meaning: Get a grip Translated literally to ‘polarbearing’, if that was a word, IJsberen is the verb to pace around in deep thought. Gedogen, then, is to take a lenient stance or turn a blind eye to something, like the Netherlands’ gedoogbeleid policy towards soft drugs. this means french fries served with peanut sauce, mayonnaise and finely diced raw onion… Depending on which region of the Netherlands you live in!! Mijn excuses!] Meaning peanut butter it literally translates as “peanut cheese”. A brilliant Dutchism… and it’s now one of my favourite Dutch sayings , Boterham, courtesy of Laura Frame Illustration. Click below to consent to the use of this technology on our website – and don’t worry, we respect your privacy. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Origin: The oldest use of the Dutch word ‘pindakaas’ dates from 1855. While we’re on the food theme… let’s go with the word for Porcini mushrooms, which literally translates as “little squirrels’ bread”. Like “nit picker” I guess. You may change your settings at any time. Here you can find the translation of the 50 most important words and expressions into Dutch. Dutch isn’t the most widely spoken language, but these cool Dutch words are worth learning for those moments that no English word can express. My favourite pic of the series! Sounds like “acorn”… it actually means squirrel! (IJs can also mean ice cream! Change ). (Thanks to the party poopers who pointed out that pasta can also mean paste!) Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Don’t fret, it means “sample”. Dutch Word of the Day Visit this page each day to learn new Dutch vocabulary, or get new words delivered to you every day via email or RSS feed. Awesomeness! Visit this page each day to learn new Dutch vocabulary, or get new words delivered to you every day via email or RSS feed. and Goodbye in Dutch! “Bak” has a whole heap of meanings in Dutch, but I’m gonna go with “bin bike” or “fry bike”. Your choices will not impact your visit. Time spent with loved ones, seeing a friend after a long absence, or general togetherness that gives a warm feeling. Literally translated as “mirror egg” – this is what you need to order if you want a fried egg – sunny side up! What can’t be translated into English, however, is the accompanying gesture: when you’ve got a mouthful of something delicious, wave your hand across your cheek and smile; everyone will understand that what you’re eating is, indeed, incredibly tasty, or lekker. Uitbuiken. You might also like: 20 More Amusing Dutch Words, Kruimeldief I believe means Vacuum Cleaner and literally translates as Crumb Thief xD. Yup, the Dutch word for gloves is “hand shoes” tee hee hee! Damn you, Google translate!! This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. The French word for mother-in-law is ”belle-mère”, beautiful-mother (The dutch word schoonmoeder is derived from the french equivalent). Greyhound is literally translated in Dutch as “wind dog”. View bitterballenbruid’s profile on Facebook, View bitterballenbruid’s profile on Instagram, Aspects of Life NL: Language | George Oliver. In many cases, these words have evolved into slang, and many euphemisms for diseases are in common use.. Additionally, a substantial number of curse words in the Dutch language are references to sexual acts, genitalia, or bodily functions. [Edit: gelukzak can also mean “lucky sack”. ( Log Out / The word is a useful one, although the imagery of pacing captive polar bears pulls on the heartstrings. Some might say ‘conviviality’ comes close, in the way of having a ‘jolly time’, but hè gezellig rolls off the tongue more often than ‘how convivial’. In Dutch, the adjective lekker connotes several positive attributes including nice, appealing and high-quality. Dutch, adjective: Convivial, cozy, fun, quaint, or a nice atmosphere. To top it off, my “clean mother” is called Willy!! Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The word ‘piendakass’ appeared in the Surinamese dictionary at this time and referred to a large block of crushed peanuts that locals slices in a similar way to that of a block of cheese and ate on bread. To say please and thank you in Dutch! Think your Dutch friend has mental issues when they say they’ve got a monster at home? ), Wasbeer, courtesy of Laura Frame Illustration. However, it was not possible to market it … Dutch This Dutch word can be associated with the Danish concept of hyggelig and the German concept of gemütlichkeit, although its definition depends on the context. If you are about to travel to the Netherlands, this is exactly what you are looking for! “Ear bells” or earrings as we like to call them. This is a hearty expression of satisfaction after a job well done or a hard day. Translation: Just do normal. Learn how your comment data is processed. – children! To say please and thank you in Dutch! We just learnt that oorlog means war, but oor means ear and log is cumbersome… So cumbersome ear! Just make sure you’re not caught out for being ‘un-gezellig’, like texting while someone’s talking. 10 cool Dutch words that have no English translation. Bufferbiertje (Dutch) The beer that is standing next to the beer you're drinking and serves as a buffer in case you finish drinking your beer before you have a chance to get the barman's attention (literally, buffer beer) Chistra (Breton, France) To go and ask for cider from farm to farm. There might not be an English-word equivalent but uitbuiken is a universal act; it means to sit back and let your belly out – literally ‘out-bellying’ – after a long meal to help digestion. ( Log Out / How do you say “My name is ...” in Dutch? It has filtered into many Dutch phrases; ga lekker zitten means to make yourself comfortable, or lekker puh is what children might say when they’re one up, as in ‘so there’ or ‘serves you right’. Literally translated as “butter ham” – it actually means sandwich or a slice of bread. Apetrots. Since the middle ages the word ”schoon” was used to mean ”beautiful” but with respect to persons it … https://www.theintrepidguide.com/dutch-phrases-idioms-infographic So Dutchies / wannabe Dutchies – what else you got for me? Dutch is a very difficult language to learn, especially because of all the difficult slang words that locals are using. It’s used to describe anything that evokes feelings of coziness, enjoyment or feel-good vibes. The Dutch don’t have a misfit in a group…they have ‘a small outside leg’ (Buitenbeentje). How to say yes and no in Dutch! Dat vind ik wel lekker (Like it).