bean [noun] [de boon, de bonen] [‘boon‘]

"Boon" is used to indicate both the legume that contains the seed as well as the seed itself. Its diminutive "boontje" is also often used.

Examples:
– " ‘Ik lust geen boontjes!’, schreeuwde de kleuter naar zijn moeder."
(" ‘I don’t like beans!’, yelled the toddler to his mother.")

– "Kun je mij de sperziebonen even aangeven, alsjeblieft?"
("Can you pass the French/green beans please?")

– "Ik eet alleen bruine bonen als ze in chili con carne zitten."
("I only eat kidney/brown beans when they’re in chilli con carne.")

– "Frank walgt van witte bonen in tomatensaus."
("Frank is disgusted by white beans in tomato sauce.")

Expressions:
– "Een blauwe boon": (an ounce of) lead, a bullet. Lit.: "a blue bean".

– "Honger maakt rauwe bonen zoet": hunger is the best sauce. Lit.: "Hunger makes raw beans sweet".

– "Boontje komt om zijn loontje": he that mischief hatches, mischief catches / you get what you deserve. Lit.: "Little bean comes for his little pay".

– "Een heilig boontje": a goody-goody / prig.

Example:
– "Frank gedraagt zich altijd als een heilig boontje in de buurt van zijn manager."
("Frank always behaves so holier-than-thou / like a goody-goody when his manager is around." Lit.: "…in the neighbourhood of his manager.")