233. Been

1. leg [noun] [het been, de benen] ['been']

"Been" in the translation of "leg" is used for humans. Animals have "poten" (singular: "poot"), except for horses. These are considered high-bred hence they have "benen" (and a "hoofd" for example, instead of a "kop").

Many expressions with "been" exist, we have listed a few.

Examples:
- "Ik kan niet opstaan; mijn been slaapt!"
("I can’t get up; my leg is asleep!")

- "De spits speelde zijn tegenstander de bal door de benen."
("The forward played the ball through his opponent’s legs." Literally: "…played his opponent the ball through the legs.")

- "Wist je dat wielrenners hun benen scheren?"
("Did you know that racing cyclists shave their legs?")

Related words:

- "Benenwagen": literally the "legs car" this is said informally when you will travel on foot.

Example:
- "Hoe ga jij naar de stad vanmiddag?" – "Met de benenwagen."
("How will you go downtown this afternoon?" – "On foot.")

- "Arm": arm.
- "Poot": leg (animal).

Expressions:
- "Op eigen benen leren staan": to learn to take care of yourself, lit. "to learn how to stand on own legs".

- "Op de been blijven": to remain on one’s feet.

- "Met het verkeerde been uit bed stappen": to get out of bed on the wrong side (lit. "with the wrong leg").

- "De benen nemen": to flee, to bolt.

- "De benen strekken": to stretch one’s legs.

2. bone [noun] [het been, de beenderen] ['been']

Expression:
- "Als twee honden vechten om een been, loopt de derde ermee heen": two dogs fight for a bone, and a third one runs away with it.

Related words:
- "Bot": bone.
- "Kluiven": to gnaw, also "afkluiven".
- "Kluif": a bone for a dog to gnaw at.

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