(big) fellow, guy, man, chap [noun] [de kerel, de kerels] [‘kee-rul‘]

Today we continue with another popular word to address a male person: "’Kerel". Differences with "gozer" en "gast" are small, subtle and depend on context. When imitating a posh person, the Dutch often use the word "kerel", which has the reputation of being used a lot in the more posh environments. This is definitely not the case for "gozer" and "gast"!

The pronunciation of the first ‘e’ in "kerel" is between "i" and "ee". Ask the local Dutch guru!

Examples:
– "Dag kerel! Hoe gaat het met jou?"
("Hello old chap! How are you doing?")

– "Heb je Daniela’s nieuwe vriend al ontmoet? Het is een toffe kerel."
("Have you met Daniela’s new boyfriend? It is a really nice guy.")

– "Wie is die vreemde kerel met wie Frank staat te praten?"
("Who’s that strange man to whom Frank is talking?")

– "<tegen een klein neefje:> Zo! Jij wordt al een grote kerel!!"
("<to a little nephew:> Well, well! You’re becoming a big fellow already!!")

– "Wees een kerel, en vertel me de waarheid!"
("Be a man, and tell me the truth!")

Related word:
– "Gozer": guy, bloke, dude.
– "Gast": guy, bloke, dude.