1. drawer [noun] [de la, de la’s / de lades] [‘la‘]

"La" is short for "lade": drawer. Its plural can be both "la’s" and "lades".

Examples:
– "Weet jij waar de nietjes zijn? – Ze liggen in de bovenste la."
("Do you know where the staples are? – They’re in the top drawer." Although "nietje" is a diminutive, you will hardly encounter the noun "niet" except in "nietmachine/apparaat": stapler.)

– "Hebben jullie ook een clean-desk-policy? – Ja, alle
vertrouwelijke documenten moeten worden bewaard in afgesloten kasten of
laden."
("Do you also have a clean-desk policy? – Yes, all confidential document must be stored in locked cabinets or drawers.")

Expressions:
– "Iets in een la laten verdwijnen": to put
something under a big pile of paper. (Lit.: to make something disappear
in a drawer).
– "Geld in het laatje brengen": to generate income, to earn money. Literally "to bring money in the drawer", where cash register drawer is implied.

Related words:
– "Lade": drawer.
– "Ladeblok": drawer unit.
– "Ladekast": chest of drawers.
– "Bureau": desk.

2. la <musical note> [noun] [de la, de la’s] [‘la‘]

Examples:
– "Do – re – mi – fa – sol – la – si – do!"
("Do – re – mi – fa – sol – la – ti – do!" Note that the "si" is not a typo!)

Related words:
– "Toonladder": scale.
– "Noot": note, key.