sky scraper [noun] [de wolkenkrabber, de wolkenkrabbers] [‘wol-kun-kra-bur’]

This is one of those words that if you keep repeating it, it sounds really strange. But to you probably each Dutch word sounds strange! 😉

A more direct translation of "wolkenkrabber" would be "cloud scratcher" but it’s the same principle. There are no real sky scrapers in the Netherlands, although Rotterdam has a few relatively high office buildings.

Examples:
– "Zou jij in een wolkenkrabber willen wonen?"
("Would you like to live in a sky scraper?")

– "Tegenwoordig vind je de hoogste wolkenkrabbers in Azië."
("Nowadays one finds the highest sky scrapers in Asia.")

– "Als je in Manhattan op straat loopt, dan ben je je niet echt bewust van de wolkenkrabbers die je omringen."
("When you walk (on) the streets of Manhattan, you are not really aware of all the sky scrapers surrounding you." Mind that "to be aware" is reflexive in Dutch: "zich bewust zijn", hence twice the "je".)

Related words:
– "Gebouw": building.
– "Wolk": cloud.
– "Krabben": to scratch.
– "Jeuk": itch/itching.