border, limit
[noun]
[de grens, de gren-zen]
"Grens" means "border" or "limit". If you ever travel by public transport, you’ll hear it every time you cross from one zone into another (you pass the "zonegrens"). Within most countries in Europe, borders can be easily crossed without check-ups but you’ll still find the "grenspalen" ("border posts") and "grenskantoren" ("border offices") marking the border. "Grens" is also often used in a figurative sense.
Examples:
– "Op de grens tussen Nederland en België staan grenspalen."
("On the border of The Netherlands and Belgium there are border posts." See a "border post" in the picture.)
– "Ik begrijp dat je iedereen wilt helpen, maar we moeten ergens een grens trekken."
("I understand that you want to help everyone, but we have to draw a line somewhere.")
– "Ik heb alles geprobeerd met haar: praten, schelden, dreigen; nu is mijn grens bereikt!"
("I’ve tried everything with her: talking, scolding, threatening; now I’ve had enough!" Lit.: "…now my limit has been reached.")
– "Het slachtoffer van het ongeluk balanceerde twee uur op de grens tussen leven en dood."
("The victim of the accident balanced on the verge between life and death for two hours.)
Expressions:
– "Je grenzen opzoeken": to find out how far you can go.
Example:
– "Je kunt beter vanaf het begin duidelijk zijn wat mag en wat niet mag, want hij zoekt je grenzen op."
("You’d better be clear from the start what’s allowed and what’s not, because he will try to find out how far he can go with you.")
– "Geen grenzen hebben": to have no limits.
Example:
– "Zij werkt dag en nacht; haar ambitie kent geen grenzen."
("She works night and day; her ambition has no limits.")
– "Er zijn grenzen!": there are limits (and you’ve reached them now)!
– "Een woordje over de grens spreken": to speak other languages (bit old-fashioned).
Example:
– "Hij spreekt een aardig woordje over de grens."
("He speaks other languages.")
Related words:
– Zonegrens: zone limit [noun] [de zonegrens, de zonegrenzen].
– Grenspaal: border post [noun] [de grenspaal, de grenspalen].
– Grenswachter: border guard [noun] [de grenswachter, de grenswachters].
– Grenspaal: border post [noun] [de grenspaal, de grenspalen].