Tig

(so) many, a lot of Iconspeaker_3 Tig
[indefinite numeral]
[tig]

A you may know, a lot of Dutch numerals end with "-tig", for example: "twintig" (twenty), "dertig" (thirty), "veertig" (forty), etc. Now, the suffix "tig" can also be used separately, as an indefinte numeral that translates to "(so) many" or "a lot of".

"Tig" can also be used in combination with "honderd" (hundred), "duizend" (thousand), "miljoen" (million), "miljard" (billion), etc. See the Examples.

The use of "tig" is informal.

Examples:
– "Ik heb tig keer gebeld om de reis te annuleren, maar ik krijg steeds een antwoordapparaat." 
("I've called many times to cancel the trip, but I keep getting an answering machine.")

– "Ik heb haar tig standjes gegeven, maar ze wil niet luisteren." 
("I've given her a lot of reprimands, but she won't listen.")

– "Ik heb de TV van mijn oma al tig keer ingesteld, maar ze slaagt er iedere keer weer in de afstandsbediening kwijt te raken…" 
("I've set up my grandmother's TV so many times already, but every time she manages to lose the remote control…")

– "Ik heb geen zin om tig honderd euro te betalen voor een bekeuring…" 
("I don't feel like paying hundreds of euros on a fine…")

Related words:
– Vaak: often, many times [adverb].

Example:
– "Ik heb Franks bouwvakkersdecolleté te vaak gezien. Er zijn grenzen."
("I've seen Frank's builders cleavage too often. There are limits.")

– Veel: many, much [adverb/indefinite numeral].

Example:
– "Dit wordt me te veel, ik peer 'm."
("This is getting too much for me, I'm out of here.")

5 thoughts on “Tig

  1. – “Ik heb Franks bouwvakkersdecolleté te vaak gezien. Er zijn grenzen.”
    (“I’ve seen Frank’s builders cleavage too often. There are limits.”)
    🙂
    Though, I don’t think you’d ever hear the expression “builder’s cleavage”. In the UK we’d say “builder’s bum”. In America “butt crack”, perhaps?
    I’d guess that an English-speaker would associate the word “cleavage” only with a woman’s décolletage, rather than the natal cleft of a construction worker…

  2. In America we say “plumber’s crack”, but I must say “bouwvakkersdecollete” brought an immediate grin to my face. Love it.

  3. There must be a very lucrative market for heavy-duty braces (suspenders) that would enable the average manual worker to overcome this embarrassing problem!
    A “bouwvakkersdecolletebescherming” perhaps…?

  4. I’m Dutch but I wouldn’t use tig in combination with honderd or anything, just on its own.
    ps.
    LOL @ bouwvakkersdecolletebescherming

  5. In Vlaanderen is het gebruik van “tig” als woord uitgesloten. Ik heb nog nooit iemand “tig” ergens horen tussen plaatsen.
    (Veel woorden hier waar ik nog nooit van gehoord heb)

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