Spiegel

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mirror Iconspeaker_3 Achteruitkijkspiegel
[noun]
[de spie-gel, de spie-gels]

"Spiegels" come in many forms, shapes and applications, which leads to beautiful combinations in Dutch. What do you think of "badkamerspiegel" (bathroom mirror) or "achteruitkijkspiegel" (rear view mirror)? 🙂

Examples:
– "Spiegeltje, spiegeltje aan de wand…wie is de mooiste van het land?" 
("Mirror, mirror on the wall…who in the land is fairest of all?")

– "Als ik in de spiegel kijk, zie ik dat ik kaal word…verschrikkelijk!" 
("When I look into the mirror, I see that I'm getting bald…terrible!")

– "Frank is erg achterdochtig, hij kijkt iedere tien seconden in de achteruitkijkspiegel om te zien of hij achtervolgd wordt…" – "Die dwaas is stapelgek!" 
("Frank is really suspicious, every ten seconds he looks into the rear view mirror to see if he's being followed…" – "He's crazy like a fool!")

– "Ik begin met de man in de spiegel, ik vraag hem om te veranderen…" 
("I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways…")

Expressions:
– "Iemand een spiegel voorhouden": to reflect on someone, to hold a mirror up to someone.

Example:
– "Als ik je een advies mag geven, hou je zelf af en toe een spiegel voor, dat helpt je namelijk om de dingen in perspectief te zien."
("If I may give you an advice, reflect on yourself from time to time, the fact is that it helps you see things in perspective.")

Related words:
– Spiegelbeeld: (mirror) image, reflection [noun] [het spiegelbeeld, de spiegelbeelden].

Example:
– "Spiegelbeeld, vertel eens even, ben ik heus zo oud als jij?"
("(Dear) reflection, tell me now, am I really as old as you?" <Dutch song from the 60s, by Willeke Alberti>)

– Spiegelei: egg sunny-side up [noun] [het spiegelei, de spiegeleieren].
– Spiegelglad: very slippery [adjective].

4 thoughts on “Spiegel”

  1. A lot of interesting phrases today!
    – “When I look into the mirror, I see that I’m getting bold…terrible!”
    From personal experience being “bold” is sometimes a good thing. Being “bald”, however, is something else.
    – “Iemand een spiegel voorhouden”: to reflect on someone. Lit.: to hold a mirror before someone.
    I think we’d say “to hold a mirror up to someone” (works both literally and figuratively).
    – “Spiegelglad”
    Now I understand why that pack of Belgian clingfilm (huishoudfolie) we have in the cupboard is called “Glad”. I thought it was odd that the food should have any feelings of joy about being wrapped up…:-)

  3. @Chris: Glad is an American brand (merk) of what the British call cling film and what we Americans are prone to call “Saran wrap” (after yet another brand named after the trademarked-by-Dow name for a chemical version of PVC). I doubt the American company that distributes Glad wrap named it after glad rags for food. 🙂

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