Category Archives: Dutch word of the day

Gezeik

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load of crap, bull(shit), crap [noun] [het gezeik, <no plural>] [‘gu-zeik‘]

In Dutch, "gezeik" does not have the strong vulgar connotation which "load of crap" or "bullshit" have in English. It does have a derogatory meaning though, and should only be used in informal situations.

The relate verb is "zeiken", which is more or less synonymous with "zeuren", but has a stronger derogatory connotation. "Zeiken" also has a literal meaning, which is: "to piss".

Examples:
– "Wat een gezeik zeg!"
("What a load of crap!" This can sometimes also be translated with "what a fuss!")

– "Ik heb genoeg van jouw gezeik!"
("I’ve had enough of your bullshit!")

– "Ik kan dat gezeik van Frank tijdens vergaderingen niet uitstaan!"
("I cannot stand the load of crap coming from Frank during meetings!")

– "Ik moet dat gezeik niet!"
("Don’t give me that crap!" Lit.: "I must not (have) that crap!")

– "Lig toch niet zo te zeiken!"
("Stop moaning / harping on like that!" Note that "lig" is not used to indicate the activity of lying, but merely to indicate a continuing action, in this case "zeiken".)

– "Al dat bier…ik ga even zeiken…"
("All that beer…I’m going to take a piss/leak now…")

– "Ik ga even naar mijn eigen gezeik luisteren."
("I’m going to listen to my own whining/bullshit now." Lit.: "I’m going to listen to my own pissing." This is a pun that is only used by men (we think). For example, you can say it when you are in a discussion and you have to go to the toilet/bathroom. It is of course very informal!)

Expression:
– "Geen gezeik, iedereen rijk!": "No bullshit, everybody rich!" This is a slogan that was part of the campaign for the fictitious political party "De Tegenpartij" ("The Contra Party"), founded in 1980 by the two characters "Jacobse & Van Es", played by the famous Dutch comedians/writers Kees van Kooten and Wim de Bie, who formed the duo "Van Kooten & De Bie". The peak of their careers is now over, but they are still active and very well known for their work from the 70s and 80s.

Related words:
– "Zeikerd": bugger, bore [noun].
– "Zeuren": to nag. to whine.
– "Klagen": to complain.
– "Mopperen": to grumble.

Mopperen

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to grumble, to grouse, to complain [verb] [mopperde, gemopperd] [‘mo-pu-run’]

This verb has nothing to do with DWOTD
219. Mop, but is inspired by yesterday’s "
zeur".
Somebody who "moppers" is called a "mopperaar", but mostly you will
hear "mopperkont", which translates to something like "grumble butt" 🙂

Examples:
– "Ik word niet goed van opa! De hele dag door niets anders dan mopperen!"
("Grandpa
is driving me crazy! All day long nothing but grumbling!" Literally: "I
am becoming not well because of grandpa." The expression "niet goed
worden van" is very common. Without a subject it needs the ever tricky
"er": "Ik word er niet goed van": "It is driving me crazy" or "I have
had it (with it)".)

– "Wat zit je te mopperen? Is het weer niet goed?"
("What are you grumbling about? Is it once again not to your liking?")

– "De chef moppert de hele dag op zijn personeel."
("The manager
grumbles at his personnel all day." The word "chef" is used for
managers in production environments, including supermarkets and such.)

Related words:
– "Mopperkont": grumbler/grouch, somebody who complains a lot.
– "Mopperpot": like "mopperkont" but less common.

Zeur

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bore, sorehead, nag [noun] [de zeur, de zeuren] [‘zeur‘]

Of course, there’s also a verb derived from "zeur", which is "zeuren": to nag, to whine, see the examples.

Examples:
– "Frank kan soms zo’n zeur zijn tijdens vergaderingen."
("During meetings, Frank can be such a nag." Note that "zo’n" is short for "zo een": ‘such a".)

– "Mannen gebruiken vaak het cliché dat vrouwen veel zeuren."
("Men often use the cliché that women whine a lot.")

– "<Moeder tegen haar kind:> Nu ophouden met zeuren!"
("<Mother to her child:> "Now stop whining!" Note that the infinitive "ophouden" is used as an imperative. In Dutch, there are three possible imperative forms: the ‘regular’ imperative, the infinitive used as an imperative, and the past participle used as an imperative. See also 39. Oprotten. )

– "Zit toch niet zo te zeuren!"
("Don’t be such a sorehead/nag!" Lit.: "Don’t you whine / be whining like that!" Note that "zitten" is not used to express the literal "sitting", but is used to indicate a continuing action – in this case "zeuren".)

Related words:
– "Zeuren": to nag, to whine.
– "Zeurkous": synonym of "zeur": nag.
– "Zeurpiet": synonym of "zeur": nag.
– "Klagen": to complain.
– "Een zeurende pijn": a nagging pain.

Bon

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receipt, ticket (fine), coupon [noun] [de bon, de bonnen] [‘bon‘]

"Bon" is typically used for a receipt in a store, and hopefully it will be the common case for you, as opposed to the "ticket" you might get for a traffic offence. The diminutive "bonnetje" is very common in the meaning of "receipt".

Examples:
– "Uw aankoop kan alleen geruild worden binnen 8 dagen met bon."
("Your purchase can only be exchanged within 8 days upon presentation of a receipt." Literally: "… with a receipt.")

– "Wilt u de bon / het bonnetje?"
("Do you want the receipt?")

– "Je moet je bonnnetje goed bewaren, voor het geval dat er iets mis is!"
("You have to hold on to your receipt, in case something is wrong!")

– "U krijgt van mij een bon voor te hard rijden!"
(<police officer:>"I’m giving you a ticket for speeding!" Literally: "… for driving too fast!")

Expressions:
– "Het is op de bon": it is rationed. Used for food, but obviously not in practice anymore in the Netherlands.
– "Op de bon gaan": to be fined, to receive a ticket (for some kind of traffic offence).
– "Op de bon slingeren": to give somebody a fine/ticket. Literally: to sling on the ticket.

Example:
– "Na het beledigen van de agent, werd de man op de bon geslingerd."
("After having insulted the police officer, the man was fined.")

Related words:
– "Waardebon": voucher.
– "Kassabon": cash register slip.
– "Tegoedbon": credit note.
– "Parkeerbon": parking ticket.
– "Boete": fine, penalty.
– "Bonbon": a chocolate, bonbon (taken from the French but can be pronounced the Dutch way).

Extra:
The return policy of purchased goods in the Netherlands is completely customer unfriendly. Usually it has to be returned within 8 days. Often, stores don’t offer refunds, but want to give you a credit note so that they keep the money in house. We think you can actually refuse this, but they will give you a hard time. They will also try to send your DVD recorder off for repairs in the case that you just bought it 2 hours ago and it didn’t work. Of course you must not accept this 🙂

In any case: bewaar altijd je bonnetje!

Been

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1. leg [noun] [het been, de benen] [‘been‘]

"Been" in the translation of "leg" is used for humans. Animals have "poten" (singular: "poot"), except for horses. These are considered high-bred hence they have "benen" (and a "hoofd" for example, instead of a "kop").

Many expressions with "been" exist, we have listed a few.

Examples:
– "Ik kan niet opstaan; mijn been slaapt!"
("I can’t get up; my leg is asleep!")

– "De spits speelde zijn tegenstander de bal door de benen."
("The forward played the ball through his opponent’s legs." Literally: "…played his opponent the ball through the legs.")

– "Wist je dat wielrenners hun benen scheren?"
("Did you know that racing cyclists shave their legs?")

Related words:
– "Benenwagen": literally the "legs car" this is said informally when you will travel on foot.

Example:
– "Hoe ga jij naar de stad vanmiddag?" – "Met de benenwagen."
("How will you go downtown this afternoon?" – "On foot.")

– "Arm": arm.
– "Poot": leg (animal).

Expressions:
– "Op eigen benen leren staan": to learn to take care of yourself, lit. "to learn how to stand on own legs".

– "Op de been blijven": to remain on one’s feet.

– "Met het verkeerde been uit bed stappen": to get out of bed on the wrong side (lit. "with the wrong leg").

– "De benen nemen": to flee, to bolt.

– "De benen strekken": to stretch one’s legs.

2. bone [noun] [het been, de beenderen] [‘been‘]

Expression:
– "Als twee honden vechten om een been, loopt de derde ermee heen": two dogs fight for a bone, and a third one runs away with it.

Related words:
– "Bot": bone.
– "Kluiven": to gnaw, also "afkluiven".
– "Kluif": a bone for a dog to gnaw at.