Category Archives: Dutch word of the day

Blits

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1. flash, dash [noun] [de blits, de blitsen]

According to the dictionary, there is a Dutch noun "blits" which supposedly translates to the English "flash" and the German "Blitz". However, as far as we can tell, we only use this word in the expression below. It is a common expression; try to use it!

Expression:
– "De blits maken": to be really hip/flashy/cool/groovy/trendy, or ‘to steal the show/make a good show’. Literally: to make the flash.

Examples:
– "Met die zonnebril maak je echt de blits!"
("With those sunglasses you’re really flashy/cool!")

– "Sinds vorige week maakt Andreas de blits in zijn nieuwe Volkswagenbusje."
  ("Since last week Andreas is stealing the show in his new Volkswagen van." A "bus" is short for "autobus", but when talking about a van, always the word "busje" is used.)

– "Frank maakte helemaal de blits toen hij in zijn nieuwe pak op het werk verscheen."
("Frank completely stole the show when he appeared at work in his new suit.")

2. flashy, hip, cool, groovy [adjective]

We do use "blits" as an adjective however, although mainly used by adults (we guess the word itself is not "blits" enough to be used by teen-agers!).

Examples:
– "Blits man!"
("<admiring your friend’s new car:> Cool dude! / Brilliant mate!")

– "Wat zie jij er blits uit vandaag!"
("My, you look flashy/hip today!")

– "Dat is een blitse auto, zeker met die rode kleur.
("That is a flashy car, certainly with that red colour.")

– "Isabelle heeft altijd blitse kleren aan."
("Isabelle always wears trendy clothes.")

– "Restaurant ONI is een blitse Japanse tent in Den Haag."
("The ONI restaurant is a hip Japanese joint in The Hague." Lit.: "…a hip Japanese tent…")

Related words:
– "Blitskikker": flashy guy. Lit.: Hip frog 🙂 (Sometime used with a negative connotation).

Example:
– "Wie is die blitskikker in die Porsche? Wat een eikel!"
("Who is that flashy guy in the Porsche? What a loser!" An "eikel" literally translates to "acorn", but here "dickhead" is meant.)

– "Hip": hip, flashy.
– "Cool": cool [pronounced as in English].

Vlek

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stain, spot, smudge [noun] [de vlek, de vlekken] [‘vlek‘]

Examples:
– "Er zit een vlekje op je shirt, net onder je hals."
("There is (small) spot on your shirt, right below your neck." In Dutch, the front part of the neck is called "hals" and the back part "nek".)

– "Ik baal als een stekker; net een nieuwe spijkerbroek gekocht, en nu alweer een vlek!"
("I’m really upset; just bought a new pair of jeans, and it is immediately stained!" Literally: "…, and now already a stain again!")

– "Sander was onaangenaam verrast toen er – na afloop van de InterAgencyEvents Pure White Beach Party – rode wijnvlekken zaten op de achterkant van zijn witte t-shirt."
("Sander was unpleasantly surprised when – at the end of the InterAgencyEvents Pure White Beach Party – his white t-shirt had red wine stains on the back.")

– "Die vlek gaat er in de was wel uit!"
("That stain will come out in the wash!")

– "Ik schrijf liever niet met een vulpen, want ik maak altijd inktvlekken."
("I prefer not to write with a fountain pen, because I always make inkstains.")

– "Sommige mensen hebben een blinde vlek in het oog."
("Some people have a blind spot (in the eye).")

Related words:
– "Moedervlek": birthmark, mole. Literally "mother stain".
– "Was": laundry.
– "Vuile was": dirty laundry.
– "Onbevlekt": immaculate, literally "unstained".
– "Onbevlekte ontvangenis": the Immaculate Conception. The Duch term is sometimes misinterpreted by (adolescent) laymen (as the lack of sperm implies "unstained"; we know… it is far fetched!).

Top

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top, peak, tip [noun] [de top, de toppen; ‘top‘]

"Top" can be used as a separate noun, but also in combination with another noun, see the examples.

Examples:
– "Velen zijn gestorven op weg naar de top van de Mount Everest."
("Many have died on the way to the top of the Mount Everest.")

– "De weg naar de top is lang."
("The road to the top is long.")

– "EU-top bereikt akkoord over een nieuw verdrag."
("EU-top reaches agreement on a new treaty.")

– "Mijn vingertoppen doen pijn, omdat ik lang gitaar gespeeld heb."
("My fingertips hurt, because I played the guitar for a long time.")

– "Er is in Nederland veel discussie over het salaris van de topmannen in de semi-publieke sector."
("In The Netherlands, there is a lot of discussion on the salary of the top men / senior executives in the semi-public sector.")

– "Met een topconditie kun je een topprestatie leveren…of je neemt doping…"
("With a top condition you can achieve a top performance…or you take drugs…")

Nietbrommen_1
– "De topsnelheid van een bromfiets hoort 40 km per uur te zijn."
("The maximum speed of a moped should be 40 km per hour." A "bromfiets" literally means a "humming" bike. You will also see the verb "brommen" in this context.)

Expressions:
– "Top!": "Great!" / "Agreed!" / "Deal!"
– "(Helemaal) toppie!": <informal:> "(Absolutely) great/fantastic!"

Related words:
– "Topper": cracker, informal word for someone who is very good at something.

– "Toppertje": like topper, but more informal. Also the name of a 2006 summer hit called "Toppertje" by "Guillermo & Tropical Danny" in which "toppertje" is a drink. Check out their classic first live performance on video on YouTube. This song also illustrates the use of the pet names "schat" and "moppie".

– "Piek": peak.

Extra:
In The Netherlands we have an ensemble of three singers who call themselves "De Toppers". They’re quite popular. All three have (had) solo careers, but now and then they team up, and for some reason they are able to fill up entire football stadiums with party people…

Mop

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1. sweetie, doll [noun] [de mop, de moppen]

The informal diminutive of "mop" is "moppie". Both can be used. Mind that it is a bit old-fashioned and associated with lower class social environments. Also, it can only be used to address females.

Examples:
– "<bouwvakker:> Hé moppie! Wat zie jij er goed uit!!"
("<construction worker:> "Hey sweetie! You’re lookin’ good!!)

– "<in een Amsterdams bruin café:> Luister eens moppie, het is dat je vent staat te kijken, want anders had ik het wel geweten!"
("<in a brown pub/bar in Amsterdam:> Listen sweetie, if it weren’t for your man looking at us, I would have taken my chance!" Literally: "…, it is that your man is looking, because otherwise I would have known!" Here, the use of the verb "staan" is to indicate that the man is in the activity of looking.)

– "Ik weet het mop, ik had het beloofd, maar ik moet vanavond weer overwerken!"
("I know sweetie, I promised, but tonight I have to work overtime again!")

2. joke, jest [noun] [de mop, de moppen]

Examples:
– "Weet jij een leuke mop?"
("Do you know a good joke?")

– "Mijn oom is erg goed in het vertellen van moppen."
("My uncle is really good at telling jokes.")

Related words:
– "Moppentappen": to tell jokes. Literally "to draft jokes".
– "Grap": joke.
– "Grappenmaker": one who makes jokes.

3. mop [noun] [de mop, de mops]

Example:
– "Heb jij de mop gezien? Ik wil de keukenvloer dweilen."
("Have you seen the mop? I want to mop the kitchen floor.")

Related words:
– "Zwabber": mop. This word is actually more common than "mop".
– "Dweil": floor-cloth, rag, mop (if on a stick).

Scheetje

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1. (little) darling [noun] [het scheetje, de scheetjes; diminutive] [‘sgee-tju’]

Literally, "scheetje" means "little fart" 🙂 , see 2. When used as a pet word, "scheetje" would be best translated with "little darling" in English, but alternatives exist depending on context, see the examples. We admit that it is strange to call your lover "little fart", but hey, someone thought it was a good idea! (Not that it is everybody’s favourite pet name.)

Examples:
– "Wat ben je toch een scheetje!"
("You’re such a (little) darling!")

– "Heb je de baby van Rosalie gezien? Het is echt een scheetje!"
("Have you seen Rosalie’s baby? She’s a real cutie!" From the Dutch sentence you cannot tell the gender of the baby, but since we actually know this baby we translated it with "she" ;-))

Related words:
– "Poepie": synonym for "scheetje". Can also be used as a pet name.
– "Drolletje": little turd. Can also be used as a pet name, if you care for more substance than a "scheetje" 🙂

2. (little) fart [noun] [het scheetje, de scheetjes; diminutive] [‘sgee-tju’]

"Scheetje" is the diminutive of "scheet": fart. A more formal synonym (if existing!) for fart is "wind" or "windje".
"To fart" is translated with "een scheet laten", literally: "to let a fart".

Examples:
– "Ruik je dat? Volgens mij heeft er iemand een scheet gelaten!"
("Do you smell that? I think someone has farted!" Lit.: "According to me, someone has farted!")

– "Sorry, niet dichterbij komen, ik moet een scheetje laten!"
("I’m sorry, don’t come any closer, I have to fart!" Lit.: "…I have to let a little fart!")

– "Het laten van scheten wordt over het algemeen als onfatsoenlijk gedrag gezien, maar zeg nu zelf, soms kan je er niets aan doen!"
("Farting is generally considered to be inappropriate behaviour, but you have to admit, sometimes you can’t help it!" Literally "zeg nu zelf" translates to "say it yourself".)

Expression:
– "Het zijn de harde die klinken, maar de zachte die stinken.": we have heard the English say "silent but violent"; literally this means "the loud ones are the ones that sound, but the soft are the ones that smell."

Related words:
– "Wind/je": fart.
– "Poepie": (little) fart.
– "Schijten": to shit, to (take a) crap.
– "Poepen": less informal synonym for "schijten".