Gast

1. guest, visitor, lodger [noun] [de gast, de gasten] [‘gast‘]

Today’s word is "gast" because it can be used the same way as
yesterday’s "gozer" (see translation 2. below). However, its main
meaning is "guest".

Examples:
– "Aanstaande maandag kan ik niet naar de karate-training, want dan heb ik gasten te eten."
("This coming Monday I can’t go to karate training, because I will have guests over for dinner.")

– "Het is bij mij thuis een zooitje. Ik kan dit weekend echt geen gasten ontvangen."
("It is a mess at my place. I can’t possibly receive guests this weekend.")

– "Op Windows kun je het gast-account het beste uitschakelen."
("On Windows one had better disable the guest account.")

Expression:
– "Zoals de waard is, vertrouwt hij zijn gasten": something like "ill doers are ill deemers", literally: "the way the innkeeper is, he trusts his guests."

Related words:
– "Gasthuis": old-fashioned synonym for "ziekenhuis": hospital.
– "Gastenverblijf": guest wing. For a single room see "logeerkamer" below.
– "Gastenboek": guest book.
– "Logé": a guest that stays over at your house.
– "Logeerkamer": the room that the "logé" will stay in.
– "Logeren": to stay over at someone’s house.
– "Bezoeker": visitor.
– "Bezoeken": to visit.

2. guy, bloke, dude, fellow [noun] [de gast, de gasten] [‘gast‘]

In this translation the word "gast" can be used in the same way as "gozer", that is: for males only,  however it does not have the positive connotation by definition.

Examples:
– "Hé gast!! Tijd niet gezien!!"
("Hey dude/mate/man!! Long time no see!!)

– "Die nieuwe buurman van mij is een vreemde gast."
("That new neighbour of mine is a strange guy.")

– "Er hangen weer wat gasten rond bij de ingang van het park."
("A few guys are hanging around again at the park entrance.")

 Related word:
– "Gozer": guy, bloke, dude.

Gozer

guy, bloke, dude [noun] [de gozer, de gozers] [‘goo-zur’]

In a Dutch dictionary you will sometimes see the addition that a word is "Bargoens". This is the Dutch "thieves’ cant". It indicates that the word found its original use in that environment, although real "Bargoens" doesn’t exist as such anymore. Many words have made it into the normal Dutch language, but are mainly used informally or in certain sub-cultures. The Yiddish language has had a big influence on "Bargoens" and many words were derived from Yiddish. One such example is "gozer", which is derived from the word "chosen" (groom in Yiddish).

"Gozer" is used informally and is mainly used in the west of the Netherlands. It generally has a positive connotation and is only used for men.

Examples:
– "Heb je Daniela’s nieuwe vriend al ontmoet? Het is een toffe gozer."
("Have you met Daniela’s new boyfriend? It is a really nice guy.")

– "Bedankt gozer!"
("Thanks dude! / Nice one mate!")

– "Is het druk binnen?" – "Ik zie een paar gozers, maar dat is alles."
("Is it crowded inside?" – "I see a few blokes/guys, but that’s all.")

Related word:

– "Lefgozer": hotshot, show-off. "Lef" translates to guts, nerve, spunk etc.

Fles

bottle [noun] [de fles, de flessen] [‘fles‘]

The diminutive "flesje" is commonly used for the small bottles of soda or beer, or informally (see ‘Examples’). There is also a verb "flessen", which means "to con" or "to cheat", see ‘Related words’.

The Dutch recycle glass bottles and collection points are situated in every neigbourhood.
Plastic bottles, or beer bottles, you can return to the supermarket if you have paid a deposit for it, see ‘Extra’.
Not all plastic bottles are recycled, but plans are in the making to improve our efforts here.

Examples:
– "We gaan picknicken op het strand met Pascal en Roos. Zullen we een fles(je) wijn meenemen?"
("We are going to have a pick-nick at the beach with Pascal and Roos. Shall we bring a bottle of wine?")Beugelfles

– "Het Nederlandse biermerk Grolsch staat bekend om zijn beugelflessen."

("The Dutch beer brand Grolsch is known for its swing-top bottles.")

– "Drink jij liever bier uit een blikje, of uit een flesje?"
("Do you prefer to drink beer out of a can, or a bottle?")

Expressions:
– "De fles geven": to bottle-feed (a baby).
– "Naar de fles grijpen": literally "to reach for the bottle", alcoholics are said to do this (informally).

Related words:
– "Ontkurken": to uncork.
– "Flessenhals": neck of a bottle.
– "Flessen": to con, to cheat, to fool.

Example:
– "Volgens mij zit je de boel te flessen!"
("I think your are pulling my/our leg!" The word "boel" is generally used for "things" or "business".)

– "Zuurstoffles": oxygen cylinder (e.g. for scuba diving).
– "Statiegeld": deposit (on bottles).
– "Glasbak": glass container for recycling your glass bottles.

Extra: on "statiegeld"
You do not pay "statiegeld" for all bottles that you purchase in the supermarket. For example, you do for beer bottles, but you don’t for wine or juice bottles. You do for bottles of coca-cola, spa, etc., but not for plastic bottles of milk.
Glasbak_1
In case you wonder why the machine is returning all of your bottles, check the back of the bottle. If it has the "waste basket" sign, or the "glasbak" sign, there is no "statiegeld". Another way to find out is to look for the word "statiegeld", or to look at your receipt: it will list "statiegeld" or the synonym "emballage" when you have paid it.

Tent

1. tent [noun] [de tent, de tenten] [‘tent‘]

You never know when you will be needing a tent, so here is some idiom. "Tent" is used for the regular camping tents and the huge circus tents.

Also pay attention to the second translation, which is very common in Dutch speech.

Examples:
-"Zullen we dit jaar gaan kamperen?" – "Ok, maar ik heb geen tent, jij wel?"
("Shall we go camping this year?" – "Ok, but I don’t have a tent, do you?")

– "Weet jij een goede winkel om een tent te kopen? Ik heb zelf geen flauw idee!"
("Do you know of a good store where one can buy a tent? I haven’t got a clue myself!")

– "Als je in augustus een tent wil kopen, kom je al snel van een koude kermis thuis; de meeste tenten zijn uitverkocht!"
("If you want to buy a tent in August, you are likely to get disappointed; most tents are sold out!" The expression "van een koude kermis terugkomen" literally means "to return from a cold fairground/fun fair" and is used when you go out to get something done but you do not succeed.)

Sanders_tent
– "Sander gaat dit weekend naar het Lowlands festival en heeft met mazzel nog een tent kunnen vinden."
("Sander is going to the Lowlands festival this weekend, and, with a lot of luck, has been able to find a tent.")

– "Als een stelletje samen een tent opzet, kan dat wel eens op ruzie uitlopen."
("If a couple put up a tent together, it might end up in a fight." A "stelletje" is used for young couples.)

– "Het afbreken van de tent daarentegen, is een stuk gemakkelijker!"
("Taking down a tent, on the contrary, is a lot easier!")

Expressions:
– "Paniek in de tent": <slightly ironic> panic breaking out. Literally: "panic in the tent".

Example:
– "Toen zij merkte dat ze haar sleutels verloren had, was er plotseling paniek in de tent."
("When she found out that she had lost her keys, she suddenly broke into panic.")

– "Iemand uit zijn tent lokken": to provoke somebody. Literally: "to lure somebody out of their tent."

Example:
– "Als je saaie collega’s hebt, dan moet je ze gewoon een beetje uit hun tent lokken!"
("If you have boring co-workers, just provoke them a bit!" Lit.: "then you just have to …")

– "Die jurk van jou lijkt wel een tent": your dress looks like a tent (lit. "that dress of yours…"). This you can say to females whose dress is shapeless and inelegant. [Suggested by Bregtje].

Related words:
– "Haring": tent peg. MInd that "haring" is also the infamous raw fish we like to eat (but we just don’t call it sashimi 😉 ).
– "Scheerlijn": guy line.
– "Dekzeil": tarp(aulin), canvas.

2. place, joint, venue [noun] [de tent, de tenten] [‘tent‘]

It is very common to use "tent" for places like restaurants, clubs and bars.

Examples:
– "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…")

– "Hé, weet jij hier in de buurt een leuke tent om te dansen?"
("Hey, do you know of a nice place to go dancing around here?")

– "Tivoli in Utrecht, is een coole tent."
("Tivoli in Utrecht is a cool venue.")

Geloven

to believe, to think (opinion), to have faith (in), to be religious [verb] [geloofde, geloofd] [‘gu-loo-vun’]

Examples:
– "Nee echt, geloof me, ik spreek de waarheid!"
("No really, believe me, I’m telling you the truth!" Literally "…, I speak the truth!")

– "Geloof het of niet, George is niet thuis, laat a.u.b. een boodschap achter na de piep!"
("Believe it or not, George isn’t at home, please leave a message at the beep!" The abbreviation "a.u.b." stands for "alstublieft" which translates to "thank you" or "please". See also 67. Dankjewel.)

– "Ik kan het nog steeds niet geloven, mijn Nederlands wordt elke dag beter!"
("I still can’t believe it, my Dutch is improving every day!")

– "Niet te geloven…"
("Unbelievable…")

– "Want zij gelooft in mij, zij ziet toekomst in ons allebei."
("Because she has faith in me, she sees a future in the both of us." This is a line from the well-known song "Zij gelooft in mij" by the famous Dutch singer André Hazes.)

– "Ik geloof niet dat dat zo’n goed idee is!"
("I don’t think (that) that is such a good idea!")

– "Is de bus al geweest?" – "Ik geloof het wel ja."
("Has the bus already passed?" – "I think so (yes).")

– "Geloof jij?" – "Nee, ik ben atheïst."
("Are you religious?" – "No, I’m an atheist.")

Expression:
– "Eraan moeten geloven": to have to do it, to have to face it.

Example:
– "Ja jongen, je zult eraan moeten geloven; je eerste werkdag!"
("Yes mate/dude, you will have to face it; your first day at the job!")

Related words:
– "Ongelofelijk": unbelievable.
– "Geloof": religion.
– "Gelovig": religious.