Vertrek

1. room, apartment, chamber Click to listen
Vertrek
[noun]
[het ver-trek. de ver-trek-ken]

A "vertrek" is a room. It's somewhat formal, used to refer to rooms or spaces in houses or buildings in general. Synonyms are "kamer" (room) and "ruimte" (space).

Examples:
– "Dit huis heeft vijf vertrekken: een woonkamer, twee slaapkamers, een keuken en een badkamer met douche en toilet." 
("This house has five rooms: a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom with a shower and toilet.")

– "Het vertrek was een grote ravage, overal lag er troep op de vloer." 
("The room was one big mess, there was rubbish all over the floor.")

Related words:
– Kamer: room, chamber [noun] [de kamer, de kamers].
Slaapkamer: bedroom [noun] [de slaapkamer, de slaapkamers].
– Woonkamer: living room [noun] [de woonkamer, de woonkamers].

2. departure, start, take off Click to listen
Spaceshuttle
[noun]
[het ver-trek, <no plural>]

"Vertrek" is also a departure. "Trek" is (probably) etymologically related to "track", so "vertrek" is something like 'the act of going on a track'….

Related verb is "vertrekken", see 3.

Examples:
– "Na de enorme flater op TV, heeft de politicus gisteren zijn vertrek bij de partij aangekondigd." 
("After the huge blunder on TV, the politician has announced his departure from the party yesterday.")

– "Dames en heren, wij zijn klaar voor vertrek. Wilt u alle elektronische apparatuur uitschakelen en opbergen?"
("Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready for departure. Would you please switch off all electronic devices and stow them?")

Related words:
– Afscheid: goodbye, farewell, parting [noun] [het afscheid, <no plural>].

Example:
– "Bij het afscheid gaf Frank zijn schoonmoeder drie zoenen op de wang."
("When he left, Frank gave his mother in law three kisses on the cheek." Lit.: "At the goodbye, …")

– Vertrekhal: departure lounge/hall [noun] [de vertrekhal, de vertrekhallen].
– Vertrektijd: departure time [noun] [de vertrektijd, de vertrektijden].

3. to leave Click to listen
Koffer
[verb]
[ver-trek-ken, ver-trok, i. ver-trok-ken]

"Vertrek" is also the first person singular conjugation of the verb "vertrekken": "ik vertrek" (I leave).

Examples:
– "Dat doet de deur dicht! Ik vertrek!" 
("That does it! I am leaving!")

– "Vertrekken is een beetje sterven…" 
("Partir, c'est mourir un peu… / To part is to die a little…")

– "Ik heb vandaag mijn baan opgezegd, morgen vertrek ik naar Parijs." 
("I've quit my job today, tomorrow I will leave for Paris.")

Expressions:
– "Met opgeheven hoofd vertrekken": to leave with one's head held high.
– "Met de noorderzon vertrekken": to do a moonlight flit, to leave without notice to an unknown destination.

Example:
– "De toekomst van hun relatie is onzeker nu Frank met de noorderzon vertrokken is." 
("The future of their relationship is uncertain now Frank has done a moonlight flit.")

– "Met stille trom vertrekken": to leave quietly, unnoticed. (Lit.: to leave with quiet drum).

Related words:
Groetjes:  regards [noun] [het groetje, de groetjes].
Toedeledoki: toodle-oo, bye(-bye), cheers, cheerio [interjection].

Example:
– "Ik vertrek, toedeledoki!"
("I am leaving, toodle-oo!")

– Verlaten: to leave, to abandon [verb] [verlaten, verliet, h. verlaten].

Slaapkamer

bedroom Click to listen

[noun]
[de slaap-ka-mer, de slaap-ka-mers]

bedroom-389254_640“Slaapkamer” is composed of “slaap” and “kamer”, which respectively translate to “sleep” and “room”. Hence literally, “slaapkamer” would translate to “sleep room”: a bedroom.

Check out the common bed sizes used in Dutch bedrooms here: DWOTD “Bed“.

Examples:
– “Waar is de kleine Max?” – “In zijn slaapkamer. Hij was uitgeput van het schoolreisje.” 
(“Where’s little Max?” – “In his bedroom. He was exhausted from the school trip.”)

– “Wat een lelijk behang in de slaapkamer…” – “Dat valt wel mee, toch?” 
(“The wallpaper in the bedroom is ugly…” – “It isn’t that bad, is it?”)

– “Frank! Heb jij stiekem zitten roken in de slaapkamer??” 
(“Frank! Have you been smoking secretly in the bedroom??”)

Expressions:

Met het verkeerde been uit bed stappen“: to wake/get up on the wrong side of the bed.

Related words:
Bed: [noun] [het bed, de bedden].
Droom: dream [noun] [de droom, de dromen].

Example:
– “Ik heb een droom dat op een dag dit land zal verrijzen en zal leven naar de ware betekenis van haar credo.”
(“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.”)

Gapen: to yawn [verb] [gapen, gaapte, h. gegaapt].
Slaapverwekkend: mind-numbing, sleep-inducing, soporific [adjective].

Extra:Bedstee
In some old Dutch houses and farms you may find something called a “bedstede” or “bedstee”. A  “bedstee” is a more or less a compartment where you can sleep, integrated in the wall, in the form of a cupboard, closeable with doors or curtains for privacy. “Bedstedes” were used a lot up until the 19th century, particularly in farms at the countryside. (From: Wikipedia)