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.