Gedogen

to tolerate, to permit, to allow Iconspeaker_3
[verb]
[ge-do-gen, ge-doog-de, ge-doogd]Wiet

Generally, "gedogen" translates to "to allow" or "to permit". Legally, – and that’s the context how it’s mostly used in Dutch – it refers to not enforcing certain laws. The Dutch authorities tolerate some offences. Some things like smoking marijuana are formally forbidden by law, but the Dutch authorities abstain from bringing criminal charges to these offenders. This policy is  commonly known as the Dutch "gedoogbeleid". The Dutch policy on soft drugs is the most well-know form of "gedoogbeleid", see also Wikipedia.

Examples:
– "We kunnen deze billenknijper niet langer gedogen!" 
("We can no longer tolerate this bottom squeezer!")

– "De burgemeester van Maastricht heeft gezegd dat hij coffeeshops in het centrum van de stad niet langer wil gedogen." 
("The mayor of Maastricht has said that he no longer wants to allow hash bars in the city center.")

– "Volgens sommigen leidt het gedoogbeleid tot drugstoerisme in de Nederlandse grensstreken." 
("According to some, the toleration policy leads to drug tourism in the Dutch border regions.")

Related words:
– Gedoogbeleid: toleration policy [noun] [het gedoogbeleid, <no plural>].
– Tolereren: to tolerate [verb] [tolereren, tolereerde, getolereerd].

Example:
– "Meneer, ik kan uw belachelijke gedrag niet tolereren."
("Sir, I cannot tolerate your ridiculous behaviour.")

– Toestaan: to allow [verb] [toestaan, stond toe, toegestaan].
– Coffeeshop: cannabis coffee shop, hash bar (where the sale of cannabis and hashish for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities) [noun] [de coffeeshop, de coffeeshops].

Extra:
Check out the view of Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) on the Dutch "gedoogbeleid" 🙂

One thought on “Gedogen

  1. Gedogen roept bij mij altijd het beeld op van flexibel deeg.
    Alleen klopt dat weer niet helemaal met het dogenplaeis in venetië; dogen waren volgens mij toch niet heel flexibel.

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