navel, belly button
[noun]
[de na-vel, de na-vels]
Although it’s not quite the season for crop tops, today’s word is “navel” (“belly button”). As in English, Dutch “navel” can also be used when referring to the navel of oranges, and in some cases when referring to the center of the world (see ‘Extra’).
Examples:
– “De navel is het litteken dat overblijft na het verwijderen van de navelstreng.”
(“The belly button is the mark that remains after removal of the navel string.”)
– “Toen de metaaldetector afging, vroeg de beveiligingsbeambte of ik misschien een navelpiercing had.”
(“When the metal detector went off, the security guard asked me if I happened to have a navelpiercing.”)
– “Mensen met overgewicht kunnen soms hun eigen navel niet meer zien.”
(“Overweight people can sometimes no longer see their own belly button.”)
Related words:
– Navelsinaasappel: navel orange [noun] [de navelsinaasappel, de navelsinaasappels].
– Navelstaren: to be (consumed by being) focused on oneself [verb] [navelstaarde, heb navelgestaard].
Example:
– “Denk toch ook eens aan anderen in plaats van dat eeuwige navelstaren!”
(“Think about someone else for a change instead of always thinking of yourself!”)
– Naveltruitje: crop top [noun] [het naveltruitje, de naveltruitjes].
– Navelstreng: umbilical cord, navel string [noun] [de navelstreng, de navelstrengen].
Ha! Funny that you should publish this word today, after yesterday’s mention of ‘nevel’ (= haze). I made a mental note then to try and not get the two confused!
By the way, ‘navelstaren’ is navel-gazing in English, and can be used in the same way as in Dutch. So the above example could be translated:
Think about someone else for a change instead of your constant navel-gazing!
Thanks Simon!
Laura