1. sober, fasting/empty
[adjective]
[nuch-ter]
When you are not drunk, we say that you are "nuchter". "Nuchter" is also the state you are in when you have been fasting for a (short) while, for example when awaiting surgery.
Examples:
– "Ik kan me niet herinneren wanneer oom Gerrit voor het laatst nuchter was."
("I can't remember the last time when uncle Gerrit was sober.")
– "Volgens mij heeft u te veel gedronken meneer!" – "Nou nee hoor, ik ben zo nuchter als wat!"
("I think you have drunk too much sir!" – "I beg to differ, I'm as sober as one can be!")
– "Wil je een bakje koffie?" – "Nee bedankt, ik moet eerst wat eten, koffie valt bij mij niet lekker op een nuchtere maag."
("Would you like some coffee?" – "No thanks, I need to eat something first, coffee doesn't go down well for me when my stomach is still empty.")
– "Neem nog wat te eten!" – "Nee bedankt, ik mag niet meer eten, ik word vanmiddag geopereerd en moet nuchter zijn."
("Come on, have something else to eat!" – "No thanks, I'm not allowed to eat anything else, this afternoon I'll undergo surgery and I must have an empty stomach.")
Related words:
– Dronken: drunk [adjective/adverb].
– Vasten: to fast [verb] [vastte, gevast]. Often used in religious context. Otherwise it is common to just say "niet eten".
2. sensible, down-to-earth, level-headed
[adjective/adverb]
[nuch-ter]
The other common translation of "nuchter" regards your mentality or attitude. When you are not easily excited or put-off, when you are down to earth and sensible, we say that you are "nuchter". Quite often farmers have the image of being "nuchter". This translation of "nuchter" does not only pertain to people, see the Examples.
Examples:
– "Sita is mij een beetje te nuchter, ik ben op zoek naar een extraverter iemand."
("Sita is a bit too level-headed for my taste, I'm looking for a more extravert person.")
– "Tante Sjaan stond bekend als een nuchter mens. En dat terwijl ze vaak een borreltje nam! Ha ha, vat je 'm??" – "Zeg, vind je het gepast om nu al grappen te maken over tante Sjaan, ze is pas net overleden!"
("Aunt Sjaan was known as a down-to-earth woman. While she often had a drink! Ha ha, do you get it??" – "Hey, don't you think it is inappropriate to joke about aunt Sjaan already, she has just passed away!")
– "Geen paniek, laten we proberen de situatie nuchter te bekijken."
("Don't panic, let's try to approach the situation in a down-to-earth way.")
Expressions:
– "De nuchtere werkelijkheid": cold/harsh reality.
– "Met beide benen op de grond blijven staan": to remain level-headed. Lit. "to keep standing with both legs on the ground".
– "Ergens nuchter in zijn": to be sensible/down-to-earth about something.
Related words:
– Realistisch: realistic [adjective].
– Pragmatisch: pragmatic [adjective].
– Reëel: real, realistic [adjective].
– Zakelijk: business(like), professional/objective, clinical, concise [adjective].