to tailgate, tailgating
[verb]
[bum-per-kle-ven, bum-per-kleef-de, h. ge-bum-per-kleefd]
"Bumperkleven" is composed of "bumper" and "kleven", which respectively translate to "bumper" and "to stick". Hence literally, "bumperkleven" would translate to "to bumperstick" or "bumpersticking". In English, this is called tailgating: the practice of driving on a road too closely at a distance which does not guarantee that stopping to avoid collision is possible. [from Wikipedia]. A person who is tailgating is called a "bumperklever".
"Bumperkleven" is an example of a compound verb that cannot be separated when conjugated. So:
>> [correct] ik bumperkleef, ik bumperkleefde, ik heb gebumperkleefd
>> [incorrect] ik kleef bumper, ik kleefde bumper, ik heb bumpergekleefd
Examples:
– "Irritant als mensen bumperkleven."
("De vertaling van bovenstaande zin.")
– "In geval van bumperkleven kan de politie je een bekeuring opleggen."
("In case of tailgating, the police may give you a fine.")
– "Wat zullen we nou krijgen! Ik rij al 150 en die gast is nu al vijf minuten aan het bumperkleven."
("What's going on here?! I'm driving 150 (km/h) already, and this dude is tailgating me for five minutes now.")
Expressions:
– "Haastige spoed is zelden goed": (lit.: hasty haste is seldom good) haste makes waste.
Related words:
– Auto: car [noun] [de auto, de auto's].
– Bumper: bumper [noun] [de bumper, de bumpers].
– File: traffic jam [noun] [de file, de files].
– Kleven: to stick [verb] [kleven, kleefde, h. gekleefd].
Example:
– "Er kleeft kauwgom aan de onderkant van de tafel."
("There's chewing gum sticking under the table.")