Slaapkamer

bedroom Click to listen

[noun]
[de slaap-ka-mer, de slaap-ka-mers]

bedroom-389254_640“Slaapkamer” is composed of “slaap” and “kamer”, which respectively translate to “sleep” and “room”. Hence literally, “slaapkamer” would translate to “sleep room”: a bedroom.

Check out the common bed sizes used in Dutch bedrooms here: DWOTD “Bed“.

Examples:
– “Waar is de kleine Max?” – “In zijn slaapkamer. Hij was uitgeput van het schoolreisje.” 
(“Where’s little Max?” – “In his bedroom. He was exhausted from the school trip.”)

– “Wat een lelijk behang in de slaapkamer…” – “Dat valt wel mee, toch?” 
(“The wallpaper in the bedroom is ugly…” – “It isn’t that bad, is it?”)

– “Frank! Heb jij stiekem zitten roken in de slaapkamer??” 
(“Frank! Have you been smoking secretly in the bedroom??”)

Expressions:

Met het verkeerde been uit bed stappen“: to wake/get up on the wrong side of the bed.

Related words:
Bed: [noun] [het bed, de bedden].
Droom: dream [noun] [de droom, de dromen].

Example:
– “Ik heb een droom dat op een dag dit land zal verrijzen en zal leven naar de ware betekenis van haar credo.”
(“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.”)

Gapen: to yawn [verb] [gapen, gaapte, h. gegaapt].
Slaapverwekkend: mind-numbing, sleep-inducing, soporific [adjective].

Extra:Bedstee
In some old Dutch houses and farms you may find something called a “bedstede” or “bedstee”. A  “bedstee” is a more or less a compartment where you can sleep, integrated in the wall, in the form of a cupboard, closeable with doors or curtains for privacy. “Bedstedes” were used a lot up until the 19th century, particularly in farms at the countryside. (From: Wikipedia)

Slapen

Grammar: <slapen> [verb] [sliep, h. geslapen].

Translates to: to sleep.

Examples:
1. "Frankt kon vannacht niet slapen door twee vechtende katers."
("Frank couldn’t sleep last night because of two fighting tomcats." See also "DWOTD 84. Kater".)

2. "Als gevolg zat Frank te slapen tijdens een belangrijke vergadering."
("As a consequence, Frank was sleeping during an important meeting.")

3. "Als je een appartement koopt, moet je goed opletten of de ‘Vereniging van Eigenaren’ slapend of actief is."
("When buying an apartment, one needs to check carefully whether the ‘Cooperation of Owners/Residence Association’ is dormant or active.")

4. "Slaap lekker!"
("Sleep well!")

5. "Ik wil alleen maar slapen!"
("I only/just want to sleep". The construction "Ik wil alleen maar …" is also often used to say more explicitly that "The only thing I want is…")

6. "Hoe laat ga jij meestal slapen?" – "Om half elf."
("At what time do you usually go to bed?" – "At half past ten.")

Expression:
"Je moet geen slapende honden wakker maken.": (one has to) let sleeping dogs lie. Literally: "one must not wake up sleeping dogs".

Related words:
1. "Verslapen": to oversleep.
2. "Uitslapen": to sleep late.
3. "Gapen": to yawn.
4. "Slaperig": sleepy.
5. "Slaapkop": sleepy head.
6. "Dromen": to dream.
7. "Kussen": pillow.
8. "Bed": bed.
9. "Winterslaap": hibernation (of animals).