Haasten

to hurry / hasten / make haste
[verb]
[zich haas-ten, haast-te zich, h. zich ge-haast

‘Haasten’ is a ‘wederkerend werkwoord’: a reflexive verb. So the proper way to say it is: ‘zich haasten’. There is also a regular form of ‘haasten’ which can for example be used when you are rushing somebody else, but is is not as common. Common related nouns are ‘haast’ and ‘spoed’, see below.

Some people are fundamentally against ‘haasten’ and have been promoting the opposite of ‘haasten’ as a lifestyle: ‘onthaasten’. This verb is not reflexive and translates as ‘to slow down (in life in general)’.

Examples:
“Ik heb me vandaag de hele dag moeten haasten, vanavond plof ik neer op de bank en ik kom er niet meer vanaf!” 
(“I have had to hurry all day long, tonight I’m going to crash on the couch and I will not get off it again!”)

“Je moet je niet de hele tijd zo haasten; dat is niet goed voor je hart!” 
(“You shouldn’t be rushing all the time; it’s not good for your heart!”)

“Al dat gehaast van jou! Ik hoef me nooit te haasten! Weet je wat de truc is? Vijf minuten eerder opstaan!” – “Jij hebt makkelijk praten! Ik ben namelijk vijf minuten te laat geboren!” 
(“All this rushing of yours! I never have to hurry! Do you want to know the trick? Get up five minutes earlier!” – “That’s easy for you to say! As a matter of fact, I was born five minutes too late!” Lit. “You have easy talking!”)

“We moeten ons haasten want anders wordt het te druk op de weg. Heb je alles wat je nodig hebt?” – “Als ik jou maar heb schatje, dan ben ik gelukkig!” – “Bah, mag ik een teiltje?”  
(“We have to hurry, because it will get too busy on the roads otherwise. Do you have everything you need?” – “As long as I have you baby, then I’m happy!” – “Ugh, can I have a bucket to vomit in?” A ‘teiltje’ is actually a relatively small basin or washing-up bowl. The expression ‘mag ik een teiltje’ is jokingly used when somebody says something that is about to make you vomit (figuratively).)

Expressions:
– “Haastige spoed is zelden goed”: haste makes waste.
– “Van hot naar her”: to and fro / back and forth / hither and tither.

Related words:
– Haast: haste, hurry, rush [noun] [de haast, <no plural>].
– Gehaast: hurried, hasty, in a hurry [adjective/adverb].
– Onthaasten: to slow down, to lower the pace [verb] [onthaastte, onthaast].
– Gejaagd: hurried, agitated [adjective/adverb].
Spoed: rush, urgency [noun] [de spoed, <no plural>].
– Snel: fast, quick [adjective].

Dringend

urgent, pressing, acute Iconspeaker_3
[adjective/adverb]
[dring-end]

Dringend “Dringend” can be both used as an adjective and an adverb. Apply as you see fit following the examples below. I have underlined typical word combinations with ‘dringend’. The related verbs are “dringen” (to push/press) or “aandringen” (to urge/insist).

Examples:
– “Sander, heb je nu nog geen DWOTD geschreven?” – “Nou rustig maar hoor, zo dringend is het toch niet; iedereen is op vakantie!” 
(“Sander, have you still not written a DWOTD?” – “Take it easy now, it is not that urgent is it; everybody is on holiday!”)

– “Er is dringend behoefte aan water en tenten.” 
(“There is urgent need of water and tents.”)

– “Ik verzoek u vriendelijk, doch dringend, om uw fiets niet voor mijn raam neer te zetten.” 
(“I request you kindly, though urgently, not to stall your bicycle in front of my window.”)

– “Als ik jou was zou ik het met een korreltje zout nemen, bij hem is altijd alles dringend!” 
(“If I were you I wouldn’t take it too seriously, everything he wants is (supposedly) urgent!” Note the expression “iets met een korreltje zout nemen” – take something with a grain pinch of salt.)

– “Sorry, maar de dokter is alleen voor dringende gevallen bereikbaar!” – “Ja maar, ik moet hem dringend spreken!” 
(“I’m sorry but the doctor can only be reached in case of emergencies (“urgent cases”)” – “But, but, I have to speak to him urgently!”)

– “Bij Sander op het werk zitten ze dringend verlegen om extra mankracht, maar er mag niemand aangenomen worden.” 
(“At Sander’s office there is an urgent need of additional manpower, but it is not allowed to hire anybody new.” Note that “aannemen” is to hire a new person on the staff. “Inhuren” would be to temporarily hire somebody from outside.)

Related words:
Spoed: haste, rush [noun] [de spoed, <no plural>].
– Haast: haste [noun] [de haast, <no plural>].

Example:
– “Haastige spoed is zelden goed!”
(“Haste makes waste!”)

– Dringen: to push/press [verb] [drong, gedrongen].
– Aandringen: to urge/insist [verb] [drong aan, aangedrongen].