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Lesson 15 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

A Dutch Continuous - Word Order 4 - Beauty and Cleanliness - Celsius and Fahrenheit - Thoughts on Things Dutch

Listen		A Dutch Continuous		Word Order: Sentences Starting with Place, Time, or a Condition

Cleanliness / Beauty		Temperature: Celsius and Fahrenheit		Thoughts on Things Dutch

'The Mini-Titans' (2)	Nescio: Titaantjes (2) - previous
What the thing was we were going to do was never clear to us. But we were going to accomplish something.	Wat we eigenlijk doen zouden is ons nooit duidelijk geweest. Iets zouden we doen. (2)
Bekker had a vague feeling he wanted to tear down all offices. Ploeger wanted his boss to pack the clocks himself, and he was going to watch with a cigar in his mouth, cursing out those guys that could never do anything right.	Bekker had een vaag besef dat-ie alle kantoren wilde afbreken. Ploeger wilde zijn baas z'n eigen klokken laten inpakken en er bij gaan staan met een sigaar in z'n hoofd en vloeken op die kerels die nooit iets goed konden doen.
We strongly agreed that we had to 'get out.' Out of what, and how? Actually all we did was talk, smoke, drink and read books. And Bavink was still Lien's boyfriend.	Eéns waren we 't dat we 'eruit' moesten. Waaruit, en hoe? Eigenlijk deden we niets anders dan praten, roken, drinken en boeken lezen. Bavink vrijde bovendien nog met Lien.
Looking back, I think we would have been great as rich guys, but 'having dough' was something we despised; only Hoyer soon changed his mind about that.	Achteraf bedenk ik dat we een prachtig stel kerels geweest waren om rijk te zijn, maar 'centen hebben' vonden we verachtelijk; alleen Hoyer begon daar vrij gauw anders over te denken.
Bavink just didn't understand why some guys got to ride in carriages, wear expensive overcoats and give orders to other guys who were not less clever than they themselves. You didn't yet see many cars at the time.	Bavink begreep niet, waarom die kerels zo maar in rijtuigen mochten rijden en dure jassen aanhebben en andere lui commanderen, die niet stommer waren dan zij. Automobielen zag je toen nog zo niet.

Whole Summer nights we spent leaning against the fence of the East Park, talking on and on about all and everything.	Hele zomernachten stonden we tegen 't hek van 't Oosterpark te leunen en honderd uit te bomen. 2
You could have bought a complete set of furniture if you could have remembered all that talk. There is already so much being written today.	Een heel kamerameublement zou je daaraan hebben kunnen verdienen, als je dat allemaal had kunnen onthouden. Er wordt toch zoveel geschreven tegenwoordig.

Often we were less talkative. Sitting on the edge of the sidewalk after midnight, just sitting on the pavement, we moodily gazed at the cobblestones, and from the cobblestones to the stars.	Dikwijls waren we ook minder spraakzaam. Aan de rand van 't trottoir zaten we tot lang na twaalven, zo maar op de straatstenen, en waren weemoedig en tuurden naar de klinkers, en van de klinkers naar de sterren.
And then Bekker would say he actually pitied his boss, and I was trying to write a poem, and Hoyer said he was getting up because the blue stone made him cold.	En dan zei Bekker, dat-ie eigenlijk medelijden met z'n baas had en ik probeerde een gedicht te maken, en Hoyer zei dat-ie opstond want dat die blauwe steen zo optrok.
And when in those short, warm nights the black straight over our heads started to pale, we had Bavink with his head in his hands talking about the sun - in a strange sentimental way.	En als in die korte, zoele nachten het zwart recht boven onze hoofden wat verschoot, dan zat Bavink met z'n hoofd in z'n handen over de zon te praten, bij 't sentimentele af. 2
And we thought it a waste to go to bed, man should actually be able to stay awake all the time. That was also something we were also going to change. Kees was asleep.	En we vonden dat 't zonde was om naar bed te gaan, dat een mens eigenlijk altijd op moest kunnen blijven. Ook dat zouden we veranderen. Kees zat te slapen.

A Dutch Continuous

Dutch does not have a Continuous like English (you are reading, I am waiting), but a similar meaning of an activity of extended duration can be conveyed using appropriate verbs like 'zitten' (to sit, to be seated), 'liggen' (to be lying down), 'staan' (to stand, to be standing) or 'lopen' (to walk.)
See below for the another Dutch Continuous, using "aan 't"

subject	zitten / liggen / staan / lopen	te + verb infinitive	(other things)

We are listening	-	We zitten te luisteren 2 3
We were listening	-	We zaten te luisteren 2 3
I'm thinking of a present	-	Ik zit te denken aan een cadeau
I was thinking of ...	-	Ik zat te denken aan ...
I was waiting for a phone call	-	Ik zat te wachten op een telefoontje
I was waiting for ...	-	Ik zat te wachten op ...
They were sleeping	-	Ze lagen te slapen
He was talking to Pete	-	Hij stond te praten met Piet
He was talking to ...	-	Hij stond te praten met ...
He is swearing, cursing out	-	Hij loopt te schelden

Verbs Overview

to sit, to be sitting	zitten	ik zit	wij zitten	ik zat	wij zaten	ik heb gezeten	2 >>
to stand, to be standing	staan	ik sta	wij staan	ik stond	wij stonden	ik heb gestaan	2 >>
to lie (like, in bed)	liggen	ik lig	wij liggen	ik lag	wij lagen	ik heb gelegen	>>
to walk	lopen	ik loop	wij lopen	ik liep	wij liepen	ik ben/heb gelopen	2 >>

Verbs in More Depth

zitten	(to sit, be sitting, be seated)
zitten ik zit jij zit hij zit wij zitten jullie zitten zij zitten U zit	(to sit) (I sit) (you sit) (he sits) (we sit) (you sit) (they sit) (you sit)		ik zat jij zat hij zat wij zaten jullie zaten zij zaten U zat	(I sat) (you sat) (he sat) (we sat) (you sat) (they sat) (you sat)		(you - singular, informal) (you - plural, informal) (you - polite)

staan	(to stand, be standing)
ik sta jij staat hij staat wij staan jullie staan zij staan U staat	(I stand, am standing) (you stand) (he stands) (we stand) (you stand) (they stand) (you stand)		ik stond jij stond hij stond wij stonden jullie stonden zij stonden U stond 2	(I stood, was standing) (you stood) (he stood) (we stood) (you stood) (they stood) (you stood)

liggen	(to lie down - like, in bed)
ik lig jij ligt hij ligt wij liggen jullie liggen zij liggen U ligt 2	(I am lying down) (you are lying down) (he is lying down) (we are lying down) (you are lying down) (they are lying down) (you are lying down)		ik lag jij lag hij lag wij lagen jullie lagen zij lagen U lag 2	(I was lying down) (you were lying down) (he was lying down) (we were lying down) (you were lying down) (they were lying down) (you were lying down)

lopen	(to walk)
ik loop jij loopt hij loopt wij lopen jullie lopen zij lopen	I walk you walk he walks we walk you walk they walk			ik liep jij liep hij liep wij liepen jullie liepen zij liepen U liep	I walked you walked he walked we walked you walked they walked you walked
U loopt	you walk

We zitten te eten.	We're having dinner. (or lunch)
Hij zit te zwammen.	He's talking nonsense.
Hij zit te zeuren. 2	He is nagging, talking about irrelevant things in a very annoying way.
Zit niet zo te zeuren! 2	Stop nagging!
Ze lopen te demonstreren.	They're in a protest demonstration.
We staan te wachten op een taxi. 2 3	We're waiting for a taxi.
Dat staat ons ook te wachten 2	That is waiting for us too, we can expect that too
Ik sta te trillen op m'n benen 2	['I'm shaking on my legs'] - 'I'm trembling with fear or from exhaustion'
Ik lig te lezen	I'm reading (probably lying down doing that)
Hij ligt te lezen.	He's reading (probably lying down doing that).
Hij ligt te etteren. 2	He's engaging in provocative, useless talk or actions, making a nuisance of himself.
D'r zit een hond te blaffen. 2 3 4	A dog is barking.

In the regular, literal meaning, the verbs use a past participle in the perfect tense:

Ik heb gezeten	I have sat
Ik heb gestaan	I have stood
Ik heb gelegen	I have lain, I was lying
Ik heb gelopen	I have walked

But when the Dutch Continuous is employed in the perfect tenses the secondary verbs come not as past participles but as infinitives, and te is usually left out (but it's not wrong to use it.)
- more about 'Te'

We hebben zitten luisteren 2 3	We have been listening, we were listening
(We hebben zitten te luisteren 2 3 4)	We have been listening, we were listening

We hadden zitten kaarten 2 3	We had been playing cards
We hadden zitten te kaarten 2	We had been playing cards

Hij heeft de hele middag zitten typen. 2	He has been typing all afternoon.
(Hij heeft de hele middag zitten te typen. 2	He has been typing all afternoon.)

Hij heeft de hele week lopen klagen. 2	He's been complaining all week.
(Hij heeft de hele dag lopen te klagen.	He's been complaining all day.)

We hebben lopen demonstreren. (We hebbe lope demonstrere 2 3)	We have been in a protest march.

This Dutch continuous can only be used for people or occasionally animals. At school a teacher told us you cannot say 'de wind zat in de schoorsteen te huilen' (~the wind sat howling in the chimney.)

Another Ongoing Activity Structure

Another structure to express ongoing activity uses " aan 't "

2
- it may be related to English forms like 'asleep' and 'awake.'

subject	zijn (to be)	aan 't	verb infinitive

You'll see this figure used, but I do not recommend its use by students. It doesn't sound right to me in some situations but I can't think of rules for its use. My feeling is that it's mostly used for I and we.

aan 't schrijven 2 3	writing
Ik ben aan 't koken.	I'm [cooking] preparing dinner (or other hot food)
Ik ben een brood aan 't bakken. 2	I'm baking bread.
Wat ben je aan het doen?	What are you [doing] working on, busy with?
Wat ik aan 't doen ben 2 3	What I'm doing, what I'm busy with, what I'm working on
Ik ben aan 't winkelen 2	I am shopping
Ik was aan 't winkelen	I was shopping
Ik ben aan 't opnemen 2 3	I'm recording
Zoveel dingen om aan te denken! 2	So many things [to think about] to keep in mind, to keep track of
Dan heb je de poppen aan het dansen 2 3	(saying) ['Then you'll have the puppets dancing' - the show will start] - 'then the fat is in the fire, all hell will break loose'

When used with a noun, "aan 't" just takes the literal meaning 'at the'
Ze zijn aan het goede adres. 2	They came to the right address, they're at the right place (usually figuratively)
een blok aan het been 2	(saying) 'a block (large lumpy object) on your leg' - an impediment
"Aan 't werk" means 'let's get working, let's get the job started'
Aan 't werk.	To work! Let's get started! Let's start working!
Laten we aan 't werk gaan. 2 3 4	Let's get to work, start working
Also: Aan de slag! 2	To work! Let's get started! Let's start working!

<< previous - verbs central - next >>

Word Order: Sentences Starting with Place, Time, or a Condition

As discussed in lesson 13, Dutch turns around subject and verb in questions, while English turns around subject and working verb for 'to be' and uses the auxiliary verb 'to do' for other verbs in questions.

Is it dark?

Is het donker?

Did the sun go down?

Ging de zon onder?

Otherwise, English word order doesn't change much, but in Dutch some sentence types have word order variations. It may be a little difficult for foreign students, but getting this right will make your Dutch more authentic, it will be worth the time spent working on this.

It is dark.		Het is donker. 2
At night it is dark.		's Nachts is het donker. 2
When it is dark ...		Als het donker is ...

The sun went down.		De zon ging onder. 2 3
In the evening, the sun went down.		's Avonds ging de zon onder. 2
When the sun went down ...		Toen de zon onderging ... 2

Verb Before Subject		Word Order in the Subordinate Clause

	Advanced: Complications in the Subordinate Clause

The Position of Verb and Subject

A sentence can also start with a word or statement that indicates time, place or a condition, and after that the working verb is placed before the subject:

statement of time, place or condition	working verb	subject	(time)	(place)	(object)	(complement)	(other verbs)

Vanmorgen scheen de zon.	This morning, the sun was shining.
compare with: De zon scheen de hele dag.	The sun was shining all day.
Vannacht regende het.	Last night it rained.
compare with: 't Regende gisteren	It was raining yesterday.
Vannacht heeft 't geregend.	Last night it rained.
In Kentucky is het gras blauw.	In Kentucky the grass is blue.
Vandaag eten we vis. 2	Today we're [eating] having fish.
compare with: Ik eet vis. 2	I'm [eating] having fish.
En dan gaan we eten. 2	And then we'll eat.
En toen kwam Jan.	[And then John came.] And at that moment John arrived.
En toen werd het donker.	And then it got dark.
compare: Het werd donker.	It [became] turned dark.
Om elf uur viel ik in slaap. 2	At eleven I fell asleep.
Gisteren schopte ik niet hard genoeg.	Yesterday, I didn't kick hard enough. (soccer)
Vroeger was alles beter.	In the past, everything was better.
Misschien kunnen we wel buiten zitten	Maybe we can sit outside.
Volgens het weerbericht gaat het morgen regenen.	According to the weather forecast it will rain tomorrow.
Daar is de Engelse schroevedraaier gebruikt.	"There the English screwdriver was used." (using a hammer on a screw)
In het Nederlands zeggen we 'Gezondheid!' als iemand niest.	In Dutch we say 'Gezondheid!' when someone sneezes. 2
In 1813 werd Nederland een koninkrijk.	In 1813 Holland became a kingdom.
compare: Nederland werd een koninkrijk in 1813.	Holland became a kingdom in 1813.
In 1568 begon De Tachtigjarige Oorlog.	In 1568 the 80-Years War (The Dutch Revolt) started.
compare: De Tachtigjarige Oorlog begon in 1568.	The 80-Years War (The Dutch Revolt) started in 1568.
In Nederland is het vaak bewolkt.	In Holland, it's often overcast.
compare: Het is vaak bewolkt in Nederland.	It's often overcast in Holland.
Aan het eind van de straat gaan we rechtsaf.	At the end of the street we'll [go right] make a right turn.
Door de tegenwind kwamen we maar met moeite vooruit.	Because of the [wind-against] headwind we only moved forward [with difficulty] slowly.
Behalve z'n neus lijkt hij op z'n oma.	Except for his nose he looks like his grandmother.
Met Kerstmis gingen we naar de nachtmis.	At Christmas we went to the midnight mass.
compare: We gingen naar de nachtmis met Kerstmis.	We went to midnight mass at Christmas.
or just as good: We gingen met Kerstmis naar de nachtmis. 2	We went to midnight mass at Christmas.

Word Order in The Subordinate Clause Itself

The statement of time, place or condition is sometimes just one word, or a combination of one or more prepositions and nouns, but it can also be a sub-sentence with its own subject and working verb. If I'm not mistaken grammarians call a sub-sentence like this a 'subordinate clause' - the Dutch word is (de) bijzin

2 - 'secondary sentence.' This kind of sub-sentence cannot stand on its own, does not appear as an independent sentence.
These sub-sentences often start with a 'condition word' like:

als

('if, when' - conditions) ‑>>
wanneer

('when' - condition)
toen

2 ('when' - indicating time)
omdat

('because') ‑>>
daar

('because' - formal) >>

waar

('where') ‑>>
hoe

('how') ‑>>
wie

2 ('who') ‑>>
wat

('what') ‑>>

tenzij

2 ('unless') ‑>>
terwijl

2 ('while') ‑>>
alsof

('as if') as if ‑>>
voordat

2 3 ('before') ‑>>
nadat

2 3 ('after') ‑>>

Als het regent wordt de wedstrijd afgelast.	If it rains, the game will be canceled
Toen de oorlog begon was m'n vader tweeëndertig.	When the war started, my Dad was 32.
compare: M'n vader was tweeëndertig toen de oorlog begon.	My Dad was 32 when the war started.
Als de zon schijnt ben ik blij.	When the sun shines I'm happy.
compare: Ik ben blij.	I'm happy.
Als het regent word ik droevig.	When it rains I get sad.
compare: Ik word droevig.	I'm getting sad.
Als de muziek begint moet je stil zijn.	When the music starts you'll have to be quiet
compare: De muziek begint.	The music is starting.
compare: Je moet stil zijn	You have to be quiet.
Als het concert begint moet je stil zijn.	When the concert starts you'll have to be quiet.

Complications in the Sub-Sentence (Advanced Stuff)

Complement and/or Object		After Conjunction 'Dat'

The Active Verb and Secondary Verbs		Splitting Verbs Re-Attaching

Complement and/or Object

If there is a complement or object in these conditional subsentences, it is placed before the verb, and not after the verb like in a regular sentence. You could say the complement and/or object are the most important part of the condition statement.
These longer sub-sentences can also be placed at the end of the line.
The word order in a conditional sub-sentence:

(...)	condition	subject	(complement)	(object)	working verb	(other verbs)	(...)

Je bent druk 2	You're busy
Als je druk bent ... 2	If you're busy ...
Je hebt 't druk 2 3	You're busy
Als je 't druk hebt ... 2 3	If you're busy ...

Als ik jou was ... 2	If I were you ...
Toen het donker werd gingen we naar huis.	When it got dark we went home.
compare: Het werd donker.	It [became] turned dark.
compare: We gingen naar huis. 2	We went home.
compare: We gingen naar huis toen het donker werd. 2	We went home when it got dark
Als 't hard regent blijf ik thuis. 2	If there's heavy rain I'll stay home.
compare: 't Regent hard.	There's a heavy rain..
Als je vis eet moet je ook wat drinken. 2	When you're having fish, you should also have something to drink.
compare with: Ik eet vis. 2	I'm [eating] having fish.
compare with: Je moet wat drinken. 2	You should drink something.
Toen het donker werd ging het licht aan.	When it got dark the light came on.
compare: En toen werd het donker.	And then it got dark.
compare: Het licht ging aan.	The light came on.
Toen we naar huis gingen was het donker. 2	When we went home it was dark.
compare: We gingen naar huis. 2	We went home.
compare: 't Was donker.	It was dark.
'Toen wij van Rotterdam vertrokken vertrokken wij van Rotterdam' 2 3 4	When we left Rotterdam we left Rotterdam - travel by ship and hoping to return is implied
Toen het licht groen werd reden we weg. 2	When the light turned green we drove off.
Als het licht rood wordt moet je stoppen. 2	When the light turns red you have to stop.
Als het licht rood is moet je stoppen. 2	When the light is red you have to stop.
Als het licht groen is mag je doorrijden. 2	When the light is green you may drive on.
compare: Het licht werd groen en we reden weg. 2	The light turned green and we drove off.

After Conjunction 'Dat'

When 'dat'

('that') is used as a conjuction (say that, think that, hope that, etc.) the subsentence after it also puts the object and complement before the active verb, and also follows the other subordinate clause complications mentioned below - (other use, other meanings of dat)

...	dat	subject	(complement)	(object)	working verb	(other verbs)

Ze zeggen dat er niet genoeg tijd is	They say there's not enough time
Men zegt dat in Kentucky het gras blauw is 2	It is said that the grass is blue in Kentucky
Kan 't zijn dat ik U ken?	Could it be that I know you? (Have we met before?)
Zeg dat 't niet zo is!	Say it ain't so!
Ik had kunnen weten dat 't slecht zou aflopen 2 3	I could have known that it would end badly
Denk eraan dat de zomertijd dit weekend ingaat	Keep in mind that the Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend
Hij zei dat ik het aan Jan moest geven 2 3	He said that I should give it to Jan, he told me to give it to Jan

The Active Verb and Secondary Verbs

Secondary verbs make lines of this kind even more problematic. You'll probably not need this or come across it very often, so feel free to return to it later.

If the secondary verb in lines like this is a past participle - for the perfect tense or passive voice - Dutchmen often place the working verb after it - but it is not wrong to follow the general rule and place the working verb before the past participle.
If the secondary verb is an infinitive, or if there is a series of infinitives, the active verb is usually placed before them, following the general rule.

condition word	subject	(complement)	(object)	past participle / working verb

Het heeft vannacht geregend. 2	It rained last night.
Ik ben blij dat het vannacht geregend heeft. 2	I am glad that it rained last night.
Zoals ik je misschien wel eens verteld heb ... 2 3	As I may have told you sometime ...
Ik ben blij dat je gekomen bent. 2 3	I'm glad that you have come.
Hij denkt dat ik het gedroomd heb. 2	He thinks (that) I [dreamed it] saw it in a dream.
Dat ik daar nooit eerder aan gedacht heb! 2 3 4 5	That I'd never thought of that before!
Wat jammer dat je fiets gestolen is! 2 3 4	I'm sorry your bike was stolen, Such a pity that your bike was stolen (I feel your pain)
Ik was kwaad omdat ik weer voor m'n rijexamen gezakt was. 2	I was angry because I failed the driving test again.
Metaal zet uit als 't verhit wordt 2	Metals expand when they're heated (I used the singular in Dutch, but the plural seems better in English)

When the secondary verbs in a 'condition sub-sentence' are infinitives, the 'active verb' comes before them. It may look unusual with an object and/or complement between the object and the working verb but it is according to the common rules

condition word	subject	(complement)	(object)	working verb	infinitive or infinitives

Het was niet wat hij wilde horen.	It was not what he wanted to hear.
Zij denkt dat het nog gaat gebeuren.	She thinks (that) it's still going to happen.
Het weerbericht zegt dat het morgen gaat regenen	The weather report says it's going to rain tomorrow
Ik denk niet dat hij naar ons had willen luisteren 2	I don't think he would have [wanted to listen] listened to us
Er is geen reden waarom hij niet zou kunnen winnen	There's no reason why he [shouldn't be able to] couldn't win

Splitting Verbs Re-Attaching

Lesson 12 mentioned that some compound verbs split up in the imperfect, simple present and past tenses - and there is a splitting verbs page - but when the preposition part of those verbs moves (like a complement) in front of the root verb in conditional subsentences they get attached again:
Als 't meezit ... 2	If things go well, if we're lucky ...
't Zit mee 2 3	It's going well
Als 't tegenzit ... 2	if it doesn't go well, if we're not lucky, if things don't work out ...
't Zit tegen 2 3	It's nog going well ‑>>
Toen de zon onderging begon de muziek.	When the sun went down the music started.
compare: De zon ging onder.	The sun went down.
compare: De muziek begon.	The music started.
Toen de zon onderging werd het donker.	When the sun went down it got dark.
compare: Het werd donker.	It [became] turned dark.
Toen de bliksem insloeg ging het licht uit. 2	When lightning hit, the light went out.
compare: De bliksem sloeg in. 2	Lightning hit.
Toen het licht uitging zag ik de sterren. 2	When the light went out I saw the stars.
compare: Ik zag de sterren.	I saw the stars.
Toen ik de sterren zag, begreep ik ... 2	When I saw the stars, I understood ...
Doe je het licht uit als je weggaat?	Will you please turn off the light when you leave?
compare with: Ik ga weg. 2	I'm going away, I'm leaving.
compare with: Ga je weg? 2	Are you leaving?
Toen ik het licht aandeed sloegen de stoppen door. 2 3	When I turned on the light the fuses blew.

Ik tilde z'n fiets op. 2 3	I lifted up his bike.
Hij kan erg hard fietsen. 2	He can ride a bicycle very fast, he [can be] is very fast on a bike.
Ik begrijp er niks van 2 3	[I understand nothing of it] - I don't understand any of it, it's a complete mystery to me
Toen ik z'n fiets optilde begreep ik hoe hij zo hard kon rijden. 2 3 4	When I lifted up his bike I understood how he could ride that fast.

De zon komt door 2	The sun is coming [through] out (clouds are disappearing)
Als de zon doorkomt na een regenbui 2 3	When the sun comes [through] out after a shower
De verwachte groei bleef uit 2 3	The expected growth didn't come about
De fabriek werd weer gesloten 2	The factory was closed (again)
Daar de verwachte groei uitbleef, werd de fabriek weer gesloten 2	Because the expected growth didn't come about the factory was closed (again)

<< previous - word order central - next >>

Cleanliness / Beauty

schoon

(schoon/schone

) 'clean' - schoonheid

2 - 'beauty'
vies

(vies/vieze

) 'dirty' - vuil

2 (vuil/vuile

2) 'dirty' - lelijk

2 (lelijk/lelijke

2) 'ugly'

wastafel

kraan

een stuk zeep

zeepflesje

vloeibare zeep

douche

douche

- ik douche

handdoek

[terrycloth, the materiasl that towels are made of]

badstof

[a mirror, showing me and my camera taking the picture]

spiegel

borstel

= haarborstel

kam

nagelschaartje

nagelknipper

nagelvijl

scheerapparaat

electrische tandenborstel

tandenborstel

tandpasta

tandpasta

zeep

- handen wassen

shampoo

- haar wassen

tanden poetsen

>>

wasmand

wasmand met was

wasmachine

waspoeder

= wasmiddel

>>

wasknijpers

droogrekje

waslijn

emmer

dweil

- 2

bezem

bezem

borstel

veger en blik

spons

schoonmaakmiddel

stofzuiger

- 2

stofdoek

more Beauty and Cleanliness - more Laundry and Cleaning

Temperature

Fahrenheit to Celsius (°C, Centigrade)

[a bar chart comparing Fahrenheit and Celsius degrees]

to be more precise: 100°F = 37.8°C, and average human body temperature is actually a little lower, 97.8°F, 36.5°C

(de) temperatuur

2 'temperature' - (de) thermometer

'thermometer' - (de) graden

'degrees' - Celsius

2
koud

'cold' - koel

2 cool (only literally) - lauw

'tepid' - warm

'warm' - heet

'hot'
(de) kou

'the cold' - (de) koelte

'coolness, coolth' (temperature) - (de) warmte

2 'warmth' - (de) hitte

2 'heat'
lekker warm

2 3 pleasantly, comfortably warm - een aangename temperatuur

a pleasant, comfortable temperature
(het) comfort

2 (~French) comfort - comfortabel

2 comfortable
Water freezes at 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit) - (het) vriespunt

'freezing point' = (het) smeltpunt

'melting point'
(het) ijs

'ice' // 'ice cream' - (de) vorst

2 - 'frost' // 'king' - see also: Weather
Average human body temperature is 98.6°F, 36.9°C - slightly below 100° Fahrenheit (38° Celsius)
- (de) lichaamstemperatuur

2 'body temperature'
Water boils at 100° Celsius (212° Fahrenheit) - (het) kookpunt

'boiling point'
(de) stoom

'steam' - koken

2 'to boil' // 'to cook' ‑>>
Room temperature is about 20° Celsius (68° Fahrenheit) - (de) kamertemperatuur

warm (warme 2 - warm / warme 2) warm, hot
heet 2 3 (hete 2 3 - heet / hete 2) hot
koud (koude - koud / koude ) cold

Hier is het warm, daar is het koud.	'Here it's warm, over there it's cold'
't Is koud buiten.	It's cold outside
Is 't koud? 2	Is it cold?
't Is koud.	It's cold
't Is heel erg koud. 2	It's extremely, really very cold
't Was koud.	It was cold
't Wordt koud. 2	It is getting cold
't Werd koud.	It was getting cold
't Was een koude dag.	It was a cold day
Heb je 't koud? 2	Are you cold?
Ik heb 't koud.	I am cold
Het was vorige maand erg koud.	Last month it was very cold
't Is beestachtig koud 2 3	It's [beastly] terribly cold
't Is best koud 2 3	It's rather cold, it's colder than expected
't Is niet eens zo koud 2	It's not even that cold, it's not as cold as expected
't Water is koud	The water is cold
Er is een koude wind 2 3 4 5	There is a cold wind
't Is een koude wind 2 3	It's a cold wind
De kou in 2 3	(Going) Into the cold
Laat je thee niet koud worden 2 3	'Don't let your tea get cold'
M'n thee is koud geworden 2	My tea has gone cold
't eten - 't was koud	'the food - it was cold'
Ik ben verkouden.	I have a cold
lekker warm 2 3	pleasantly, enjoyably warm
Het is hier erg warm.	It's hot here.
Zelfs in de schaduw was het warm.	Even in the shade it was hot.
Is het warm of heb ik koorts? 2	Is it hot or do I have a fever?
Heb ik koorts of is het warm? 2	Do I have a fever or is it hot?
(de) verwarming	heating
(de) centrale verwarming	central heating ‑>>
(de) warmtebron 2 3	heat source
de behoefte aan warmte	the need for warmth
warm eten 2	hot food, a hot meal ‑>>
warme chocola 2	hot chocolate - more drinks
een kopje warme chocola 2 3	a cup of hot chocolate
warme melk met honing 2 3	hot milk with honey
(de) warme zwager	'warm brother-in-law' - a sister's husband
(de) koude zwager	'cold brother-in-law' - a brother-in-law of your partner (It has to do with who's going to further DNA shared by you)

bitter koud	unpleasantly cold
waterkoud	because of the humidity it feels colder than it actually is
ijskoud	cold as ice
koud als een kikker 2	cold as a frog, not driven by emotions
(het) koudvuur	fireworks 'cold fire' - probably imaginary
lekker fris 2	pleasantly ['fresh'] cool
't Is lekker fris buiten 2 3 4	It's pleasantly cool outside
een frisse neus halen	getting [a fresh nose] some fresh air (outside)
gloeiend heet	['glowing-hot'] very hot, red-hot
witheet 2 *	[white-] red-hot
hete lucht 2	hot air
heetgebakerd 2 3	hot-tempered, impatient (literally, it refers to a hot, tightly swaddled baby)
kokend heet	boiling-hot

't Gaat je niet in de kouwe (koude) kleren zitten 2 ['It's not going to stay in your (cold) outer clothes' but will penetrate deeper] - it affects you, it has an impact on your mood Ons koude kikkerland 2 3 'Our chilly frogs' country' - Holland: it's a wretched place but it's home Een heet hangijzer 2 A problem that's hard to handle and not going away 't IJzer smeden als 't heet is 2 3 '[Forge] Work the iron when it's hot' Je moet ijzer smeden als 't heet is 2 3 'You should work the iron when it's hot' - Do something at the right moment

Thoughts on Things Dutch (Instead of a Blog)

'Cream of Tartar' is NOT 'Room van Tandsteen'

The English word 'tartar' may refer to the tribe of the Tartars (also called 'Tatars') or to two substances:
1. the sediment on teeth, or
2. the main ingredient of the crystals sometimes found at the bottom of wine bottles (argol.)
Now in Dutch, there are two different words for these two substances:
1. the sediment on teeth is called: (de) tandsteen

('tooth-stone') - while
2. the crystals in wine are called: wijnsteen

2 ('wine-stone')
Various sources (like Webster's dictionary) say the sediment on teeth is a mixture of food remains, saliva and salts like calcium carbonate. In 'On Food and Cooking' (Collier Books, 1984) Harold McGee says 'wijnsteen' tartar is KHC₄H₄O₆ and 'tartaric acid' wijnsteenzuur

2 ('wine-stone-acid') is H₂C₄H₄O₆.

In cooking, 'wijnsteen' is known in English as 'cream of tartar,' an ingredient of baking powder, and it is also used in egg preparation. Dutch uses the pharmacists' Latin word for cream of tartar: cremor tartari

2 (cremor tartaris

2.) In Holland, you can buy it at pharmacies or old-fashioned drugstores, maybe at 'health' stores.

Now of course some food items have unappetizing origins, but the translation 'room van tandsteen' that some computer programs cough up for 'cream of tartar' is not only incorrect but also really gross. Imagine discreet white vans touring dentists' offices to collect those scrapings from dirty mouths, and that cooks would then later put that stuff in their cakes. Eet smakelijk! Bon appetit!
(het) bestanddeel 2 'ingredient'

'Cream of Tartar' is NIET 'Room van Tandsteen'
'Cream of tartar' is een bestanddeel van bakpoeder. Het wordt in de Nederlandse keuken zelden als zelfstandig ingrediënt gebruikt - en er is geen Nederlands woord voor, alleen het potjeslatijn 'cremor tartari(s).' Sommige vertaalprogramma's zeggen dat het Nederlandse woord 'room van tandsteen' is, maar dat is niet correct. Het Engelse woord 'tartar' betekent zowel 'tandsteen' als 'wijnsteen,' en dat laatste is wat we in 'cream of tartar' vinden. Stel je voor dat witte bestelwagentjes bij tandartsen langs zouden gaan om het uit vuile bekken geschraapte tandsteen op te halen, en dat de mensen dat vieze spul dan in het beslag van gebak zouden doen. Eet smakelijk!

Hans Keilson, Not a Dutch Author

In August 2010, the New York Times had a very positive review of two novels about wartime Holland by Hans Keilson. The article mentioned they were translations - so I assumed they were Dutch books, and that made me wonder why this was the first time I heard of Mr Keilson. A book in translation about Holland - you would expect the author to be a Dutchman.
German Wikipedia told me he is a German-language author who fled to Holland when the nazis came to rule Germany in the 1930s. He spend much of the war in hiding in Holland, remained there after the war, and I assume he became a Dutch citizen. Coming from a slightly different culture and with his life experience, he must have a very interesting perspective on life in Holland.

I have nothing against Mr Keilson, his books may well be as good as the NYT review said, and he must be a good person. I just want to point out that he doesn't write in Dutch. We don't call all writers living in English-speaking countries 'English authors,' only those who write in English.

Now of course all of this may be totally irrelevant to reviewers and the common people who read the book in translation and don't care what the original language was. The New York Times didn't bother to publish my clarification.

Neitherlander - An Irishman's Difficulties with The Dutch Character

Netherland
Joseph O'Neill's Netherland is a novel about a Dutchman somewhat lost in post-9/11 New York. The main character Hans van den Broek

has many complicated thoughts, but reading the book I was wondering with growing irritation: Why a Dutchman? (Waarom een Nederlander?

) Just for a great book title?

The 40 or 50 Dutch words in the book are all spelled correctly, and only one is not used in the right sense. Mr O'Neill's descriptions of Dutch streetscapes and Dutch Santa Claus customs don't look wrong - I read somewhere he spent some time in Holland as a teenager. But the promising Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn 2 was assassinated at the time of the book, and that is never mentioned. The murder shocked the country and many people were deeply saddened and angry over the lost chance for change. Even ten years later there is still a great sense of loss over how Holland might have become a better place had Mr Fortuyn lived. He would certainly have shaken up the cozy political establishment.
One of Mr Fortuyn's popular points was that some recent immigrants are hostile to the Dutch culture of freedom, tolerance and equality but that doesn't seem to be on Van den Broek's mind.
The world news often makes me think of parallels with Dutch history - but protagonist Van den Broek's visits to a few Dutch historical sites in New York are about all the Dutch history in the book. Old New York

Mr O'Neill's Dutchman is of another generation than I, and I may not be your typical or average Dutchman, but what angers me in the book is Mr O'Neill's appropriation of a Dutch character in his assumption that except for a few externalities Dutchmen are fully exchangeable with say Englishmen, Belgians and Scandinavians. (Is that the Post-Colonialism some reviews mentioned?) Van den Broek's bike-riding in New York with his mother is a nice touch, but is that all there is to being Dutch?

Not many Dutchmen consider themselves religious anymore, and I'm not religious myself, but Dutch ethics are the Christian morality, and images and phrases from the Bible are frequently found in Dutch.
Someday you may notice Dutchmen are extremely critical of each other, and I have to admit I myself often feel an exaggerated competitiveness, a great difficulty to acknowledge that other Dutchmen might be equals (let alone superior) in effort or achievement in my field, and I think it's typically Dutch. (My website is of course truly unique.)
My father came from a poor background and on several occasions encountered opposition from the establishment, and also as a member of an in the past discriminated-against minority I'm always aware of other Dutchmen's social position and background, and I think that's very common in Dutchmen.

Land of Ire
I thought up a great book title: Land of Ire. Its main character an Irishman employed by the rulers of a place of great anger, like one of the many places in the Third World where newcomers, later arrivals exploit the natural resources of older, indigenous populations or minorities. Colonizing while brown. The first neo-Colonialist novel!

For the Irish background I could find the necessary Irish names in Ulysses or At Swim-Two-Birds and I could describe the view on postcards my Dad sent home from a visit to Ireland long ago. Let me quote from the great Dubliners' song 'The Town I Loved so Well' and mention Gerry Adams and that stone of Blarney; I could search for a few Gaelic words, and let me also mention that seventh son of the seventh son thing.

But shouldn't there be more? If I take the trouble to go for an Irishman, to tie in with the title, shouldn't there be something more? Or are a few names, words, customs and landscapes all there is special to an Irishman?
Shouldn't there be something more meaningful, like an Irish inner life? Maybe (I'm just guessing) Irish people are always feeling guilty over not speaking Gaelic better, and feel sympathy for the IRA and the struggle for Northern Ireland but unease over the violence employed? And isn't the Catholic church still a major force in Ireland, and religion part of everyday life?

Maybe I'm just as a typical Dutchman fussing about not very important things. Or did I miss something in the book?

Related: The Many Mistakes in Hans Brinker

Read my Christmas stories about Holland: 1 - 2

Feel free to comment by email - good talkbacks might get published here.

After I thought up the 'Land of Ire' title I noticed on the Internet that there is already an animated feature by that name.

Do I Say It Right?

Someone asked me "Do you say that name right? I've heard art historians say it differently."
A University of Chicago website states: "There are three internationallly accepted ways to pronounce the name 'Bruegel:' BrOYgel, BrEEgel and BrOOgel." - but not one of those three is how it is said in Holland. Actually, Dutchmen might wonder who you're talking about when you would use one of those 'three internationallly accepted ways' to pronounce the name.
Hear how Dutchmen say the name: Pieter Bruegel

2. Now of course this is a bit difficult, because there are no sounds like Dutch EU

and G

in English (and Mr Bruegel makes it more complicated with an unusual spelling of his name.) These Dutch words have that same sound: beugel

2 ('brace') - vleugel

('wing; grand piano.')
Have you heard Frenchmen say EEL-ahr-ree CLEAN-tun? Does that make you think Americans pronounce the foreign secretary's name incorrectly? Should English drop the H and 'short I' because Frenchmen can't say it? << - essays -

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