Dutch 'Achter' = Behind, Back, Rear

Dutch 'voor'

2 can mean 'in front of' (place) or 'before' (timewise) - but in its opposite Dutch uses two words:
'achter'

2 ('behind, back' - place - German hinter) and
'na'

('after' - time) ‑>>
'Achter' is obviously from the same root as 'after,' but meaning diverged between time and place - though English still has the ship (and airplane) word 'aft.'
This page is a major expansion of the 'Achter' paragraphs on the Disambiguation: 'Voor' page. On that page you can also find the opposites of some of the 'achter-' words on this page.
See also: pictorial

'Achter' = Behind		'Achter' = Back, Rear

Verbs Splitting - or Not		More Words with Achter

'Echter' = But, Yet, (However, Nevertheless)

'Tussen' = Between and Among

'Achter' = Behind

achter 't huis

behind the house achter een boom

2 behind a tree Als dat achter de rug is

2 When that's behind [the back] our backs, us Achter de wolken schijnt de zon

2 (saying) Behind the clouds the sun is shining - things will get better Achter het net vissen

2 (saying) Fishing behind the net - ('missing the boat') - not getting what you want achter de hand houden

2 3 keeping something [behind the hand, hidden] in reserve De kinderen achter het behang plakken

Glueing the children behind the wallpaper (Many a parent's secret occasional wish) achter de schermen

2 3 [behind the screens] behind the curtain, backstage, in the wings (what's hidden, secret, back room dealings) twee dagen achter elkaar

2 3 4 Two days [after each other] in a row Die klok loopt achter

2 That clock [runs behind] is slow Ik zet er een punt achter

2 3 4 (saying) ['I'm putting a period (dot) behind it'] - I'm putting a stop to it, ending my involvement in it

erachter (er achter) 2 3 4 behind it Wat zit er achter? 2 3 What's behind it? Something is hidden - either literally, you can't see what's behind it, or you wonder about the motivation or reason for an action or movement 't huis erachter 2 the house behind it ‑>> 't huis schuin erachter 2 3 the house diagonally behind it (kitty-corner) achterburen 2 'backyard neighbors' ‑>>

achterna 2 3 after, 'following' de muziek achterna following the music, walking with a brass band also: Met de muziek mee 2 3 4 ['along with the music']
Walking behind a brass band was more popular in the past, when access to music was limited and hearing music was rare Hij gaat z'n vader achterna 2 3 4 He's taking after his dad, he's becoming like his dad

achteraf 1. afterwards, after something happened, later
2. remote, remotely located Achteraf begrijp ik ... 2 3 Afterwards (now) I understand ... Achteraf heb ik er spijt van 2 Afterwards (now) I'm regretting it Hij woont ergens achteraf 2 3 He lives [somewhere remote] in the countryside Also: op het platteland 2 3 in the countryside, in the country

ergens achter komen 2 [to come, get behind something] - to find out something ‑>> Hoe ben je erachter gekomen? 2 How did you find [it] out? Ik kwam er te laat achter 2
Ik ben er te laat achter gekomen 2 I found out [about it] too late

'Achter' = Back, Rear

achterin 2 3 / achter in 2 3 in the back of, in the rear of, at the end of achter in de kerk 2 3 in the back of the church achter in de zaal in the back of the hall achterin het boek 2 3 at the end of the book achter in de twintig 2 3 [at the end of 20] - age 27, 28 or 29 - 'in their late 20s'

achteraan 2 1. at the back, in the rear
2. after achteraan in de rij 2 3 at the end of the line (row, queu) We gaan er achteraan 2 We'll go after it, we'll find out about it Ze zitten achter hem aan 2 3 They're after him, they're trying to catch him (literally, or sometimes in a court of law)

achterom 2 1. backward(s) - 'over your shoulder'
2. around the back, through the back door Kijk even achterom voordat je afslaat 2 Look backward for a moment before you make a turn (in traffic) Ga maar achterom 2 3 4 [Just] Go around the back, Feel free to use the back door

achteruit 2 backwards Kijk vooruit, niet achteruit Look forward, not backward De klok achteruitzetten 2 Turning back the clock Hij reed achteruit de garage in 2 He drove into the garage backwards Alsof ik met m'n ogen dicht achteruit liep 2 3 As if I was walking backward with (my) eyes closed Hij gaat erg achteruit 2 3 ['He goes backward badly..'] He's quickly getting worse (health, mental state) and: (de) achteruitgang 2 decline, regression ‑>>
But also, notice stress: (de) achteruitgang 2 3 back exit
(de) uitgang 2 exit, egress ‑>>

achterop 2 at the back, behind
Die achterop doet er niks aan 2 3 'The one in back is [not doing anything about it] not helping' - jocular comment to tandem bicycle riders achterop raken 2 3 to fall behind, lag, not keeping up (de) achterstand [being behind] disadvantage, lag (het) achterstallig onderhoud 2 overdue maintenance

blijven 2 'to remain, to stay' ‑>> - 2
achterblijven 2 to remain behind // to lag behind, trail

achterstevoren 2 [rear-in-front] backward, the wrong way 'round, in reverse order ‑>>

The English body part 'the back' is (de) rug
(de) ruggengraat 'backbone, spine' - more

English 'back' as in 'being back, coming back, going back, returning' is terug
de weg terug 2 3 the way back, the road back - more

Verbs Splitting - or Not

Compound verbs consisting of a prepostition with a verb sometimes split up, as explained on the 'verbs' pages. Two verbs with 'achter ' show the probable rule that the preposition separates when the stress of the word is on preposition, but when the stress is on the main verb it does not split off.

achterhalen 2 1. to retrieve, find out
2. to overtake, catch up with
The verb is a bit old-fashioned, not much used anymore

achterhalen		to retrieve, find out
ik achterhaal		I'm finding out
ik achterhaalde		I found out
ik heb achterhaald		I have found out

Al is de leugen nog zo snel, de waarheid achterhaalt haar wel

2 3 4 (saying) ['However quick a lie may be, the truth will surely overtake it'] - Lies won't last, truth will come out eventually achterhaald

"overtaken" - no longer valid, disproven by new scientific discoveries, superseded by newer attitudes, outdated, out-of-fashion

achterlaten 2 to leave behind

a strong verb:
achterlaten	to leave behind
ik laat achter	I'm leaving behind
ik liet achter	I left behind
ik heb achtergelaten	I have left behind

Laat 't niet achter

2 3 4 Don't leave it behind, do bring it back Zonder iets achter te laten

2 3 4 without leaving anything behind, not leaving anything behind Ik liet hem achter in Babylon

2 3 I left him behind in Babylon - Place Names

More Words with Achter

In compound nouns, 'achter'

2 is usually translated as 'back' or 'rear'

(de) achterdeur back door - house
(de) achtertuin back yard - yard

Anne Frank: Het Achterhuis 'Anne Frank' - 'The House in Back' - usually translated as 'The Secret Annexe.' ‑>>

(de) achterneef second cousin, first cousin once removed, great-nephew (a grandson of your brother or sister or a grandson of your grandfather's brothers or sisters) (de) achterkleinkinderen great-grandchildren ‑>>

(het) achterwiel 2 3 rear wheel - bicycling (de) achterruit 2 rear window
(de) achterbak 2 3 [back box] trunk - cars

(de) achternaam last name, family name - Dutch Names

(de) achterkant 2 back, back side more sides (het) achterwerk 2 buttocks, ass, 'behind'

(de) achtergrond 2 background
Er is te veel achtergrondgeluid There's too much background noise Is 't de ijskast op de achtergrond? Is it the refrigerator in the background?

(de) achterdocht 2 3 suspicion, mistrust
achterdochtig 2 3 suspicious, suspecting, mistrusting

(het) achtervoegsel 2 3 suffix ‑>>

(de) achterhoede 2 rearguard - military

De Achterhoek an area in the East of The Netherlands Names of Dutch and Belgian towns and cities etc.

'Echter' = But, Yet, (However, Nevertheless)

'Echter'

2 3 is a somewhat bookish, formal word meaning 'however, nevertheless, but, yet.' The more common though not entirely synonymous words are maar

‑>> and toch

2 ‑>>
'Echter'

2 3 can also be the comparative degree of echt

2 3 (echt/echte

2) 'real' - so: 'more real.' Also a bit unusual.
Er is echter geen ander woord

2 There is however not another word Er is echter geen ander woord voor

2 But there is no other word for it Iets te gaan doen echter lijkt nog steeds een goed idee

2 3 But to go out and do something, to take action still looks like a good idea

'Tussen' = Between and Among

Dutch just has the one word 'tussen'

for 'between' (two) and 'among' (more than two)

tussen de huizen

among the houses
between the houses

't huis ertussenin

2 3 the house in between (them)

[in front of, between, behind: 3 balls in a
row]

voor	in front of, before - more
achter	behind - more above
tussen	between -and- among

[3 balls (A,B,C) in a row, another ball (D) next to them]

A is voor B en C	A is in front of B and C
B is tussen A en C	B is between A and C
C is achter A en B	C is behind A and B

naast	next to, beside ‑>>
D is naast A	D is next to A

tussen de bomen in het bos among the trees in the forest Er is iets tussen gekomen 2 3 Something came [in between] up (interrupting plans) Er komt steeds wat tussen 2 Every time (I'm trying to do it) something comes up Tussen de wal en 't schip 2 (saying) ['(falling) between the quay and the ship'] - 'to fall between two stools' Tussen de regels door lezen 2 3 (saying) 'Reading between the lines' - to notice not just what's written but also what's implied and/or left out Tussen de buien door 2 3 In between showers (when there is/was a break in the rain) ‑>> Is 't uit tussen Jan en Klazien? 2 3 Is it over between Jan en Klazien? (Is the relationship over?) ‑>>

(de) weg way, road // away ‑>> (de) tussenweg 2 compromise (avoiding extremes) een tussenweg vinden 2 to find a compromise

haakjes 2 parentheses ‑>>
singular: (het) haakje 2
'tussen twee haakjes' 2 between two parentheses - often figuratively: 'by the way ...'

(de) middag afternoon
tussen de middag during the lunch break, say 12-1PM or a little later, between morning and afternoon work or school - but it is a bit strange when you think of it, literally it is 'between the afternoon.' Maybe 'and morning' was dropped somewhere along the way. tussen 1940 en 1945 between 1940 and 1945

ondertussen 2 3 in the meantime ‑>>
Er is ondertussen veel veranderd 2 3 Much has changed in the meantime

(het) tussendoortje 2 [(small) in-between thing] - snack ‑>> (de) tussenkomst 2 3 intervention, help in negotiation (de) tussenpersoon 2 [in-between person] - intermediary

also: Onder ons gezegd en gezwegen ... 2 ['Spoken and silent between us'] 'Just between you and me ...' ‑>> mannen onder elkaar 2 3 'men among each other' - men without women, occasionally misbehaving Concerning people, 'among' and 'between' is occasionally said as onder ('under') ‑>>

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