Disambiguation: Many common words can have more than one meaning, with different translations

List of Prepositions and Other 'Little Words' — Pages: - Aan - Achter - Af - Al - Als - Binnen/Buiten - Daar - Dan - Dat - Door - Eens - Er - Erg - Even - Haast - Het - In - Laat - Maar - Na - Naar - Net - Nog - Of - Om - Onder/Boven - Op - Over - Toen - Uit - Van - Voor - Vroeg - Waar - Wat - Weg - Zo - more

Disambiguation: Dutch 'Door' - Multiple Meanings and Related Words

Door	'by' (the agent of activity) - "stung by a bee" 'through' (a passage) - "through the window"

1. 'door' = 'by' -- often with The Passive Voice -- or: 'because of'

Ik word geschopt door Jan	I am being kicked by John
De bal werd door Jan in het doel geschopt 2	The ball was shot into the goal by John
Het huis wordt door mij geverfd	The house is being painted by me
Bent U gebeten door Uw hond? 2 3	Were you bitten by your dog?
Ik werd niet door een wesp gestoken, maar door een bij	I was not stung by a wasp but by a bee
Het huis werd door een raket getroffen	The house was hit by a rocket
Een aanval vanuit een land is een aanval door dat land	An attack from a country is an attack by that country
Ik werd verrast door onweer 2	I was unpleasantly surprised by, 'caught in a thunderstorm'
gedeeld door 2	divided by ("over")
acht gedeeld door vier is twee	8 : 4 = 2
Door de tegenwind kwamen we maar met moeite vooruit 2	Because of the [wind-against] headwind we only progressed [with difficulty] slowly
Door schade en schande wijs geworden 2 3 (4)	(saying) [Educated by damage and shame] - The school of hard knocks
Je kunt door de bomen 't bos niet zien 2 3	You can't see the forest [because of] for the trees
't Komt door de regen 2 3	It is because of the rain, it is caused by the rain
Door toedoen van de koning	By the actions of the king, because of the king's intervention
But also:  verontreinigd met 2 3	contaminated by (a substance)

More about the Passive Voice - (de) lijdende vorm ['suffering form']
- Lesson 13 - Smartphone Page

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

In Dutch I can say 'dorp  bij de rivier'  or equally good 'dorp  aan de rivier,'  like you can say in English 'village by  the river' or 'village on  the river.'
There is a small town Wijk bij Duurstede ('W near D' - more below) but you can't say 'Wijk aan Duurstede.'
Dutch says:
Ik luisterde naar de vogels 2 3 I was listening to the birds and  Ik keek naar de vogels 2 3 I was looking at the birds - both have 'naar' but English has 'to listen to'  and 'to look 'at.'
There is no difference in meaning, it's just another word used. Prominent writers or influential people used certain combinations and that became the common, accepted form, the 'habit.' It's of course a major problem in translations and learning foreign languages.
I don't think it's feasible, 'doable' to 'learn' the usage, commit it to memory - just look attentively and listen to the examples, repeat. Eventually you'll get a 'feel,' an intuition for it.

The Dutch preposition 'bij' is like English 'by' ('Down by the River') in meanings like:
'close to,'   'near,'   'at'   'with'   and   'by'  etc.
- 'added,'   'sub-,'   'side-,'   'secondary'

bij	close to, near, at, with, by, in	bijeen together bij elkaar 2 3 4 5 [near each other, with each other] - together Hij zat bij 't raam He was sitting at the window Kom je een keer bij ons eten? 2 3 Would you like to come for dinner with us, at our house sometime? Ik was bij de opening 2 3 I was at the opening, I was present at the formal opening Een koekje bij de thee A cookie with [the] your tea Bij 't ontbijt drink ik thee 2 At breakfast I drink tea Hij is bij de marine 2 He is [with] in the navy
bij-	'added'	(de) bijdrage 2 ['added carry, support'] contribution (de) eigen bijdrage 2 ['own contribution'] co-payment (de) bijsluiter 2 [added insert] ~ medication information (de) bijstand 2 3 support, 'help,' assistance, 'Welfare' (het) bijwoord 2 3 ['added word'] adverb
	side-, secondary, sub-, annex	(het) bijgerecht 2 3 side dish bijwerkingen 2 side effects (medication) (de) bijnier 2 ['kidney annex'] ('adrenal gland') (de) bijzin 2 [sub-sentence] subordinate clause (het) bijbaantje 2 (small) second job (het) bijgebouw 2 3 side building, annex

nabij 2 nearby, close by (time) dichtbij close by, close to (place) bijna 2 almost ->> bijvoorbeeld 2 for example

voorbij past, over, 'history' ‑>> bijeen together (de) bijeenkomst 2 [get-together] - gathering, meeting bij elkaar 2 3 4 5 together bij elkaar komen 2 getting together

bij kaarslicht 2 3	by candlelight
Hij zat bij 't raam	He was sitting at the window
Ik heb 't bij Amazon besteld 2 3	I've ordered it at Amazon
Ik heb 't bij de Hema gekocht 2 3	I've bought it at the Hema
Ik kom zo bij U 2 3	I'll [come] be with you in a moment
bij ons thuis 2	literally: 'at our home' - but usually this means: "at my parents' house when I was a child"
Ik werk bij ... 2	I work at ..., I'm employed by ...
Ik heb gesolliciteerd bij de gemeente	I've applied for a job with the city
Kom je een keer bij ons eten? 2 3	Would you like to come for dinner at our house sometime?
Ga bij het kruispunt rechts	[Go right] Take a right at the intersection
aanbellen	to ring a doorbell
Ik belde aan bij de buren 2 3	I rang the doorbell at the neighbors'
Bij 't krieken van de dag	At daybreak
Ik was bij de opening 2 3	I was at the opening, I was present at the formal opening
Een koekje bij de thee	A cookie with [the] your tea
Bij 't ontbijt drink ik thee 2	At breakfast I drink tea
Bij de lunch drink ik melk 2 3	At lunch I drink milk
Bij 't avondeten drink ik wijn 2	At dinner I drink wine
Heeft U er postzegels bij? 2 3	Do you have (sell) stamps (with) for it? (in a shop)
Was ik maar bij moeder thuis gebleven 2 3 4	I wish I had stayed with my mom (at my parents' house)
Hij is bij de marine 2	He is [with] in the navy
Ik zat een uur bij de tandarts 2 3	I [sat] was at the dentist for an hour
Hoe is het weer bij jou?	How is the weather where you're at, at your place?
Hij is bij een auto-ongeluk omgekomen	He died [because of] in a car crash
bij voorbaat mijn dank 2	[my thanks] thank you in advance
bij voorbaat bedankt	thanks in advance
We zijn er bijna	We're almost there
Tasje d'r bij?	Would you like a bag with it? (in a shop)
Water bij de wijn doen 2 3	'Adding water to the wine' - going for a compromise
ergens iets bij doen 2	adding something (to something)
alles bij elkaar 2 3	everything together
Ik kan het niet meer bijhouden 2	[can no longer] can't keep up (with it)
Ik kan er helaas niet zelf bij zijn	Unfortunately, I cannot [be there myself / in person] be present
Ik kan er niet bij 2 3	literally: 'I can't reach it, it's out of reach' - but usually meaning figuratively: 'I don't understand it' (people's behavior)
Ik stond erbij en ik keek ernaar 2 3	I was standing near (it) and looking at it
Je wordt geflest waar je bijstaat 2 3	'You're being cheated [as you stand by] in your presence' - bare-facedly
"Er staat me iets van bij" 2 3	['Something of it is with me'] - 'I vaguely remember'
Hij zit in de bijstand 2	He's on welfare
Ga er even bij zitten 2 3	Do sit down (for it) for a moment
Ga d'r even bij zitten 2 3 4 5	Do sit down (for it) for a moment
erbij blijven 2 3	'stay with it' - literally, 'remain at an event or something happening' or 'remain of the opinion, still convinced of'
Ik bleef erbij staan kijken 2 3	I stayed [standing around] to watch (it)
Ik blijf erbij dat hij gelijk heeft 2 3 4	[I remain of the opinion] - I am still convinced that he is right
zich neerleggen bij 2 3 4	to be resigned to

Bij 't minste of geringste geluid werd-ie wakker He woke up at the littlest noise

tegen die tijd 2 3	['against, touching'] when that time comes, by that time
tegen die tijd is er wel een oplossing 2 3	By that time there will (sure) be a solution

bij nader inzien	upon [nearer] closer inspection, now that I've thought about it
bij gebrek aan beter	[on lacking something better] in the absence of a better alternative
bij wijze van spreken 2 3	as a manner of speech

In the early Middle Ages, Dorestad was an important Dutch town and trade center which was plundered and destroyed by vikings, and never rebuilt. The name lives on in the modern town of Wijk bij Duurstede
There is a lot of Old English and old Low and High German from the ninth century, but the oldest found written Dutch is from the eleventh century, and the first Frisian is from even later. It's entirely possible that earlier Dutch and Frisian was written down in monasteries, but that it all was destroyed by viking raiders.

In compound nouns, 'bij' as a prefix often means something like 'side, secondary,' not the main, dominant or most interesting part, 'annex,' 'sub-'

(het) bijgerecht 2 3 side dish bijwerkingen 2 side effects (medication) also: (het) neveneffect 2 side effect (de) bijnier 2 ['kidney annex'] ('adrenal gland')

(de) bijzin 2 [sub-sentence] subordinate clause (het) bijbaantje 2 (small) second job (het) bijgeloof 2 superstition ->>

(de) bijsmaak 2 3 ['side taste' - maybe 'note' is the English equivalent] a usually unpleasant 'side' taste next to the 'main' taste of drink or food
(het) bijgeluid 2 3 ['side noise' - there is no English equivalent] - 'noise' - an unwanted, annoying, irritating or interfering sound next to what you want to hear 't Heeft een rare bijsmaak 2 3
There is a strange (additional) taste to it, there's a strange note to the taste

(het) bijgebouw 2 3 'side building, annex'
Anne Frank's Diary is sometimes called 'The Secret Annex' after the poor girl's hideout. The book title in Dutch is Anne Frank: Het Achterhuis - 'the back of the house, the house behind'

bijzaak 2 side issue, not the main issue "Dat is maar bijzaak" 2 3 4
'That is only a side issue, that's not the important thing

Matthew 5:37 (also in James 5:12) (condemning the swearing of oaths)
Maar Uw woord ja zij ja, neen, neen 2 3 But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No,' 'No'
(Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No') wat daar bijkomt is uit den boze 2 anything ['added'] more than this comes from evil

In a physical sense, 'side' is often 'zij' 2 - which of course also can mean 'she' or 'they' ‑>> (de) zijkant 2 side (of a box, house etc.) ‑>> opzij! 2 3 to the side! Get out of the way! (de) zijingang 2 side entrance

The bij-prefix can also mean somthing like 'added'

(de) bijdrage 2	['added carry, support'] contribution
(de) eigen bijdrage 2	['own contribution'] co-payment
(de) bijsluiter 2	[added insert] ~ medication information
(de) bijstand 2 3	support, 'help,' assistance, 'Welfare'
bijvoeglijk naamwoord 2	['added name-word'] adjective
bijwoord 2 3	['added word'] adverb

Dutch (de) bij is 'bee' ‑>> - our source of honey.
de Bijenkorf 2 'the Beehive' (an upscale department store)
Ik werd niet door een wesp gestoken, maar door een bij I was not stung by a wasp, but by a bee

To name the creators of works of art English says 'by' - Dutch says 'van' 2 - more 'van'

Een schilderij van Van Gogh	A painting by Van Gogh
Een boek van Vestdijk 2 3	A book by Vestdijk
't Doet me denken aan een boek van Mulisch 2	It makes me think of a book by Mulisch
de volledige werken van Vondel	the complete works of Vondel

dichtbij/nabij = 'near, close by,' ver = 'far' and ver weg = 'far away'

dichtbij near, nearby, close by (place) nabij 2 (nabije 2 nabij / nabije 2) near, close by (time) naast 2 next to ‑>>

ver (ver/verre ) far ver weg 2 3 far away verder further

't Einde is nabij 2 slow	The end is near
de verre toekomst en de nabije toekomst	the far future and the near future
We zijn dicht bij de grens	We're close to the border
Hij woont dicht bij het museum	He lives close to the museum
de dichtstbijzijnde winkel 2	the nearest shop, the shop closest-by
naast 2	next to - see also
De mensen die naast ons wonen	The people [who live] next door [to us]
naast elkaar 2 3	next to each other ‑>>
de auto ernaast 2	The car next to it ‑>>
naaste familie 2 3	near relatives, next-of-kin ‑>>
de naaste 2 3	the 'neighbor, fellow man' of the bible - other neighbors
"Heb Uw naaste lief als uzelf" 2	'Love your neighbor like yourself' ‑>>
(de) naastenliefde	['love of the neighbor'] - charity
ver (verre 2 3 - ver/verre )	far
ver weg 2 3	far away
't Verre Oosten 2	The Far East - Foreign Lands
Beter een goede buur dan een verre vriend 2	It's better to have a good neighbor than a faraway friend
Hoe ver is het?	'How far is it?'
Is het ver? 2	'Is it far?'
Het is niet ver 2	'It's not far'
Het is nogal ver	'It is quite (rather?) far'
Dat is twee keer zo ver 2 3 4	That's twice as far
Hij is ver weg 2	'He is far away'
Ik kan er ver mee lopen 2	I can walk far with it, I can walk good distances with it (cane or walker)
Woon je ver van je werk?	Do you live far from where you work?
Wat je ver haalt is lekker 2	(saying) ['What you get from far away tastes good'] "Exotic food is always good"
in de verte 2	in the distance, far away
(de) verrekijker	[far-seer] - telescope or binoculars
verder	'further' can mean literally 'a greater distance' of it can mean something like 'what remains' or 'more'
Tot hier en niet verder 2 3	Up to here, this far, and no further
Dan zijn we nog verder van huis 2 3	(saying) ['Then we'll be even farther from home'] - Making an already bad situation worse
Is er verder nog iets? 2 3 4	[Is] Was there something else?
Wat is er verder nog? 2 3	What else (of value or interest) is there still?
... maar gaat U verder 2	... (but) please continue
Ga verder 2 3 4	Go on, continue
Ik ben nog niet zo ver 2 3	[I'm not that far yet] 1. I'm not ready (for something) yet 2. I have not advanced that far yet
Hoe ver ben je gekomen? 2 3 4 5	How far did you get? (usually said about an unfinished book or task)
Zo ver ben ik nog lang niet 2 3	[I have not come that far yet by far] - I'm nowhere near that, not even close, I have not made much progress (only figuratively)
Zo ver is het nog niet 2 3 4	It's not that far yet, we're not at that point yet
Gaat 't te ver? 2	Does it go too far? (Is it unacceptable, unreasonable?)
't Gaat te ver 2	It goes too far
Vergaande maatregelen 2	[far-reaching] extensive, drastic measures
But:  Vergane glorie	Faded glory ‑>>
veruit 2 3 slow	by far
veruit de beste oplossing 2	by far the best solution
ver heen 2	far gone (figuratively, 'almost out of reach, almost beyond recovery')
Ze was haar tijd vooruit 2	She was ahead of her time
ver vooruit 2 3 4	far ahead

Jan Huygen van Linschoten provided maps and 'de Compagnie van Verre' 2 3 'the Company of Faraway' set up the first Dutch expedition to the Far East (1596)
Jan Huygen van Linschoten / De Compagnie van Verre ‑>>
(The word '(de) compagnie' is unfortunately no longer used in Dutch)

Het lijkt wel alsof iemand (heel) ver weg af en toe op een trommel slaat - dat zal m'n hartslag zijn. slow slow2 slow3 It's like someone far in the distance from time to time hits a drum - that's probably my heartbeat.
>> medical - more Slow Dutch

2. 'Door' = 'through' - a passage

Elk pondje gaat door 't mondje	Every (little) pound goes through the (little) mouth (a dieting slogan)
Ze kwam binnen door 't raam van de badkamer	She came in through the bathroom window
Als een mes door de boter	Like a knife through (the) butter (very easily)
recht door zee 2 3	[straight through the sea] - said of a straight-talking person
De kogel door de kerk	[the bullet through the church] - decision taken, the die is cast
door dik en dun	through thick and thin
door de jaren heen 2	through the years, in the course of the years
door de week	through the week - on a weekday
doordeweekse dag 2	['through-the-week-day'] weekday
doorzichtig 2	[see-through] - transparent
rechtdoor 2	[straight through] go straight
Bij 't kruispunt rechtdoor	Go straight at the intersection
doorbraak 2	breakthrough
doorsnede 2 3	cross-section, diameter // ~average
doordouwer	[through-pusher] a tenacious, persisting person
doorslaggevend 2	decisive, deciding (tipping the balance)
de hele dag door 2	all through the day, all day long
't Kan er net onderdoor 2 3	[It can just go through under it, with little room to spare] - it just fits through
Iets door de vingers zien 2 3 4	(saying) ['to see something through the fingers' - that is: not see small things] - overlooking minor infractions, ignoring small mistakes and irregularities
Door de zure appel heenbijten 2 3	['Biting through the sour apple'] - an unpleasant task that needs to be performed, accepting something that can't be ignored or changed ~ 'swallow the pill'
Tussen de regels door lezen 2 3	'Reading [through/on] 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	[Through] In between (the) showers (when there is/was a break in the rain)

'Doorgaan' 2 means 'to go on, to continue, to beat on' - occasionally translated as 'going through.'

't Leven gaat door 2	Life goes on
We moeten doorgaan 2 3	We have go on
We moeten doorgaan tot 't klaar is 2	We need to continue, carry on, keep working till it (the job) is finished
We kunnen niet zo doorgaan	We can't go on like this
Ik had willen doorgaan 2 3 4	I had wanted to go on, I didn't want to give up
't Gaat door!	It is on! (An event like a sports match or a concert that was uncertain to happen will take place)
't Gaat te lang door 2 3 4 5	It goes on (for) too long
doorgaand verkeer 2 3 4	through [-going] traffic
doorzetten 2 3	persevere, persist, 'not giving up'
Je moet doorzetten 2 3	Persevere! Don't give up now, Hang in there! - you have to continue with this hard or difficult thing)
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 ->>
niet goed doordacht 2 3	not well thought [through] out - rash
Ik zal U doorverbinden 2	I'll [connect] put you through (telephone) ->>
(de) doorverbinding (unusual) plural: doorverbindingen 2	connection in communication, 'link'
Ik moet er vandoor 2	I have to go, I'm leaving
't Mes dat het touw doorsneed 2 3	The knife that cut (through) the rope

rood - rode - rooie 2

faux 'old' Dutch for: Doorzie de grond 2 ['see through, look deep into] understand the soil'

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

(de) deur 2

door de deur 2

through the door

open open de deur is open 2 the door is open de open deur 2 3 the open door dicht closed de deur is dicht 2 the door is closed de dichte deur 2 the closed door op slot locked de deur is op slot the door is locked

English 'Dutch door,' a door splitting horizontally in a top and a bottom part, is in Dutch called 'boven‑ en onderdeur'
boven 2 (upper) - onder (lower)
or 'boerderijdeur' - (de) boerderij (farm)
Dutch dubbele deur double door - either a door splitting vertically, in a left and righ part, or two doors close behind each other.

koekjes singular: (het) koekje

open koekjestrommel 2 dicht

geopend opened, open (de) opening 2 opening (~start) (de) open haard 2 [open hearth] fireplace

openingstijden [open times] business hours openhartig 2 3 4 [open-hearted] frank, sincere, not holding back

't Gordijn is open	The curtain is open
opendoen	to open
Doe de deur open 2	open the door
Ik heb het raam opengedaan	I've opened the window
"Mijn deur staat altijd open" 2 3	'My door [stands] is always open' (you can come in and talk to me anytime)
(de) openheid 2 3	'openness,' nothing hidden or secret, transparency, candor
Ik was bij de opening 2 3	I was present at the festive opening
openbaar (openbare 2)	public, open, not hidden or secret
openbaar vervoer	public transportation
(de) openbare bibliotheek 2	public library
(de) openbare aanklager 2 3 4 5	public [accuser] prosecutor, district attorney
in 't openbaar 2 3	in public
Breek me de bek niet open	(saying) '[Don't force open my mouth] Don't get me started, I don't want to talk about it.' - But with a strong undertone that the speaker would have a lot of negative things to say about it.
Dweilen met de kraan open 2 3	(saying) ['Mopping up while the faucet is running'] - doing something but not addressing the cause of the problem
Je kunt ook een blikje opentrekken 2 3 4	You could [rip open] open a can - you could use canned
blikopeners	can openers ‑>>
flesopeners	bottle openers ‑>>
de spoorbomen gaan open	the railway barriers are opening
de spoorbomen gaan dicht	the railway barriers are closing
dicht (dichte dicht/dichte 2)	closed, close
dichtbij	near, nearby, close by (place) - see above
dichtdoen 2 3	to close
Doe alsjeblieft de deur dicht!	Please close the door!
Even de ramen dichtdoen	Let me [take a moment to] close the windows first
't Trekt dicht	[It's pulling shut] - Clouds are forming
Alsof ik met m'n ogen dicht achteruit liep 2 3	As if I was walking backward with (my) eyes closed
Ik heb geen oog dichtgedaan 2 3	['I (didn't) couldn't close an eye'] - 'I didn't get any shut-eye'
Ik kan geen moment m'n ogen dichtdoen 2 3	I can't close my eyes for one moment (or things go wrong) - I have to stay alert all the time
dicht op elkaar 2 3	close together (high density)
(de) dichtheid	density
(de) bevolkingsdichtheid 2	population density (how many people per km²?)
(de) dichter 2	poet ‑>>
(het) gedicht	poem
(het) geheim 2	secret
geheim 2 / geheime geheim/geheime	secret
(het) geheimpje 2 3	'little' secret (jocular or for children)
(het) geheimschrift 2	[secret writing] - 'cypher'
't Geheim van de smid 2	['the blacksmith's secret'] 'a knack,' - a special way of doing something, a craftsman's special ability
geheimzinnig 2	['of secret sense'] - mysterious, enigmatic
't Heeft iets geheimzinnigs 2	[It has something mysterious] There is something mysterious about it

English 'through' is also used to indicate a period of time, 'up to and including' - that is tot en met 2 in Dutch

maandag tot en met vrijdag	Monday [up to an including] through Friday
maandag tot en met zaterdag	Monday through Saturday

Dutch Vocabulary Overview - Dutch Grammar Overview - Listen to and Read Dutch

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Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen gooyds) - hear Dutch - 2