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

Net	just like - "just like before" barely, with little margin - "we were just in time" -or: a short time ago - "he just left" exactly - "just what I needed" neat, proper - "neat handwriting" (fishing etc.) net

1. net, net als, net zo ... als = just like

2. net = just: barely // a moment ago

3. net = just = exactly, precisely		precies = exactly		just a ..., only a ... = maar

	just (continuing) = maar		juist, rechtvaardig = just, fair

4. net = neat, proper		keurig = neat, proper

5. net = fishing net etc.

1. 'net' = 'just like'

'Net'

can mean 'just like' - often with 'als'

or 'zo ... als'

2 to the combinations: 'net ... als'

2 or 'net zo ... als'

't Is net echt 2	[It's just like real] - It's almost real, it looks very real
Behalve hun hersens zijn mensen net dieren	Except for their brains, people are just like animals
Net als vroeger 2 3	Just like before, just as in the past
Ik ben net als m'n moeder	I'm just like my mom
M'n zoon is net zo mager als ik	My son is just as skinny as I
Hij is net zo slim als z'n moeder 2	He's just as clever as his mom

2. 'net' = 'just' - 'barely // a moment ago'

'Net' can also be translated as 'just:' in the related meanings 'barely, with little margin' or 'only a moment ago, a short time ago in the past.'

We waren net op tijd 2 3	We were just in time
net te laat 2 3	a moment too late
We waren net op tijd voor de pont	We were just in time for the ferry
De pont is net weg 2	The ferry just left, a moment ago
Net voordat 't begon te regenen 2 3	Just before it [started to rain] rained
Net voordat de voorstelling begon 2	Just before the performance started
Ik wilde net gaan hardlopen 2	I was just about to go running
We hebben de bus net gemist 2 3 4	We just (barely?) missed the bus
Net iets minder dan honderdduizend gulden 2	Just a little less than a 100.000 guilders
Net iets lekkerder 2	Just a little nicer (tastier, said of food)
Dat ging maar net goed 2 3	That only just went right (it could easily have gone wrong)
't Kan er net onderdoor 2 3	It can just pass [under it] through (with very little room to spare)

Hij is net thuis 2	He came home only a minute ago
Ik heb net een sinaasappel gegeten 2	I just [ate] had an orange
Ik heb net gegorgeld met citroensap	I gargled with lemon juice a moment ago
Ik heb net m'n tanden gepoetst	I have just brushed my teeth
Ik begin nog maar net 2	I'm [only] just getting started
't Is net gebeurd 2 3	It happened, came about just a moment ago

3. 'net' = 'just' - 'exactly, precisely'

English 'just' can also mean 'exactly, precisely' like in "just what I wanted" - in Dutch that can be 'net' but it is more often said as precies

Net wat ik zocht 2	Just what I was looking for
't Is net goed 2 3 4	It's exactly right (usually said of things like taste or temperature that are within a narrow range of good) It can also mean 'they deserved that punishment'
Net goed! 2	Just right! (it can also be said in a vengeful mood: "the deserved punishment")
Very occasionally (and regionally) there may be a little confusion because in Frisian 'net' means 'not.'

Precies wat ik wilde 2	Just what I wanted, Exactly what I wanted
slang: Krek wa'k wou 2	Just what I wanted, Exactly what I wanted
Precies wat ik nodig had 2 3	Just what I needed, Exactly what I needed, "Hit the spot"
Precies goed 2	Exactly right
Precies op tijd 2 3	Exactly on time
Om acht uur precies 2	At eight o'clock exactly, At eight sharp
't Past precies 2 3	It's a snug fit, it fits exactly
Hoe zeg je dat precies? 2 3	How exactly do you say that?
Ik wil precies weten wat er gebeurd is 2 3	I want to know exactly what happened
Wat studeer je precies? 2	What exactly are you studying? (asking for more details about a major)
Om precies te zijn ... 2	To be exact ...
niet helemaal precies hetzelfde 2 3	[not entirely exactly the same] - not completely identical
(de) precisie 2	precision
heel precies 2 3	very precise
nauwkeurig	precise, accurate, careful
heel nauwkeurig 2	very precise, very accurate

'Just' is also found as 'just a ..., only a ...,' with something of a denial. This 'just' is translated as 'maar' - usually, 'maar' is 'but,' which indicates a contrast with a previous word or statement.
See also the 'Maar' Disambiguation Page

Raar maar waar 2 3	Strange but true
Hij is nog maar een baby 2	He's still just a baby, He's still only a baby
't Is maar een verhaaltje	It's just a story, It's only a story
't Kostte maar vijf minuten 2	It just took five minutes, It only took five minutes
't Lijkt maar zo	It just looks that way, It only looks that way
Misschien lijkt 't maar zo 2 3 4	Maybe that's just the way it looks, Maybe it only looks that way

English 'just' can also be used when the speaker is not happy or even frightened by a continuing development. Here, Dutch also uses 'maar'

't Blijft maar regenen 2	It just keeps on raining
't Houdt maar niet op 2	It just never stops
't Water blijft maar stijgen	The water just keeps on rising
't Water blijft stijgen	The water keeps on rising

You could say that both 'just' and 'maar' in the last two paragraphs are 'pragmatic markers,' words that indicate a person's feelings and that are often hard to translate.

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

English 'just' can mean many things. As an adjective, it means 'fair, according to a general sense of justice.' Dutch has the nice word rechtvaardig

for that - (het) recht

can mean 'justice' (among other things ‑>>.) Dutch also has the word juist

which is related to English 'just' (both from Latin 'justus.') It can mean 'correct' and 'fair,' and also 'exactly, precisely' - but is not much used anymore, it's a bit old-fashioned.

Een rechtvaardige oplossing 2	A fair solution
een rechtvaardige verdeling	a fair distribution
Zo is 't juist 2 3	(stress on 'zo' and 'juist') That way it's correct
Zo is 't juist 2 3	(stress on 'is') That's just how it is, that's how it is

4. 'net' = 'neat'

een net handschrift 2	neat handwriting
nette mensen	proper people (somewhat negative)
netjes	neat, proper, decent, according to etiquette rules
opgeruimd staat netjes	['things in their place, stored away -'] 'out of the way looks good'

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

Keurig

(keurig/keurige

) is the close-meaning 'neat, proper'

keurig Nederlands 2 3	proper, polished Dutch
een keurig meisje	a proper girl

Nauwkeurig

is 'precise' and willekeurig

2 (willekeurige

2) is 'arbitrary, random'

een willekeurige voorbijganger

a random passer-by

5. '(het) net' = 'fishing net, safety net, network, dragnet'

Achter 't net vissen 2	['Fishing behind the net'] - Not getting what you want, not being successful
(het) netvlies 2	['netlike membrane'] - retina
(het) netwerk 2	network, web
(het) spinnenweb	spiderweb

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

English 'net' like for instance in 'net worth' or 'net weight' is netto

2 3 - its opposite 'gross' is bruto

2 - 'gross, disgusting' is walgelijk

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