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

Dutch and English 'over' each can mean many things - but the meanings rarely overlap in the two languages. 'Over' may be the most problematic word in the 'Disambiguation' series.

Over

'in' - amount of time until - "in two hours"
'past' (hours on the clock) - "10 past 11"
'over, across' ('bridging') - "a bridge across the canal"
'about' - "talking about freedom"
'left, remaining' - "there are few whales left"
'excessive' - 'overcrowded'
various in other verbs

1. over = in (amount of time until)		binnen = within (time)

2. over = past (hours on the clock)		voor = before, to (hours on the clock)

3. over = over, across (~bridging, ~spanning)		overleven = to survive

4. over = about (a subject)		gaan over = to be about

5. over = left, remaining

6. over- = over- (excess, more than)

7. Other Translations of over		Various Compound Words with over

English 'over'		voorbij = over, past, history		meer dan = over, more than		boven = over, above

	boven = upstairs - omhoog = up		beneden = downstairs - omlaag = down		More English 'over'

1. 'Over' = 'in' (amount of time until)

over twee uur 2 3	in 2 hours
over een paar jaar 2 3	in a [couple of] few years

Ik ben over een uur weer thuis 2 3 4	I'll be back home in an hour
"Eten over een paar minuten" 2	[Eating] Dinner (or lunch) in a few minutes (preliminary call)
Uiterlijk over twee weken	Absolutely within two weeks ‑>>

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

'Binnen' 2 usually means 'in, inside, indoors,' but with a time indication it can also mean 'within'

binnen een uur 2	within an hour
binnenkort 2	['within a short time'] - soon
Er zijn binnenkort verkiezingen 2	There will be elections soon

2. 'Over' = 'past' (hours on the clock)

vijf over drie	5 past 3, 3:05
kwart over zes	a quarter past 6, 6:15 - the clock, telling time
't Is al over elven 2	It's already past eleven ->>

It must be confusing to see these two meanings of Dutch 'over' in somewhat similar sentences:

De laatste trein gaat om tien over twaalf 2 3	The last train [goes, leaves] is at 10 past 12
De volgende bus gaat over een halfuur 2 3	The next bus is in half an hour

't Onweer drijft over 2	The thunderstorm ['floats past'] blows over

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

kwart voor drie

a quarter to three, 2:45

- more 'voor' in time - telling time

3. 'Over' = 'across, over' ('~bridging,' '~spanning')

een brug over de gracht 2	a bridge across the city canal
De rivier was te breed om over te zwemmen 2 3	The river was too wide to swim across
overzetten	'to take across' // to put in another format, transcribe, translate
"Veerman, kun je me overzetten?" 2 3	'Ferryman, can you take me across, bring me to the other side?'
't Komt over de dijk! 2	It's coming over the levee (it = water)
Niet over één nacht ijs gaan 2 3	[Not going across one night's ice] - to proceed with great caution
over de schreef gaan 2	[to cross (over) a line] - going too far - more sayings
Ben je er overheen? 2	Are you 'over' it? - no longer affected by something - back to normal
Hij was te klein om over de schutting te kijken 2	He was too small to look over the fence
Hij laat er geen gras over groeien 2 3	[He doesn't allow grass to grow over it] - Taking action quickly
Vel over been 2 3 4	['skin over bones'] - skin and bones - said of a very thin person ('been' 2 3 is an old-fashioned word for 'bone.' The modern Dutch word for 'bone' is (het) bot - '(het) been' nowadays means 'leg' ‑>>)
over heel Nederland 2	all over Holland
over de hele wereld 2	all over the world ('spanning')
We hebben de hele wereld afgezocht 2 3 4	We have searched the whole world over

'(Het) leven' 2 is 'life' and the verb 'leven' is 'to live, to be alive' - more. 'Overleven' 2 3 is 'to survive.'

We hebben 't overleefd	We have survived (it - a challenge)
Er zouden geen overlevenden zijn 2	It was said there were no survivors
We zullen 't wel overleven 2 3	"Somehow, we will survive [it]" (ironic, a very small problem)

4. 'over' = 'about' (a subject)

Er werd veel gesproken over vrijheid 2	There was a lot of talk about freedom
iets om over te praten 2	something to talk about
dingen om over te praten 2	things to talk about, conversation subjects
Praten over koetjes en kalfjes 2	[Talk about cows and calves] - To chat, engage in small talk

Ik wil er nog even over nadenken 2 3	I'd like to think about it a little while longer

't hebben over 2 3	talking about (something, someone)
Hij weet waar-(d)ie het over heeft * 2	He knows what he's talking about
Ze heeft het vaak over jou 2 3 4	She often talks about you
Hij heeft 't er vaak over 2 3	He often talks about it
Ik had 't er laatst nog over met Jan 2	I was talking with John about it the other day

Ik kan me d'r (er) zo kwaad over maken 2	[I get very angry about it] It makes me very angry
Over smaak valt niet te twisten 2	There's no arguing about taste (de gustibus non disputandum)

Hij dacht er niet lang over na 2 3	He didn't think long about it
Hij heeft er niet lang over nagedacht 2	He has not been thinking about it for long
Daar heb ik niet over nagedacht 2	I had not thought about that
Ik heb er niet goed over nagedacht 2 3 4	I did not think it out well

Automatisch, zonder erover na te denken 2	Automatically, without thinking (about it)

The Dutch verb 'gaan' ->> by itself means 'to go' but combined with various prepositions it takes on other meanings, like 'gaan over' means 'to be about,' giving the subject of a book etc., while 'gaan om' is also translated as 'to be about' but then it means 'what is important.' See also: Disambiguation: Om

Waar gaat 't over? 2 3	What is it about? (What is the subject of a book etc.)
Het boek gaat over dolfijnen	The book is about dolphins

5. 'over' with 'zijn' (to be) and 'blijven' (to stay) means: left, remaining

Dutch 'over' combines with verbs like 'zijn'

('to be' ->>) or blijven

2 ('to stay' ->>) to for instance 'over zijn'

2 - meaning 'to remain, be left' or 'to be left over, not finished')

Er zijn weinig walvissen over	There are few whales left
De worst is over 2	The sausage was left over, there was leftover sausage
Is er wat brood over? 2	Is there some bread left?
Er was niks over	Nothing was left
Er was helemaal niks over	Absolutely nothing was left
Er bleef niks van over 2	Nothing was left of it, nothing remained (also said when critics 'destroy' something)

Actually, in rare cases 'zijn over' and 'over zijn' can be ambiguous, mean both 'be left' and 'be about'

Er zijn weinig boeken over	There are [few] not many books about it There are [few] not many books left
But: Ik ben blij dat de hoofdpijn over is 2 3	I'm glad the headache is gone

6. 'over-' = 'over-' (excess, more than)

In a few word combinations, 'over'

2 indicates 'excess, more than' - in English often also as 'over' - see also meer dan

2 3 ('more than') below

overmatig	excessive

(de) tijd 2	time ->>
(de) overtijd 2	overtime

rijp 2 (rijp / rijpe 2)	ripe
overrrijp	overripe

(de) vloed	flood; high tide
overvloedig	abundant

(de) overdaad 2	excess
overdadig	excessive
overdaad schaadt 2	overabundance is damaging (too much of a good thing)

overweldigend 2	overwhelming
(de) zelfoverschatting 2	[self-overestimation] - an exaggerated sense of your own importance or abilities, 'inflated ego'

overvol 2 3 4	[too full] - overfull, overcrowded
overstuur 2 3	upset, shaken up

Hij was helemaal overstuur

2 3 He was completely shaken up, disturbed, not his usual self

7. other translations of 'over'

overlaten aan	to leave to
Laat het aan de vakman over	Leave it to the professionals *
Mensen aan hun lot overlaten 2 3 4	Leave people to their fate (not helping them)

overgaan 2	1. to end, to go away 2. to move up a grade in school
Als 't niet vanzelf overgaat, ga ik ermee naar de dokter	If it doesn't go away by itself, I'll go see a doctor about it
Ik ben blij dat de hoofdpijn over is 2 3	I'm glad the headache is gone
Hard werken en overgaan! 2	Work hard and pass on to the next grade!
Ben je overgegaan? 2 3	Did you pass on to the next grade?
blijven zitten 2	['remain sitting'] - having to repeat a grade
De druppel die de emmer deed overlopen 2 3	[The drop that made the bucket spill over] The straw that broke the camel's back - more Sayings
Ik wil er nog een nachtje over slapen 2	I'd like to sleep [a night] on it

overkomen 2	to happen to you
't Ergste dat je kan overkomen 2 3	The worst that can happen to you (this can be serious, but usually it's said when telling you there is no great risk)
't Is niet de eerste keer dat me dit overkomt 2	It's not the first time that this happens to me

(de) overtreffende trap 2	superlative degree ‑>>
onovertroffen 2 3	unsurpassed, as good as or better than any other
overtreffen	to exceed, surpass
de verwachtingen overtreffen 2 3	to exceed, beat expectations

overgeven 2	to throw up, vomit
Ik moest overgeven	I had to throw up
Ik heb overgegeven 2	I have thrown up
A reflexive verb can have a rather different meaning than the verb without the reflexive pronoun:
zich overgeven 2	to surrender
ik moest me overgeven 2 3	I had to surrender

Various Dutch Compound Words with 'Over'

(de) weg	road, way
(de) overweg 2 3	railroad crossing

(de) spoorweg	railroad
(de) overgang	crossing; transition; menopause
(de) spoorwegovergang	railroad crossing

(de) stroming 2	current, flow
(de) overstroming 2 3	flood, land drowning

al 2	'all' ->>
overal 2	everywhere ‑>>

[(de)] morgen 2	tomorrow; morning; (good) morning!
overmorgen 2	the day after tomorrow

(de) dag 2	day; hello/goodbye
overdag 2 3	'in the daytime'

(het) hemd 2	'undershirt'
(het) overhemd	dress shirt ->>

overbodig 2 3	superfluous, unnecessary
overtollig	superfluous, surplus
(het) overschot 2	surplus
overdreven 2 3	exaggerated
de overheid 2 3 4	the authorities, the government
"overste" 2	addressing a lieutenant-colonel

winnen 2	to win
overwinning	victory

geven 2	to give ->>
overgave	surrender

vallen	to fall ->>
overval	attack, raid, hold-up
overvaller 2	robber, mugger

(het) spel	play, game
(het) overspel 2	adultery

één	1, one
komen	to come ->>
(de) overeenkomst 2	agreement; similarity

buren 2	neighbors
overburen	neighbors across the street ->>

slaan	to hit, to slap ->>
overslaan 2	to pass over, skip

(het) zicht	view, visibility
(het) overzicht 2	overview, survey, outline ‑>>

(het) overleg 2	consultation
overleggen	to deliberate; to confer

[(het)] overlijden 2 3	passing away
(de) overgrootvader	great-grandfather >>

(de) voetgangersoversteekplaats 2	pedestrian crossing
(de) kant	side
(de) overkant 2	(the) other, opposite side
aan de overkant 2 3	on the other side, on the opposite site (of the water, for instance)

(de) overlast	inconvenience, trouble
overlast bezorgen 2 3	causing inconvenience, 'be a nuisance'

nieuw (nieuwe 2)	new
overnieuw 2	again
overnieuw beginnen 2 3 4	to start again
Ik moet helemaal overnieuw beginnen 2 3 4	I [will] have to start all over again
opnieuw beginnen 2	to start again

wegen	to weigh ->>
overwegen 2 3 4	to consider
wij overwogen 2	we considered
heroverwegen 2	to reconsider
(de) overweging	consideration, deliberation

overwegen

2 'to consider' is a strong verb:

overwegen
to consider

overwoog
considered

overwogen
considered

overtuigen		to convince
ik overtuig		I convince
ik overtuigde		I convinced
ik heb overtuigd		I have convinced

overtuigen 2	to convince
overtuigend 2	convincing
overtuigd van hun gelijk 2	convinced, certain, absolutely sure of their being right
't Is niet zo overtuigend 2	It's not very convincing

overhalen 2 to persuade

overhalen		to persuade
ik haal over		I'm persuading
ik haalde over		I persuaded
ik heb overgehaald		I have persuaded

English 'over'

English 'over' can also mean many things, and it's only rarely translated as 'over' in Dutch.

1. English 'over' = 'past,' "history" - Dutch: 'voorbij'

Het is voorbij 2 3 4	'It's over'
't Ergste is voorbij 2 3 4	The worst is over
't Is voorgoed voorbij 2	It's over for good, it's once and for all over and done with
Ik wou dat 't voorbij was 2 3	I wish it was over
Morgen om deze tijd is het allemaal voorbij 2 3	At this hour tomorrow it will all be over, ~'it will pass'
De regen is voorlopig weer voorbij 2 3 4	For now the rain has ended, no rain expected in the coming days
Dan is 't voorbij met de pret	'Then the fun is over'
Dan is 't uit met de pret 2	['(And) then it's done with the fun'] -'the fun is over' - said when things return to normal after a respite or go from normal to a much worse situation - a little stronger than 'the honeymoon is over'

't Duurde maar tien minuten	It only lasted 10 minutes, it was over in 10 minutes
Het leed is geleden 2	(saying) 'The suffering is over'

Is 't uit tussen Jan en Klazien? 2 3	Is it over between Jan en Klazien? (Is the relationship over?)
Zijn Jan en Klazien uit elkaar? 2 3	Is it over between Jan en Klazien? (Is the relationship over?) ‑>>

2. English 'over' = 'more than' - Dutch: 'meer dan' 2 3

As noted above, English 'over' meaning 'exceeding, excess' in compound words can be Dutch 'over'

2 - but independently it's usually 'meer dan'

2 3

meer dan drie uur 2 3	over 3 hours, more than 3 hours
't Is meer dan duizend dollar 2 3	It's over a thousand dollars
't Is meer dan een miljoen euro 2	It's over a million euros ->>

3. English 'over' = 'above' - Dutch: 'boven' 2

een dak boven je hoofd 2	a roof over your head
boven 't huis	over the house
boven 't water	over the water

er was niemand boven hem	There was nobody over (above?) him
't Gaat me boven de pet 2	It's over my [cap] head (I don't understand it)
de laag erboven 2	the layer over it, the layer on top of it
boven de partijen 2 3	'above the parties' - impartial

Vliegende schotels boven Zwitserland

2 3
Flying saucers (UFO's) over Switzerland

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

'Boven'

2 is also 'upstairs' (a higher floor in a house.) The direction of movement 'up' is 'naar boven'

(naar

'to') or 'omhoog'

2 3

Er is boven een atelier 2	There's an artist's studio upstairs
We klommen omhoog	We climbed up
We gingen met de roltrap naar boven	We took the escalator up
de enige uitweg is omhoog	The only way out is up

The opposites are 'beneden' ('downstairs') and direction downwards 'omlaag' 2 and 'naar beneden' ('down')

Ga je naar beneden? 2	Are you going down? (usually: downstairs)
Er is beneden ook een slaapkamer	There's [also a] another bedroom downstairs

We gleden omlaag	we (glided) slid down
We gingen naar beneden met de lift	We went down in the elevator
De lift gaat naar beneden 2 3 4	The elevator is going down

More English 'Over'

In fractions, calculations and formulas English says 'over' for what's on top of the fraction line. Dutch says gedeeld door

2 ('divided by') - (de) breuk

2 ('fraction' - also: 'break, fracture' - plural: breuken

) - (de) berekening

2 ('calculation')

8/4=2 (acht gedeeld door vier is twee)	8 over 4 equals 2 - simple math
Iets over het hoofd zien 2 3 4	To overlook something, failing to notice something

omvallen 2	to fall over
Je fiets is omgevallen 2	Your bike has fallen over

Is 't uit tussen Jan en Klazien? 2 3	Is it over between Jan en Klazien? (Is the relationship over?)
Zijn Jan en Klazien uit elkaar? 2 3	Are Jan en Klazien no longer together? (Is the relationship over?)

Dutch has the somewhat old-fashioned 'waken over' 2 ('to watch over')

Iemand die op me past 2	Someone [who watches over] to watch over me (this could also be said by a child about its nanny)
Iemand die een oogje in het zeil houdt 2	[Someone who keeps an eye on the sail] - Someone to watch over someone or something

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

email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2015. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed, or hotlinked to.
Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2