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

zo	very, a high degree of	so	Dat is zo ouderwets! That's so old-fashioned! Ik voel me zo vol 2 I feel so full (I've eaten too much) Je lacht zo lief 2 3 You [laugh] smile so sweetly
		thàt	niet zo vaak 2 3 not that often 't Is niet zo duur 2 3 It's not that expensive 't Is niet zò duur 2 3 4 5 It's not thàt expensive
		such a, a very	zo'n 2 3 = zo een 2 3 'such a' zo'n mooie dag 2 such a beautiful day Hij is zo'n goede kok He's such a good cook Ik heb zo'n zin in een kopje thee 2 3 ['I have such a great desire for ...'] - What I'd really like now is a cup of tea
	this way, that way		We kunnen niet zo doorgaan 2 3 4 We can't go on like this, We can't go on this way 't Lijkt maar zo It only looks that way Waarom is dat zo? 2 3 Why is that so? Why is it that way? Why is it like that?
	in a moment, soon		Ik kom zo bij U 2 I'll [come to you] be with you in a moment Tot zo! 2 3 ['Till in a moment'] - See you soon! We gaan zo eten 2 3 We'll [eat] have dinner (or lunch) in a few minutes

Zo	'very, a high degree of' 'so' (very) - "that's so old-fashioned!" 'that' (very) - "it's not that expensive" 'such a' / 'a very' - "he's such a good cook" 'this/that way,' 'like this/that,' 'as' - "say it ain't so!" in a moment, soon - "we'll have dinner in a moment"

1. zo = so (very)		zo = thàt (very)		zo'n = such a, a very

	zoveel = so much, so many		zulk = such

2. zo = this/that way, like this/that

	zo-iets = such a thing, something like that		zo-iemand = such a person, someone like that

	zoals, zo ... als, net zo ... als = like, as, just like, similar to, the way that

	aldus, alzo = 'in this way' ('thusly')		also, too = ook		so (in conclusion) = dus

3. zo = in a moment, soon

Ik heb geen keelpijn of zo maar m'n stem die kraakt zo I don't have a sore throat or something like that but my voice is croaking badly

1. 'zo' = very, a high degree of: 'so' / 'that' / 'such a'

Notice that 'zo' is sometimes stressed for emphasis. Exaggerated, the O of 'zo' can be stretched out to make it mean 'so very:' zò

't Wordt zo vroeg donker 2 3	It gets dark so early
Dat is zo ouderwets!	That's so old-fashioned!
't Is zo voorspelbaar wat-ie doet	It is so predictable what he does, his behavior is so predictable
Ik was zò ziek 2 3	I was so very sick
Ik was zò kwaad 2	I was so very angry
Ik kan me d'r zò kwaad over maken 2	It [can make] makes me so very angry
Je lacht zo lief 2 3	You [laugh] smile so sweetly
Ik vind 't zo zielig 2 3	[I think it's very pitiable] - I'm very sorry (for them, about it)
Ik ben zo duf 2 3	[I'm so very dense, dazed] - I don't feel very bright, I'm not fully aware, 'I'm out of it'
Ik zou zo graag ... 2 3	I would really like to ... (a great wish of mine is ...)
Ik voel me zo vol 2	I feel so full (having overeaten)
Dat was niet zo leuk 2 3	That was not very funny, that was bad
Je geeft 't slechte weer zo mooi weer	You [represent] depict the bad weather so beautifully
Je geeft 't goede weer zo goed weer 2	You [represent] portray the [good] beautiful weather [so] very well
't Is niet zo overtuigend 2	It's not very convincing

't Is niet zo duur 2 3	It's not that expensive
't Is niet zò duur 2 3 4 5	It's not thàt expensive
Is 't al zò laat? 2	Is it already that late?
't Komt niet zo nauw 2	It's not that [narrow] strict - it's flexible, there's a lot of leeway
Doe niet zo stoer!	[Don't act that bravely] - Don't pretend to be (that) brave
Doe niet zo raar! 2	[Don't act that weirdly] - try to be a regular person
Niet zo goed	Not that good (I'm feeling poorly)
Niet zo vaak 2 3	Not that often
Zit niet zo te zeuren 2	Now don't nag that much, Stop that horrible nagging (pointless complaining)

Ik kan zo gauw geen voorbeeld bedenken 2 3	I can't think of an example [that] quickly, in the rush of things
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 ->>
Ik had me nog nooit zo ziek gevoeld 2 3	I had never felt that sick before (literally: 'never yet' translated as: 'never before' ->>)
Misschien was ik nooit zo slim 2 3	Maybe I never was that clever

This 'zo' can also be found as zo'n 2 - a contraction of 'zo een' ("zo 'n") 2 meaning 'such a' or 'a very' - note that usually zo'n sounds the same as zoon ('son') - >> but you can exaggerate and insert a Dutch W: zoown/zowun 2 3 4

zo'n mooie dag 2	such a beautiful day
zo'n sombere zomer	such a dark, gloomy Summer
Hij is zo'n goede kok	He's such a good cook
Ik heb zo'n zin in iets lekkers 2	I have (such) a great craving for something tasty, something really nice (usually sweet)

Ik heb zo'n zin in een kopje thee 2 3	['I have such a great desire for ...'] - What I'd really like now is a cup of tea
't Zal wel niet zo'n vaart lopen 2 3 4	(saying) ['It's not going to pick up such a speed']- It won't happen soon (don't worry about it)

'Zoveel' 2 3 4 (the stress can be either on 'veel' or on both 'zo' and 'veel') is 'so much' or 'so many.' It can be both an adjective or adverb and a noun ('so much, so many things')

Zoveel dingen om aan te denken 2	So many things to think about, so many things to keep in mind
Er is nog zoveel te doen 2 3	There is still so much to do
Ik heb al zoveel	I already have so much (so many things, so much stuff)
Er gaat altijd zoveel mis 2	There are always so many things going wrong
't Had zoveel mooier kunnen zijn 2 3	[It could have been so much more beautiful] - usually said when something disappoints or doesn't work out
... omdat er zoveel te zien was	... because there was so much to see
Er wordt al zoveel gezegd 2	So much is being said already
Er is al zoveel gezegd 2	So much has been said already ->>

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

'Such' by itself is zulk

/ zulke

(zulk/zulke

)

Zulke dingen als vrijheid, en gelijkheid	Such things as freedom, and equality
Zulke dingen als sterke drank	Such things as [strong drink] liquor
Zulke grote voeten! 2	Such big feet!
Zulke dingen gebeuren	Such things, things like that happen
't Is buiten zulk prachtig weer	It's such wonderful weather outside
't Is zulk mooi weer buiten	It's such nice weather outside, It's so nice outside
't Is overdag zulk mooi weer 2 3	[It's such nice weather in the daytime] - In the daytime the weather is so nice

2. 'zo' = '(in) this/that way, like this/that'

We kunnen niet zo doorgaan 2 3 4	We can't go on like this, We can't go on this way
Er moet iets veranderen 2	Something gotta change
Zo kun je 't ook doen 2 3	You can also do it this way
Je kunt 't ook zo doen 2 3 4	You can also do it this way
Ga zo voort! 2	[Go on, continue like that] Carry on!
Goed zo! 2 3	1. you're doing well, you've done well 2. serves them right! the right comeuppance
Veel mensen denken zo	Many people think that way
Zeg dat het niet zo is!	Say it ain't so!
Waarom is dat zo? 2 3	Why is that so? Why is it that way? Why is it like that?
Zo gaat 't altijd 2 3 4	[It always goes ...] - It's always like this

Zo te zien 2 3	As I see it, From what I see, From my observation
Zo is 't echt 2 3	That's how it is in reality, It's really like that
Ik weet niet of dat zo is 2	[I don't know] I'm not sure (if) it's like that
Ik weet niet of dat echt zo is	[I don't know] I'm not sure (if) it's really like that
't Lijkt maar zo	It only looks that way, the reality is different
Misschien lijkt 't maar zo 2 3 4	Maybe it only looks that way
Of lijkt dat maar zo? 2 3	Or does [that] it only look that way?
Dat is ook zo 2 3	[That what you're saying is also like that] - it is like that, that is also true, "you are right"
't Mocht niet zo zijn 2 3	It was not to be (something hoped-for sadly didn't happen)

Zo doe je dat 2 3	That's the way to do [that] it
Zo is 't nou eenmaal 2 3	That's how it is (you can't change it)
Ik heb 't maar zo gelaten 2	I left it like that (I didn't act to change or correct it)
Dat zeg je niet zo 2 3	You don't say (that) it that way That's not the (correct) way to say it
Als ik het zo hoor ... 2	Hearing this ... (I gather, understand)
Dat is helemaal niet zo 2 3	[That] It isn't like that at all
Is dat nog steeds zo? 2 3	Is [that] it still like that?
Dat is zo 2 3	It's like that, That is true, There is that
Dat is wel zo, maar ... 2 3 4	That is true, but ... There is that, but ...
Zo werkt dat niet 2 3	It doesn't 'work' that way
Zo gaat 't ook 2 3 4 5	This works too, you can do it this way too

zo-iets 2 3	such a thing, something like that
zo-iemand 2	such a person, someone like that
Hoe kan iemand zo-iets doen?	How can someone do something like that? (it's beyond me)
Heb je wel eens zo-iets meegemaakt? 2	Have you ever experienced such a thing?
Je kunt zo-iemand niet serieus nemen 2 3	You can't take a person like that seriously
zo-even (zoëven) 2 3	'a moment ago'

'Zo' meaning 'that way' or 'like that' is also found in a word like zoals 2 ('like,' 'as,' 'similar to,' 'the way that') - and its split-up form zo ... als 2 with an adverb in between. And also: net ... als 2 ('just like.') See also the 'als' and 'net' disambiguation pages.

Zoals 't klokje thuis tikt, tikt het nergens 2 3 4 5	['There is no place where the clock ticks like at home'] 'Home sweet home'
Zo oud als de weg naar Kralingen 2 3	As old as the [road to K.] hills - Sayings
Zo dood als een pier	As dead as a [rainworm] doornail
't Is niet zo erg als 't lijkt 2 3	It's not as bad as it looks
Ik ben niet meer zo slim als ik ooit was 2	I'm no longer as clever [as I ever was] as I was in the past, as I used to be
Hoe kan ik zo stom zijn? 2 3	How can I be that stupid? (anger about a mistake)
Zoals ik al zei ...	[Like] As I already said, As I said before ...
Mijn zoon is net zo mager als ik	My son is just as skinny as I am
Hij is net zo slim als z'n moeder 2	He's just as clever as his mom
Dat is twee keer zo ver 2 3 4	That's twice as far ('als' and the comparison item are left out)
Zoals je weet 2 3 4 5 6	As you know ..., like you know ...

Another common phrase with 'zo' meaning 'as' is zo ... mogelijk 2 ('as ... as possible') - but by itself, zo mogelijk ... means 'if possible'

zo lang mogelijk 2	as long as possible
zo spoedig mogelijk 2	as soon as possible
zo weinig mogelijk 2 3	as little as possible

Old-fashioned words for this 'zo' meaning 'in this way' are aldus 2 (think of 'thus' / 'thusly') and 'alzo' 2

... en aldus geschiedde 2 3	... and that's what happened
Leer ons alzo onze dagen tellen	So teach us to number our days (Ps 90:12) - Teach us to count our days this way

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

English 'also' / 'too' is ook

Heeft U ook postzegels? 2 3	Do you [have] sell stamps too?
Er is beneden ook een slaapkamer	There's also a bedroom downstairs, there's also a downstairs bedroom
Dat staat ons ook te wachten 2	That's also [waiting for, expected] going to happen to us, here
Dat is ook goed 2	That's also good, that's OK too
Dat zou je ook kunnen doen 2 3	You could do that too, it's OK to do that instead
Je kunt ook een blikje opentrekken 2 3 4	You [can also] could [rip open] open a can - you could use canned
Denk je ook niet dat ... 2 3	Aren't you also thinking that ...
Toen ik jouw leeftijd was had ik er ook veel last van 2 3	When I was your age it also bothered me a lot, I had a lot of trouble with it too
De vochtigheid heeft er ook mee te maken 2	The humidity is also involved in it
Ik weet 't ook niet	I also don't know (it) - I don't know either
... maar 't is ook niet bijzonder 2	... but it's also not very special (less successful cooking, art)
... maar 't was ook niet geweldig 2 3	... but it was also not great, it wasn't great either (less successful cooking, art)
Misschien heeft 't daar ook mee te maken 2 3	Maybe it has to do with that too
Wat je ook doet ... 2 3	Whatever you do ... (it doesn't make a difference, it's hopeless)

The combination with 'dan'

2 to 'dan ook'

2 expresses randomness, the choice doesn't matter, no restrictions, 'regardless,' 'any' - more
and see also: Disambiguation: 'Eens'

English 'so' can also mean drawing a conclusion, something like 'I gather, I get the impression, in conclusion, I understand.' This is said in Dutch as dus - "So you want to be a rock 'n' roll star?"

Dus je wilt Nederlands leren?	So you want to learn Dutch?
't Was dus allemaal gelogen 2	So it was all [lied] lies, It turned out to be all lies
Het is dus fout 2	So it is wrong, I'm telling you it's wrong
Ik denk dus ik besta 2 3	I think, [therefore I exist] so I am
Fietspad - Dus niet brommen	Bike path - So no [small motorcyle riding] motorcycles
(De) bromfiets 2 is a small (50cc engine) motorcycle - 'brommen' 2 usually means 'to grumble' but it can also mean 'to buzz' (the sound of a small engine) and in slang: 'to spend time in prison.' The sign is a nice, unexpected little joke by a bureaucrat. .. wat ik je brom 2 said after making a somewhat controversial statement, meaning 'it will turn out I was right about this'

fietspad

(no motorcycles)

Occasionally, English 'so' is said as 'het' ('it') in Dutch:
Omdat ik het zeg 2 3 4 Because I say [it] so (an authoritarian statement) Al zeg ik 't zelf 2 3 [Even if I say so myself] - If I may say so

3. 'zo' = 'soon, in a moment'

Tot zo! 2 3	['Till in a moment'] - See you soon!
We gaan zo eten 2 3	We'll eat (have dinner or lunch) in a moment
Ik ben zo klaar	I'll be ready (done) in a moment
Ik kom zo bij U 2	I'll [come to you] be with you in a minute
Zullen we zo gaan? 2 3	Shall we go (leave) in a moment?
Ik ga er zo mee beginnen 2 3 4	I'll start on it soon, in a moment (but also said when endlessly postponing)
Dat zie je zo 2 3 4	[You see that in an instant] - You notice that right away

zodra 2 3	as soon as
zodra we klaar zijn	as soon as we're ready, right away when we're ready
zodra 't licht wordt 2 3 4	as soon as it gets light

See and Hear also: Hurry, Haste and Urgency in the Time Thesaurus

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

email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2014. 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