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Dutch Good and Bad, Right and Wrong

'Goed' - 'Good' and 'Well
'Goed' - 'Right, Correct'
Other 'Right, Correct'
Compound Words with 'Goed'
D Softening in 'Goed'
'Beter' = Better
'Best'
'Bad' - Opposites of 'Good' and 'Well:'
'Slecht'
'Erg'
Worse and Worst
'Bad' - Related Words
'Wrong' - Opposites of 'Right, Correct:'
'Verkeerd'
'Fout'
'Mis'
More Related Words
Recht

'Goed' - 'Good' and 'Well'

Dutch goed click to hear 2 3 is both English 'good' and 'well,' adjective and adverb.
Goede click to hear - goed / goede click to hear - adjectives get an -E ending in most positions. Only not before singular 'het'-words after 'een' (" 'n ") 'geen' or no article Lesson 11 - Smartphone page

goedemorgen click to hear
good morning
goedemiddag click to hear
good afternoon
goedenavond click to hear
good evening
(N inserted)
goedendag click to hear
good day
(N inserted)
goedemorgen - goedemiddag - goedenavond click to hear
Hoe gaat 't? click to hear How are you?
Heel goed, dank je click to hear 2 Very good, thank you
Met mij gaat het goed click to hear I'm well, I'm doing well
Niet zo goed click to hear [Not that good] Not having a good day
Filips de Goede click to hear 2 3 4 5 Philip the Good (15th Century Duke of Burgundy, ruler of the Low Countries)
Kaap De Goede Hoop click to hear 2 The Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
Goede Vrijdag click to hear Good Friday (the day Christ died on The Cross) ->>
een goed begin click to hear 2 a good start
Een goed begin is het halve werk click to hear (saying) A good start is half the [work] job
Goed gereedschap is het halve werk click to hear 2 (saying) Good tools are half the job ->>
Eind goed, al goed click to hear 2 3 [End good, all good] All's well that ends well
een goede keuze click to hear a good choice
een goede combinatie click to hear 2 a good combination, a good pairing, they go together well
Elke dag is goed click to hear Any day is good (for an appointment etc.)
't Komt niet goed uit click to hear 2 It doesn't suit me, it's not convenient (it doesn't fit my schedule)
goede gaven click to hear [good] welcome, kind gifts
Geld geven is goed click to hear 2 Giving (donating) money is good
goede voornemens click to hear [good intentions] resolutions ->>
goede voornemens voor het Nieuwe Jaar click to hear New Year's resolutions
We hebben een goed jaar gehad click to hear We've had a good year (pleasant, productive, wine)
goed voorbereid click to hear 2 well-prepared (in advance, for the future)
een goede zet click to hear 2 a good move (in chess and many other competitions)
Net goed! click to hear 2 Just right! (usually said in a vengeful mood: "the deserved punishment," "Serves him (her, them) right!")
een goede oplossing click to hear 2 a good solution (to a problem)
goed genoeg click to hear 2 3 good enough
Het is goed genoeg click to hear It is good enough
't Is ook nooit goed click to hear 2 3 It's never good enough (exasperated or resigned)
Is 't nog goed? click to hear 2 3 Is it still good? (food - still good to eat)
Hij is zo'n goede kok click to hear He is such a good cook
Dat is een goed idee click to hear That's a good idea
Dat is een goede vraag click to hear 2 3 That's a good question
Dat is goed nieuws click to hear That's good news
Heb je een goede reis gehad? click to hear 2 Did you have a good trip?
in goed gezelschap click to hear in good company
een goede man click to hear a good man
een goed mens click to hear 2 3 a good person - note exception: goed - no E
Heb je de laatste tijd nog een goed boek gelezen? click to hear Have you [still] read a good book lately?
Hier hoort men goed Nederlands click to hear Here you hear good Dutch
Beter een goede buur dan een verre vriend click to hear 2 A good neighbor is more useful than a faraway friend
't getuigt niet van goede smaak click to hear 2 3 [It is not evidence of good taste] It shows bad taste
In de hemel zijn alleen goede mensen click to hear There are only good people in heaven
Er is geen goede reden voor click to hear 2 3 There is no good reason (for it)
Er is inderdaad geen goede vertaling click to hear 2 [There is indeed ...] You're right, there is no good translation
Hartelijk dank voor de goede wensen click to hear 2 [Heartfelt] Many thanks for the good wishes

Het is goed voor je click to hear It's good for you
Ik vond 't nog steeds erg goed click to hear I still [thought] think it's [very good] great
Heb je goed gegeten? click to hear 2 Did you eat well? (tasty, filling)
Also: Heb je lekker gegeten? click to hear 2 Did you enjoy your meal?
Also: Heb je lekker geslapen? click to hear 2 Did you sleep [pleasantly] well?
Ik heb goed geslapen click to hear 2 [I have slept well] I had a good night's sleep
't past er goed bij click to hear 2 [It fits in well] It's a good combination, it goes together well (with ...)
Ze passen goed bij elkaar click to hear 2 They (a couple or a team) are a good match
Als je haar maar goed zit click to hear 2 3 [If only your hair 'sits' well] The most important thing is that your hair looks good
't Staat je goed click to hear 2 3 You look good in it - clothes
Hij zorgt goed voor je click to hear 2 3 [~He cares well for you] He takes good care of you

Je spreekt goed Nederlands click to hear 2 You speak Dutch well, you speak good Dutch
Ik spreek niet goed Nederlands click to hear 2 I don't speak Dutch well, I don't speak good Dutch
Ik spreek geen goed Nederlands click to hear I don't speak good Dutch, I don't speak Dutch well
Ik kan U niet goed verstaan click to hear I don't understand, can't hear (well) what you're saying ('goed' is inserted for politeness)
Ik kan 't niet goed verstaan click to hear I don't understand, I can't hear it (well)
Ik herinnerde me hem goed click to hear I remembered him well
Hij bedoelt het goed click to hear 2 He means [it] well
't Loopt niet goed af click to hear 2 It's not going to end well
Hij heeft zich goed verdedigd click to hear He has defended himself well
Het gaat goed click to hear It's going well
't Begint goed click to hear 2 3 It starts well, it's off to a good start
goed kunnen opschieten met click to hear 2 3 to get on well with someone, to like a person
Ik kan goed opschieten met Jan click to hear 2 3 I get on well with Jan, I like Jan
Het brood is niet goed gerezen click to hear 2 The bread has not risen well
Hij speelt heel goed gitaar click to hear 2 3 He plays the guitar very well
Het enige boek dat dit goed beschrijft click to hear 2 3 The only book that describes this well
Ik ben blij dat het goed is afgelopen click to hear I'm glad it ended well
Ik heb er niet goed over nagedacht click to hear 2 3 4 I have not thought it out well
Ik kende die mensen goed click to hear 2 I knew those people well
We hadden ons goed gewassen click to hear 2 We had washed [ourselves] well - reflexive verbs
goed zijn in ... click to hear 2 being good at ...
Hij is goed in smoesjes verzinnen click to hear 2 3 4 He is good at making up excuses

Dat is ook goed click to hear 2 That's OK too, that's fine
Dat gaat niet goed click to hear 2 That's not going well, it's going to end badly
Dat kan niet goed gaan click to hear 2 That cannot [go] end well, there is going to be a problem
Ik wil 't goed doen click to hear 2 3 I want to do it well, I want to do a good job
Je hebt 't goed gedaan click to hear You (singular informal 'you') have done [it] well
Goed zo! click to hear 2 3 Well done!
Jullie hebben 't goed gedaan click to hear You (plural informal 'you') have done [it] well
Dat is indertijd niet goed gedaan click to hear 2 That has not been done [well] right, correctly at the time
Heb ik het goed gedaan? click to hear 2 3 [Have I done it right?] 1. Have I done it correctly, have I done it well? / 2. Have I done the right thing?
Als je goed kijkt ... click to hear 2 When you look [well] sharp
Kijk er eens goed naar click to hear 2 3 Take a good look at it
Dat voel je goed aan click to hear You have a good sense of it (understanding the subconscious signals)
Hou(d) 't goed in de gaten click to hear 2 (saying) Watch it [well] closely
Je moet 't goed in de gaten houden click to hear 2 3 You have to watch it closely

Is 't nog goed? click to hear 2 3 'is it still good?' - i.e. not spoiled, still good and safe to eat
't Blijft wel goed click to hear 2 [It will remain good] - It will still be good (to eat) in a while
't Is niet goed meer click to hear 2 3 [It's not good anymore] - It's gone bad, it's not safe to eat or it's not going to taste nice
also:  't Is niet lekker meer click to hear 2 ['It doesn't taste good anymore'] - 'It's off, spoiled'

Je geeft 't goede weer zo goed weer click to hear 2 You [represent] portray the [good] beautiful weather very well

te veel van het goede click to hear 2 [too much of the good] too much of a good thing
alle goeds! click to hear 2 all the best!
have en goed click to hear (saying) all of a person's possessions

'Mooi' click to hear usually means 'beautiful' ‑>> 2 but occasionally it can mean 'good'

Mooi dat je er weer bent click to hear 2 3 4 [Beautiful] Good that you're [~here again] back
Te mooi om waar te zijn click to hear 2 3 Too [beautiful] good to be true
een mooie gelegenheid click to hear 2 a [beautiful] good, 'fitting' opportunity
Was 't mooi? click to hear 2 3 Was it good?

'Goed' is also 'Right, Correct'

Dutch goed click to hear 2 3 is also the common translation of 'right' - both morally good, justified or acceptable and true or correct as a fact

Ze zijn aan het goede adres click to hear 2 3 [They are at the right address] They came to the right place
Geef 't goede voorbeeld click to hear [Give] Set the right example
't goede antwoord click to hear 2 the correct answer, the right answer
niet 't goede antwoord click to hear 2 not the correct answer, not the right answer, the wrong answer
Als ik 't goed begrijp ... click to hear 2 3 4 If I understand it correctly
Hoorde ik dat goed? click to hear 2 Did I hear that correctly?
Als dat maar goed gaat! click to hear 2 3 [If only that goes right] - I'm afraid it will go wrong, end badly
Dat ging maar net goed click to hear That only just went right, it could easily have ended badly
Colloquially, goed click to hear 2 3 can mean 'very:'
Dat is goed fout! click to hear 2 3 That's very wrong!

Dutch 'Correct, Juist' and 'Gelijk Hebben'

Like English, Dutch has correct click to hear - but it is even more formal and bookish than in English.
(de) correctie click to hear 2 3 correction
Dat is correct click to hear 2 3 that's correct, that's right
Zo is 't correct click to hear This way it's correct, like this it's right
hypercorrect click to hear hypercorrect
'Hooghaarlemmerdijks' click to hear 'hypercorrect' pronunciation of Dutch
corrigeren click to hear to correct (note French G)

Dutch also has 'juist' click to hear which can mean 'correct' but also other things

Zo is 't juist click to hear 2 3 (stress on 'zo' and 'juist') That way it's correct
Zo is 't juist click to hear 2 3 (stress on 'is') That's just how it is, that's how it is

'Gelijk hebben' click to hear 2 means 'to be right, to be correct.'

Je hebt gelijk click to hear You are right (informal, singular 'you')
Je hebt gelijk gekregen click to hear It turns out you were right
je hebt helemaal gelijk click to hear 2 You're absolutely right
U heeft helemaal gelijk click to hear You're absolutely right (polite 'you')
groot gelijk! click to hear 2 "absolutely right!"
Ik geef je geen ongelijk click to hear I'm not saying you're wrong (you're right)

'Goed' Compound Words

goederen click to hear 2 3 'goods,' merchandise, commodities
(het) ondergoed click to hear 2 3 4 5 underwear ->>
(het) snoepgoed click to hear ['sweet snacking stuff'] candy
(het) speelgoed click to hear ['playing stuff'] toys
(de) speelgoedwinkel click to hear 2 toy store
(het) gedachtengoed click to hear 2 3 body of thought
(het) tegoed click to hear balance (money)
(de) vergoeding click to hear 2 compensation, reimbursement
(de) schadevergoeding click to hear 2 compensation (for damage)
goedkoop click to hear 2 3
(goedkoop / goedkope click to hear)
[good-buy] inexpensive, cheap ‑>>
(de) goedkeuring click to hear approval
goedgelovig click to hear 2 3 ['easy-believing'] - credulous, gullible, easy to fool
goedgemutst click to hear 2 [a good cap on] in a good mood
voorgoed click to hear 2 'for good' - permanently
Het is voorgoed voorbij click to hear 2 It's over for good, it's once and for all over and done with
Hij is z'n rijbewijs voorgoed kwijt click to hear 2 3 4 He lost his driver's license 'for good,' it was suspended indefinitely

D Softening in 'Goed'

In speaking, the D of goede is often softened to a consonant-Y (Dutch J) sound: goed / goede / goeie click to hear 2 - goede / goeie click to hear 2 - more
goedemorgen! click to hear good morning! - goeiemorgen! click to hear good morning!
goede reis! click to hear have a good trip! - goeie reis! click to hear 2 have a good trip!
op een goeie dag click to hear [on a good day] someday ..., one day ...
Goeie gunst! click to hear 2 Good grief!

'Beter' = Better

Similar to English, the comparative degree of 'goed' is 'beter' click to hear 2 (beter / betere click to hear) (better)

vroeger was alles beter click to hear In the past, everything was better
Morgen zal 't wel beter zijn click to hear 2 3 Tomorrow it (things) will be better
't Zou beter zijn ... click to hear It would be better ...
Voel je je beter? click to hear 2 Are you feeling better? (less sick)
Ik was drie dagen ziek ... click to hear 2 I was sick for 3 days ...
... maar vandaag voel ik me gelukkig weer een stuk beter click to hear ... but luckily I feel a whole lot better today
Ik ben aan de beterende hand click to hear 2 ["on the bettering hand"] I'm getting better, feeling better
Bij gebrek aan beter click to hear In the absence of something better, lacking a better alternative
Dat is nog beter click to hear 2 3 That's even better
'n beter voorbeeld click to hear 2 3 a better example
Er is nergens beter brood click to hear 2 3 There is [nowhere better bread] no better bread anywhere
Er is nergens betere chocola click to hear 2 3 There is no better chocolate anywhere
Je kunt nergens beter Nederlands horen click to hear [You can nowhere ...] There is no place where you can hear better Dutch
Tegen beter weten in click to hear 2 3 Against my (your, his, her, our etc.) better [knowing] judgement
Je zou beter moeten weten click to hear 2 You should know better, You should have known better (Are you ignorant? I'm disappointed in you)
Ik hoop dat jullie beter weer hebben dan wij click to hear 2 (3) I hope you guys are having better weather than we (or: will have)
Is er niet een betere oplossing? click to hear 2 3 Is there not a better solution?
Is er geen betere oplossing? click to hear 2 3 Is there no better solution?
Ik wou dat er een betere oplossing was click to hear I wish there was a better solution
Ik wou dat er een betere manier was click to hear 2 3 I wish there was a better way (of doing this)
Er moet een betere manier zijn click to hear 2 3 There has to be a better way (to do something)
Beter laat dan nooit! click to hear Better late than never!
't Is beter dan niks! click to hear 2 It's better than (having) nothing (it's far from ideal but)
(de) betweter click to hear 2 3 'know-better,' know-it-all
Beter ten halve gekeerd dan ten hele gedwaald click to hear 2 It's better to turn around halfway than to be wrong the whole way
Voorkomen is beter dan genezen click to hear 2 It's better to prevent than to cure
Beter een goede buur dan een verre vriend click to hear 2 It's better to have a good neighbor than a faraway friend
Beter langharig dan kortzichtig click to hear 2 Better long-haired than short-sighted (60s slogan)
Ik heb een paar jaar pianoles gehad ... click to hear I've had piano lessons for a few years ...
... maar ik had beter gitaar kunnen leren spelen click to hear ... but it would have been better had ik learned to play the guitar
Heb je niks beters te doen? click to hear 2 3 [Do you have nothing ...] Don't you have something better to do?
Ik heb wel wat beters te doen click to hear 2 3 I really have something better to do (I don't have time for the other thing)

verbeteren click to hear to make corrections; to improve
(de) verbetering click to hear 2 3 correction; improvement
Is er enige verbetering? click to hear 2 3 Is there, has there been any improvement?

You can say "Beterschap!" click to hear to someone who's sick or not feeling well, "Get well!" - 'beterschap' can also mean 'improvement,' like in beterschap beloven click to hear ('promising improvement, better behavior')
'Hij wil z'n leven beteren' click to hear 2 3 does not mean simply 'He wants to improve his life' or 'He wants to do better' but it specifically means 'he' wants to move his life away from crime and/or bad behavior towards a more moral attitude

Best

The superlative degree of 'goed' is like in English 'best' click to hear 2 / 'beste' click to hear (best / beste click to hear 2)
Je hond is je beste vriend click to hear Your dog is your best friend
Een hond is je beste vriend click to hear 2 A dog is your best friend
De beste stuurlui staan aan de wal click to hear (saying) The best ship officers are on shore (it's easy to criticize from a distance, when you're not involved)
De beste plaats om Nederlands te leren click to hear The best place for learning Dutch
veruit de beste oplossing click to hear 2 by far the best solution
Wat is de beste manier? click to hear 2 What is the best way? (to do something)
Welke dag komt je het beste uit? click to hear Which day would suit you (fit your schedule) best?
Het beste ermee! click to hear 2 3 4 5 [The best with it] All the best!
op één na de beste click to hear 2 3 4 [the best except for one] second-best, #2
Oost, west, thuis best click to hear 2 (saying) East, West, Home is best (Home sweet home)
Doe je best! click to hear 2 [Do your best] Give it your best!
Ze doen hun best click to hear 2 3 They're doing their best, they're making an effort (don't criticize them harshly)
' t Is voor je eigen bestwil click to hear 2 3 It's for your own good

In letters, I address general friends as 'Beste ...,' click to hear (and my wife, mother and sisters as 'Lieve ...,' click to hear) but nowadays many people write Hallo ..., click to hear 2 (not recomended) or Dag ..., click to hear 2 which also means 'day' and 'goodbye.'

Beste Jan, click to hear Dear Jan,
Beste Freek en Inge, click to hear Dear Freek and Inge,
Lieve Tine, click to hear Dear Tine,
Hallo Jan, click to hear Hello Jan,
Dag Peter, click to hear 2 Hi Peter,
Dag Peter! click to hear Goodbye Peter!
See also: Mail

Dutch 'best' does not always mean 'the best, superior, supreme, most desirable, most wanted' etc. but sometimes it just means something like 'satisfactory, OK.' For instance, in answer to a question like Hoe gaat 't? click to hear (How are you?) 'Best' click to hear 2 means 'OK, fine, not bad, carrying on.'

Ik vind 't best click to hear 2 (3) It's OK with me
Ik vind alles best click to hear 2 3 [Everything] Anything is OK with me (you choose)
Ik wil 't best wel vertellen hoor click to hear 2 3 4 I really don't mind telling you
't Kan best wel waar zijn click to hear 2 3 It may well be true, it's possible that that is the truth
Dat zou best kunnen click to hear 2 3 4 That could very well be, that's entirely possible
't Is best koud click to hear 2 3 It's rather cold, it's colder than expected

Stevig, degelijk - solid, sound, reliable, strong

degelijk click to hear / degelijke click to hear 2 3 sound, solid
stevig click to hear 2 / stevige click to hear 2 solid, strong
solide click to hear 2 3 solid, strong, sturdy

Er stond een stevige bries click to hear 2 There was a strong, constant wind (breeze) degelijke schoenen click to hear sound, solid shoes (maybe not fashionable or elegant)

The Opposites of 'Goed' - 'Bad' and 'Wrong'

Unfortunately, the opposites of Dutch 'goed' are more complicated than in English. 'Goed' click to hear 2 3 meaning 'good' ('pleasing, desirable, satisfying, of good quality') has the opposites slecht click to
hear and erg click to hear ('bad') - while 'goed' meaning 'right, correct' has the opposites 'verkeerd' click to hear - 'fout' click to hear and 'mis' click to hear ('wrong')

Bad = 'Slecht'

'Slecht' click to hear (slecht / slechte click to hear 2) is 'bad' - of poor quality, of little value, inferior, incomplete, defective, insufficient, not as hoped for or desired, unpleasant, unwelcome.' 'Slecht' is often a bit judgemental, stating an opinion, an impression, not an absolute.
slecht weer click to hear 2 bad weather
het slechte weer click to hear bad weather
Het was slecht weer click to hear It was bad weather
Het weer was slecht click to hear 2 bad weather
erg slecht weer click to hear 2 very bad weather
Gisteren was het erg slecht weer click to hear Yesterday [it was] we had very bad weather
Je geeft het slechte weer zo mooi weer click to hear You [represent] depict the bad weather so beautifully
Hij is in een slecht humeur click to hear He's in a bad mood
't Maakt een slechte indruk click to hear 2 3 It [makes] gives a bad impression
een slechte gewoonte click to hear 2 a bad habit
slecht ter been click to hear 2 3 [bad on the leg] - having difficulty walking
't Ziet er slecht uit click to hear 2 It looks bad (also: a bad prognosis)
't Komt slecht uit click to hear It's not convenient, it's a bad time
Ze kunnen slecht tegen hun verlies click to hear 2 They're dealing badly with losing (not sportsmanlike)
Ik had kunnen weten dat 't slecht zou aflopen click to hear 2 3 I [could] should have known that it would end badly
de minst slechte ... click to hear 2 3 the least bad ...
verslechteren click to hear 2 3 to get worse, to deteriorate

'Bad luck' is not 'slecht geluk' but (de) pech click to hear 2 Wat 'n pech! click to hear 2 Such bad luck! ->>

Bad = 'Erg'

'Erg' click to hear (erg / erge click to hear) is also 'bad' - 'very bad, awful, terrible' - 'very serious' (unpleasant, questionable, regrettable, reprehensible) - but mostly as an adverb; and 'erg' can also mean 'very' ‑>>

Ik hoop dat je het niet erg vindt click to hear I hope you don't think it's bad, I hope you don't mind
't Is niet zo erg als het lijkt click to hear 2 It's not as bad as it looks
Ik vind het heel erg click to hear I think it's [very] really bad, I'm upset over it.
Is 't echt zo erg? click to hear 2 3 4 5 Is it really that bad?
Zó erg is 't nou toch ook weer niet? click to hear 2 3 4 5 6 7 It's not really thàt bad, is it?
't Is allemaal niet zo erg click to hear 2 3 [All those things are] - It's not that bad, not that grave - don't worry
't Is al minder erg click to hear 2 3 [It's already less bad] - It's not as bad as it was (pain etc.)
Ik vind het heel erg als ik eten weg moet gooien click to hear 2 3 4 I feel bad, I hate it when I have to throw out food

'Ergs' is the noun of 'erg' ->>

Er is iets heel ergs gebeurd click to hear 2 3 4 Something [very] really bad happened

Worse and Worst

The comparative and superlative degrees of 'slecht' are slechter click to hear 2 3 'worse' and slechtst click to hear (slechtste click to hear) 'worst' - but they're not often used: the comparative and superlative degrees of 'erg' explained in the next paragraph are more common

The superlative degree of the 'erg' click to hear meaning 'very bad' is 'erger' click to hear 2 3 - meaning: 'worse, extremely bad' - but 'erger' can also be the simple present for 'I' of the reflexive verb zich ergeren click to hear 2 ('to be annoyed') ‑>>

Is 't erger geworden? click to hear 2 Did it [become] get worse?
't Had erger kunnen zijn click to hear 2 It could have been worse
't Was nog erger dan ik dacht click to hear 2 3 It was even worse than I had thought
't Wordt steeds erger click to hear 2 3 It's getting worse [all the time] and worse
Dat maakt 't alleen maar erger click to hear 2 3 4 That only makes it worse, that just makes it worse
([het]) weer click to hear 2 1. again 2. weather ‑>>
Voordat 't weer slechter wordt click to hear 2 3 1. Before the weather gets worse
2. Before 'it' gets worse again
Ik erger me dood click to hear 2 3 I'm annoyed to [death] no end

'Ergste' click to hear means 'worst' - it is the superlative degree of 'erg' meaning 'bad.' In the examples it's used as a noun:

op 't ergste voorbereid click to hear 2 prepared for the worst
't Ergste is voorbij click to hear 2 The worst is over
't Ergste dat je kan overkomen ... click to hear 2 3 The worst that can happen (to you) ... (usually said when that 'worst' isn't so bad, you're not taking much risk)
miserabel click to hear 2 miserable
(de) misère click to hear 2 misery
(de) ellende click to hear misery
doffe ellende click to hear [dulling] hopeless misery
een hoop ellende click to hear a lot of misery
't Leidt alleen maar tot meer ellende click to hear 2 3 It only leads to more misery, all it does is cause more trouble
Dan is de ellende niet te overzien click to hear 2 3 4 There'll be a lot of misery then
belabberd click to hear 2 bad, miserable
akelig click to hear very bad, awful, horrible
Wat was dat weer een akelige overstroming! click to hear What a bad flood that was!
verschrikkelijk click to hear (verschrikkelijke click to hear 2) very bad, terrible; horrible ->>
Een verschrikkelijke winter click to hear A horrible, very bad Winter
beroerd click to hear 2 3 sick, miserable
(de) beroerte click to hear 2 stroke (old-fashioned) ->>
the modern word is: (de) hersenbloeding click to hear 2 [brain bleeding] stroke
ik voel me beroerd click to hear 2 I feel miserable, pretty sick
ik had me nog nooit zo beroerd gevoeld click to hear 2 3 I'd never felt that sick, miserable before

(de) teleurstelling click to hear 2 disappointment
teleurstellend click to hear disappointing
teleurstellende resultaten click to hear 2 3 disappointing results
teleurgesteld click to hear disappointed
Ik ben teleurgesteld click to hear 2 I am disappointed
Het stelt me teleur click to hear It is a disappointment, it is disappointing

Meevallen click to hear 2 is 'turning out not to be as bad as expected'
Tegenvallen click to hear 2 3 4 'to be worse than expected, to disappoint'

't valt mee click to hear It's not as bad as expected
't valt erg mee click to hear It's really not as bad as feared
't valt tegen click to hear It's worse than expected, it's disappointing
't Zal wel meevallen click to hear 2 3 It won't be [as bad as expected] very bad
Misschien valt 't mee click to hear Maybe it won't be as bad as we feared
See also: Compound Verbs and Words with Mee and Tegen
(mee- and tegen-zitten and mee / mede)

Wrong = 'Verkeerd' - 'Fout' or 'Mis'

'Verkeerd' click to hear (verkeerd / verkeerde click to hear 2) meaning 'wrong' and 'not correct' is also an opposite of goed

Heb ik iets verkeerd gedaan? click to hear 2 Have I done something wrong?
Wat heb ik verkeerd gedaan? click to hear 2 3 What have I done wrong? What mistake have I made?
Wat kan ik verkeerd gedaan hebben? click to hear 2 3 What can I have done wrong? What mistake have I made?
(Hoe had ik het anders kunnen doen? click to hear How could I have done it differently? - 'anders')
Of heb ik dat verkeerd? click to hear 2 3 Or do I have that wrong? Or am I wrong about that?
de verkeerde oplossing click to hear 2 the wrong solution (to a problem)
de verkeerde keuze click to hear 2 3 4 the wrong choice
de verkeerde weg inslaan click to hear 2 3 4 5 [turning into the wrong road] make a wrong turn
in 't verkeerde keelgat click to hear 'into the wrong throathole' - the airpipe
in 't verkeerde keelgat schieten click to hear (food) going into the [wrong throathole] airpipe
verkeerde zuinigheid click to hear 2 3 wrongheaded frugality, like 'penny wise, poundfoolish'
"verkeerd verbonden" click to hear 2 ['wrong connection'] 'wrong number' - (telephone)
koffie verkeerd click to hear ['coffee the wrong way'] café au lait, drip coffee with a lot of milk ->>
verkeerdom click to hear 'the wrong way 'round' ->>

'Fout' click to hear (foute click to hear fout / foute click to hear 2 3) 'wrong' is also an opposite of Dutch 'goed' - it can be 'incorrect' or 'mistaken,' sometimes with a sense of 'improper, in bad taste, bad manners'
'Fout' is often used in a school setting or in tests - something is 'wrong,' no ambiguity, no discussion about it.

Wat heb ik fout gedaan? click to hear 2 3 What have I done wrong? What mistake have I made?
Heb ik iets fout gedaan? click to hear 2 3 4 Have I done something wrong? Did I make a mistake?
'n fout antwoord click to hear 2 A wrong answer, an incorrect answer
foute boel! click to hear 2 There's something (very) wrong here
't is niet fout click to hear 2 3 It's not wrong
Het is dus fout click to hear slow Note that it is wrong/incorrect, "So it is wrong"
Dat is goed fout! click to hear 2 3 That's very wrong! (~slang)
Hij was fout in de oorlog click to hear 2 3 4 He was 'wrong' in the war - he took the side of the Germans

(De) 'fout' click to hear is 'mistake, error'

(de) typefout click to hear 2 3 [typing mistake] - typo
(de) spelfout click to hear 2 3 spelling mistake
Iedereen maakt fouten click to hear Everybody makes mistakes
het moeten toegeven van fouten click to hear (the) having to admit to mistakes
Er worden fouten gemaakt click to hear 2 Mistakes are made
Er is een fout gemaakt geworden click to hear 2 3 A mistake was made ->>
leren van fouten click to hear 2 3 learning from mistakes
Foutje! click to hear 2 3 Oops! (I made a mistake)
Ik denk eigenlijk van niet - foutje. click to hear slow Actually, I don't think so - I made a mistake.
(de) foutmelding click to hear 2 error message
Ik heb fouten gemaakt click to hear 2 3 I've made mistakes
Fouten die ik gemaakt heb click to hear 2 Mistakes (that) I've made
het moeten toegeven fouten gemaakt te hebben click to hear 2 3
(the) having to admit to having made mistakes

(de) vergissing click to hear is an 'honest mistake,' an oversight or a miscalculation, and zich vergissen click to hear 2 3 is 'to be mistaken' - more

Alles was een vergissing click to hear [Everything was a mistake] - It was one big mistake
Ik kan me vergissen click to hear 2 3 4 I [can] may be mistaken
We hebben ons vergist click to hear 2 We were mistaken
Jullie hebben je in hem vergist click to hear 2 You guys were mistaken about him

'Mis' click to hear is also 'wrong, incorrect' or 'not as it should be' - and sometimes with a sense of 'missing the target, beside the mark.'
'Mis' is only an adverb. It's usually combined with verbs like zijn click to hear 'to be' ->> - gaan click to hear 'to go, develop into etc.' ->> or hebben click to hear 'to have' ->>
You can also say 'Mis!' click to hear when an arrow or a dart doesn't hit the target.

Er is iets mis click to hear Something is wrong
Er is een heleboel mis click to hear 2 3 Lots of things are wrong
Je hebt 't mis click to hear 2 You're wrong, it's not like you say
Ik kan 't mis hebben click to hear 2 I could be wrong, I may be mistaken
Alles gaat mis click to hear 2 3 Everything is going wrong
Sommige dagen gaat alles mis click to hear 2 On some days everything goes wrong
Sommige dagen gaat er van alles mis click to hear On some days all kinds of things go wrong
Waarom gaat altijd alles mis? click to hear 2 3 4 Why does everything always go wrong?
Er ging iets helemaal mis click to hear 2 3 4 5 Something went completely wrong
Dat gaat 'n keer mis click to hear 2 3 That [goes] will go wrong sometime
Wat er allemaal mis kan gaan click to hear 2 3 4 5 6 All the things that can go wrong
(het) misverstand click to hear 2 misunderstanding, incorrect interpretation ‑>>
(de) misdaad click to hear crime ->>
(de) misdadiger click to hear criminal
(de) miskoop click to hear 2 ['wrong buy'] a disappointing or useless purchase
(de) mislukking click to hear 2 failure
(het) mispunt click to hear 2 3 unpleasant person
(het) misbaksel click to hear 2 3 [mis-bake] - miscreant

gemiste kansen click to hear 2 3 missed chances ‑>>
The catholic service 'mass' is (de) mis click to
 hear
Literally, hitting a target is 'raak!' click to hear 2 (sometimes like 'touché') - from raken click to hear 2 ('to hit, to touch') Een gevoelige snaar raken click to hear 2 3
(saying) 'hitting a sensitive string' ~ touching a raw nerve
also: aanraken click to hear 2 'to touch'

Er klopt iets niet click to hear 2 Something is wrong, it doesn't add up

superieur click to hear superior
inferieur click to hear inferior
(de) kwaliteit click to hear 2 quality
'constante kwaliteit' click to hear 2 consistent, reliable quality ('always good')

perfect click to hear 2 / volmaakt click to hear 2 perfect
't perfecte cadeau click to hear 2 3 the perfect present (gift)
niemand is volmaakt click to hear nobody is perfect
(de) onvolkomenheid click to hear 2 3
plural: onvolkomenheden click to hear 2 3
imperfection; incompleteness

Recht

Dutch recht click to hear 2 is from the same root as English 'right' but nowadays they only share the 'being allowed to' and 'being entitled to' meaning, 'the right to ...' (Het) recht as 'justice' or 'the law' is a bit old-fashioned and only in formal use, but there are many compound words with recht in the 'old' meaning.

(het) onrecht click to hear 2 injustice
strijden tegen onrecht click to hear 2 3 fighting injustice ‑>>
(de) rechter click to hear judge
(de) scheidsrechter click to hear 2 referee ->>
(het) gerecht click to hear 1. the courts, the justice system
2. dish, food item
(het) gerechtshof click to hear 2 'court of justice'
(de) rechtszaak click to hear lawsuit
(het) proces click to hear court case, lawsuit
(de) beschuldiging click to hear 2 accusation
beschuldigen click to hear 2 3 4 to accuse ‑>>
(de) aanklacht click to hear 2 3 4 'indictment,' official complaint or accusation
aanklagen click to hear 2 3 to bring charges
(de) verdediging click to hear defense
(de) uitspraak click to hear verdict, judgement; also: pronunciation
schuldig click to hear 2 3 guilty
bekennen click to hear 2 to confess
De verdachte heeft bekend click to hear 2 3 The suspect has confessed
(de) bekentenis click to hear (criminal) confession
(de) biecht click to hear (catholic church) confession
(het) vonnis click to hear 2 sentence, punishment assigned
(de) straf click to hear punishment
(de) gevangenisstraf click to hear 2 3 prison sentence
strafbaar click to hear 2 3 4 punishable
boete click to hear fine, money penalty
(de) misdaad click to hear 2 3 crime ‑>>
(de) Meester in de Rechten click to hear 2 ['Master at [Rights] Law'] person with a law degree
(de) advocaat click to hear 2 lawyer, attorney
(de) wet click to hear law - plural: wetten click to hear laws
De letter van de wet click to hear 2 a literal interpretation of the law
Ik ken de wet click to hear 2 3 I'm familiar with the law
Die wet is pas van vorig jaar click to hear 2 3 4 That law is only from last year
(het) onwettig kind click to hear illegitimate child
(de) ongehuwde moeder click to hear 2 [unmarried] single mother
rechtvaardig click to hear just, fair, 'according to a sense of justice'
een rechtvaardige verdeling click to hear a fair distribution
een rechtvaardige oplossing click to hear 2 a just solution
(het) recht click to hear 2 right (the right to ...)
(het) stemrecht click to hear the right to vote ->>
(de) plicht click to hear 2 duty, obligation
(de) dienstplicht click to hear 'draft,' obligatory militar service
rechten en plichten click to hear 2 3 rights and duties
rechts click to hear (rechtse click to hear 2) right (not left) ->>
links click to hear (linkse click to hear 2) left
de linkse pers click to hear 2 the left-wing media
rechtsaf click to hear 2 right (direction) "right turn, take a right"
(de) rechterhand click to hear 2 right hand
recht click to hear 2 (recht / rechte click to hear 2) straight
rechte lijn click to hear 2 straight line
rechtdoor click to hear straight (direction) - "go straight"
rechte hoek click to hear 2 right angle
negentig graden (90°) click to hear 90 degrees

Slightly old-fashioned, 'recht' click to hear 2 can also mean 'right, correct'
Van 't rechte pad af raken click to hear 2 3 Straying from [the straight path] the straight and narrow (the morally upstanding life)
The opposite of recht click to hear 2 is krom click to hear 2 (kromme click to hear 2 3 krom / kromme click to hear) ('crooked, not straight')
Kromme Rijn click to hear 'Crooked River Rhine'
Kromme Zee click to hear 2 'Crooked Lake' - Gramercy NY??
Waarom zijn de bananen krom? click to hear 2 3 Why are the bananas not straight? (said when someone poses an unanswerable question)

As already shown above, English 'right' meaning 'correct, good' - 'morally good, justified, or acceptable and true or correct as a fact' can be goed click to hear 2 3 - correct click to hear or 'juist' click to hear

'Terecht' click to hear can mean 'justified' but it can also mean something lost was 'found'

Hij is terecht ontslagen click to hear 2 [He was justly fired] - His firing was justified
De sleutel is terecht click to hear The key (that was missing) has been found

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