English 'chance' and Dutch (de) kans
can mean both 'a possibility or probability of something happening'
and 'an opportunity to do or achieve something' | |
| kans op onweer
2
3 |
a chance of a thunderstorm |
| een kans van één op tien
2 |
a chance of 1 in 10, a 10% chance |
| een reële kans
2
3 |
a real chance, a good chance, it could really happen |
| Grijp je kans!
2
3 |
'Grab your chance!' Make use of the opportunity |
| Is er enige kans?
2
3 |
Is there any chance? ‑>> |
| gemiste kansen
2
3 |
missed chances, missed opportunities |
| (de) gelegenheid
2 |
opportunity, ~chance |
| 't Is een unieke gelegenheid
2
3
4
5 |
It's a unique opportunity, ~a rare chance |
| mogelijk
2
(mogelijke
) 'possible' - or sometimes English
uses the verb 'can' | |
| Hoe is 't mogelijk?
2
3
4
5
6 |
How is it possible? How can it be? |
| met alle mogelijke middelen
2
|
with all possible means |
| gebeuren
|
to happen, occur, take place |
| 't Kan elk moment gebeuren
2
3
|
It can happen any moment, anytime |
| (het) geluk
2 can mean 'happiness,' a lasting state of good
feeling - but that's a bit
old-fashioned — it's more often found as
'luck,' fate favoring you: geluk hebben
2
3
'to be lucky' | |
| Ik had geluk
2 |
I was lucky |
| Je hebt geluk gehad
2
3 |
You [have been] were lucky |
| Als je geluk hebt ...
2
3
|
If you're lucky ... |
| The Dutch verb
lukken
2
means 'to succeed' or 'to be successful' (in something)
| |
| Zou 't lukken?
2
|
Is it going to work out? |
| 't Wil maar niet lukken
2
3
|
I can't get it right (said after many failed attempts) |
| "Lukt 't een beetje?"
2
3
|
[Are you somewhat succeeding?] - How is it going? (inquiring with doubts about how a job is going) |
| (de) pech
2
|
bad luck |
| Wat 'n pech!
2
|
Such bad luck |
| Hij heeft te veel pech
2
|
'He has too much bad luck' - he's accident-prone |
| de) pechvogel
2
|
(bad-luck bird) a person who has much bad luck |
| (Het) risico
2
'risk' - plural:
risico's
— risico nemen
to take [risk] risks
| |
| Hij nam geen enkel risico
2
3
|
He didn't take any [risk] risks |
| Zou je het risico nemen?
2
3
|
Would you take the risk? (Is it worth the risk?) |
Words of Change
Gij zult niet stelen
'Thou shalt not steal'