15. It’s used to describe anything that evokes feelings of coziness, enjoyment or feel-good vibes. “Ear bells” or earrings as we like to call them. The cool kids don’t say that here – it’s an ambulance. (With thanks to Cinder for this prompt!) Don’t fret,  it means “sample”. You just have to know where to look. Luckily for me, you don’t have to look too far to find funny sounding words and phrases in Dutch. This can mean hairdresser OR tasty Dutch kebab with chips, cheese and salad! This is a hearty expression of satisfaction after a job well done or a hard day. ( Log Out /  Described as “a word that encompasses the heart of Dutch culture,” gezellig is untranslatable but describes the feeling of coziness and familiarity you experience in a … (They’re basically doughnuts… but the Dutchies won’t have it. 11. Like “nit picker” I guess. Peanut butter, as we know it, was introduced to the Dutch market by the brand Calvé in 1948. View bitterballenbruid’s profile on Facebook, View bitterballenbruid’s profile on Instagram, Aspects of Life NL: Language | George Oliver. What can’t be translated into English, however, is the accompanying gesture: when you’ve got a mouthful of something delicious, wave your hand across your cheek and smile; everyone will understand that what you’re eating is, indeed, incredibly tasty, or lekker. Instead of fumbling for a string of words in English, sometimes all it takes is one, well-picked cool Dutch word. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Means frog. To say please and thank you in Dutch! The Dutch take pride in toting tolerance as a cultural trait, and certainly the county’s drug and prostitution laws are more lenient than some of its neighbors. Expatica uses technology such as cookies and scripts to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. Yup, the Dutch word for gloves is “hand shoes” tee hee hee! Windhond, courtesy of Laura Frame Illustration. Here are some funny Dutch words and phrases I’ve learned so far. The Dutch don’t have unclarity…they ‘can’t knot any rope to it’ (Er geen touw aan vast kunnen knopen). Why that’s “eikel” – which can also mean jerk/asshole/dickhead!!). ( Log Out /  ( Log Out /  However, it was not possible to market it … Awesomeness! Literally translates to: One that washes sacks. 16. Gedogen, then, is to take a lenient stance or turn a blind eye to something, like the Netherlands’ gedoogbeleid policy towards soft drugs. True story, bro. and Goodbye in Dutch! Think your Dutch friend has mental issues when they say they’ve got a monster at home? Sounds like kicker. I’m (monkey) proud to have learnt this word today! Here you can find the translation of the 50 most important words and expressions into Dutch. Your choices will not impact your visit. 10. This is the Dutch word for toothpaste! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Translation: Just do normal. The word ‘piendakass’ appeared in the Surinamese dictionary at this time and referred to a large block of crushed peanuts that locals slices in a similar way to that of a block of cheese and ate on bread. The refreshing act of going for a walk and getting some air, translated literally as ‘to blow out’. Have a cookie My first Dutch ‘whatttt?’ moment was watching a film with subtitles when the screen flashed up ‘Ik ben apetrots op je’ literally meaning ‘I am monkey proud of you’. If you are about to travel to the Netherlands, this is exactly what you are looking for! (IJs can also mean ice cream! NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. Best used after removing your shoes or sitting down for the first time in hours. Try not to get them confused , Or “oil balls” – a festive dough-based treat, traditionally eaten at New Year. Literally “war fries” (chips in the UK!) Europe Language Café created you a guide of most popular Dutch slang words so whenever you go to The Netherlands you can sound like the locals do! Dutch isn’t the most widely spoken language, but these cool Dutch words are worth learning for those moments that no English word can express. “Dat was geen gesneden koek” In many cases, these words have evolved into slang, and many euphemisms for diseases are in common use.. Additionally, a substantial number of curse words in the Dutch language are references to sexual acts, genitalia, or bodily functions. Dutch words,what's cool to say on the street in the Netherlands, and Belgium. This word in itself can be roughly translated into tasty, except that it can be applied to almost anything, from having a nice body to nice conversation. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account.