@@12uullaass12 most times that I have heard this idiom, it was in the form of a threat. If you don't do this, "dan ben je nog niet jarig". Sometimes" "dan ben je nog lang niet jarig". It is basicly an empty threat but it does indicate that someone wants to harm you. On the other hand, a non-threatening version might be used in an "argument". I can see this happen when some spoiled kid is annoying or wishes to have its way, then you could say it isn't his/her birtday and so they cannot decide. However, I have absolutely never heard someone say it to indicate that it has been a bad day for them. Ususally we would say that it is "niet mijn dag vandaag" "not my day today". And yes it might be used in a literal form were it is to point out that a specific date isn't their birthday
@@Bennie_Tziek Yeah i get that but i dont think it implies that the person wont reach his birthday, just that that day will not be a good day for the person. but to be honest, i've had countless times where i felt like dutch idioms were meant differently than they actually were so could be just wrong hahaha
Natafelen isn't about being stuffed with food. That is uitbuiken. Natafelen is when you had dinner with family or friends and you enjoy the company so much that you continue to sit at the dinner table, talking and or drinking.
Gert-Jan. Uitbuiken has the exact the same meaning as natafelen . You don't eat anymore when you are uitbuiken, you let the food rest (je laat het eten zakken). Edit: www.encyclo.nl/begrip/Uitbuiken But you are right that it is not about food anymore, but the period after that. In Tilburg we like to take a "borrel" in this time. ;-)
@@013pieter Nope, you're wrong. As uitbuiken is specifically about having eaten so much that you're completely stuffed. You can do that at the dinner table but you can also do it while lying at the couch, alone. While natafelen is more a social thing you do with the people you just had dinner with. Having a drink and a conversation while still sitting at the dinner table. You can combine the two but that's not necessary. You can do natafelen without being completely stuffed and you can do uitbuiken on your own, maybe even take a nap while doing it.
@Ralph Macchiato Nope, he's not. One is a purely physical thing after eating too much, the other is a social thing because you enjoy someones company. How can that ever be the same thing?
For me Gert Jan is right. Natafelen is a social thing. You don't have to be stuffed. I hate to eat to much, but i love to stay sitting at the table with friends after dinner. After the coffee/tea has been served (propably with cake and/or chocolate) start again with other drinks or cognac/ammaretto/armagnac/or what other spirits are in the cupboard, until midnight. Talk and have fun, tell old stories you alredy know but are still much fun for the whole company to hear again. That's what natafelen is.
"Ik gun hem die job" "he hasn't made much progress, I'll grant you that" Based on that verb: "Ik vraag vergunning om te spreken." "I ask permission to speak"
When we ask someone "voel je je jarig?" or "do you feel like it is your birthday?" the actual question behind that is "does it feel like your special day?". It's meant to be polite, because the one who asks it usualy implies that he or she hopes that you are having that special day, being in the center of attention, getting showered with love and gifts. It might be an odd saying, but it has lovely intensions behind it! :)
Jarig is actually a state that you are in at your birthday. That's why Dutch ask you if you feel jarig, and, by the way, they do that because the Dutch want you to feel happy on your birthday.
'Verjaardag' is a noun, just like 'birthday' whereas 'jarig' is an adjective. So rather than a different meaning, the words serve different grammatical purposes in a sentence and are therefore used differently. Maybe this is helpful?
Being Dutch, I would translate "Voel je je jarig?" with: Do you emotionally realise your birthday is celebrated? or: Are you happy it's your birthday? "Dan ben je nog niet jarig" can mean: It would have unpleasant consequences for you (not necessarily depending on you/ your behaviour), but it is mostly used as a warning, meaning: If you do (repeat doing) something, it will have unpleasant consequences for you. I would translate "Uitbuiken" with: To digest in a relaxed way and "Natafelen" with: To chat (usually with alcoholic drinks) after diner. and "Gunnen" with: To think someone deserves something.
There you hit the nail on the head with the voel je je jarig translation. Do you emotionally realize your birthday is celebrated. However, I’d also add “do you feel a year older?” If it’s for example you 24th birthday, you could interpret it in addition as ‘do you already realize you’re 24?’ But that’s just an interpretation.
I feel that "voorpret" isn't just the anticipation, but the actual feeling of joy you can have before an event. As in "Oh this is gonna be so much fun! :D" and then you feel like it's already happening. "Gunnen" is related to "gunst", which means favor. "Iemand iets gunnen" would then translate to "I wish he gets this favor/have this favorable thing happen to him". It's a well-meant wish, which I guess automatically means the other deserves it.
Exactly. 'Voorpret' is joy that is anticipatory in nature, not anticipation that is joyful - let alone 'pleasureable' - in nature. 'Anticipatory joy' would be my translation, and I find it strange that Van Dale has it the other way around.
There's even such a thing as a 'voorpretborrel'. Example: a week before your skiing trip, the whole group will meet in a bar for some drinks and talk about how much fun it will be to go skiing together.
I think Van Dale has the definition of 'voorpret' the wrong way around. Instead of 'pleasureable anticipation', I'd say its 'anticipatory pleasure', or better yet, 'anticipatory joy'.
"Dan ben je nog lang niet jarig" is more like a threat or warning Example: If you fuck this up, dan ben je nog lang niet jarig. (You will have to deal with the consequences)
Dan ben je nog niet jarig roughly translates to: "You're in trouble if you do that". This video is really good! Uitwaaien, uitbuiken, natafelen, gunnen. I was in Paris wearing jeans and a t-shirt, this French guy at the café asked me if I was Dutch...yes we stand out a mile... Just keep it gezellig!
Indeed, it has understated subtones of the (usually) overstated suggestion that it may prevent you from seeing your next birthday, or at least make you fear that you won't. If you think of it as expecting a dressing down to such a degree, it makes sense.
"gunnen" is a verb.... I explain it as the opposite of jeleousy. you want someone to have something, or if they allready have it. you are happy for them that they got it. "Ik gun het je van harte"... nice list
@ja nee Only as the result of for instance a tender, a 'uitschrijving'. The meaning Ava refers to is more like hoping or being glad for someone for getting something because he so deserves it. There is a malicious version too, glee about a mishap occurring to somebody (like the remarks in this thread about President Trump catching the Covid-19 virus). I suppose the expression "good for him/her" comes closest; it also has that other meaning when you don't really wish him or her well. The main difference is that good for him comes after the fact, ik gun het hem can be before or after.
This was a fun list. I made up some (nonsense) translations for these words that I'm now going to share for the benefit of US-Dutch relations, even though this is a 2 year old video. 1 jarig - anniversarious 2 voorpret - forebliss 3 borrel - drink (I think this actually works well since when you're going for a drink or having a drink with someone it becomes a social engagement) 4 uitwaaien - to bebreeze oneself 5 uitbuiken - gastrospanding 6 natafelen - metaphagous dialectics 7 gunnen unbegrudge 8 gezellig convivial
Gezel means companion. Originally a younger less experienced and skilled companion to a craftsman, but the egalitarian spirit goes back centuries here. Vergezellen means to accompany, gezelschap means company. Gezelligheid always has to do with company, it's always social, it can be having coffee and cake and staring out of the window with grandma, but also a drug infested dance festival. So also with rooms it is about cosyness fitting for pleasurable social interaction. With nice weather and lots of people on the sidewalk cafes the city is gezellig so the weather is inviting to gezellligheid just like a room can be. But just like 'lekker' very common words like gezellig and ongezellig are also used a lot for understatement, irony and sarcasm and then it's about intonation. Gunnen is somewhat between granting, permitting and favouring. 'Iemand een gunst doen' is doing someone a favour. 'Bij iemand in de gunst komen' means that someone looks favourable towards you. A boss for example could 'gun' an employee a special task that other employees would like too. But in the same egalitarian spirit people who are not boss and have no grants, permission to give or favours to do, people claim the judgement part of it for themselves nontheless. I'm favourable to this person, 'ik gun haar dit', the fact that I'm not in the position to offer her anything doesn't matter, I can still express my opinion about what she deserves like I would.
This translation and explanation of the Dutch word 'gezellig' needs to be the default. From now on I'm going to use this one when in need to explain the word. I rarely comment on UA-cam but simply needed on this one. Sir, you have my respect.
Both "voorpret" and "binnenpret" are special words. Voorpret is already described below. Binnenpret is when you are recalling or anticipating something funny and smile to yourself. And then if someone asks you what you are smiling about, it's sometimes difficult to tell the whole story or it may be embarrassing to share, so you can just say: "ik had een binnenpretje". And then people will enter into your joy without questioning the content of what you were smiling about. It is a good-natured word, so the word "binnenpret" implies that the cause for your smile is kind.
A not so positive word that could be on the list: leedvermaak. In English they often use the German version shadefraude, but in Dutch we use leedvermaak for that: the joy of someone else suffering.
@@honema123456789 Nah that would be "sadistisch" A sadist takes pleasure from hurting people, "leedvermaak" is that feeling you get when you see someone trip or something and you think "glad it's not me". There is no actual bad feelings intended. Leedvermaak - Happiness for the misfortune of others. Sadisme - Happiness for causing misfortune to others.
@@david6054 while I disagree with your definition of leedvermaak I do agree that sadisme is more inflicting pain on others yourself than it just happening. so good point!
Actually, 'uitwaaien' has two meanings, where blow out is a perfectly usable meaning for example when a flame dies due to heavy wind. Blow out. The second meaning indeed has no translation to English, where it means to clear your head litteraly and figuratively speaking, by walking in usually cool maybe frosty and windy or even stormy weather. (edit) Uitwaaien is like having a breath of fresh air, utilizing an actual winter storm. Oh, a non-rainy winter storm because you can't properly clear your head with rain gear on.
Well said. 😊 Does "going out for for fresh air" not also imply you are feeling stuffy and need to clear your head? It does a little imo, but not as strongly as uitwaaien.
Thank you for the video, as a dutch person I always enjoy outside perspective on our culture and language so please keep them coming :) That being said here's my two cents on the words: "Jarig" is a state of being rather than a consequence of it being your birthday and mostly tied to the mystical sense of happiness that a young child feels when it's their birthday. Feeling like it is a momentous occasion and the day revolves around you. Something most people lose in their teens but everyone always hopes they can retain or get back. So asking someone if they feel "jarig" means, hey do you feel the inexplicable sense of happiness because it is your birthday today? I would personally translate this with either "it's someones birthday" or "birthdayhappy(ness)" depending on context. "Voorpret" I think the translation of pleasurable anticipation is a good one as it does mean that. It just doesn't work well colloquially. I think I would translate this with "a moment of joy because of anticipation" not a single word. "Borrel" Obviously the drink part is clear, though I think a borrel more specifically means a ~2cl drink of hard liquor, a shot. Sometimes interpreted as more but always high alcoholic content. For the gathering I would never use "Happy Hour", A borrel is a socializing gathering and can be both a casual thing or professional (i.e. for networking). The pretext for these gatherings is drinking Alcohol but it can also involve snacks ("borrelhapjes"). "Borrels" tend to be a bit more organized than just going for some drinks. It describes a wide array of happenings from the FridayAfternoonDrinks (VriMiBo: Vrijdag Middag Borrel) going for a drink with colleagues to end the workweek to a well organized event to bring clients and businesses in contact. I think the most common word borrel replaces in the english language is "function" but it can mean anything from a very casual party to a formal function (as long as there are drinks involved). "Uitwaaien" I can imagine this is a strange one to translate because it is an activity that can only come up due to climate and geography. It can mean many things but they all have to do with being in a disruptive emotional state and trying to get out of it by getting some fresh air not nescessarily on the beach by the way. So to let your anger blow away or to not feel so stressed for a moment and afterwards you veel reinvigorated or calmed down, a bit of a meditative moment, which doesn't have to be solitary but can be. I would translate this with "getting some fresh air" because it is used colloquially a lot rather than specifically having to do with it being in the wind. "Uitbuiken" I think you got the sense of this word very right. It is when you feel like you have overindulged on food and get the sense you are going to be out of commission for the next 30 minutes or so. So you need to spend that time "uitbuiken". Essentially it is the active verb for dealing with a food coma, so I would translate this as "dealing with a foodcoma" "Natafelen" however has nothing to do with overeating or overindulgence, it is the activity of staying at the table after a meal and enjoying the company some more after the main event (the meal) is over. This is often done with a cup of coffee or some drinks, but also not uncommon without anything else to consume and just some conversation. I think this can be translated by "after-dinner"+ any synonym for conversation appropriate for the context. "Gunnen" Is kind of like hoping and wishing for something to happen to or for someone because they deserve it. Generally without the thing you "gun" affecting you yourself. This can be used negatively aswel, you can "gun" someone their just deserts for example. Which is the meaning you are looking for here, it can however also mean grant as in you are the actor in this activity and give something to someone. I don't think gunnen is directly translatable but has to be translated by the verb appropriate to the context and then given an additional sense of intent. In absence of a better option I think the best way to translate it on its own would be to say you "welcome it for someone". "Gezellig" honestly has a decent translation, it a catchall word (kind of like borrel), and means different things depending on what it describes, be it a person, a room or a happening. Whenever I explain it someone not Dutch I say coziness out in the open. It is not "gezellig" to curl up somewhere, but it can be used as an endearing term for a small room. "Gezelligheid" outside of that endearing term always involves a social aspect. While I think the "Van Dale" is a reputable if not the most reputable dutch dictionary, the translations seem to be very bare bones. If people want a better sense for the words It might be better, though tedious, to pick up an actual "Van Dale" the Dutch version and translate the explanations given. Considering that people will probably understand what that means and have a working knowledge of their own language you might get to a better fitting solution. If you are at a loss you need to ask someone in person anyway because a book can't answer your direct questions. I think trying to translate most of these words with one word would cause them to lose nuance and the place they hold in spoken language. Describing something or using more than one word is not a crime and can prevent miscommunications. Sorry for the long read. ;)
Uitwaaien: Some possible translations or descriptions. 1) clearing the cobwebs from your head 2) getting a fresh view of things. If you struggle trying to find a solution, it can be a good strategy to go first uitwaaien before you make a decision. 3) Clearing up your mind
I think it is really helpful to translate "Jarig" as an adjective, because basically it is (the -ig suffix indicates this as wel). So literally it would be "year-y". It is then not "are you feeling birthday" but "are you feeling yeary?" where yeary describes the state one is in when one is having their birthday. "verjaardag" also literally should be translated as expiry-day because it is literally the day when another year "expires".
'"voel je je jarig" is basically a way of politely asking them if their birthday isnt disappointing. Kinda checking if its fun enough to warrant being called their birthday. Also 'jarig' is whats called a 'bijvoegelijk naamwoord' which is a type of word in dutch (and many other languages) that describes a characteristic of something else. For example 'een rode auto' would be 'a red car' where 'red' or 'rood' is a 'bijvoegelijk naamwoord' because it describes a characteristic of the car. In that sense, calling someone 'jarig' is basically like calling someone 'red'. It being their birthday is administered as one of their characteristics at that moment. "Dan ben je nog niet jarig" means something along the lines of "youre screwed". Often even used as a threat "als ik je betrap met mijn dochter dan ben je nog niet jarig!" (if i catch you with my daughter im gonna kick your ass). As for 'uitwaaien'. Imagine your room is a bit... murky. You had a drink with friends, you have a hangover, your friend on the couch has one too. Its not exactly stinky but its far from fresh smelling in your room. So you open the windows and let the wind blow through it. 'Uitwaaien' is something like that but as a person. Youve had a busy day, youre tired, you stared at your screen too long, its winter so its very warm inside generally. So you go outside (not just the beach) despite the weather not necessarily being welcoming to kinda freshen up.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in NL and DK as a foreigner, I would say the Dutch and the Danes simply enjoy overstating the untranslatability of gezellig/hyggelig, because the words describe something about their cultures that they are very proud of. It’s like trying to translate the American expression of ‘chilling’ as relaxing. People from the U.S. would always tell you there is more to the word. For them, it represents the carefree and rock-and-roll spirit of the Americans. Likewise, the Dutch love sitting outside a kroeg on the canal over the summer months, to have a few drinks and snacks for hours with good company. That’s gezellig. The similar concept of coziness in Denmark, though, is more about lighting candles indoors during the long winter nights, or having a picnic in the park during the long summer days, to feel intimate with a few friends, family, etc. That’s hyggelig. If you ask the Dutch and the Danes, they would tell you there is a difference between gezellig and hyggelig - not because the Dutch don’t find winter candles and small summer picnics gezellig, or the Danes don’t find drinks at an outdoor cafe hyggelig. They most definitely do. Their different ideas about that warm gushy feeling are just tied to different habits. When you compare the two cultures, gezellig/hyggelig really reflects how the Dutch tend to be more extroverted. Yes, the Germans have gemuetlich, and that’s like the warmed-up version of Americans chilling lol. They are proud of their German efficiency and the ability to shut down work stress on command. No offence to those who dislike cultural stereotypes. Just sharing some observations that make us appreciate one another more :)
English just doesn't have a single verb for it. I think "ik gun het hem" would translate most accurately as "I think he deserves it and hope he gets it."
"Jarig" can be loosely translated as "having aged another year" and is often used as an adjective. You're absolutely right, it's usually said when it's someone's birthday or in some cases, even an organisation's "birthday" - which would colloquially refer to an event such as the founding of that organisation. Whether or not you "feel" jarig then refers to your mood, so whether or not you feel as though it's your birthday (while not specifying what that feeling might be described as; this could be different to you compared to the person asking). Saying "het is Franks verjaardag" means it's Frank's birthday, which emphasizes the date. Saying "Frank is jarig vandaag" technically means the same, but -from my perspective- emphasizes the event and to a lesser degree the relevance to Frank, rather than the date. The female variant of "Jarige Job" would be "Jarige Jet". Did you say American/British? To me your accent sounds American, not British (but then again, I'm not a native speaker of English, and I often get accents wrong). Your pronunciation of Dutch is really good by the way. Uitbuiken... is fairly local. Gunnen is very common. So is "gezellig" (in German it would be "gemütlich"). In any case if you should ever struggle with some Dutch or you simply seek an additional perspective or simply someone to discuss it with, feel free to contact me. Always good to have a pleasant conversation. For many Dutch linguistic questions there is a better source than Van Dale though. Try taaladvies.net whenever having to make hard choices about grammar. Thank you for a fun video :)
Ava, interesting! I agree: it's his/her birthday refers to the biological annual repetition. Feeling 'jarig' relates to the experience of others celebrating with you that it's your special day today. I think, besides being traditional, it's a sort of check to see if you have been made to feel special enough so far. And, if not, to act on that and help make it so.
"gezellig" for me is linked to the word "gezel" which in rather old dutch means a member of a group of people with the same status, in the old times especially used for pupils of the same master/artist or members of a guild. So when it is gezellig, you assume that there are no ranks, you can be yourself without feeling obliged to do or to act with a certain posture. You can speak out freely, make fun as long as you don't hurt anuone, because then the "geselligheid" is gone. You feel welcome. No obligations. You can talk about your weak points without being critizied. You don't have to hide behind a mask. So anything that adds to this feeling of being able to be yourself without caring too much for any obligation or posture can be called "gezellig". A simple cookie can be gezellig, as well as a person who makes you feel comfortable. Someone who tells funny stories without hurting anyone is gezellig, Singing songs together even falsly can be gezellig, as long as you can laugh about it. A room can be gezellig if it invites you to act informally. The list is endless as long as you feel comfortable and no presure is applied.
You missed the word "gedogen" for me that is even a more dutch word than gezellig. It means something like it is forbidden but we (officially) don't care.
I’m happy to have found your channel. I’ve been living in GOUDA, I’m a chiropractor from US, for 4 yrs now and trying my best to learn the language. Your videos fill in the blanks we English translators often struggle with, so again thank you 😊 cheers
"Natafelen" does not allways have to be with a huge full belly, it is more like sitting with your family or friends at the table and enjoying eachothers company after a pleasurable meal.... There might be some coffee or drinks on the table too... ;-) :-) "Uitbuiken" is more like you had a meal and you ate so much that it is allmost trying to burst the belt in your jeans, so you loosen them and go and hang on your couch just to get some releif... :-) :-) "Dan ben je nog niet jarig" is more like a threat/warning/promiss when someone does someting verry stupid or your kid does something he/she is told not to do and it literally means "you won't get to your next birthday"....
Most people use 'Jarige Job' for both girls and boys, I rarely hear anyone use 'Jarige Jet'. They're not very common names either, pretty sure we use it just because both words are short and start with J.
The Dutch name Job can be either used for girls though..... (had a girl in classroom at elementary school who's name was Job) i was really confused as a kid as well but yeah....
@@ghostleopard570 I disagree. Being from the north, I never heard of a female Job, your classmate behind the exception. It's a biblical name, (there's a bible book with that name), and to me, a typically male name. As I come to think of it, there are not many names that are for both males and females. Joan comes to mind, pronounced as Johan without the 'h', not the English pronunciation, and Anne, which in the north can be a male, as opposed to being strictly female in the more western provinces.
"Gunnen", I would translate as I want this person to get this, because they deserve it. Sometimes Dutch people also use gunnen in a negative way (but less often). Like for example, some people may say "ik gun Trump het coronavirus"/ I gun Trump the coronavirus. (Though now he already has it, so it doesn't really work anymore)
I was gonne respond with exactly this. She mentioned that it's always positive (and way more often than not it is) but it isn't aaalllways. Someone can deserve something bad and we can hope they get that bad thing because they deserve it. But yeah the definition "i hope you get it because you totally deserve it" is perfect for gunnen.
Voorpret is often associated with preparing for a fun activity, and getting exited in the process. For instance, you have planned a camping trip and are now in the process of shopping for a tent, hiking boots, a portable gas stove, and so on. Dutch people would say that shopping spree is voorpret. Voorpret is not really about sitting quietly and contemplating the upcoming trip. The noun borrel usually means an organized event, it's not just going to happy hour; it's often a private affair for a certain group of people, a social event. You wouldn't refer to a group of colleagues meeting in a bar as a "borrel". However the verb borrelen can refer to such a gettogether: "We gaan na werk nog even borrelen" i.e. "We're going for drinks after work".
Exactly what I wanted to say. Voorpret is not just a feeling you have sitting in your chair with your eyes closed and a smile on your face thinking of the pleasant event that is ahead of you, no it is about all the things you have to do to prepare for that event and then these preparations are already a lot of fun. Helps you through tedious long waiting time before the event to happen.
Dutch gunnen can be used the way English grant is used, but when it's used like "hope" as you say, it's not just only hope, but it also includes this feeling that they really deserve it. There's a karma-element to gunnen.
In English we say "I'm gunning for you" which must be related. But I would say the sense is "I'm supporting or rooting for you" without a karma element.
willing to grant because it would be deserved but not in a possition to grant. (indeed a karma thing, something good for the people fishing behind the net and something bad for the person sticking his head above ground level 'maaiveld')
We do use 'gunnen' when a government organization grants a job to a contractor. But that is quite different from the meaning discussed here. There is a neologism called 'compersion' in English that comes somewhat close. But gunnen is more tied to somehow feeling that someone deserves to get the thing they're trying to get.
I was about to go down to the comments and explain the little details I know about these words as a dutch person... Then I saw half of the Netherlands already here proudly talking about our language :P I love your videos! :)
The literal translation of "Borrel" is a shot of Jenever, the Dutch version of Vodka, but now people use it for every alcoholic beverage exept for beer and wine: "Zullen we een borrel halen?" is "Do you want to go out for drinks?" For the second meaning of Borrel as a social gathering you are close in understanding it, but I think there is still 1 thing missing: The goal of organizing a borrel is to make people sociolize that don't know eachother well and/or personally. That is for example why a company would give a Vrijmidagmiddagborrel (VrijMiBO), so that people can socialize and talk about non work related issues as a way of teambuilding. Even though it is often not stated, you are usually expected to come and have at least 1 drink now and then. Never attending a Borrel at work will get noticed. Now if you invite your friends over at your house for drinks, you can put as many borrelhapjes out as you want, that doen't make it a Borrel. Than it is just a party. Hope this helps a bit!
I think the word 'borrel' has actually become more mainstream and is also used outside the workplace nowadays. Late afternoon social gatherings among friends/neighbours that involve (alcoholic) drinks and snacks just for 'gezelligheid' are called borrels where I live. Main difference with 'feestje' is that borrels will revolve around conversation and no loud music/dancing is to be expected. Borrels may evolve into feestjes occasionally. This would be an 'uit de hand gelopen borrel'.
Yup. I agree on the social gathering. But short . "Een borrel" is a chat and a drink. An hour tops. That it usually ends up being a night out because it was "zo gezellig", does not change the fact that it started out as just a dink and a chat.
Also students have weekly borrels, we call the weekly student association hangouts at night a borrel, but most people agree that if we just sit and talk it's borrelen (oh yes, thats a verb) and if there is lots of dancing involved it's not really borrelen anymore
A propos the “borrel”: an interesting variety of the borrel is the VriMiBo. The VrijdagMiddagBorrel :) And with regards to “uitbuiken”, we also use the expression “je broek op de vreethaak zetten” for the moment you noticed you actually ate too much. “Gunnen” is actually really old. It’s already present on an Old Dutch inscription in runes, with the exact same meaning, but without the “g”. Modern English still has the word (to) “own”, but it has a slightly different meaning/focus. The old Dutch “onne(n)” could also mean “to wish” or “to bestow”.
"Gunnen" is way more versatile. You somewhat hope someone is getting hired or anything else he/she deserves to get. For example because they worked hard for it or have had lots of misfortune. But it is also used in business like the result of a tender. In a tender a number of people or companies make an offer to do or sell something and the one sending out the tender will allow the contender with the best offer to be the one to sell things. So the winner of the tender is granted the right to sell something. You also see the word in other words like "vergunning", which is something like a license to do something. So you're granted the right to do something because you're believed to be doing the right thing. Like parking on a handicaped parking place, or extending your house or sell goods on a market place. It is something that also can be taken from you when you're no longer believed to be doing the right thing (or when it has expired...). So it is also a bit of liking included. "uitbuiken" is also more versatile and for sure not only means to release your belt at the table (which almost never happens as far as I know) It is also more meant as an excuse of not cleaning up the table after dinner, but just wait a bit before getting the desert ("toetje"). Just leaning back a bit, giving your body (and mind) a bit of a rest to process the meal and maybe things spoken about during diner and just get a bit more relaxed to go turn away the dishes and prepare for the desert. As you know, the desert is a very serious part of the meal, so you must get mentally and physically ready for it. "Borrel" is not just the event of drinking and for sure has no association with "happy hour". A borrel is more about the social event where you meet people in a more casual setup and there will be drinks (can very well be non-alcoholic as well as with alcohol) and often some kind of snacks like "bitterballen", bowl of nuts, "blokjes kaas" or "borrelnootjes" A "borrel" is more about the social event to be able to talk to people in a casual setting and the drinks are "bijzaak" (good luck translating that one :) ) Well there's always a few persons that will use a "borrel" to focus on the alcoholic drinks and you all know the examples in your familiy/friends/colleagues.
Right, so it obviously comes from beer bubbling, but words and their meanings evolve, so after a while it's meaning expanded and later imploded again, so it explicitly does not mean beer, but liquor of some kind. A 'borreltje'. And it still also means the whole event of after work business meeting.
Don’t think it comes from bubbels in beer, as a borrel is a small strong drink. The ‘rel’ part is a diminutive, maybe from ‘born’. So it maybe has the exact origin as the more modern ‘een drankje’.
First of all I would like to compliment your Dutch. Your pronunciation is really good. Uitbuiken is a tricky word for non-native speakers, but you nailed it. I would add another word to the list: wel. A very frequently used word in Dutch. In some cases it can be translated to well in English, but wel actually means the opposite of not. There's no English word for that (as far as I know at least). Je hebt je huiswerk zeker weer niet gedaan, hè? (You didn't do your homework again, did you?) - Jawel, dat heb ik wel gedaan! (I did do that!). Wel puts emphasis on the fact that you actually did do something when someone suggests you didn't. And jawel is a positive answer to a negative question. You didn't do your homework, did you? - both yes and no as an answer would confirm the question: you didn't do it. In Dutch you can answer jawel which means you actually did do it. I haven't found an English translation yet. There's one good thing about it though: no "welles-nietes discussies".
"Gunnen" has 2 meanings: a client can award (or grant) a contract to a contractor. That is "gunnen" of a contract. Or it can be used as in your example, hope for someone to get something, because you think he deserves it. And only in a positive way.
With a different perspective, though. "He deserves it" in which he is actively deserving it, vs "Ik gun het hem", in which the person who deserves it is passive.
That is so interesting. I live VERY close to the Netherlands and are often there and in german we have a quite similar word "gönnen", which is basically the same, but you would never use it in a contract-getting way and whilst you use it for the vast majority of times for positive examples (kinda lika a "treat yourself!", but meant in a way like "You really deserve this!") you can in very few examples wish something bad, like f. ex. People hering Trump contracted the Coronavirus, saying things like: "Das gönn ich ihm!" (like in a sarcastic way: the person deserved this, but only in sarcastic examples.)
This is a fun list of Dutch words! You did a great job finding words that are not cliche. Did you know that there is a verb for participating in a borrel? It is called borrelen. I think that your explanation of natafelen is actually the description of uitbuiken. Natafelen is when after dinner people remain seated at the table for a long time to have a gezellige conversation. You don’t necessarily have to feel stuffed, it’s rather a description of the social activity. I think that gunnen translates as “to wish for”. Your partner wishes for her friend to get that job.
With regard to “gunnen” we can also say “het was me / je niet gegund”. This is said to generally express disappointment after discovering we didn’t succeed at something. This could refer to the job not gotten but also a competition one didn’t winn even though one trained very well or an important appointment missed by random causes like oversleeping, unexpectedly busy traffic making it impossible to get there in time or a train unexpectedly cancelled. It expresses disappointment while also realising one could not have prevented the disappointing event to happen. You could say something alsnog the lines of “the forces of nature were against me” in English. We would not use “natafelen” for lingering at the table after doing homework, it is specifically connected with having enjoyed a meal in the company of at least one other person. It is the prolonging of the “gezelligheid” you enjoyed during the shared meal by having dessert or coffee or spirits or all of them and therefore also continuing the conversation. As opposed to clearing the table and doing the dishes which marks either the end of the “gezelligheid” or the start of a different activity. “Gezellig” is not just limited to persons or rooms, one can refer to an activity as “gezellig” or “ongezellig. For instance, when in a group of friends, one of them may propose a next get together or an activity for a next occasion. The members of the group may exclaim “ja, gezellig!” to express their immediate “voorpret” at the thought of the proposed get together. 😂 We can also berate a person for turning the mood with an unpleasant remark or unpleasant behavior and try to restore the pleasant mood by telling them “laten we het gezellig houden” which means depending on the situation “don’t get into that subject” or “don’t use that kind of language” or “don’t spoil the mood / event”. By the way, Joey Jaq is also a New Yorker who moved to Holland to be with his boyfriend. I believe they live in Amsterdam. Maybe it’s fun to compare notes on Holland / The Dutch 😄
Unfortunately you're mixing up 'gunnen' and 'vergunnen' here, which admittedly though is quite a common mistake nowadays. Your example here is a typical case of 'vergunnen' which is a more formal word, meaning something like 'fate didn't grant you the pleasure'.
Great video again, I really like all your observations. Here are some dutchlish suggestions 1: Jeary /Jearing If you, during your birthday, forget it's your birthday then it's considered not feeling 'jarig' But the question about feeling jarig is "Are you in a celebratory mood?" 2: Prejoying 3: A Drinkening 4: Going for a weatherblasting 5/6: after-dinnering (tafelen = having a meal) (also Bloating) 7: "They deserve something, in my not so humble opinion." 8: gezelly
So much enjoyed your video. I am a native Dutch speaker, but live abroad and therefore speak mostly English all the time. So yes, sometimes I want to use a word that exists in Dutch, but cannot find the English equivalent. Such as "binnenpretje". The best I can come up with for a "borrel" (as in a social gathering with drinks and snacks) is a "cheese-and-wine". Of course, the Dutch word 'par excellence' in the entire dictionary is "lekker". You can use it for anything: drinks, food, a chair, a pair of trousers, a room, a bicycle, a walk, the weather, sex, etc. "Lekker ding!". "Lekker belangrijk!"
There is a third meaning of "borrel". A beverage with a high alcohol percentage, like "jenever" (gin), which you serve in a "borrelglaasje" (shot glass)!
Voorpret is having fun before the occasion takes place, when you think about what could happen or what you or another person will be experiencing. Like if you plan a prank or booked a holiday trip or organize a party. You think about what you will do or how much fun you will have. It’s a sort of longing to the occasion and thinking how much fun it will be. Natafelen is indeed remain seated at the table after dinner because it is gezellig. Tafelen is also another word for eating at the table with company. We also say: we’re going at the table (we gaan aan tafel) when the table is set and food is on the table, everything is ready and only the people are missing. Uitbuiken is giving your body/belly a rest after a good meal where you ate plentiful. You go and sit at a place where your belly has more space than sitting at the table. You shove your chair away from the table to have more room, give your belly more room by shifting your belt a notch and lean backwards. Or you’re going to sit at the couch doing the same like Al in Married with children, but without the hand...
Voorpret, pre-fun, in my opinion refers to having fun now because of some future event. 'looking forward' is referring to future fun only. So in my opinion they are a lil different.
You can "natafelen" after a meeting, where you discuss the meeting. Doesn't have to include eating (certainly not excessive eating - as in uitbuiken (which is a rather crude word)). Gunnen has two meanings: 1 is grant, 2 is to feel that someone deserves it. But gunnen is more subtle. It is more that the balance strikes out into someone's favour. (otherwise: hij verdient het). It also involves social capital as in "brownie points"
Hmm, Borrel is a hard one indeed, because happy hour suggests a café, while a borrel is more often than not organized within the building of a meeting or event. There might be a borrel in the lobby of a company or on stage after a premiere (with actors and people who work behind the scenes). I guess the best way of translating it would be "We're having drinks and snacks"
After over 20 years in the Netherlands my wife still doesn't like "uitwaaien" . btw Do you know/use the word überhaupt ?? It came from german but we use it a lot and is hard to translate.
About 'gezellig': As a Dutch person I do use gezellig to describe the weather quite a lot actually. I think rain is gezellig in a way, cause when it rains, it's cold and wet outside, while I'm inside drinking my tea or sth and that just feels cozy to me. So I think you can use gezellig in many different ways, even to describe weather:)
I’ve never found a proper one onone translation for the Dutch verb “varen” as in “een bootje varen”. To ship or to sail come close , but again don’t hit the mark. Suggestions anyone? ;-)
@@mickeydew1896 Yeah, riding a boat is what I'd call the recreational bootje varen that people do on ponds or on the canals in a city on sunny days. Although going on a boat ride and taking (people on) a boat ride sound a little better to me. For travelling across an ocean on a ship I'd say sail.
There will never be a perfect translation but I see gezellig as sort of a “cozy plus”. A pleasurable environment with the promise of having a good time. For example, when you enter Fred’s home to celebrate his birthday (lol) and you see mutual friends, a decorated room and cake and snacks on the table, or something, you say: “Hè, gezellig!” There’s an anticipation factor.
The "Van Dale" is not _a_ reputable dictionary, it is _the_ reference after "het groene boekje". Het groene boekje is a spelling guideline that is actually official, but is not a dictionary.
"natafelen" is always "gezellig", otherwise, why bother and, as others have pointed out, is more about enjoying the company then being stuffed until you reach critical mass. "uitbuiken" can be extremely "ongezellig", it's basically undoing your belt, perhaps your top button or two (unzipping partways if you use zippers) and giving your belly room to expand freely.
"Natafelen" can also *possibly* be not "gezellig", as in with the family-in-laws for example :) And "uitbuiken" *can* certainly be "gezellig". It kind of means being a couch potatoe after the dinner. One can "Uitbuik" at the dinner table, so in that regard it is part of "natafelen". And for the record: "natafelen" is generally most of the time very "gezellig".
@@StudioMargalima Agreed! Although, if "natafelen" with the in-laws wasn't "gezellig" I'd feel that perhaps I don't have the right in-laws. Also, I'd be sorely tempted to do my "uitbuiken" in the most "ongezellige" way I can think of so I don't have to deal with them. I guess I skipped on the possibility of an "ongezellige" "natafel" because I refuse to participate if/when that's the case.
Here's my explanation of the word gezellig. I think it originally started in sentences like "gisteravond was echt gezellig", which you would say to your friends after a night of going out. And it's just a way to express "I really enjoyed my time with you guys last night". So instead of cozy, just think of it meaning "a good time with friends". And then all the other instances where gezellig is used as an adjective, I believe they are all just derived from the feeling of "having a good time with your friends". So when somebody says "this cafe looks really gezellig", it just means that the aesthetics of the cafe is really reconnecting that person to that feeling of "having a good time with their friends". This also explains why gezellig can be cozy, but doesn't have to be. A cozy corner can reconnect you to a memory when you were sitting in a cozy corner with a small group of very close friends having this very intimate atmosphere. But having a night that's not cozy at all, but just a lot of crazy wild fun with your friends, that is also gezellig! So yeah, gezellig captures a wide range of feelings, but they all have this one core feeling underneath. Let me know if this explanation helped you to get a more clear feel of the word gezellig. :-)
Natafelen doesn't nessecarily mean youre stuffed. I use it when its too 'gezellig' to leave the table when everyone finished their food. So when everyone is finished but you keep sitting at the table having a chat. That is 'na tafelen'
"Borrel" is generally used for after work socializing with colleagues with a drink and a small snack for a short amount of time! With friends or family it is called "uitgaan" (go out)!
Borrel definitely needs a second meaning. The borrel is not the same as happy hour, as I understand it: happy hour is organised by the locale where the happy hour is held, usually a bar. So the organizer and the location are linked together. With a Borrel, the location and the organizer and not linked together: I could organize a borrel at my home, at my workplace, at some restaurant, bar or conference center I rented for the occasion, anywhere. Also, a borrel is always in the afternoon or early evening before dinner, whereas happy hour can be anytime. And: a borrel is free for those who are invited, whereas at Happy Hour you often still need to pay albeit at a reduced rate. A borrel is always organized to celebrate something (e.g. your friendship or team), or as part of a greater event. Happy Hour is to attract more customers. Borrels can be part of formal events, like sharing an Apéritif before a high-class diner. The Apéritif could also be called a borrel in the NL. In such cases, it is often part of welcoming the guests and giving flexibility in time of arrival. If they say that an event starts with a borrel, it means people can arrive anytime between the start and the end of the borrel, _but not later._ When an event ends with a borrel, it means people can leave anytime between its start and end, _but not earlier._ So, I think the best translation for borrel as event is Apéritif--except one that can stand alone, without a dinner attached to it.
Borrel, or the verb "borrelen'' traditionally is a glass of liquor before dinner, between 5 and 6 in the evening a time also known as "borreltijd" or "borreluur". You can indeed have "borrelhapjes" with it, usually a few cubes of cheese or "leverworst" with mustard.
I'm from 1981, and both of my grandmothers drank a "borrel" at 5 sharp, one drank sherry (a fortified wine from Spain) the other drank "cola tik" (a cola mixer with rum or whisky). This was the first, but not by far the last drink of the evening. I never knew my grandfathers, as they died before their time, one of my grandmothers had a partner but I'm not sure what or if he drank. A very traditional "borrel" is also "jenever" (a proto gin)
Gezellig can be best translated to the vibe that's hanging around the room when you're with your friends drinking a beer and having a good time. Never in my 23 years have I heard someone asking my opinion on the "gezellig" weather hahaha
We're a bit of a smaller company and we have often have a "borrel" at the office on Friday evening. The construction workers start early and by 3pm-4pm they're generally done and then they go to our office and we have a few beers or other drinks and just have a good time socializing. Sometimes it's 2 of them that show up, sometimes all 6. But it's always a lot of fun. We at the office still try to get some work done but it's while chatting, drinking, somebody might have some Belgian chocolates to share, etc.
Well, a lot of "voorpret" is a bit more active than that, for holidays it is the joy involved with selection of the destination, for Saint Nicholas and/or Christmas it is the joy of getting the snacks of the season, buying the presents for others and/or new clothes, writing poems with clever puns, decorating your house, making lists of presents you want...
Also, "voor-" in this case is a prefix. Just like in the word "voorwerk" (preliminary work to make the actual work easier). In English there is the prefix "pre-" to signify something before somehing else (prefabrecated, prepaid etc.) Yes., in those examples the prefix comes before a verb, but I think you can also use them in nouns. Voorpret could become "prefun" of "prejoy". Also, there is the word "voorspel" which is foreplay in English (yes, a word for very specific situations). But it means that the prefix "fore-" could also be used: "forefun" of "forejoy".
Having a borrel, can also means having a drink before dinner. It's not unusual for a family to have a borrel at the house, and have an alcoholic drink and a small snack to go along with it, like Pringles or soms nuts and so on. It's a moment of socialising before having dinner. So it's not only a borrel when friends or colleagues are present. In fact, elderly people that are living without family can have a borrel before dinner. It's just something we like to do before dinner.
Can 'gunnen' be related to 'deserve'? I think it means that you think that someone has raked up so many credits (for whatever reason) that he/she carmically deserves (always in a positive way) that which is being gegund.
No I think deserve is more like claiming something. You deserve something because you are qualified and you have done so many things to get there. Then you deserve the job. I would translate "gunnen" to English more like "I would be happy for you if you get the job" or "They should give you the job because you are worth it". And both are not even close. "gunnen" is more doing something as a favor. I think.
In some cases it can ne translated to deserving something, but it like 95% karma and 5% deserving it most of the time. But it can also be translated to I'm rooting for you in other cases. Also if someone did something that hurt you, and something (unrelated) bad happens to them you can say "Ik gun het je" or "het is je gegund", so it also gets used in a negative way
Hi Ava. I just visited Holland and while I was there I discovered your channel and really enjoyed your videos. I have another Dutch expression for you: "Dat zit wel snor", which means "don't worry about it".
My explanation for “jarige Job” is that in the Bible in the book of Job chapter 3, Job cursed his birthday: “After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest, With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves; Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver: Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light. There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave? Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.” ~ Job 3:1-26 KJV And that because of this we now jokingly say to someone who’s birthday it is: “hey jarige Job”.
It would be a good one to add to the list, but we also have to understand that the German version has totally different fine semantics (meaning) than the Dutch one. The Gerries apparently can derive pleasure from somebody else incurring damages. The Dutch version is about "leed" - sorrow, pain, grief, smart. We should also recognize that the word was used or introduced in order to be able to "describe something that socially is completely not done" - "leedvermaak" was the label for something completely incorrect. A parent or teacher would kick your ass for showing that, still in the 1960s. As to the difference: "leed" can be the consequence of "schaden", but the Dutch version does not limit to "schaden" and focuses on impact. This idiom: "er is geen beter vermaak dan leedvermaak" is totally meant to express disdain for the type of "vermaak".
Yeah, they even use the word Schadenfreude in English. Other example: tijdgeest (in German: Zeitgeist). In English they also use the German word. Maybe we could start a movement to get the German loanwords in English replaced by the Dutch version? :P
The first translation of uitwaaien u should think about a candle. Its blown out by the wind. The second translation comes closest to uitwaaien as an activity. Getting a breath of fresh air
gezellig is most often used in the context of company. Having a cosy time with friends, open, friendly, and in a cosy environment all at the same time. Also gezellig is often used describing a decor, setting, design of a space as being gezellig. Meaning: this place looks like it is possible to have a gezellig time with friends and family. Gezellig is a feeling of warmth inside the observer when watching a scene also. Like: those people are having a gezellig time. They look like they are having a fun, friendly, cosy time together. Also a familiy or group of people can be described as being gezellig. That means that they are friendly, open minded and are affectionate in their communication. Gezellig is the most important state to be in for a Dutch person. We always strive to have a gezellig time and desing gezellig environments. Welcoming, lovingly and open minded.
I'm a bit impressed that you've already discovered the sophisticated subtlety of the way the Dutch use the verb 'gunnen'. For most Dutch native speakers the use is purely instinctive and they use it quite a lot without actual awareness of the subtlety. The closest I ever got to translating it into a single english verb is that it is between 'to favour/encourage/applaud' and 'to support/endorse/back'. So depending on the situation I'd choose between those options. 'To favour' would be too passive and 'to support' would be too active, to accurately reflect 'gunnen' in all situations. I believe it is similar to the subtle difference in English between "I'm behind you on this" and "I'm with you on this". Those two expressions are just one small literal step apart, but reflect a huge difference regarding the activity of the promised role. 'Gunnen' is halfway between these two meanings. Except when it means 'to grant', which it occasionally does..
About the second: Voorpret is like the joy that you have not just by looking forward to the thing you're going to do. But it's more like you have fun by talking about it and preparing it. You already enjoy that part.
P.S. Dutch author Rudy Kousbroek wrote a wonderful booklet called "De Aaibaarheidsfactor" (about cats). No idea how to translate that into English... hahahaha...
About gezellig. The word gezellig has 'gezel' in it which is an old word for 'companion'. So originally for anything to be gezellig you needed other people. Therefore a meeting can be gezellig because there are nice people having lovely conversations, and the same goes for rooms, outings, etc. In thse cases 'gezellig' is a description of the pleasant mood in a group or the psace that groep occupies. People themselves are described as gezellig if they are sociable and warm. If the word gezellig was still only used in this way, I think the correct(and literal) translation would be 'companionable'. The Dutch translation of the word 'cosy' is 'knus'. A room can be knus without having any people in it, in which case 'knus' is a description of the mood of that room (the way the furniture is arranged, the small size, the colours, the temperature, etc.). Usually knus implies closeness or the absence of much open space ( a tucked in child can lie cosily in its little bed). So I think originally the difference between 'gezellig' and 'knus' was that the first involved people, and the second didn't necessarily but was more an indication of closeness in space. However, over the ages the meanings of these words have widened and overlapped. Now people will call a space 'gezellig' if it looks cosy but there's no-one in it. The word knus can even have a negative connotation, because if it's used for a group of people it implies that they are huddled very closely together. This could be for warmth or for lack of space, but a person could definitely say "Dit is wel heel knus"("This is very cosy") to indicate that the physical closeness makes them a bit uncomfortable.
I really enjoyed this video. Thank you. And your command of Dutch is improving awesomely, it really is. It is very apparent that you live with a person for whom Dutch is her first/native language. I watched this video with a notepad and pen (because I have nothing productive to do) and literally wrote down my first translatory thought when you mentioned the words. So here's my own "van Dale" work. I am not insisting that I am right, just my interpretation, given my knowledge of both languages. Jarig does not necessarily pertain to birthdays, it can be used in the context of a work anniversary for example. Jarig also does not by definition depict a single day, people can say for example: "In twee weken is Koos jarig". What I came up with is Jarig = Annual commenseration (I know....not sexy sounding) Voorpret is quite simple. Voorpret = excitement Excitement is often used in English, not quite correctly. When we do it is a literal translation, no more needs to be said. I had a hard time with borrel. I am going to have to make a word by mending two words with a forward slash; Borrel = drink/gathering There's an English word for uitwaaien but I am having a brain fart and can't think of it but an English phrase came to mind: "catching a breeze". But it doesn't work completely, uitwaaien doesn't merely pertain to people it can also pertain to articles. For example: "Ik ga mijn blouse buiten ophangen om het een beetje te uitwaaien". (Ouch!, my Dutch is getting bad). We wouldn't really say in English that we're going to hang our shirt outside to let it catch a breeze. Or, maybe we would? Uitbuiken = "bloated" in slightly slang language. There is an English word for "natafelen" but I can't come up with it. I studied (in The Netherlands) to be, and I am a Chef. In the science of menu construction, sometimes natafelen is actually a dinner course (without food). That is a French word and I have forgotten it too. Because in the US, in the country clubs when I actually physically wrote 9 course dinner menus for private parties I would write it as "coffee course" Gunnen = to wish for Yeap, the world baffles over how to translate gezellig. My first thought is Gezellig = intimately joyful
Looking around, one can't help feeling that Americans probably don't need a special word for 'uitbuiken' because for many it's not a particular feeling, it's the default state ;-)
Verjaardag is the word for the annually repeated celebration of ones birthday, and 'jarig zijn' is the noun. Geboortedag is literally the day you are born. Few people say they celebrate their geboortedag - most people use 'verjaardag'. Uitbuiken = to open your zipper to the point that your stuffed belly can have space to digest. Natafelen = not necessarily after you're stuffed, but can also happen if you're comfortably sitting with people and having a nice conversation while the meal is already finished. Most likely to happen with a beverage ( coffee or tea or sometimes another glass of wine), but it's not a necessity. It's more about not wanting to break up the conversation and a nice atmosphere. For gezellig I would like to add 'atmosphere' as a third option - sometimes it can be gezellig if you're walking all alone in a street in the summer and there are people you don't know who are chatting and having fun with their friends and there's music and people having a drink and it has this overall happy summer vibe, and that's also gezellig, even if you're not with certain company or in a specific space.
With your partner in front of the 'open haard' can be gezellig, and cosy, but with 40.000 people on a festival can also be gezellig. Wouldn't call that cosy.
When talking about birthday celebrations in the Netherlands with foreign friends it struck me that in many languages you celebrate being born or you celebrate the day you are born. It is your birthday. But the dutch word "verjaardag" translates to the day you get older. Verjaren = getting older, more or less. So when asking someone "do you feel its your birthday?" you are also asking them "do you feel any older?". But in a good do-you-feel-its-a-special-day kinda way :)
i'd say "uitwaaien" is used to refer to going for a walk or on a trip, though particularly to the beach. It's mainly related to how windy it gets near the shoreline(and thereby basically the whole country), "to get winded" i feel is more often related to exertion which isn't what the word refers to. The hairdryer thing is actually quite close to what the origin of the word is i think (though again, it's often simply used to mean 'going outside' in some form). "Uitbuiken" refers to resting after a big meal to allow the food to "settle" if that makes sense and "natafelen" is related to continuing conversations and drinks (and maybe snacks) at the table after a meal (though it doesn't necessarily have to be a big meal), especially on special occasions like a dinner at a restaurant with friends/family. "ik gun hem die baan" i'd translate as something like "i think he deserves to get that job"
![6 GEZELLIGE little things the Dutch do [Americans don't know what they're missing!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Luwe_1EA29E/mqdefault.jpg)
![6 GEZELLIGE little things the Dutch do [Americans don't know what they're missing!]](/img/tr.png)
"natafelen" means not leaving the table after the meal because you enjoy the company and keep having conversations and drinks/snacks.
perfecte omschrijving!
And/or play games like Rummikub.
Gezellig natafelen, zeg maar.
Dit woord is zo raar om te lezen in engelse context😮
@@gertvanderstraaten6352 Lekker gezellig natafelen
"Dan ben je nog niet jarig" is a threat. Implying that someone won't reach is next birthday alive.
ja dat is behoorlijk close ja
Haha
it doesnt mean that you wont reach your next birthday, it just means "it wont be your birthday" as someone's birthday is usually a good day for them
@@12uullaass12 most times that I have heard this idiom, it was in the form of a threat. If you don't do this, "dan ben je nog niet jarig". Sometimes" "dan ben je nog lang niet jarig". It is basicly an empty threat but it does indicate that someone wants to harm you.
On the other hand, a non-threatening version might be used in an "argument". I can see this happen when some spoiled kid is annoying or wishes to have its way, then you could say it isn't his/her birtday and so they cannot decide.
However, I have absolutely never heard someone say it to indicate that it has been a bad day for them. Ususally we would say that it is "niet mijn dag vandaag" "not my day today".
And yes it might be used in a literal form were it is to point out that a specific date isn't their birthday
@@Bennie_Tziek Yeah i get that but i dont think it implies that the person wont reach his birthday, just that that day will not be a good day for the person.
but to be honest, i've had countless times where i felt like dutch idioms were meant differently than they actually were so could be just wrong hahaha
Natafelen isn't about being stuffed with food. That is uitbuiken.
Natafelen is when you had dinner with family or friends and you enjoy the company so much that you continue to sit at the dinner table, talking and or drinking.
Gert-Jan. Uitbuiken has the exact the same meaning as natafelen . You don't eat anymore when you are uitbuiken, you let the food rest (je laat het eten zakken).
Edit: www.encyclo.nl/begrip/Uitbuiken
But you are right that it is not about food anymore, but the period after that. In Tilburg we like to take a "borrel" in this time. ;-)
@@013pieter Nope, you're wrong. As uitbuiken is specifically about having eaten so much that you're completely stuffed. You can do that at the dinner table but you can also do it while lying at the couch, alone. While natafelen is more a social thing you do with the people you just had dinner with. Having a drink and a conversation while still sitting at the dinner table. You can combine the two but that's not necessary. You can do natafelen without being completely stuffed and you can do uitbuiken on your own, maybe even take a nap while doing it.
@Ralph Macchiato Nope, he's not. One is a purely physical thing after eating too much, the other is a social thing because you enjoy someones company. How can that ever be the same thing?
@@gert-janvanderlee5307 is right, because you can also go UITBUIKEN on the couch, try that with NATAFELEN! 🤔
For me Gert Jan is right.
Natafelen is a social thing. You don't have to be stuffed. I hate to eat to much, but i love to stay sitting at the table with friends after dinner. After the coffee/tea has been served (propably with cake and/or chocolate) start again with other drinks or cognac/ammaretto/armagnac/or what other spirits are in the cupboard, until midnight. Talk and have fun, tell old stories you alredy know but are still much fun for the whole company to hear again. That's what natafelen is.
I think the best way of translating 'Ik gun het hem.' is 'I feel like he deserves it.' or 'I want it for him.'
“I feel like he deserves it” is a great one!
@@mennohilbrands3276 I used "I'm rooting for him" somewhere else here in this thread.
"Ik gun hem die job"
"he hasn't made much progress, I'll grant you that"
Based on that verb: "Ik vraag vergunning om te spreken."
"I ask permission to speak"
Why not go for the “I would grant him the job” (but as it isn’t up to you, you can’t)
@@JaakJacobus Zou je niet beter ' toestemming ' gebruiken ipv vergunning?Vergunning vind ik niet pasen.
“Voel je je jarig” you can interpret it as “do you feel festive” like are you happy or having fun on your birthday.
When we ask someone "voel je je jarig?" or "do you feel like it is your birthday?" the actual question behind that is "does it feel like your special day?". It's meant to be polite, because the one who asks it usualy implies that he or she hopes that you are having that special day, being in the center of attention, getting showered with love and gifts. It might be an odd saying, but it has lovely intensions behind it! :)
I think the easiest way to translate it is 'do you have a/the true birthday feeling?'
I'd say the meaning of "Ik gun hem dat" is closer to "I think he deserves that"
You’re cute 😋
I think it could also mean "I allow him to have that"
It can also mean like 'he deserves a break' after being through a lot, or ' he is such a nice person, I wish for him to get it'
@@NK-ze8hi tf
@@nivington i know him calm down
Jarig is actually a state that you are in at your birthday. That's why Dutch ask you if you feel jarig, and, by the way, they do that because the Dutch want you to feel happy on your birthday.
do you feel yeary?
@@danibal1240 HAHAHAHA
@Jeffrey Epstein "birthdayesque" Could be the new Album of Bryan Ferry
'Verjaardag' is a noun, just like 'birthday' whereas 'jarig' is an adjective. So rather than a different meaning, the words serve different grammatical purposes in a sentence and are therefore used differently. Maybe this is helpful?
Jarig zijn is the same as it being your birthday
Being Dutch, I would translate "Voel je je jarig?" with: Do you emotionally realise your birthday is celebrated? or: Are you happy it's your birthday?
"Dan ben je nog niet jarig" can mean: It would have unpleasant consequences for you (not necessarily depending on you/ your behaviour),
but it is mostly used as a warning, meaning: If you do (repeat doing) something, it will have unpleasant consequences for you.
I would translate "Uitbuiken" with: To digest in a relaxed way
and "Natafelen" with: To chat (usually with alcoholic drinks) after diner.
and "Gunnen" with: To think someone deserves something.
There you hit the nail on the head with the voel je je jarig translation. Do you emotionally realize your birthday is celebrated. However, I’d also add “do you feel a year older?” If it’s for example you 24th birthday, you could interpret it in addition as ‘do you already realize you’re 24?’ But that’s just an interpretation.
Voel je je jarig means do you feel special at least in suriname it means that lol
I feel that "voorpret" isn't just the anticipation, but the actual feeling of joy you can have before an event. As in "Oh this is gonna be so much fun! :D" and then you feel like it's already happening.
"Gunnen" is related to "gunst", which means favor. "Iemand iets gunnen" would then translate to "I wish he gets this favor/have this favorable thing happen to him". It's a well-meant wish, which I guess automatically means the other deserves it.
The deserving part can also turn negative; of something bad happens to someone, you could say "Ik gun het hem" meaning "he deserves it".
Voopret is maybe better translated in ‘pre-joy’
Exactly. 'Voorpret' is joy that is anticipatory in nature, not anticipation that is joyful - let alone 'pleasureable' - in nature. 'Anticipatory joy' would be my translation, and I find it strange that Van Dale has it the other way around.
Vorfreude
Mooi vertaald!
There's even such a thing as a 'voorpretborrel'. Example: a week before your skiing trip, the whole group will meet in a bar for some drinks and talk about how much fun it will be to go skiing together.
I think Van Dale has the definition of 'voorpret' the wrong way around. Instead of 'pleasureable anticipation', I'd say its 'anticipatory pleasure', or better yet, 'anticipatory joy'.
Quite right.
prejoy
"Dan ben je nog lang niet jarig" is more like a threat or warning
Example:
If you fuck this up, dan ben je nog lang niet jarig. (You will have to deal with the consequences)
And that means it takes a long time before you have a pleasant day like your birthday
Dan ben je nog niet jarig roughly translates to: "You're in trouble if you do that".
This video is really good! Uitwaaien, uitbuiken, natafelen, gunnen.
I was in Paris wearing jeans and a t-shirt, this French guy at the café asked me if I was Dutch...yes we stand out a mile...
Just keep it gezellig!
Indeed, it has understated subtones of the (usually) overstated suggestion that it may prevent you from seeing your next birthday, or at least make you fear that you won't. If you think of it as expecting a dressing down to such a degree, it makes sense.
@@ThW5 I love France and the French!
The French are adorable!
Paris, Normandy, Alpes The Frenchies are great!
@@ThW5 I always interpreted it as you getting away with it if it was your birthday
roughly translated: than you wont have a another birthday...
@@MandyMelissaGail-Gaming exactly
I feel like "uitwaaien" is something like "Going outside to catch a breeze"
Going outside to get a breath of fresh air is probably the closest English translation.
Or like catching some fresh air to the next level...
"gunnen" is a verb.... I explain it as the opposite of jeleousy. you want someone to have something, or if they allready have it. you are happy for them that they got it.
"Ik gun het je van harte"... nice list
@Frank Heuvelman zelfs het chinavirus verkiest Trump boven Biden. Dan heb je als democraten toch echt een slechte kandidaat.
From German "gönnen" LEO gets me "not to begrudge so. sth. "
@@manuelgilbert1119 germans got it from the dutch... we had it first :P
(LOL)
@ja nee weet je zeker dat het niet door de 5g mast kwam?
@ja nee Only as the result of for instance a tender, a 'uitschrijving'. The meaning Ava refers to is more like hoping or being glad for someone for getting something because he so deserves it. There is a malicious version too, glee about a mishap occurring to somebody (like the remarks in this thread about President Trump catching the Covid-19 virus). I suppose the expression "good for him/her" comes closest; it also has that other meaning when you don't really wish him or her well. The main difference is that good for him comes after the fact, ik gun het hem can be before or after.
This was a fun list. I made up some (nonsense) translations for these words that I'm now going to share for the benefit of US-Dutch relations, even though this is a 2 year old video.
1 jarig - anniversarious
2 voorpret - forebliss
3 borrel - drink (I think this actually works well since when you're going for a drink or having a drink with someone it becomes a social engagement)
4 uitwaaien - to bebreeze oneself
5 uitbuiken - gastrospanding
6 natafelen - metaphagous dialectics
7 gunnen unbegrudge
8 gezellig convivial
Gezel means companion. Originally a younger less experienced and skilled companion to a craftsman, but the egalitarian spirit goes back centuries here. Vergezellen means to accompany, gezelschap means company. Gezelligheid always has to do with company, it's always social, it can be having coffee and cake and staring out of the window with grandma, but also a drug infested dance festival. So also with rooms it is about cosyness fitting for pleasurable social interaction. With nice weather and lots of people on the sidewalk cafes the city is gezellig so the weather is inviting to gezellligheid just like a room can be. But just like 'lekker' very common words like gezellig and ongezellig are also used a lot for understatement, irony and sarcasm and then it's about intonation.
Gunnen is somewhat between granting, permitting and favouring. 'Iemand een gunst doen' is doing someone a favour. 'Bij iemand in de gunst komen' means that someone looks favourable towards you. A boss for example could 'gun' an employee a special task that other employees would like too. But in the same egalitarian spirit people who are not boss and have no grants, permission to give or favours to do, people claim the judgement part of it for themselves nontheless. I'm favourable to this person, 'ik gun haar dit', the fact that I'm not in the position to offer her anything doesn't matter, I can still express my opinion about what she deserves like I would.
Oh good point!
"I would grant her that job (if it was up to me)." would be a good translation.
Or just say "(I think that) she deserves that job."
That's probably the best and clearest explanation to the word gezellig that I've ever seen.
@@JoeyPsych Thx, etymology helps.
This translation and explanation of the Dutch word 'gezellig' needs to be the default. From now on I'm going to use this one when in need to explain the word. I rarely comment on UA-cam but simply needed on this one. Sir, you have my respect.
Both "voorpret" and "binnenpret" are special words. Voorpret is already described below. Binnenpret is when you are recalling or anticipating something funny and smile to yourself. And then if someone asks you what you are smiling about, it's sometimes difficult to tell the whole story or it may be embarrassing to share, so you can just say: "ik had een binnenpretje". And then people will enter into your joy without questioning the content of what you were smiling about. It is a good-natured word, so the word "binnenpret" implies that the cause for your smile is kind.
A not so positive word that could be on the list: leedvermaak. In English they often use the German version shadefraude, but in Dutch we use leedvermaak for that: the joy of someone else suffering.
Schadenfreude
Amy opted for 8 gezellig words
sadism
@@honema123456789 Nah that would be "sadistisch"
A sadist takes pleasure from hurting people, "leedvermaak" is that feeling you get when you see someone trip or something and you think "glad it's not me". There is no actual bad feelings intended.
Leedvermaak - Happiness for the misfortune of others.
Sadisme - Happiness for causing misfortune to others.
@@david6054 while I disagree with your definition of leedvermaak I do agree that sadisme is more inflicting pain on others yourself than it just happening. so good point!
Voorpret = "prefun"
The excitement in the anticipation itself.
Forplay? Lol
@@edchaos2679 Yeah forplay in a non sexual setting. Its a fair translation :) maybe not suited to say on YT.
@@edchaos2679 No. Pre-fun. It's a good translation.
Yes, I also had prefun
Actually, 'uitwaaien' has two meanings, where blow out is a perfectly usable meaning for example when a flame dies due to heavy wind. Blow out. The second meaning indeed has no translation to English, where it means to clear your head litteraly and figuratively speaking, by walking in usually cool maybe frosty and windy or even stormy weather.
(edit) Uitwaaien is like having a breath of fresh air, utilizing an actual winter storm. Oh, a non-rainy winter storm because you can't properly clear your head with rain gear on.
While not a direct translation, the purpose of uitwaaien is to unwind.
Well said. 😊
Does "going out for for fresh air" not also imply you are feeling stuffy and need to clear your head? It does a little imo, but not as strongly as uitwaaien.
@@teambellavsteamalice It doesn't relly, because than you would use: "Een luchtje scheppen"
Thank you for the video, as a dutch person I always enjoy outside perspective on our culture and language so please keep them coming :)
That being said here's my two cents on the words:
"Jarig" is a state of being rather than a consequence of it being your birthday and mostly tied to the mystical sense of happiness that a young child feels when it's their birthday. Feeling like it is a momentous occasion and the day revolves around you. Something most people lose in their teens but everyone always hopes they can retain or get back. So asking someone if they feel "jarig" means, hey do you feel the inexplicable sense of happiness because it is your birthday today? I would personally translate this with either "it's someones birthday" or "birthdayhappy(ness)" depending on context.
"Voorpret" I think the translation of pleasurable anticipation is a good one as it does mean that. It just doesn't work well colloquially. I think I would translate this with "a moment of joy because of anticipation" not a single word.
"Borrel" Obviously the drink part is clear, though I think a borrel more specifically means a ~2cl drink of hard liquor, a shot. Sometimes interpreted as more but always high alcoholic content. For the gathering I would never use "Happy Hour", A borrel is a socializing gathering and can be both a casual thing or professional (i.e. for networking). The pretext for these gatherings is drinking Alcohol but it can also involve snacks ("borrelhapjes"). "Borrels" tend to be a bit more organized than just going for some drinks. It describes a wide array of happenings from the FridayAfternoonDrinks (VriMiBo: Vrijdag Middag Borrel) going for a drink with colleagues to end the workweek to a well organized event to bring clients and businesses in contact. I think the most common word borrel replaces in the english language is "function" but it can mean anything from a very casual party to a formal function (as long as there are drinks involved).
"Uitwaaien" I can imagine this is a strange one to translate because it is an activity that can only come up due to climate and geography. It can mean many things but they all have to do with being in a disruptive emotional state and trying to get out of it by getting some fresh air not nescessarily on the beach by the way. So to let your anger blow away or to not feel so stressed for a moment and afterwards you veel reinvigorated or calmed down, a bit of a meditative moment, which doesn't have to be solitary but can be. I would translate this with "getting some fresh air" because it is used colloquially a lot rather than specifically having to do with it being in the wind.
"Uitbuiken" I think you got the sense of this word very right. It is when you feel like you have overindulged on food and get the sense you are going to be out of commission for the next 30 minutes or so. So you need to spend that time "uitbuiken". Essentially it is the active verb for dealing with a food coma, so I would translate this as "dealing with a foodcoma"
"Natafelen" however has nothing to do with overeating or overindulgence, it is the activity of staying at the table after a meal and enjoying the company some more after the main event (the meal) is over. This is often done with a cup of coffee or some drinks, but also not uncommon without anything else to consume and just some conversation. I think this can be translated by "after-dinner"+ any synonym for conversation appropriate for the context.
"Gunnen" Is kind of like hoping and wishing for something to happen to or for someone because they deserve it. Generally without the thing you "gun" affecting you yourself. This can be used negatively aswel, you can "gun" someone their just deserts for example. Which is the meaning you are looking for here, it can however also mean grant as in you are the actor in this activity and give something to someone. I don't think gunnen is directly translatable but has to be translated by the verb appropriate to the context and then given an additional sense of intent. In absence of a better option I think the best way to translate it on its own would be to say you "welcome it for someone".
"Gezellig" honestly has a decent translation, it a catchall word (kind of like borrel), and means different things depending on what it describes, be it a person, a room or a happening. Whenever I explain it someone not Dutch I say coziness out in the open. It is not "gezellig" to curl up somewhere, but it can be used as an endearing term for a small room. "Gezelligheid" outside of that endearing term always involves a social aspect.
While I think the "Van Dale" is a reputable if not the most reputable dutch dictionary, the translations seem to be very bare bones. If people want a better sense for the words It might be better, though tedious, to pick up an actual "Van Dale" the Dutch version and translate the explanations given. Considering that people will probably understand what that means and have a working knowledge of their own language you might get to a better fitting solution. If you are at a loss you need to ask someone in person anyway because a book can't answer your direct questions.
I think trying to translate most of these words with one word would cause them to lose nuance and the place they hold in spoken language. Describing something or using more than one word is not a crime and can prevent miscommunications. Sorry for the long read. ;)
Uitwaaien:
Some possible translations or descriptions.
1) clearing the cobwebs from your head
2) getting a fresh view of things. If you struggle trying to find a solution, it can be a good strategy to go first uitwaaien before you make a decision.
3) Clearing up your mind
I think it is really helpful to translate "Jarig" as an adjective, because basically it is (the -ig suffix indicates this as wel). So literally it would be "year-y". It is then not "are you feeling birthday" but "are you feeling yeary?" where yeary describes the state one is in when one is having their birthday. "verjaardag" also literally should be translated as expiry-day because it is literally the day when another year "expires".
'"voel je je jarig" is basically a way of politely asking them if their birthday isnt disappointing. Kinda checking if its fun enough to warrant being called their birthday.
Also 'jarig' is whats called a 'bijvoegelijk naamwoord' which is a type of word in dutch (and many other languages) that describes a characteristic of something else. For example 'een rode auto' would be 'a red car' where 'red' or 'rood' is a 'bijvoegelijk naamwoord' because it describes a characteristic of the car.
In that sense, calling someone 'jarig' is basically like calling someone 'red'. It being their birthday is administered as one of their characteristics at that moment.
"Dan ben je nog niet jarig" means something along the lines of "youre screwed". Often even used as a threat "als ik je betrap met mijn dochter dan ben je nog niet jarig!" (if i catch you with my daughter im gonna kick your ass).
As for 'uitwaaien'. Imagine your room is a bit... murky. You had a drink with friends, you have a hangover, your friend on the couch has one too. Its not exactly stinky but its far from fresh smelling in your room. So you open the windows and let the wind blow through it.
'Uitwaaien' is something like that but as a person. Youve had a busy day, youre tired, you stared at your screen too long, its winter so its very warm inside generally. So you go outside (not just the beach) despite the weather not necessarily being welcoming to kinda freshen up.
Indeed, 'jarig' is the adjective (bijvoeglijk naamwoord) associated with verjaardag.
Goed verhaal, lekker kort
@@kaans695 Waarvoor dank
Compare: He is hairy - hij is harig.
@Jalvlie Oh haha that actually makes sense in that context! But no, its a question about your enjoyment of your birthday.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in NL and DK as a foreigner, I would say the Dutch and the Danes simply enjoy overstating the untranslatability of gezellig/hyggelig, because the words describe something about their cultures that they are very proud of. It’s like trying to translate the American expression of ‘chilling’ as relaxing. People from the U.S. would always tell you there is more to the word. For them, it represents the carefree and rock-and-roll spirit of the Americans. Likewise, the Dutch love sitting outside a kroeg on the canal over the summer months, to have a few drinks and snacks for hours with good company. That’s gezellig. The similar concept of coziness in Denmark, though, is more about lighting candles indoors during the long winter nights, or having a picnic in the park during the long summer days, to feel intimate with a few friends, family, etc. That’s hyggelig. If you ask the Dutch and the Danes, they would tell you there is a difference between gezellig and hyggelig - not because the Dutch don’t find winter candles and small summer picnics gezellig, or the Danes don’t find drinks at an outdoor cafe hyggelig. They most definitely do. Their different ideas about that warm gushy feeling are just tied to different habits. When you compare the two cultures, gezellig/hyggelig really reflects how the Dutch tend to be more extroverted. Yes, the Germans have gemuetlich, and that’s like the warmed-up version of Americans chilling lol. They are proud of their German efficiency and the ability to shut down work stress on command. No offence to those who dislike cultural stereotypes. Just sharing some observations that make us appreciate one another more :)
I think “Gunnen” might be best translated to: I really think that person deserves x y or z.
English just doesn't have a single verb for it. I think "ik gun het hem" would translate most accurately as "I think he deserves it and hope he gets it."
ja that's it
"Jarig" can be loosely translated as "having aged another year" and is often used as an adjective. You're absolutely right, it's usually said when it's someone's birthday or in some cases, even an organisation's "birthday" - which would colloquially refer to an event such as the founding of that organisation. Whether or not you "feel" jarig then refers to your mood, so whether or not you feel as though it's your birthday (while not specifying what that feeling might be described as; this could be different to you compared to the person asking).
Saying "het is Franks verjaardag" means it's Frank's birthday, which emphasizes the date. Saying "Frank is jarig vandaag" technically means the same, but -from my perspective- emphasizes the event and to a lesser degree the relevance to Frank, rather than the date.
The female variant of "Jarige Job" would be "Jarige Jet".
Did you say American/British? To me your accent sounds American, not British (but then again, I'm not a native speaker of English, and I often get accents wrong).
Your pronunciation of Dutch is really good by the way. Uitbuiken... is fairly local. Gunnen is very common. So is "gezellig" (in German it would be "gemütlich").
In any case if you should ever struggle with some Dutch or you simply seek an additional perspective or simply someone to discuss it with, feel free to contact me. Always good to have a pleasant conversation.
For many Dutch linguistic questions there is a better source than Van Dale though.
Try taaladvies.net whenever having to make hard choices about grammar.
Thank you for a fun video :)
Ava, interesting!
I agree: it's his/her birthday refers to the biological annual repetition. Feeling 'jarig' relates to the experience of others celebrating with you that it's your special day today.
I think, besides being traditional, it's a sort of check to see if you have been made to feel special enough so far. And, if not, to act on that and help make it so.
"gezellig" for me is linked to the word "gezel" which in rather old dutch means a member of a group of people with the same status, in the old times especially used for pupils of the same master/artist or members of a guild. So when it is gezellig, you assume that there are no ranks, you can be yourself without feeling obliged to do or to act with a certain posture. You can speak out freely, make fun as long as you don't hurt anuone, because then the "geselligheid" is gone. You feel welcome. No obligations. You can talk about your weak points without being critizied. You don't have to hide behind a mask. So anything that adds to this feeling of being able to be yourself without caring too much for any obligation or posture can be called "gezellig". A simple cookie can be gezellig, as well as a person who makes you feel comfortable. Someone who tells funny stories without hurting anyone is gezellig, Singing songs together even falsly can be gezellig, as long as you can laugh about it. A room can be gezellig if it invites you to act informally. The list is endless as long as you feel comfortable and no presure is applied.
You missed the word "gedogen" for me that is even a more dutch word than gezellig. It means something like it is forbidden but we (officially) don't care.
"but we tolerate"
That is translated as to condone
You accept it, it is more or less legal (softdrugs), but not something you are enthousiastic about .
I’m happy to have found your channel. I’ve been living in GOUDA, I’m a chiropractor from US, for 4 yrs now and trying my best to learn the language. Your videos fill in the blanks we English translators often struggle with, so again thank you 😊 cheers
"Natafelen" does not allways have to be with a huge full belly, it is more like sitting with your family or friends at the table and enjoying eachothers company after a pleasurable meal.... There might be some coffee or drinks on the table too... ;-) :-) "Uitbuiken" is more like you had a meal and you ate so much that it is allmost trying to burst the belt in your jeans, so you loosen them and go and hang on your couch just to get some releif... :-) :-) "Dan ben je nog niet jarig" is more like a threat/warning/promiss when someone does someting verry stupid or your kid does something he/she is told not to do and it literally means "you won't get to your next birthday"....
Most people use 'Jarige Job' for both girls and boys, I rarely hear anyone use 'Jarige Jet'. They're not very common names either, pretty sure we use it just because both words are short and start with J.
Job and Jet are the equivalent John and Jane
The Dutch name Job can be either used for girls though..... (had a girl in classroom at elementary school who's name was Job) i was really confused as a kid as well but yeah....
Sexism!!! Lol
This page has more info on that onzetaal.nl/taaladvies/jarige-job-job-jop
@@ghostleopard570 I disagree. Being from the north, I never heard of a female Job, your classmate behind the exception. It's a biblical name, (there's a bible book with that name), and to me, a typically male name. As I come to think of it, there are not many names that are for both males and females. Joan comes to mind, pronounced as Johan without the 'h', not the English pronunciation, and Anne, which in the north can be a male, as opposed to being strictly female in the more western provinces.
"Gunnen", I would translate as
I want this person to get this, because they deserve it.
Sometimes Dutch people also use gunnen in a negative way (but less often). Like for example, some people may say "ik gun Trump het coronavirus"/ I gun Trump the coronavirus. (Though now he already has it, so it doesn't really work anymore)
Jup, I agree. It's closer to "I feel like he deserves it and hope he gets it" , than granting
Well, Trump did deserve having it, so he knows how bad it is, so in a way "gunnen" was used correctly here.
I was gonne respond with exactly this. She mentioned that it's always positive (and way more often than not it is) but it isn't aaalllways. Someone can deserve something bad and we can hope they get that bad thing because they deserve it.
But yeah the definition "i hope you get it because you totally deserve it" is perfect for gunnen.
I would also 'gun' him/her the job because I know him/her and not the other person.
Voorpret is often associated with preparing for a fun activity, and getting exited in the process. For instance, you have planned a camping trip and are now in the process of shopping for a tent, hiking boots, a portable gas stove, and so on. Dutch people would say that shopping spree is voorpret. Voorpret is not really about sitting quietly and contemplating the upcoming trip.
The noun borrel usually means an organized event, it's not just going to happy hour; it's often a private affair for a certain group of people, a social event. You wouldn't refer to a group of colleagues meeting in a bar as a "borrel". However the verb borrelen can refer to such a gettogether: "We gaan na werk nog even borrelen" i.e. "We're going for drinks after work".
Exactly what I wanted to say. Voorpret is not just a feeling you have sitting in your chair with your eyes closed and a smile on your face thinking of the pleasant event that is ahead of you, no it is about all the things you have to do to prepare for that event and then these preparations are already a lot of fun. Helps you through tedious long waiting time before the event to happen.
@@cynthiamolenaar770 And it's not uncommon that the voorpret provides more joy than the actual event
Dutch gunnen can be used the way English grant is used, but when it's used like "hope" as you say, it's not just only hope, but it also includes this feeling that they really deserve it. There's a karma-element to gunnen.
Indeed, we even have a word for that: "de gunfactor"
The same way it can also be used negatively, but then it's suggesting someone has bad karma so he deserves whatever you 'gun' him or her.
In English we say "I'm gunning for you" which must be related. But I would say the sense is "I'm supporting or rooting for you" without a karma element.
willing to grant because it would be deserved but not in a possition to grant. (indeed a karma thing, something good for the people fishing behind the net and something bad for the person sticking his head above ground level 'maaiveld')
We do use 'gunnen' when a government organization grants a job to a contractor. But that is quite different from the meaning discussed here. There is a neologism called 'compersion' in English that comes somewhat close. But gunnen is more tied to somehow feeling that someone deserves to get the thing they're trying to get.
I was about to go down to the comments and explain the little details I know about these words as a dutch person... Then I saw half of the Netherlands already here proudly talking about our language :P
I love your videos! :)
The literal translation of "Borrel" is a shot of Jenever, the Dutch version of Vodka, but now people use it for every alcoholic beverage exept for beer and wine: "Zullen we een borrel halen?" is "Do you want to go out for drinks?"
For the second meaning of Borrel as a social gathering you are close in understanding it, but I think there is still 1 thing missing:
The goal of organizing a borrel is to make people sociolize that don't know eachother well and/or personally. That is for example why a company would give a Vrijmidagmiddagborrel (VrijMiBO), so that people can socialize and talk about non work related issues as a way of teambuilding.
Even though it is often not stated, you are usually expected to come and have at least 1 drink now and then. Never attending a Borrel at work will get noticed.
Now if you invite your friends over at your house for drinks, you can put as many borrelhapjes out as you want, that doen't make it a Borrel. Than it is just a party. Hope this helps a bit!
I think the word 'borrel' has actually become more mainstream and is also used outside the workplace nowadays. Late afternoon social gatherings among friends/neighbours that involve (alcoholic) drinks and snacks just for 'gezelligheid' are called borrels where I live. Main difference with 'feestje' is that borrels will revolve around conversation and no loud music/dancing is to be expected. Borrels may evolve into feestjes occasionally. This would be an 'uit de hand gelopen borrel'.
Yup. I agree on the social gathering. But short . "Een borrel" is a chat and a drink. An hour tops. That it usually ends up being a night out because it was "zo gezellig", does not change the fact that it started out as just a dink and a chat.
Also students have weekly borrels, we call the weekly student association hangouts at night a borrel, but most people agree that if we just sit and talk it's borrelen (oh yes, thats a verb) and if there is lots of dancing involved it's not really borrelen anymore
Jenever is different from vodka, it's gin.
Jenever is Gin. Not vodka.
Ginever (Gin) is the English version.
A propos the “borrel”: an interesting variety of the borrel is the VriMiBo. The VrijdagMiddagBorrel :)
And with regards to “uitbuiken”, we also use the expression “je broek op de vreethaak zetten” for the moment you noticed you actually ate too much.
“Gunnen” is actually really old. It’s already present on an Old Dutch inscription in runes, with the exact same meaning, but without the “g”. Modern English still has the word (to) “own”, but it has a slightly different meaning/focus. The old Dutch “onne(n)” could also mean “to wish” or “to bestow”.
I heard "vrijmibo" more often (so with vrij- instead of vri-).
I'm Dutch and I've never heard anyone say "je broek op de vreethaak zetten". That must be a local thing :)
@@filegrabber1 Nope, never heard of it.
"Gunnen" is way more versatile.
You somewhat hope someone is getting hired or anything else he/she deserves to get. For example because they worked hard for it or have had lots of misfortune.
But it is also used in business like the result of a tender.
In a tender a number of people or companies make an offer to do or sell something and the one sending out the tender will allow the contender with the best offer to be the one to sell things. So the winner of the tender is granted the right to sell something.
You also see the word in other words like "vergunning", which is something like a license to do something. So you're granted the right to do something because you're believed to be doing the right thing. Like parking on a handicaped parking place, or extending your house or sell goods on a market place. It is something that also can be taken from you when you're no longer believed to be doing the right thing (or when it has expired...). So it is also a bit of liking included.
"uitbuiken" is also more versatile and for sure not only means to release your belt at the table (which almost never happens as far as I know)
It is also more meant as an excuse of not cleaning up the table after dinner, but just wait a bit before getting the desert ("toetje").
Just leaning back a bit, giving your body (and mind) a bit of a rest to process the meal and maybe things spoken about during diner and just get a bit more relaxed to go turn away the dishes and prepare for the desert. As you know, the desert is a very serious part of the meal, so you must get mentally and physically ready for it.
"Borrel" is not just the event of drinking and for sure has no association with "happy hour".
A borrel is more about the social event where you meet people in a more casual setup and there will be drinks (can very well be non-alcoholic as well as with alcohol) and often some kind of snacks like "bitterballen", bowl of nuts, "blokjes kaas" or "borrelnootjes"
A "borrel" is more about the social event to be able to talk to people in a casual setting and the drinks are "bijzaak" (good luck translating that one :) )
Well there's always a few persons that will use a "borrel" to focus on the alcoholic drinks and you all know the examples in your familiy/friends/colleagues.
@@TD-er For me, "gunnen" doesn't have a subtext of *hoping* the other person gets it. Except for "ik hoop het zó", which does.
Borrelen also means: when bubbles come up in a liquid.
Right, so it obviously comes from beer bubbling, but words and their meanings evolve, so after a while it's meaning expanded and later imploded again, so it explicitly does not mean beer, but liquor of some kind. A 'borreltje'. And it still also means the whole event of after work business meeting.
Hmm, how would you translate this:
Amsterdam bruist, Rotterdam borrelt en Den Haag gist.
@@teambellavsteamalice Amsterdam sparkles, Rotterdam bubbles, Den Haag ferments.
Don’t think it comes from bubbels in beer, as a borrel is a small strong drink. The ‘rel’ part is a diminutive, maybe from ‘born’.
So it maybe has the exact origin as the more modern ‘een drankje’.
@@latro8192 etymologiebank.nl/trefwoord/borrel
First of all I would like to compliment your Dutch. Your pronunciation is really good. Uitbuiken is a tricky word for non-native speakers, but you nailed it.
I would add another word to the list: wel. A very frequently used word in Dutch. In some cases it can be translated to well in English, but wel actually means the opposite of not. There's no English word for that (as far as I know at least).
Je hebt je huiswerk zeker weer niet gedaan, hè? (You didn't do your homework again, did you?) - Jawel, dat heb ik wel gedaan! (I did do that!). Wel puts emphasis on the fact that you actually did do something when someone suggests you didn't. And jawel is a positive answer to a negative question. You didn't do your homework, did you? - both yes and no as an answer would confirm the question: you didn't do it. In Dutch you can answer jawel which means you actually did do it.
I haven't found an English translation yet. There's one good thing about it though: no "welles-nietes discussies".
"Gunnen" has 2 meanings:
a client can award (or grant) a contract to a contractor. That is "gunnen" of a contract.
Or it can be used as in your example, hope for someone to get something, because you think he deserves it. And only in a positive way.
With a different perspective, though. "He deserves it" in which he is actively deserving it, vs "Ik gun het hem", in which the person who deserves it is passive.
That is so interesting. I live VERY close to the Netherlands and are often there and in german we have a quite similar word "gönnen", which is basically the same, but you would never use it in a contract-getting way and whilst you use it for the vast majority of times for positive examples (kinda lika a "treat yourself!", but meant in a way like "You really deserve this!") you can in very few examples wish something bad, like f. ex. People hering Trump contracted the Coronavirus, saying things like: "Das gönn ich ihm!" (like in a sarcastic way: the person deserved this, but only in sarcastic examples.)
This is a fun list of Dutch words! You did a great job finding words that are not cliche.
Did you know that there is a verb for participating in a borrel? It is called borrelen.
I think that your explanation of natafelen is actually the description of uitbuiken. Natafelen is when after dinner people remain seated at the table for a long time to have a gezellige conversation. You don’t necessarily have to feel stuffed, it’s rather a description of the social activity.
I think that gunnen translates as “to wish for”. Your partner wishes for her friend to get that job.
With regard to “gunnen” we can also say “het was me / je niet gegund”. This is said to generally express disappointment after discovering we didn’t succeed at something. This could refer to the job not gotten but also a competition one didn’t winn even though one trained very well or an important appointment missed by random causes like oversleeping, unexpectedly busy traffic making it impossible to get there in time or a train unexpectedly cancelled. It expresses disappointment while also realising one could not have prevented the disappointing event to happen. You could say something alsnog the lines of “the forces of nature were against me” in English.
We would not use “natafelen” for lingering at the table after doing homework, it is specifically connected with having enjoyed a meal in the company of at least one other person. It is the prolonging of the “gezelligheid” you enjoyed during the shared meal by having dessert or coffee or spirits or all of them and therefore also continuing the conversation. As opposed to clearing the table and doing the dishes which marks either the end of the “gezelligheid” or the start of a different activity.
“Gezellig” is not just limited to persons or rooms, one can refer to an activity as “gezellig” or “ongezellig. For instance, when in a group of friends, one of them may propose a next get together or an activity for a next occasion. The members of the group may exclaim “ja, gezellig!” to express their immediate “voorpret” at the thought of the proposed get together. 😂 We can also berate a person for turning the mood with an unpleasant remark or unpleasant behavior and try to restore the pleasant mood by telling them “laten we het gezellig houden” which means depending on the situation “don’t get into that subject” or “don’t use that kind of language” or “don’t spoil the mood / event”.
By the way, Joey Jaq is also a New Yorker who moved to Holland to be with his boyfriend. I believe they live in Amsterdam. Maybe it’s fun to compare notes on Holland / The Dutch 😄
Unfortunately you're mixing up 'gunnen' and 'vergunnen' here, which admittedly though is quite a common mistake nowadays. Your example here is a typical case of 'vergunnen' which is a more formal word, meaning something like 'fate didn't grant you the pleasure'.
Great video again, I really like all your observations.
Here are some dutchlish suggestions
1: Jeary /Jearing
If you, during your birthday, forget it's your birthday then it's considered not feeling 'jarig'
But the question about feeling jarig is "Are you in a celebratory mood?"
2: Prejoying
3: A Drinkening
4: Going for a weatherblasting
5/6: after-dinnering (tafelen = having a meal) (also Bloating)
7: "They deserve something, in my not so humble opinion."
8: gezelly
natafelen = having a cup of coffee after diner, sometimes still on the dinner table. and sometime accompanied by brandy. And a good conversation.
It is not necessarily with food. It is just talking after diner and not moving to an other room
So much enjoyed your video. I am a native Dutch speaker, but live abroad and therefore speak mostly English all the time. So yes, sometimes I want to use a word that exists in Dutch, but cannot find the English equivalent. Such as "binnenpretje". The best I can come up with for a "borrel" (as in a social gathering with drinks and snacks) is a "cheese-and-wine". Of course, the Dutch word 'par excellence' in the entire dictionary is "lekker". You can use it for anything: drinks, food, a chair, a pair of trousers, a room, a bicycle, a walk, the weather, sex, etc. "Lekker ding!". "Lekker belangrijk!"
There is a third meaning of "borrel". A beverage with a high alcohol percentage, like "jenever" (gin), which you serve in a "borrelglaasje" (shot glass)!
Voorpret is having fun before the occasion takes place, when you think about what could happen or what you or another person will be experiencing. Like if you plan a prank or booked a holiday trip or organize a party. You think about what you will do or how much fun you will have. It’s a sort of longing to the occasion and thinking how much fun it will be. Natafelen is indeed remain seated at the table after dinner because it is gezellig. Tafelen is also another word for eating at the table with company. We also say: we’re going at the table (we gaan aan tafel) when the table is set and food is on the table, everything is ready and only the people are missing. Uitbuiken is giving your body/belly a rest after a good meal where you ate plentiful. You go and sit at a place where your belly has more space than sitting at the table. You shove your chair away from the table to have more room, give your belly more room by shifting your belt a notch and lean backwards. Or you’re going to sit at the couch doing the same like Al in Married with children, but without the hand...
Voorpret, pre-fun, in my opinion refers to having fun now because of some future event. 'looking forward' is referring to future fun only. So in my opinion they are a lil different.
I lik your translation! The best I could come up with is "anticipatory joy"
You can "natafelen" after a meeting, where you discuss the meeting. Doesn't have to include eating (certainly not excessive eating - as in uitbuiken (which is a rather crude word)). Gunnen has two meanings: 1 is grant, 2 is to feel that someone deserves it. But gunnen is more subtle. It is more that the balance strikes out into someone's favour. (otherwise: hij verdient het). It also involves social capital as in "brownie points"
A borrel or borreltje was originally a small glass of “jenever” but now it’s more commonly used for a strong alcoholic drink , but not for beer ect.
A bit like 'schnapps' in German.
Hmm, Borrel is a hard one indeed, because happy hour suggests a café, while a borrel is more often than not organized within the building of a meeting or event. There might be a borrel in the lobby of a company or on stage after a premiere (with actors and people who work behind the scenes). I guess the best way of translating it would be "We're having drinks and snacks"
After over 20 years in the Netherlands my wife still doesn't like "uitwaaien" . btw Do you know/use the word überhaupt ?? It came from german but we use it a lot and is hard to translate.
Kan je best goed vertalen met "at all" lijkt mij
@@henkvanessen2908 Soms, maar meestal niet.
Of "even"
@@pliena3240 jaa
Before reading Henk’s translation I also had “at all” in mind.
About 'gezellig':
As a Dutch person I do use gezellig to describe the weather quite a lot actually. I think rain is gezellig in a way, cause when it rains, it's cold and wet outside, while I'm inside drinking my tea or sth and that just feels cozy to me. So I think you can use gezellig in many different ways, even to describe weather:)
I’ve never found a proper one onone translation for the Dutch verb “varen” as in “een bootje varen”.
To ship or to sail come close , but again don’t hit the mark. Suggestions anyone? ;-)
The translation of varen is to sail. I don't think English has separate words for varen and zeilen. To sail has both meanings.
@@GrouchierThanThou partially I’d say as varen seem a bit more versatile than to sail
“Ik vaar” won’t be translated as I sail, would it?
@@mickeydew1896 You could definitely say "I sailed to Hawaii on a cruise ship," but maybe what you're looking for is more like riding a boat.
@@GrouchierThanThou seriously could one ride a boat (to Hawaii you’d really want to ride a ship, but that’s a different discussion ;-) )
@@mickeydew1896 Yeah, riding a boat is what I'd call the recreational bootje varen that people do on ponds or on the canals in a city on sunny days. Although going on a boat ride and taking (people on) a boat ride sound a little better to me. For travelling across an ocean on a ship I'd say sail.
There will never be a perfect translation but I see gezellig as sort of a “cozy plus”. A pleasurable environment with the promise of having a good time. For example, when you enter Fred’s home to celebrate his birthday (lol) and you see mutual friends, a decorated room and cake and snacks on the table, or something, you say: “Hè, gezellig!” There’s an anticipation factor.
The "Van Dale" is not _a_ reputable dictionary, it is _the_ reference after "het groene boekje".
Het groene boekje is a spelling guideline that is actually official, but is not a dictionary.
yep, it's as reputable as Merriam-Webster is for English
"Ja, dat zoek ik even op in de Van Dale, hoor."
Gezellig also applies the ambiance as well for me. It's the combination of the situation or room feeling good / positive and it being cozy/comfy
"Het is Freds verjaardag" sounds like a fact, and "Fred is jarig!" sounds like "Pie and gezelligheid tonight!" so I get what you mean!
Indeed! You feel the voorpret? 😁
@@teambellavsteamalice Nah, I'm not called Fred and it's too far into the future X-D
I'd say 'gezellig' is the vibe when you are having a drink with your friends. When everyone is having a laugh and a great time it is 'gezellig'
"natafelen" is always "gezellig", otherwise, why bother and, as others have pointed out, is more about enjoying the company then being stuffed until you reach critical mass. "uitbuiken" can be extremely "ongezellig", it's basically undoing your belt, perhaps your top button or two (unzipping partways if you use zippers) and giving your belly room to expand freely.
"Natafelen" can also *possibly* be not "gezellig", as in with the family-in-laws for example :) And "uitbuiken" *can* certainly be "gezellig". It kind of means being a couch potatoe after the dinner.
One can "Uitbuik" at the dinner table, so in that regard it is part of "natafelen".
And for the record: "natafelen" is generally most of the time very "gezellig".
@@StudioMargalima Agreed! Although, if "natafelen" with the in-laws wasn't "gezellig" I'd feel that perhaps I don't have the right in-laws. Also, I'd be sorely tempted to do my "uitbuiken" in the most "ongezellige" way I can think of so I don't have to deal with them. I guess I skipped on the possibility of an "ongezellige" "natafel" because I refuse to participate if/when that's the case.
Here's my explanation of the word gezellig.
I think it originally started in sentences like "gisteravond was echt gezellig", which you would say to your friends after a night of going out. And it's just a way to express "I really enjoyed my time with you guys last night". So instead of cozy, just think of it meaning "a good time with friends".
And then all the other instances where gezellig is used as an adjective, I believe they are all just derived from the feeling of "having a good time with your friends". So when somebody says "this cafe looks really gezellig", it just means that the aesthetics of the cafe is really reconnecting that person to that feeling of "having a good time with their friends".
This also explains why gezellig can be cozy, but doesn't have to be. A cozy corner can reconnect you to a memory when you were sitting in a cozy corner with a small group of very close friends having this very intimate atmosphere.
But having a night that's not cozy at all, but just a lot of crazy wild fun with your friends, that is also gezellig!
So yeah, gezellig captures a wide range of feelings, but they all have this one core feeling underneath.
Let me know if this explanation helped you to get a more clear feel of the word gezellig. :-)
Natafelen doesn't nessecarily mean youre stuffed. I use it when its too 'gezellig' to leave the table when everyone finished their food. So when everyone is finished but you keep sitting at the table having a chat. That is 'na tafelen'
"Borrel" is generally used for after work socializing with colleagues with a drink and a small snack for a short amount of time!
With friends or family it is called "uitgaan" (go out)!
I would translate "Uitwaaien" as "Catching a breeze"
Borrel definitely needs a second meaning.
The borrel is not the same as happy hour, as I understand it: happy hour is organised by the locale where the happy hour is held, usually a bar. So the organizer and the location are linked together.
With a Borrel, the location and the organizer and not linked together: I could organize a borrel at my home, at my workplace, at some restaurant, bar or conference center I rented for the occasion, anywhere.
Also, a borrel is always in the afternoon or early evening before dinner, whereas happy hour can be anytime.
And: a borrel is free for those who are invited, whereas at Happy Hour you often still need to pay albeit at a reduced rate.
A borrel is always organized to celebrate something (e.g. your friendship or team), or as part of a greater event. Happy Hour is to attract more customers.
Borrels can be part of formal events, like sharing an Apéritif before a high-class diner. The Apéritif could also be called a borrel in the NL. In such cases, it is often part of welcoming the guests and giving flexibility in time of arrival. If they say that an event starts with a borrel, it means people can arrive anytime between the start and the end of the borrel, _but not later._ When an event ends with a borrel, it means people can leave anytime between its start and end, _but not earlier._
So, I think the best translation for borrel as event is Apéritif--except one that can stand alone, without a dinner attached to it.
I really waited for 'gezellig' 😂
En de Tokkies 🤭
En lekker
Borrel, or the verb "borrelen'' traditionally is a glass of liquor before dinner, between 5 and 6 in the evening a time also known as "borreltijd" or "borreluur". You can indeed have "borrelhapjes" with it, usually a few cubes of cheese or "leverworst" with mustard.
I'm from 1981, and both of my grandmothers drank a "borrel" at 5 sharp, one drank sherry (a fortified wine from Spain) the other drank "cola tik" (a cola mixer with rum or whisky).
This was the first, but not by far the last drink of the evening. I never knew my grandfathers, as they died before their time, one of my grandmothers had a partner but I'm not sure what or if he drank. A very traditional "borrel" is also "jenever" (a proto gin)
Gezellig can be best translated to the vibe that's hanging around the room when you're with your friends drinking a beer and having a good time. Never in my 23 years have I heard someone asking my opinion on the "gezellig" weather hahaha
We're a bit of a smaller company and we have often have a "borrel" at the office on Friday evening.
The construction workers start early and by 3pm-4pm they're generally done and then they go to our office and we have a few beers or other drinks and just have a good time socializing.
Sometimes it's 2 of them that show up, sometimes all 6. But it's always a lot of fun. We at the office still try to get some work done but it's while chatting, drinking, somebody might have some Belgian chocolates to share, etc.
Voorpret, I never used that. I usually say “ ik kijk er naar uit”
Well, a lot of "voorpret" is a bit more active than that, for holidays it is the joy involved with selection of the destination, for Saint Nicholas and/or Christmas it is the joy of getting the snacks of the season, buying the presents for others and/or new clothes, writing poems with clever puns, decorating your house, making lists of presents you want...
Also, "voor-" in this case is a prefix. Just like in the word "voorwerk" (preliminary work to make the actual work easier). In English there is the prefix "pre-" to signify something before somehing else (prefabrecated, prepaid etc.) Yes., in those examples the prefix comes before a verb, but I think you can also use them in nouns. Voorpret could become "prefun" of "prejoy". Also, there is the word "voorspel" which is foreplay in English (yes, a word for very specific situations). But it means that the prefix "fore-" could also be used: "forefun" of "forejoy".
Is what I find here the Dutch explaining Dutch to the Dutch, but in English?
Rosalie Bosma seems that way, rare jongens die Hollanders.
Having a borrel, can also means having a drink before dinner. It's not unusual for a family to have a borrel at the house, and have an alcoholic drink and a small snack to go along with it, like Pringles or soms nuts and so on. It's a moment of socialising before having dinner. So it's not only a borrel when friends or colleagues are present. In fact, elderly people that are living without family can have a borrel before dinner. It's just something we like to do before dinner.
Can 'gunnen' be related to 'deserve'?
I think it means that you think that someone has raked up so many credits (for whatever reason) that he/she carmically deserves (always in a positive way) that which is being gegund.
No I think deserve is more like claiming something. You deserve something because you are qualified and you have done so many things to get there. Then you deserve the job.
I would translate "gunnen" to English more like "I would be happy for you if you get the job" or "They should give you the job because you are worth it". And both are not even close. "gunnen" is more doing something as a favor. I think.
In some cases it can ne translated to deserving something, but it like 95% karma and 5% deserving it most of the time. But it can also be translated to I'm rooting for you in other cases.
Also if someone did something that hurt you, and something (unrelated) bad happens to them you can say "Ik gun het je" or "het is je gegund", so it also gets used in a negative way
@@ninao8460, in that someone is being mean or sarcastic. But yes, it can.
Also think about the"gunfactor". In business it is used
Hi Ava. I just visited Holland and while I was there I discovered your channel and really enjoyed your videos. I have another Dutch expression for you: "Dat zit wel snor", which means "don't worry about it".
My explanation for “jarige Job” is that in the Bible in the book of Job chapter 3, Job cursed his birthday:
“After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest, With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves; Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver: Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light. There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave? Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.” ~ Job 3:1-26 KJV
And that because of this we now jokingly say to someone who’s birthday it is: “hey jarige Job”.
Your videos are very gezellig to me because your tone and expression are very relaxed. Welcome to my home town where i have lived all my life.
What about the word "Leedvermaak"
{German: Shadenfreude}
English: ????????????
People just say "schadenfreude" in the same way people say "gesundheit."
It would be a good one to add to the list, but we also have to understand that the German version has totally different fine semantics (meaning) than the Dutch one.
The Gerries apparently can derive pleasure from somebody else incurring damages.
The Dutch version is about "leed" - sorrow, pain, grief, smart.
We should also recognize that the word was used or introduced in order to be able to "describe something that socially is completely not done" - "leedvermaak" was the label for something completely incorrect. A parent or teacher would kick your ass for showing that, still in the 1960s.
As to the difference: "leed" can be the consequence of "schaden", but the Dutch version does not limit to "schaden" and focuses on impact.
This idiom: "er is geen beter vermaak dan leedvermaak" is totally meant to express disdain for the type of "vermaak".
masochism?
As far as I know schadenfreude is used in the English language. At least they generally know the the meaning of it.
Yeah, they even use the word Schadenfreude in English. Other example: tijdgeest (in German: Zeitgeist). In English they also use the German word. Maybe we could start a movement to get the German loanwords in English replaced by the Dutch version? :P
The first translation of uitwaaien u should think about a candle. Its blown out by the wind.
The second translation comes closest to uitwaaien as an activity. Getting a breath of fresh air
When you gun someone something, you specifically hope someone gets something as a reward. You feel they deserve something
gezellig is most often used in the context of company. Having a cosy time with friends, open, friendly, and in a cosy environment all at the same time. Also gezellig is often used describing a decor, setting, design of a space as being gezellig. Meaning: this place looks like it is possible to have a gezellig time with friends and family. Gezellig is a feeling of warmth inside the observer when watching a scene also. Like: those people are having a gezellig time. They look like they are having a fun, friendly, cosy time together. Also a familiy or group of people can be described as being gezellig. That means that they are friendly, open minded and are affectionate in their communication. Gezellig is the most important state to be in for a Dutch person. We always strive to have a gezellig time and desing gezellig environments. Welcoming, lovingly and open minded.
I think "dan ben je nog niet jarig' actually means something like the idiom 'dan zwaait er wat' and means something like:: 'you will regret that'
I'm a bit impressed
that you've already discovered the sophisticated subtlety of the way the Dutch use the verb 'gunnen'. For most Dutch native speakers the use is purely instinctive and they use it quite a lot without actual awareness of the subtlety.
The closest I ever got to translating it into a single english verb is that it is between 'to favour/encourage/applaud' and 'to support/endorse/back'. So depending on the situation I'd choose between those options.
'To favour' would be too passive and 'to support' would be too active, to accurately reflect 'gunnen' in all situations.
I believe it is similar to the subtle difference in English between "I'm behind you on this" and "I'm with you on this". Those two expressions are just one small literal step apart, but reflect a huge difference regarding the activity of the promised role. 'Gunnen' is halfway between these two meanings. Except when it means 'to grant', which it occasionally does..
Gunnen is like the opposite of envy. You hope someone gets something because you wish well upon them.
About the second: Voorpret is like the joy that you have not just by looking forward to the thing you're going to do. But it's more like you have fun by talking about it and preparing it. You already enjoy that part.
P.S. Dutch author Rudy Kousbroek wrote a wonderful booklet called "De Aaibaarheidsfactor" (about cats). No idea how to translate that into English... hahahaha...
About gezellig. The word gezellig has 'gezel' in it which is an old word for 'companion'. So originally for anything to be gezellig you needed other people. Therefore a meeting can be gezellig because there are nice people having lovely conversations, and the same goes for rooms, outings, etc. In thse cases 'gezellig' is a description of the pleasant mood in a group or the psace that groep occupies. People themselves are described as gezellig if they are sociable and warm. If the word gezellig was still only used in this way, I think the correct(and literal) translation would be 'companionable'.
The Dutch translation of the word 'cosy' is 'knus'. A room can be knus without having any people in it, in which case 'knus' is a description of the mood of that room (the way the furniture is arranged, the small size, the colours, the temperature, etc.). Usually knus implies closeness or the absence of much open space ( a tucked in child can lie cosily in its little bed). So I think originally the difference between 'gezellig' and 'knus' was that the first involved people, and the second didn't necessarily but was more an indication of closeness in space. However, over the ages the meanings of these words have widened and overlapped. Now people will call a space 'gezellig' if it looks cosy but there's no-one in it. The word knus can even have a negative connotation, because if it's used for a group of people it implies that they are huddled very closely together. This could be for warmth or for lack of space, but a person could definitely say "Dit is wel heel knus"("This is very cosy") to indicate that the physical closeness makes them a bit uncomfortable.
The Dutch don't really have a translation for 'Happy Hour', we just also call it happy hour 😁🍻
Kortingsuurtje ?
@@xFD2x Ja LOL, maar niemand noemt het zo, en het is niet helemaal hetzelfde ding.
Your pronunciation is soooo good ! Thumbs up !
Gunnen is less "I HOPE he gets the job" and more "I hope HE gets the job" if that makes sense... Hm, this really is a difficult one!
I really enjoyed this video. Thank you. And your command of Dutch is improving awesomely, it really is. It is very apparent that you live with a person for whom Dutch is her first/native language.
I watched this video with a notepad and pen (because I have nothing productive to do) and literally wrote down my first translatory thought when you mentioned the words. So here's my own "van Dale" work. I am not insisting that I am right, just my interpretation, given my knowledge of both languages.
Jarig does not necessarily pertain to birthdays, it can be used in the context of a work anniversary for example. Jarig also does not by definition depict a single day, people can say for example: "In twee weken is Koos jarig". What I came up with is
Jarig = Annual commenseration (I know....not sexy sounding)
Voorpret is quite simple.
Voorpret = excitement
Excitement is often used in English, not quite correctly. When we do it is a literal translation, no more needs to be said.
I had a hard time with borrel. I am going to have to make a word by mending two words with a forward slash;
Borrel = drink/gathering
There's an English word for uitwaaien but I am having a brain fart and can't think of it but an English phrase came to mind: "catching a breeze". But it doesn't work completely, uitwaaien doesn't merely pertain to people it can also pertain to articles. For example:
"Ik ga mijn blouse buiten ophangen om het een beetje te uitwaaien". (Ouch!, my Dutch is getting bad). We wouldn't really say in English that we're going to hang our shirt outside to let it catch a breeze. Or, maybe we would?
Uitbuiken = "bloated" in slightly slang language.
There is an English word for "natafelen" but I can't come up with it. I studied (in The Netherlands) to be, and I am a Chef. In the science of menu construction, sometimes natafelen is actually a dinner course (without food). That is a French word and I have forgotten it too. Because in the US, in the country clubs when I actually physically wrote 9 course dinner menus for private parties I would write it as "coffee course"
Gunnen = to wish for
Yeap, the world baffles over how to translate gezellig. My first thought is
Gezellig = intimately joyful
Looking around, one can't help feeling that Americans probably don't need a special word for 'uitbuiken' because for many it's not a particular feeling, it's the default state ;-)
Hahahah damn
Verjaardag is the word for the annually repeated celebration of ones birthday, and 'jarig zijn' is the noun. Geboortedag is literally the day you are born. Few people say they celebrate their geboortedag - most people use 'verjaardag'.
Uitbuiken = to open your zipper to the point that your stuffed belly can have space to digest.
Natafelen = not necessarily after you're stuffed, but can also happen if you're comfortably sitting with people and having a nice conversation while the meal is already finished. Most likely to happen with a beverage ( coffee or tea or sometimes another glass of wine), but it's not a necessity. It's more about not wanting to break up the conversation and a nice atmosphere.
For gezellig I would like to add 'atmosphere' as a third option - sometimes it can be gezellig if you're walking all alone in a street in the summer and there are people you don't know who are chatting and having fun with their friends and there's music and people having a drink and it has this overall happy summer vibe, and that's also gezellig, even if you're not with certain company or in a specific space.
With your partner in front of the 'open haard' can be gezellig, and cosy, but with 40.000 people on a festival can also be gezellig. Wouldn't call that cosy.
Especially standing 1,5m apart at a festival its far from cozy.
When talking about birthday celebrations in the Netherlands with foreign friends it struck me that in many languages you celebrate being born or you celebrate the day you are born. It is your birthday. But the dutch word "verjaardag" translates to the day you get older. Verjaren = getting older, more or less. So when asking someone "do you feel its your birthday?" you are also asking them "do you feel any older?". But in a good do-you-feel-its-a-special-day kinda way :)
To me "dan ben je nog niet jarig" is more ominous... "in that case you're in trouble".,.. maybe even "big trouble".
i'd say "uitwaaien" is used to refer to going for a walk or on a trip, though particularly to the beach. It's mainly related to how windy it gets near the shoreline(and thereby basically the whole country), "to get winded" i feel is more often related to exertion which isn't what the word refers to. The hairdryer thing is actually quite close to what the origin of the word is i think (though again, it's often simply used to mean 'going outside' in some form).
"Uitbuiken" refers to resting after a big meal to allow the food to "settle" if that makes sense and "natafelen" is related to continuing conversations and drinks (and maybe snacks) at the table after a meal (though it doesn't necessarily have to be a big meal), especially on special occasions like a dinner at a restaurant with friends/family.
"ik gun hem die baan" i'd translate as something like "i think he deserves to get that job"