Have you ever been to a Dutch dinner party and all of sudden the Dutch were praising everything with lekker, talking about natafelen and the need to go uitbuiken…and you just couldn’t understand what they were saying?
That’s why it’s important to study untranslatable Dutch words. You may at first think that there’s no way to learn these Dutch words with no English equivalent, but it’s worth making the extra effort.
Exploring these words is a great way to familiarize yourself with Dutch culture, and learning them will make you sound much more fluent, as only true locals use them. They may also make Dutch conversations and television shows easier to understand.
What you’ll find here at DutchPod101 is a list of genuinely useful and contemporary untranslatable words in Dutch that are still used by native speakers on a daily basis.
So have fun and incorporate these funny, useful, and beautiful untranslatable Dutch words into your vocabulary.
- ➜ If you find yourself having a hard time saying or understanding the untranslatable words in Dutch, then have a look at these vocabulary lists on How to Improve Your Speaking Skills and How to Improve Your Listening Skills.
Stop the confusion and learn these untranslatable Dutch words.
Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)
Table of Contents
- Gezellig
- Natafelen
- Uitbuiken
- Uitwaaien
- Borrelen
- Spannend
- Lekker
- Meedenken
- Voorpret
- Overzichtelijk
- How DutchPod101 Can Help You Learn More Dutch
1. Gezellig
| Literally | “Cozy” |
| Meaning | A warm feeling of coziness; it can also refer to having a nice time with friends or family. |
| Context | Gezellig can be used in any situation where you’re having a good time, for example when you’re enjoying a nice and cozy evening with your friends or family. Gezellig can be used as an adjective or as an adverb. It can form part of a sentence, but it can also just be used as a single-word reaction to something. |
| Example | Het was vandaag erg gezellig met oma Mieke. “Today was very nice with Grandma Mieke.” Gezelligheid kent geen tijd. “Coziness doesn’t know any time.” With this Dutch saying, the Dutch express their love for gezelligheid (“coziness”). When things are gezellig, it doesn’t matter if it’s getting late. |
2. Natafelen
| Literally | “To after table” |
| Meaning | Natafelen is actually a verb and it means to stay seated at the table after dinner to talk and to keep enjoying each others’ company. |
| Context | Natafelen is used to describe the scene after dinner where everybody stays seated at the table to talk a bit more and to have some more drinks (usually wine or something stronger). It can last just a little while, though it can also last until very late, as it’s quite gezellig. |
| Example | Na het eten bij Monique hebben we nog tot heel laat nagetafeld. “After dinner at Monique’s, we stayed and talked until very late.” |
So what do you do after a nice dinner? Yes, natafelen.
3. Uitbuiken
| Literally | “To out belly” |
| Meaning | It’s used to describe that feeling when you’re full after a good meal and just have to sit for a while as your body digests your food. |
| Context | You know how after a nice and filling meal, your body just needs some time to process your food? Well, there’s an untranslatable Dutch word for this feeling and process—uitbuiken—and it often happens together with natafelen. This verb describes the act of sitting back after a long meal and letting your “belly out,” or giving yourself some room to digest. This term is typically used after an extensive dinner. |
| Example | Na het kerstdiner moet ik altijd even uitbuiken. “I always have to relax and digest after Christmas dinner.” Bij het natafelen bij Monique moest ik echt even uitbuiken. “After dinner at Monique’s, I really needed to relax and digest.” |
4. Uitwaaien
| Literally | “To blow out” |
| Meaning | To take a refreshing break outdoors in windy weather |
| Context | Uitwaaien is the activity of walking in the wind with the goal of getting some fresh air and to freshen up. You can do this anywhere, though the beach is a favorite spot to go uitwaaien. The Netherlands can be a windy country and that’s why people enjoy this quite a lot. However, uitwaaien is mostly done in the autumn and the winter, when the country has its windiest weather. |
| Example | Na de lunch zijn we even lekker een rondje gaan lopen om uit te waaien. “After lunch, we went for a walk to get some fresh air.” |
The Dutch love to go uitwaaien together and just get some fresh air.
5. Borrelen
| Literally | [No translation] |
| Meaning | To have a drink |
| Context | Borrelen refers to having some drinks and chatting with friends or family. It often involves alcohol and also some snacks (with the famous Dutch bitterballen being a favorite). The term comes from the word borrel, which is an alcoholic beverage of some sort. Borrelen can happen indoors or outdoors (depending on the weather) and you can either do it in the afternoon or in the evening. In the Netherlands, it’s quite common for employers to organize after-work drinks on Friday afternoons, commonly known as vrijmibo, which comes from vrijdagmiddagborrel (“Friday afternoon drinks”). |
| Example | Vrijdag na werktijd gaan we altijd borrelen. “We always have a drink on Friday after work.” |
6. Spannend
| Literally | “Exciting” |
| Meaning | This word is used when something is kind of scary or thrilling. Spannend comes from the Dutch word spanning, which means “tension” or “suspension.” |
| Context | Spannend is an adjective. It can be used in many different ways, but it always relates to situations that make you feel a bit nervous. For example, when you have to do a presentation or when you’re riding on a rollercoaster… Or when you’re going on a first date with someone you really like. |
| Example | Ik vind het heel spannend dat ik morgen een sollicitatiegesprek heb. “I am very nervous about having a job interview tomorrow.” |
Are you nervous about something? Just say that you think it’s spannend.
7. Lekker
| Literally | “Tasty” |
| Meaning | This word can mean almost anything depending on the context. In principle, it’s used to describe that you’re enjoying something or someone. |
| Context | Lekker is mostly used to describe things that taste good, but it doesn’t stop there. A good-looking person can be lekker. People even say lekker ding (“tasty thing”) about people they find attractive. You can also wish someone goodnight by telling them slaap lekker (“to sleep well”). Or you can enjoy a long walk and refer to it as lekker wandelen. So this term can be used for almost anything you enjoy. |
| Example | Ik vind de taart van die bakker altijd erg lekker. “I always really like the cake from that bakery.” Ik heb vannacht heel lekker geslapen. “I slept very well last night.” |
- ➜ Do you want to give someone a compliment? Then don’t say that they’re lekker (as this can be viewed as rude). Instead, use one of these Top 15 Compliments You Always Want to Hear.
8. Meedenken
| Literally | “To think with” |
| Meaning | Thinking together |
| Context | Meedenken is kind of like brainstorming, but it’s more than that. It’s used to refer to deliberately making sure that everyone who should be involved is included in discussions. This Dutch word with no English equivalent describes how the Dutch work together in a collaborative and quite horizontal way. |
| Example | Kun je even met mij meedenken over een oplossing voor dit probleem? “Can you think with me about a solution to this problem?” |
- ➜ Are you working in the Netherlands or considering it? Then have a look at our vocabulary lists of Phrases for Doing Business Successfully and Talking About the Workplace. Each one features useful audio recordings to help you practice your pronunciation.
9. Voorpret
| Literally | Literally translates to “pre-fun” |
| Meaning | That feeling of excitement you get even before an event actually takes place |
| Context | Voorpret is a word that refers to the anticipation we often feel before an exciting event (such as a party or vacation). The word roughly translates to “enjoy having positive expectations.” |
| Example | Ik heb altijd veel voorpret bij het plannen van mijn vakantie. “I always enjoy planning my vacation.” |
What kind of voorpret do you enjoy the most?
10. Overzichtelijk
| Literally | “Clear” / “Organized” / “Comprehensible” |
| Meaning | Although dictionaries state that overzichtelijk translates to “clear,” “organized,” or “comprehensible,” these words alone aren’t quite perfect stand-ins. This adjective is a combination of these words and generally applies to things that have a clear overview. Overzichtelijk comes from the Dutch word overzicht, which means “overview.” |
| Context | Overzichtelijk is a popular word for referring to the organization of something, particularly if that organization is clear, organized, and comprehensible. It’s often used in work-related situations, for example to describe the organization of your work. But you could also use it when describing the organization of your home, for instance. |
| Example | Ik vind het wel zo overzichtelijk om op het werk mijn doelen duidelijk voor ogen te hebben. “I think it is quite organized to have my goals clear at work.” |
11. How DutchPod101 Can Help You Learn More Dutch
In this article, you learned 10 useful Dutch words with no English equivalent. You now know how to use the most funny and beautiful untranslatable Dutch words out there, from lekker to uitwaaien and beyond.
- ➜ Want to impress the Dutch even more? Then have a look at our Flattering Lines to Impress Native Speakers vocabulary list.
Are you ready to start sounding like a native speaker by forming your own phrases with these words? Or would you first like to get some help in mastering these untranslatable words in Dutch?
Then DutchPod101.com is the place to be. With our numerous vocabulary lists featuring audio recordings and our other useful free resources, you’ll definitely boost your Dutch studies from day one. Practice is key!
Would you like some one-on-one coaching? Remember that DutchPod101 also has the Premium PLUS MyTeacher service. Here, you can discover more about Dutch culture with your own private teacher and really master the Dutch language. Through personalized feedback and pronunciation advice, you’ll get the hang of these untranslatable words in Dutch before you know it.
Happy learning on DutchPod101.com!
Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)
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