Dutch Idioms & Expressions

35 words · Idioms · Expressions · Sayings

Dutch is full of colorful expressions. Here are 25 fun idioms with their literal translations and actual meanings.

Idioms

#	Dutch Expression	IPA	Literal Translation	Actual Meaning	When to Use It
1	Nu komt de aap uit de mouw	/ny kɔmt də aːp œyt də mɑu/	Now the monkey comes out of the sleeve	The truth is revealed	When someone’s true motives become clear
2	Iets door de vingers zien	/its doːr də ˈvɪŋərs zin/	To see something through the fingers	To turn a blind eye	When you overlook a mistake
3	Met de deur in huis vallen	/mɛt də døːr ɪn hœys ˈvɑlən/	To fall into the house with the door	To get straight to the point	When someone skips small talk
4	De kat uit de boom kijken	/də kɑt œyt də boːm ˈkɛikən/	To watch the cat out of the tree	To wait and see / be cautious	When observing before acting
5	Het regent pijpenstelen	/hɛt rəˈxɛnt ˈpɛipənˌsteːlən/	It’s raining pipe stems	It’s raining cats and dogs	During heavy rain
6	Een appeltje met iemand te schillen hebben	/ən ˈɑpəltjə mɛt ˈimɑnt tə ˈsxɪlən ˈhɛbən/	To have an apple to peel with someone	To have a bone to pick	When you need to settle something with someone
7	Oost west, thuis best	/oːst ʋɛst tœys bɛst/	East west, home best	There’s no place like home	When appreciating being home
8	Op een koude kermis thuiskomen	/ɔp ən ˈkɑudə ˈkɛrmɪs ˈtœyskoːmən/	To come home at a cold fair	To be disappointed	When expectations aren’t met
9	Wie boter op zijn hoofd heeft, moet uit de zon blijven	/ʋi ˈboːtər ɔp zɛin hoːft heːft mut œyt də zɔn ˈblɛivən/	Who has butter on his head should stay out of the sun	People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones	When someone is being hypocritical
10	De knoop doorhakken	/də knoːp ˈdoːrhɑkən/	To chop through the knot	To make a decision	When finally deciding after hesitation
11	Dat is een eitje	/dɑt ɪs ən ˈɛitjə/	That’s a little egg	That’s a piece of cake	When something is easy
12	Helaas pindakaas	/həˈlaːs ˈpɪndaːkaːs/	Unfortunately peanut butter	Too bad! (rhyming expression)	Light-hearted “oh well” moments
13	Met de kippen op stok gaan	/mɛt də ˈkɪpən ɔp stɔk xaːn/	To go to roost with the chickens	To go to bed early	When someone goes to bed early
14	Iets onder de knie krijgen	/its ˈɔndər də kni ˈkrɛixən/	To get something under the knee	To master something	When learning a new skill
15	Geen blad voor de mond nemen	/xeːn blɑt voːr də mɔnt ˈneːmən/	Not to take a leaf before the mouth	To speak frankly	When someone is very direct
16	Als een olifant in een porseleinkast	/ɑls ən ˈoːlifɑnt ɪn ən ˌpɔrsəˈlɛinkɑst/	Like an elephant in a porcelain shop	Like a bull in a china shop	When someone is clumsy or tactless
17	Iemand een hart onder de riem steken	/ˈimɑnt ən hɑrt ˈɔndər də rim ˈsteːkən/	To stick a heart under someone’s belt	To encourage someone	When cheering someone up
18	Van een mug een olifant maken	/vɑn ən mʏx ən ˈoːlifɑnt ˈmaːkən/	To make an elephant from a mosquito	To make a mountain out of a molehill	When someone overreacts
19	De bal is rond	/də bɑl ɪs rɔnt/	The ball is round	Anything can happen	Used about football or uncertain outcomes
20	Daar zit een luchtje aan	/daːr zɪt ən ˈlʏxtjə aːn/	There’s a smell to that	Something is fishy	When something seems suspicious
21	Met je neus in de boter vallen	/mɛt jə nøːs ɪn də ˈboːtər ˈvɑlən/	To fall with your nose in the butter	To be lucky / arrive at the right time	When you get lucky or have good timing
22	Oude koeien uit de sloot halen	/ˈɑudə ˈkujən œyt də sloːt ˈhaːlən/	To pull old cows out of the ditch	To bring up old issues	When someone rehashes the past
23	Iets voor zoete koek aannemen	/its voːr ˈzutə kuk ˈaːnneːmən/	To accept something as sweet cake	To accept without question	When someone is gullible or too trusting
24	De koe bij de horens vatten	/də ku bɛi də ˈhoːrəns ˈvɑtən/	To grab the cow by the horns	To tackle a problem head-on	When confronting an issue directly
25	Appeltje-eitje	/ˈɑpəltjə ˈɛitjə/	Apple-egg	Easy peasy	When something is simple

Common Everyday Expressions

These short expressions are used constantly in daily Dutch conversation:

Dutch	IPA	English Equivalent	Explanation
Nou en of!	/nɑu ɛn ɔf/	And how! / You bet!	Emphatic agreement or confirmation
Lekker!	/ˈlɛkər/	Nice! / Yummy!	Used for everything positive — food, weather, feelings, activities. One of the most versatile Dutch words
Gezellig	/xəˈzɛləx/	Cozy / fun / convivial	The famously untranslatable Dutch concept — describes a warm, sociable, pleasant atmosphere with good company
Doe maar normaal	/du maːr nɔrˈmaːl/	Just act normal	Reflects the very Dutch attitude of not showing off. “Doe maar normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg” (Just act normal, that’s crazy enough)
Wat leuk!	/ʋɑt løːk/	How nice! / How fun!	Expressing enthusiasm or delight about something
Joh!	/jɔ/	Dude! / Man!	Informal interjection used for emphasis or to get attention
Laat maar	/laːt maːr/	Never mind / Forget it	Used to dismiss something or drop a topic
Zeg maar	/zɛx maːr/	So to speak / Just say	A filler phrase, similar to “like” or “you know” in English. Also used to mean “just call me…” when introducing yourself informally
Tuurlijk	/ˈtyːrlək/	Of course!	Informal contraction of natuurlijk (naturally) — used to express obvious agreement
Echt waar?	/ɛxt ʋaːr/	Really? / Seriously?	Expressing surprise or disbelief