In the realm of language and humor, there’s one thing that the Dutch truly excel at: our peculiar proverbs and sayings.
When I visit my Australian cousin, he often can’t help but burst into laughter when we pull out another Dutch proverb during our talks. We Dutchies truly have a quirky language among ourselves.
Many of these proverbs even find their way into English, but some are genuinely unique to our language.
If your parents occasionally drop these proverbs into conversation, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself using them later on.
Injecting conversations with proverbs and sayings adds a dynamic and intriguing flavor to the dialogue.
And if your parents don’t speak Dutch, you can always learn them from your teacher or practice them yourself.
Here’s my top 10 list of the funniest Dutch proverbs.
- De aap komt uit de mouw.
Translation: The monkey comes out of the sleeve.
Meaning (English): The truth is revealed.
Betekenis (Nederlands): De waarheid komt aan het licht.
2. Dat is een appeltje voor de dorst.
Translation: That’s an apple for the thirst.
Meaning (English): That’s a savings for later.
Betekenis (Nederlands): Dat is een reserve voor moeilijke tijden.
3. De kat uit de boom kijken.
Translation: To look the cat out of the tree.
Meaning (English): To wait and see how things develop.
Betekenis (Nederlands): Afwachten hoe iets zich ontwikkelt.
4. Dat is mosterd na de maaltijd.
Translation: That’s mustard after the meal.
Meaning (English): It’s too late; the damage is done.
Betekenis (Nederlands): Het is te laat; de schade is al gedaan.
5. De kogel is door de kerk.
Translation: The bullet is through the church.
Meaning (English): The decision has been made.
Betekenis (Nederlands): De beslissing is genomen.
6. Als de kat van huis is, dansen de muizen.
Translation: When the cat is away, the mice dance.
Meaning (English): People misbehave when the authority figure is not around.
Betekenis (Nederlands): Mensen gedragen zich slecht als de autoriteit niet aanwezig is.
7. De soep wordt niet zo heet gegeten als ze wordt opgediend.
Translation: The soup is not eaten as hot as it is served.
Meaning (English): Things are not as bad as they seem.
Betekenis (Nederlands): De situatie is niet zo erg als het lijkt.
8. De bloemetjes buiten zetten.
Translation: To put the little flowers outside.
Meaning (English): To celebrate and have a good time.
Betekenis (Nederlands): Uitgebreid feestvieren en genieten.
9. Met de gebakken peren zitten.
Translation: To be left with the baked pears.
Meaning (English): To deal with the consequences of one’s actions.
Betekenis (Nederlands): De gevolgen dragen van eigen handelen.
10. In de aap gelogeerd zijn.
Translation: To be lodged in the monkey.
Meaning (English): To be in a difficult or tricky situation.
Betekenis (Nederlands): In een lastige of moeilijke situatie verkeren.
Thank you for diving into the whimsical world of Dutch proverbs with me! I hope these linguistic quirks brought a smile to your face.
Whether you were already acquainted with these amusing expressions or stumbled upon them, I trust you found them enjoyable.
While our language may exhibit some peculiarities, it also adds a touch of humor and warmth to our interactions.
Let me know which proverb tickled your funny bone the most, and don’t hesitate to incorporate it into your daily conversations.
Cheers,
Anouk!
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