8 HILARIOUS things the Dutch say! - American in the Netherlands

Añadido: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Hi everyone, my name is Ava and I'm an American living in the Netherlands. And I bet you're wondering what I'm doing with a wedge of cheese and a cheese slicer. Well, I guess you'll just have to watch the rest of the video to find out. Okay, I am now beyond excited for the topic of today's video, which are the cute and hilarious things that the Dutch say. Now, as you all know, I've lived in the Netherlands for a few years now, and I have picked up even more idiomatic expressions along the way.

[00:00:25]These aren't necessarily full-blown idioms, but they are smaller idiomatic expressions. Some of them are idioms. In any case, these are expressions that I didn't learn until a little later or come across until a little later. And I am just so excited to share them with you because as an English speaker, all of these just honestly make me chuckle out loud. So, let's get into it. Now, the first expression on today's list is literally translated into English, this expression means I see them sitting. I indeed see him or her sitting, but it really doesn't mean that. So that is quite literal. What it actually means in Dutch is I like them. So if you like someone, you would say, "Hey, or so in a conversation, someone asks you," you can say, "Yeah, I see her indeed sitting." It just sounds so absurd at face value, which is exactly why this expression made the list. Um, hello, editing Ava here. I uh just watched this bit and I couldn't help but think to myself how cringey this was and how I am so glad I never have to flirt with anybody again ever.

[00:01:35]Not that I ever did that because well for obvious reasons you just saw what that would look like. So that was all.

[00:01:42]Now back to the video. Number two on this list is stokers of deer stick behind the door. What's behind door number two in the Netherlands? It's a stick. To me, this expression was opaque enough that I really didn't know what it meant. I had to hear it a few times in context to get the gist, which is that you have an extra motivation to do something. So, for instance, if you have visitors over and your place is a mess, it's to clean up because you have those visitors coming. And it sounds pretty threatening like, oh my god, there is this stick. And it probably has origins in well, you know, corporal punishment or I don't know, something like that.

[00:02:22]But in any case, in English, it's just extremely opaque, so it sounds really funny if I literally translate it in my head like a stick behind the door. I don't know if Dutch people do the same sometimes. Like, I know I sometimes say things in English, I guess, because now I live in the Netherlands and I pay extra attention to them where I also think the English idiomatic expressions are funny. So, to me, this Dutch one definitely made the list because it's just a really completely opaque, absurd image that really feels like it shouldn't mean anything, but it does. I also asked my wife about this one, and she said there's like a threatening vibe to this expression. So, you tell someone your New Year's resolutions, and that is the stoke off to the to actually make your resolutions come true because like you've told someone. So, now that is that extra threatening motivation.

[00:03:11]Apparently, this almost sounds really very Asian. Like, if you don't hold yourself to your New Year's resolutions, I'm going to come find you. You have to be Asian to get that. All right. Now, the next one on the list I really, really wish we had in English because I think of it every time I see any Republican in the US on the news when they're talking about some kind of issue, especially Trump. Anytime I see Trump on the news talking about how he messed something up, I think, oh, I think of this Dutch expression. And that is it. So something that's really not right, you try to spin it around so that you try to make it sound okay.

[00:03:47]But whenever I look at Trump, I go.

[00:03:50]So I have really adopted this expression in my head. I feel like there just isn't an English equivalent to this one. I really wish there was because this is a good one.

[00:04:05]I feel like this expression says a lot about American and Dutch cultures because in the Netherlands this idiom exists and I wish it existed in the US because I think there are plenty of occasions in both of these cultures to use this one. Now the next idiom on the list is a pre-sliced cake. Out of context again this one just doesn't make any sense.

[00:04:27]You're like what are you talking about?

[00:04:29]What do you mean pre-sliced cake? Now, obviously, I knew not to take this at face value, even though I might have a little bit because every time I hear this expression, I get a little bit hungry afterwards, and then I want some cake. But that's besides the point. So, this expression means that you've done something before and so that thing is really easy for you. So, something that's really easy to do or to obtain because you've done it before or you have some knowledge about it. So, it's a a pre-sliced cake. So, that slicing has been done before. You've traveled that path before, you could do it again. You could do it with your eyes closed. So that's something we say in English.

[00:05:06]Doing something with your eyes closed where something comes naturally to you.

[00:05:09]It's easy for you. I think that's also a Dutch expression. But that's that's not something we say in America at least. I feel like if we were to adapt this idiom in the US, it would definitely have to be a pizza expression cuz we do pre-slice our pizzas unlike here in the Netherlands. That is something that honestly irritates me to no bounds. It irritates me way more than it should. When I open that pizza box and I see this beautiful, deliciously juicy round pizza, but then I have to cut it myself. It just makes me ever so slightly sad. I want a box full of slices precut for me. I do not want to have to do that myself. I do not I want to feel like me owning a pizza slicer is just superfluous. I want that to be a superfluous kitchen item that I own, not one that is basically essential. Anyway, like I said, this idiom always gets me a little bit hungry, so I'm going to take a cake break and be right back. Oh, what's that now? You thought I was kidding. No, I don't joke about cake.

[00:06:13]All right. Now, the next expression on this list was the whole reason for making this video. This expression made it clear that I've apparently lived in the Netherlands long enough to be able to use this expression pertaining to myself, but also that there have been a number of expressions that I learned in the last couple of years, honestly. So, I couldn't wait to share these expressions with you, and this one is by far my favorite on this list. It is so cute, so appropriate for myself at times. And that is forash or yeven for cash. And that means someone has been Dutchified. They've become very Dutch.

[00:06:51]And a slightly like a mildly derogatory term for Dutch people. I learned like when you're kids and you know maybe as someone with a non-white background, you might be called names. You can also call Dutch kids names. You can call them a cheese head. I learned so a gasop. So if someone is acting like a gas scope and they are not supposed to like me, like I don't necessarily need to act like a gas scope all the time, but maybe I'm just so for cash that I do. I've shared plenty of examples of me assimilating into the Netherlands, but hey, in case you were looking for some more, here they are.

[00:07:49]Now, the next expression on the list also has to do with cheese because welcome to the Netherlands. Why wouldn't there be expressions about cheese and clogs and angels peeing on your tongue?

[00:07:59]Obviously, that is just what we do here in the Netherlands. So, here is the next expression about cheese. And I have to read this one out because every time I use it, I kind of use it slightly wrong.

[00:08:10]So I wanted to write it down to make sure I used the correct version. And that is the needed.

[00:08:17]This is one that I learned recently and I haven't been able to fully use it correctly. I don't know why. It's something about the gas. It's something about the bro or broche or boats or hum.

[00:08:28]Like I just tend to get one of these things wrong. So that's why I read it out and I love this expression. It means don't let someone take the advantages that you have for themselves. Don't let someone take the nice things from you.

[00:08:42]And I love it because like that definitely happens in life. If you're a nice naive person like me, which sounds like it should be a compliment. It is not. I am definitely a huge suckle sometimes talking about Dutch expressions. But hey, I have learned to be sharper. I have learned to not let anybody else take the cheese from my bread. This next expression I really like using because I think it sounds nice. I think knowing this next expression made me feel like, hey, my Dutch language skills are really leveling up. And that is this means to have mastered something.

[00:09:17]And I really like using it. Why does this make me chuckle sometimes? Well, because literally translated, it means having something under your knee. And I feel really good knowing that this doesn't mean that because why? When do you ever have something under your knee?

[00:09:30]I feel like the expression definitely came from somewhere where you needed to have something under your knee. But what could that have possibly been? You know what? I'm going to look this up. But because this expression doesn't exist in English and it's not one that you can kind of figure out on the go or just derive the meaning from the sum of its word part. I feel pretty good about knowing it because hey, I've been exposed to enough Dutch that I can use expressions like these now. These are just part of my daily language use. Look at me leveling up. And finally, the last expression on today's list, which is so funny and hilarious. I can't believe you Dutch people say that. And that is the cowacant. So if you for instance have a cousin who you're related to by blood and they are dating someone that person is the kawakant the cold side. So if you have an aunt and uncle there is one who is related to you by blood and the other is the cold side the kawakant. This is an expression that Dutch people use all the time. Oh my god talk about being blunt and direct. I don't think this one will fly in America but it flies in the Netherlands. people are completely fine saying it. I'm curious if there are expressions like that in other cultures.

[00:10:42]So, if you know of that, please share them in the comments down below. This one especially makes me chuckle out loud like in the middle of a conversation when I hear it. So, those were some Dutch idiomatic expressions that I find hilarious or cute that I wanted to share with you today. As usual, I'm curious to hear your thoughts. And until next time, do