Navigating the World of Business Dutch: Frequently Used Dutch Idioms & Expressions in the Workplace (pt. 2)
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This is the second part of the blog series ‘Navigating the World of Business Dutch’. In this series you will learn the linguistic and cultural intricacies of business Dutch to set you up for success when you decide to apply to a job in the Netherlands or Flanders.
In this blog in particular you will learn about Dutch expressions that are often used in the workplace. Besides the literal translation and the meaning of every expression, you will also learn about in what situation it could be used.
Let’s get started:
“Over koetjes en kalfjes praten”
Literal translation:
To talk about cows and calves.
Meaning:
To talk about unimportant things
A situation in which it may be used:
This is actually a very important expression in the workplace, because part of Dutch business culture is to chit-chat around the coffee machine. (Tip: want to learn more about Dutch business culture? I’d recommend checking out this blog).
“Hoog van de toren blazen”
Literal translation:
Blowing from the high tower
Meaning:
To toot your own horn
A situation in which it may be used:
When someone is a bit too proud of their achievements and tells everyone who wants to know it, someone could say ‘blaas niet zo hoog van de toren’.
“Door het oog van de naald kruipen”
Literal translation:
To crawl through the eye of a needle
Meaning:
By the skin of your teeth/ A narrow escape
A situation in which it may be used:
This expression can be used as a sigh of relief when, for instance, you finished a work project just in time for deadline.
“Niet geschoten is altijd mis”
Literal translation:
If you never shoot, you’ll always be wrong
Meaning:
If you never try, you’ll never succeed
A situation in which it may be used:
When you want to apply to your dream job, but fear you’re not qualified or experienced enough. Someone might say to you as encouragement “niet geschoten is altijd mis”.
“Hoge bomen vangen veel wind”
Literal translation:
High trees catch a lot of wind.
Meaning:
Someone with a lot of responsibility and make the decision, may also be at risk of receiving a lot of criticism. It’s part of that high position status.
A situation in which it may be used:
When a leader in a company hears about people on the work floor critiquing his decisions, he might think to himself: “Oh well, that’s part of the job, ‘hoge bomen vangen veel wind’”
“Nu heb je de poppen aan het dansen”
Literal translation:
Now you have the dolls dancing
Meaning:
Now something has gone wrong, and the problems and/or fights have begun
A situation in which it may be used:
When for instance in a marketing campaign something has gone wrong and the reputation of the company is on the line, the expression ‘nu hebben we de poppen aan het dansen’ may be by the employees of the company express concern used.
“Er is werk aan de winkel”
Literal translation:
There is work at the shop
Meaning:
There’s work to be done!
A situation in which it may be used:
If at the start of a big project someone explains the details of the project before people can work on it, after such an instruction, the expression ‘er is werk aan de winkel!’ may be used.
“De kantjes er vanaf lopen”
Literal translation:
To walk off the sides
Meaning:
Doing a job half-heartedly
A situation in which it may be used:
When you’re rushing through a project and a colleague fears you’re not doing as good a job as you could do, they might say “je moet niet de kantjes ervan aflopen”.
“Met de pet ernaar gooien”
Literal translation:
Throwing the cap at it
Meaning:
Not putting in an effort
A situation in which it may be used:
This expression most often used in the case of students who enjoy student life more than putting an effort into their studies. People might say “hij gooit er met de pet naar”. However, it is also frequently used in a similar situation in the workplace.
“Waar rook is, is vuur”
Literal translation:
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire
Meaning:
If there are signs that something is true, at least part of it is true
A situation in which it may be used:
When, for instance, in business or about a person something feels off, there is a chance that something is not right. In that case someone might say “waar rook is, is vuur”.
I hope you enjoyed reading this second part of the blogs series about navigating the world of business Dutch. Learning about these Dutch expressions will deepen your understanding of the Dutch language and business culture. There are many more blogs in this series to come, so if you work in a Dutch speaking country or might want to work there in future, it’s worth it to keep an eye out of any updates.
Until next time!
Marieke, OLS Community Manager - Dutch
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