Dutch expressions quiz
Your textbook never taught you these.
Could you keep up at the market, at a birthday party, on a date or with friends? Let’s see how many of these you’d catch.
10 expressionsbeginner to advancedabout 2 minutesno sign-up
Word for word: “it’s raining pipe stems”
So what does it really mean? Tap an answer to start.
Press 1 or 2
Dutch expressions quiz
The 10 expressions in this quiz
Word for word, they make no sense. Here’s what people in the Netherlands actually mean by them.
Het regent pijpenstelen
BeginnerWord for word: “it’s raining pipe stems”
It’s pouring
We blijven vanavond binnen, het regent pijpenstelen. We’re staying in tonight, it’s pouring.
Fine at workDat is appeltje-eitje
BeginnerWord for word: “that’s little apple, little egg”
Easy peasy
Die kast in elkaar zetten? Dat is appeltje-eitje. Putting that wardrobe together? Easy peasy.
With friendsmet de deur in huis vallen
BeginnerWord for word: “to fall into the house with the door”
To get straight to the point
Om maar met de deur in huis te vallen: ik wil een andere baan. To get straight to the point: I want a different job.
Fine at workde aap komt uit de mouw
IntermediateWord for word: “the monkey comes out of the sleeve”
The truth comes out
Hij was ineens heel aardig, en toen kwam de aap uit de mouw: hij wilde geld lenen. He was suddenly really nice, and then the truth came out: he wanted to borrow money.
With friendsiemand voor het blok zetten
IntermediateWord for word: “to put someone in front of the block”
To force someone to decide
Ze zette hem voor het blok: samenwonen of uit elkaar. She forced him to decide: move in together or split up.
Fine at workde kat uit de boom kijken
IntermediateWord for word: “to watch the cat out of the tree”
To wait and see
Ik investeer nog niet, ik kijk eerst de kat uit de boom. I’m not investing yet, I’ll wait and see first.
Fine at workmet de gebakken peren zitten
IntermediateWord for word: “to sit with the baked pears”
To be left with the mess
Iedereen ging na het feest meteen weg, en ik zat met de gebakken peren. Everyone left straight after the party, and I was left with the mess.
With friendser een hard hoofd in hebben
AdvancedWord for word: “to have a hard head in it”
To have your doubts
Hij zegt dat hij op tijd komt, maar ik heb er een hard hoofd in. He says he’ll be on time, but I have my doubts.
Fine at workJa, dag!
AdvancedWord for word: “yes, bye!”
No way, forget it
Moet ik jouw afwas ook nog even doen? Ja, dag! I’m supposed to do your dishes too? No way.
With friendsDat slaat als een tang op een varken
AdvancedWord for word: “that fits like pliers on a pig”
That makes no sense at all
Zijn excuus slaat als een tang op een varken. His excuse makes no sense at all.
With friends
Questions
Are these expressions still used?
Yes, every day. The quiz leaves out anything dated or crude, and every answer tells you where it’s safe to say: fine at work, with friends, or best avoided.
Why does the quiz go from beginner to advanced?
The first three are common and you’ll hear them early on. The last three need nuance, like sarcasm or mood, which is where most learners lose the thread.
What do I get if I unlock the 15?
A free deck with all 25 expressions, added for you when you finish setting up: the 10 from the quiz (the ones you missed first, each with its example), then the 15 new ones. Every card has audio and comes back for review just before you’d forget it.
Do people in Belgium say these too?
Most of them, yes. Flanders has plenty of its own sayings, and a few of these sound more Dutch than Flemish. This quiz sticks to what you’ll hear in the Netherlands.