kopje

(of cats) an act of rubbing one's face on someone or something to spread pheromones


mannetje

Negerhollands: manje

Ik weet nog wel een mannetje dat het plafond kan schilderen.

I know this guy who can paint the ceiling.

(informal) man who performs odd jobs for money, often without paying tax


sprookje

From sproke (obsolete variant of spreuk) + -je (“diminutive suffix”). Note that the word only occurs in this diminutive form; the word "sprook" does not exist (except as a rare back-formation for comedic effect). Compare German Low German Spröökje.

suffix

obsolete variant of <i class="Latn mention" lang="nl">spreuk</i>

Sinds mijn huwelijk is mijn leven een sprookje.

Since my marriage my life has been a dream come true.

(figuratively) dream come true (very desirable life)


meisje

meisjes (plural)
meisken (alternative)
meisie (alternative)
meissie (alternative)

Afrikaans: meisie

Jersey Dutch: määiśe

desc

Negerhollands: meeschi, meesche, minśi, menshi, meisje, meissje

Skepi Creole Dutch: meski

Geef het meisje haar boek.

Zijn meisje woont in Enschede.


beetje

From beet + -je. Cognate with German bisschen and English bit.


beetje

a bit of, a little bit of, some (before mass nouns)

(informal) something of, anyone or anything worth its salt (before countable nouns)


beetje

Afrikaans: bietjie

Berbice Creole Dutch: beki

Jersey Dutch: bêtśe

Negerhollands: beetje, bechi, betji, bitji, bitši, biti

→ Virgin Islands Creole: biti (archaic)

Skepi Creole Dutch: beki

→ Saramaccan: abíti


dubbeltje

→ Papiamentu: depchi

Already attested in the 17th century. From dubbel (“double”) + -tje (diminutive). Named for having twice the value of a stuiver.

Dutch coin of 10 cents (0.10 guilders or euros)

wie voor een dubbeltje geboren is, wordt nooit een kwartje


kwartje

(colloquial) quarter of a pill of recreational drugs, particularly ecstasy


vijfje

a coin or bank note with the denomination of 5 monetary units:

(Netherlands) a 5 guilder coin, issued from 1988 until 2001

(obsolete, Netherlands) a coin with the denomination of 25 guilder cents


geeltje

(informal, historical) a 25 guilder banknote


nippertje

Diminutive of obsolete nipper (“a sip; something small”), from nippen (“to sip”), by-form of nijpen (“to pinch, squeeze”).

(rare outside fixed expressions) instant, brief moment


verhaaltje

verhaaltje voor het slapengaan

Hij las het kind een verhaaltje voor het slapengaan.


poffertje

→ English: poffertje

From poffen + -er + -tje, named because of their puffy appearance.

(chiefly plural) a small Dutch puffed pancake, a baby pancake


deeltje

17th century, from deel + -tje. Calque of Latin particula.


stokstaartje

Compound of stok (“stick”) + staartje (“little tail”).

com+

De nieuwsgierige stokstaartjes moeten even wennen aan de gekleurde eieren, maar lieten het zich toch goed smaken.

2016 March 25, “Paasontbijt voor stokstaartjes in DierenPark”, in AD:

The curious meerkats had to get used to the coloured eggs for a moment, but enjoyed the taste of them nevertheless.

Suricata suricatta
Suricata suricatta#Translingual


rietje

→ Papiamentu: richi

Telkens Meneer het rietje greep werd het muisstil en voelden de schoolbanken keihard aan.

Every time Sir reached for the cane, it become earily quiet and the school benches felt awfully hard.

(euphemistic) cane, hickory, or other stick used for corporal punishment


maatje

→ English: maatje

→ Polish: majtek

Diminutive of maat + -je. Compare English matey.

also used as an informal address for a male


kikkervisje

From kikker (“frog”) + visje (“fish”). Compare West Frisian kikkertsfiskje (“tadpole”).


wijfje

Het wijfje draagt een welp in haar bek.

The female animal carries a whelp in her mouth.


eetstokje

From eten (“to eat”) + stokje (“small stick”).


lieveheersbeestje

lieveheersbeestjes (plural)
lieveheersbeest (alternative)

Afrikaans: lieweheersbesie

→ West Frisian: leavehearsbistke

From Onze Lieve Heer (“our Dear Lord”) + beestje (“beast, animal”). Compare Russian бо́жья коро́вка (bóžʹja koróvka), Irish bóín Dé, Polish boża krówka.

ncog

бо́жья коро́вка

ladybird, ladybug, insectivore beetle of the family Coccinellidae


eitje

breeze, cakewalk, cinch, doddle, piece of cake, walk in the park (something that is easy to do)


doosje

(derogatory, vulgar) stupid female, cunt, twat (objectionable woman)


speeltje

speeltjes (plural)
speeltjen (alternative)

From spel (“game”) + -tje with lengthening of the root vowel as in glaasje etc. Doublet of spelletje. Compare the plurals spelen and spellen, which also show a secondary semantic distinction.
In the sense “toy” perhaps in part a new derivation from the related verb spelen (“to play”).


vrouwtje

(now offensive) woman (as a term of address), wifey, lassie


wevershuisje

Audio


chocolaatje

a piece of chocolate (small piece of confectionery made from chocolate)


koopje

(Belgium, in the plural) sale (a period of reduced prices)


meiklokje

Convallaria majalis
Convallaria majalis#Translingual

lily of the valley, the spring-flowering plant Convallaria majalis, or its flower


hondje

flatbed cart or trolley without any handles


poortje

gate, e.g. at a subway or railway station


tussendoortje

Diminutive formed from tussendoor (“in between”).


ijsje

Wil je een ijsje?

Vader belooft Bart een ijsje als hij braaf is.

Dad promises Bart an icecream if he behaves well.


bolletje

The sense relating to recreational drugs is probably a semantic loan from Spanish bolita.

a small ingestible package for trafficking recreational drugs (see the lemma form for derived terms)


zwaantje

(Belgium) a national police officer in a motorcycle-mounted unit


eendje

a duckling, the young of a duck; especially used affectionately


meisie

(colloquial, Holland) Alternative form of meisje


atoomdeeltje

Compound of atoom (“atom”) + deeltje (“particle”).

Protonen, electronen en neutronen zijn positieve, negatieve respektievelijk neutrale atoomdeeltjes.

Protons, electrons and neutrons are positive, negative viz. neutral sub-atomic particles.


trilhaardiertje

the protozoan called ciliate, of the class Ciliata


bommetje

Ik heb nog zo gezegd: géén bommetje!

I've said it very clearly, no cannonball!

(swimming) cannonball (jump into water in a flexed position)


weetje

tip; a fun fact, an interesting bit of trivia


akkefietje

akkefietjes (plural)
akefietje (alternative)
akevietje (alternative)
akkevietje (alternative)

First attested in the 1830s. Apparently a diminutive in -je or -tje. The first part might be borrowed from West Frisian akkefyt (“chore”), but the further origin is uncertain. The usual explanation connects it with Latin aqua vitae (“liquor, especially spice-flavored”); compare Norwegian akevitt, German Aquavit etc. However, the semantic development remains open to conjecture. An alternative theory derives it from a corrupted or enhanced form of officie (or West Frisian offysje, affysje), from Latin officium (“duty”). Finally it has been speculated to be from *akefi, a supposed expression of disgust; compare akelig (“loathsome”) and fi (“ugh, fie”).

der

a minor problem, something that went wrong


muisje

Wil je een boterham met muisjes?

Do you want a slice of bread sprinkled with aniseed covered with sugar?

Jan trakteert op beschuit met muisjes, zowel roze als blauwe! Dus hij heeft een tweeling gekregen, een jongen en een meisje.

Jan treats us to zwieback with muisjes, pink as well as blue ones! So he has got twins, a boy and a girl.

Ik hou meer van gestampte muisjes dan van gewone muisjes.

I prefer anise-flavoured sugar powder [literally ground little mice] to aniseed covered in sugar [normal little mice].

(in the plural) sprinkles of aniseed covered with sugar


oortje

Negerhollands: oort

earphone; earpiece (small speaker placed in the ear)


Vogelaartje

gaffe; an embarrassing mistake made by a politician, especially a minister, when confronted with critical journalists


aapje

The carriage was named after the A.R.M. drivers' uniforms, which were compared to those of the uniformed monkeys of street and circus artists.

(Amsterdam, historical, slang) a roofed carriage that could be hired for rides


gebbetje

(chiefly Holland, colloquial) joke, humorous remark


draagstoeltje

an infant capsule, a reversible baby car seat


spaarboekje

From sparen (“to save up”) + boekje (“booklet”).

compound

a savings book (only used in the diminutive form)


spaarbankboekje

From spaarbank (“savings bank”) + boekje (“booklet”).


bokje

From bok (“billy goat”) + -je (diminutive suffix).

af

Het bokje is Nederlands kleinste soort snip.

The jacksnipe is the Netherlands' smallest snipe species.

Lymnocryptes minimus
Lymnocryptes minimus#Translingual


selectievakje

From selectie (“selection, choice”) + vakje (“box”).


rondje

→ Papiamentu: rònchi

a round (usually of drinks) bought by someone, e.g. in a bar


boekje

a booklet; document in such format, e.g. a checkbook


knietje

a kick with the knee, especially in the groin


Higgs deeltje

Het Standaard Model van de elementaire deeltjes beschrijft de elementaire massa deeltjes, zoals quarks en elektronen, en de deeltjes die de krachten tussen die deeltjes overbrengen, zoals het foton voor de elektromagnetische kracht. Het Standaard Model is wiskundig correct als wordt aangenomen dat de deeltjes geen massa hebben. We weten dat er massa in het heelal is, dus er is een uitbreiding van het model bedacht die deeltjes massa kan geven. Die uitbreiding postuleert het bestaan van een veld dat de deeltjes koppelt aan het vacuüm. Bij die kracht hoort het nog niet aangetoonde Higgs deeltje.

The Standard Model of the elementary particles describes the elementary massive particles, such as quarks and electrons, and the particles which bring about the forces between these particles, such as the photon for the electromagnetic force. The Standard Model is mathematically correct when it assumes that the particles have no mass. We know that there is mass in the universe, thus there has been thought up an extension of the model which can give mass to particles. This extension postulates the existence of a field which couples the particles to the vacuum. To this force field belongs the not yet proven Higgs boson.


buikje

A diminutive of buik (“belly”). It also has an independent meaning.

(endearing) a belly with a slight or moderate excess of fat; a potbelly


mierenbroodje

From mier (“ant”) + -en- + broodje (“sandwich”).


Higgsdeeltje

Higgsdeeltjes (plural)
Higgs-deeltje (alternative)


gaatje

Door goed te poetsen, kun je gaatjes voorkomen.

By brushing your teeth well, you can prevent cavities.


hemmetje

Spelling following the informal pronunciation of hemdje (“shirt”).


saffiaantje

Diminutive of saffiaan (“saffian”), named after its use in certain cigar cases. The word's meaning must have shifted soon to “cigarette”, because the sense “cigar” is barely attested.


totaaltje

Voor het belichten van de presentaties hangt in de grote zaal een ‘totaaltje’.

For the illumination of the presentations there is a ‘total’ in the big theatre.

(theater) an arrangement of light spots which serves a general purpose on the stage


draadschaartje

An independent diminutive of draadschaar.


moetje

a shotgun wedding (marriage contracted to legitimise a premarital pregnancy)


vogelnestje

Neottia nidus-avis
Wikispecies:Neottia nidus-avis

(botany) bird's-nest orchid (Neottia nidus-avis)


blaasje

The diminutive of blaas. It has several independent meanings.


kaakje

a biscuit, particularly one eaten alongside a cup of tea or coffee


kandijklontje

a crystal of white rock sugar or rock candy


lijfje

→ Papiamentu: leifi


wolkje

a small amount of whirling liquid, notably milk in tea or coffee


kussentje

(colloquial) toe bean (digital pad of a cat or dog's paw)


piraatje

In the sense “cigarette”, borrowed from English pirate.


pindarotsje

chocolate filled with peanuts in the shape of a rock


poepie

(informal) sweetie, cutie (term of endearment, typically for young children or animals)


aanbrengertje

Synonym of weidemolen, a small windmill to drain a meadow


aanmaakblokje

From aanmaken (“to light (a fire)”) + blokje (“small block”).


aluhoedje

'Je was toch niet echt van plan een aluhoedje op te zetten, hè? Wel een leuk idee, overigens. Ik zie het voor me.' 'Houd je kop.'

2015, Linda Lael Miller, Vergeten verleden:


Boekestijntje

(Netherlands, politics) verbal gaffe, faux pas


bontkraagje

(slang, Netherlands, derogatory) a (male) youngster of (supposed) Moroccan background


lekkerbekje

(Netherlands) deep-fried battered fish (generally of one piece)


amsterdammertje

(colloquial) rondo; a round pastry filled with almond paste


elfje

→ English: elevenie (calque)

→ German: Elfchen (calque)

(poetry) elevenie, a type of eleven-word free-form cinquain


goedhoudertje

Dat er een oplossing wordt geboden in de vorm van een 'compensatie' is slechts een goedmakertje, goedhoudertje.


pimpeltje

Along with the verb pimpel (“to guzzle, drink”), probably related to the first element of pimpelmees (“tiny bird”). It is unclear which word derived from the other, but in all likelihood both are ultimately imitative, similar to Swedish pimpla (“to guzzle”), French pompette (“tipsy”).

onomatopoeic

imitative

(Netherlands) small glass for drinking spirits, in particular gin


taudeeltje

taudeeltjes (plural)
tau-deeltje (alternative)

Compound of tau (“Greek letter tau”) + deeltje (“particle”).


smoske

club sandwich prepared with any kind of sauce


zeepje

a European moth, Caryocolum fischerella, whose larvae feed on soapwort plants


secondje

(Belgium) short, unspecified period of time


verdwijnhoekje

a small, snug place which may be used as a place of privacy and safety by children; a cubbyhole


kraaienpootje

wrinkle at the outer corner of the eye and at the temple


vlammetje

a small, deep-fried egg roll containing spicy mince


dikkopje

skipper (butterfly of the family Hesperiidae)


prikkie

From prik (“sting, prick”) + -ie (informal diminutive suffix).

af

(informal, Netherlands) Alternative form of prikje


binnenpretje

Ik vroeg me af of die man in de trein gewoon een binnenpretje had, of dat ik het was die hij zat uit te lachen.

I wondered wether that man on the train just made himself laugh, or it was me who he was laughing at.

Hij heeft vast een binnenpretje over een nieuw idee waarmee hij zijn fans weer op het verkeerde been kan zetten.

Een gekrulde mondhoek verraadt een binnenpretje.

2014, Melle Runderkamp, Simon Hendriksen, de Volkskrant:

Had de architect tijdens het tekenen van het ontwerp gewoon een binnenpretje of is er meer aan de hand?

2013, Karen Van Eyken, Algemeen Dagblad:

(countable) a private thought that causes one to laugh, seeming random to any onlookers


rokertje

rokertjes (plural)
rookertje (alternative)

Diminutive of roker. The sense “cigarette” became dominant in the 1940s.

(chiefly Netherlands) a smoke, a tobacco product that is smoked:


snoepie

(colloquial, Holland) Alternative form of snoepje


soldaatje

desc

→ Papiamentu: soldachi (“terrestrial hermit crab”)

a term for certain beetles or beetle larvae of the family Cantharidae


voorafje

Als voorafje hebben we een romige vissoep.

As starter a creamy fish soup will be served.


spruitje

Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea#Translingual

(chiefly in the plural) a Brussels sprout, a variant of Brassica oleracea of the gemmifera group


buitenbeentje

(dated) bastard (person born out of wedlock)


paapje

Diminutive of paap (“Roman Catholic, papist”); the bird is so named because the male's plumage somewhat resembles the vestments of Catholic clergy.

Saxicola rubetra
Saxicola rubetra#Translingual

(dated) cocoon, in particular of the silkworm


koewachtertje

Sylvia communis
Sylvia communis#Translingual

Synonym of grasmus (“common whitethroat”) (Sylvia communis)


afrikaantje

→ Papiamentu: afrikanchi, afrikaantje

From Afrikaan + -tje. The plants were once widely considered, in Europe, to have originated from Africa.

marigold, plant or flower of the genus Tagetes


bruin blauwtje

Literally, “brown blue (butterfly), brown bluey”.


vaasje

a downwards tapering beer glass, typically with a volume of about 0.25 to 0.33 litres


slapertje

sleepy sand (dried rheum in the inner corner of the eyes)


praatje

We hebben even een praatje gemaakt bij het koffieautomaat.

We had a quick chitchat by the coffee machine.

Die jongen heeft veel praatjes voor zijn leeftijd.

That boy talks a lot of big talk for his age.

(in the plural) precocious, haughty and/or pedantic talk; big talk


kuiltje

dimple (depression in the corner of the mouth)


heitje

Borrowed from Yiddish ה (hey) + -tje, from Hebrew ה, the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The kwartje had a value of five stuivers (each stuiver being worth 5 cents, for a total of 25 cents per kwartje). Compare the obsolete vijfje for the same coin.

(Netherlands) a coin with the denomination of 25 guilder cents


fluitje van een cent

Literally, “one-cent whistle”. The term became common in the 1970s.

Het bed in elkaar zetten is een fluitje van een cent, daar hoef je niet langer dan een uur mee bezig te zijn.

Assembling the bed is very easy, it shouldn't require more than an hour.

(idiomatic) cakewalk, piece of cake (a very easy activity)


mutsje

→ Papiamentu: mushi

(archaic, historical) an archaic liquid measure


antideeltje

From anti- + deeltje, probably a calque of English antiparticle.

D.w.z. protonen, neutronen en hun antideeltjes.

1939, Frederik Jozef Belinfante, “Samenvatting”, in Theory of Heavy Quanta, page 123, footnote:

That is to say protons, neutrons and their antiparticles.


heideblauwtje

Compound of heide (“meadow, heath”) + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).


boomstammetje

a spiced mince roll containing ham and cheese, covered in bread crumb with parsley covering the ends


koolwitje

Compound of kool (“cabbage”) + witje (“white (butterfly)”); cabbages are among the favored host plants for these butterflies of this genus to lay their eggs. Compare also the taxonomic names of the species of this genus, which contain brassicae ("of the cabbage") and rapae ("of the turnip"), respectively.

Pieris brassicae
Pieris brassicae#Translingual

a cabbage white, one of two butterflies of the genus Pieris; either the small white (Pieris rapae) or the large white (Pieris brassicae)


mosdiertje

From mos (“moss”) + diertje (“little animal”).


kandelaartje

Saxifraga tridactylites
Wikispecies:Saxifraga tridactylites

nailwort, rue-leaved saxifrage (Saxifraga tridactylites)


zopie

Berbice Creole Dutch: sopi

desc

Negerhollands: soopi, soopie, soopje, sopi, supi

→ Virgin Islands Creole: sopi (dated)

Petjo: sopi

Skepi Creole Dutch: sopi, soapé

→ Caribbean Javanese: sopi

→ Sranan Tongo: sopi

→ Lokono: supi

→ Ndyuka-Trio Pidgin: sopi

→ Saramaccan: sópi, adjobí

→ Warao: sobi

Diminutive from Middle Dutch sope, from Old Dutch *sopo, from Proto-West Germanic [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *supô. Doublet of soep, which via French ultimately derives from the same Germanic word of which zopie represents the directly inherited form (albeit with diminutive suffix).

a heated and spiced alcohol beverage made of beer, rum and eggs that was sold and drunk during ice skating in early modern times


dinnetje

Clipping of vriendinnetje, diminutive of vriendin.


inlegkruisje

inlegkruisjes (plural)
inlegkruis (alternative)

Compound of inleggen (“to insert, to put in”) + kruisje (“small crotch”). It refers to a thin pad inserted inside the crotch of underwear.

compound

Een vrouw is gemiddeld 35 jaar lang elke maand vijf dagen ongesteld. Ze heeft ongeveer 6,2 jaar maandverband nodig. Doodzonde, moet een briljante marketingmanager hebben gedacht, van al die ándere dagen. En hij bedacht, in de jaren tachtig, het inlegkruisje, te gebruiken op dagen dat een vrouw niet ongesteld is.

1999, Rinskje Koelewijns, Vleugels tussen de heupen:

A woman's period is five days every month for an average of 35 years. She needs pads for about 6.2 years. Such a waste, a brilliant marketing manager must have thought, of all those other days. And he invented, in the 1980s, the pantyliner, to be used on days when a woman is not menstruating.

pantyliner, panty shield (thin pad to absorb small amounts of menstrual fluid or urine)


prikje

From prik (“sting, prick”) + -je (diminutive suffix). The sense probably derives from Middle Dutch prickskijn (“certain Brabantian coin of small value”).

inh

Ik heb deze fiets afgelopen week voor een prikje op de kop getikt.

I bought this bicycle last week for a small amount of money.

(informal) a small amount of money (usually suggesting that any purchase is a bargain)


beflapje

dental dam, a thin piece of e.g. latex, used in oral sex to prevent transmission of STDs


mieke

Regional diminutive of mie, a contraction of the common Dutch name Marie.

"Wij zouden om de haverklap een klacht kunnen indienen omdat er een mieke in ons gat knijpt."https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/sergio-en-sam-gooris-wij-zouden-om-de-haverklap-een-klacht-kunnen-indienen-omdat-er-een-mieke-in-ons-gat-knijpt~bfa7b536/

"We could file a complaint every time a girl squeezes our bums."

"Het is een mieke, dus die hebben we niet nodig."https://www.humo.be/nieuws/veel-mannelijke-dj-s-zien-ons-als-stielbedervers-jonge-leeuwen-dj-duo-2empress-uit-the-sky-is-the-limit~bf5dd15d/

"Een schoon mieke en ze is nog zo jong."https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20200624_05000595

"She's a beautiful girl and still so young."


haantje de voorste

haantjes de voorste (plural)
haantje-de-voorste (alternative)

Literally, “little rooster the front one”.

lit

(chiefly singular) someone who always is or wants to be at the forefront


haantje-de-voorste

haantje de voorste
haantje de voorste#Dutch

(official spelling, less common) Alternative spelling of haantje de voorste


nieuwtje

scoop; announcement of something not yet known by others


meisken

From meid + -ken. Compare German Mädchen.


theebuiltje

Compound of thee (“tea”) + builtje (“poach, sachet”).


boterbriefje

From boter (“butter”) + briefje (“letter”), diminutive of brief.

Ze is van plan een boterbriefje te halen met de timmerman.

She intends to get married to the carpenter.


witje

a white, a butterflies of the family Pieridae


vals heideblauwtje

northern blue or idas blue (Plebejus idas)


boomblauwtje

Compound of boom (“tree”) + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).


pimpernelblauwtje

Compound of pimpernel (“Sanguisorba”) + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).


dwergblauwtje

Compound of dwerg (“dwarf”) + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).


gentiaanblauwtje

Compound of gentiaan (“gentian”) + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).


geraniumblauwtje

Compound of geranium + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).

the geranium bronze (Cacyreus marshalli)


klaverblauwtje

Compound of klaver (“clover”) + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).


staartblauwtje

Compound of staart (“tail”) + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).


tijgerblauwtje

Compound of tijger (“tiger”) + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).


veenbesblauwtje

Compound of veenbes (“cranberry”) + blauwtje (“blue (butterfly)”).


zandblauwtje

Compound of zand (“sand”) + blauwtje (“blue (diminutive)”).


groot geaderd witje

Literally, “big veined white (butterfly)”.


klein geaderd witje

Literally, “small veined white (butterfly)”.


herderstasje

Compound of herder (“herdsman”) + -s- + tasje, diminutive of tas (“bag, purse”), like the English shepherd's purse named after the shape of the seed pods.

Capsella bursa-pastoris
Capsella bursa-pastoris#Translingual

shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

(more broadly) any plant of the genus Capsella


diagonaaltje

Als ik flink uit ben geweest, trakteer ik mezelf bij de Febo op een diagonaaltje.

2014, Carlijn Vis, chapter 4, in Het Marktplaatsmeisje:

After a long night of partying, I treat myself at FEBO to a diagonaaltje.

Een diagonaaltje trekken uit de muur, alvast een speciaaltje terwijl je friet in het vet ligt. Wat zit er achter dat ongezonde volksgebruik?

Pulling a diagonaaltje from the [snack] wall, getting a speciaaltje [croquette] while your fries are in the oil. What's behind that unhealthy custom?

Ik opende de andere tap om vers tarwegrassap te tappen en liep naar de snackmuur voor een diagonaaltje.

I opened the other tap to tap some fresh wheatgrass juice and walked to the snack wall for a diagonaaltje.

(Netherlands, informal) one of every snack in a snackmuur (type of vending machine containing mostly deep-fried snacks), generally starting from the topmost row of the leftmost column and moving diagonally downwards towards the bottom right


rozemarijngoudhaantje

From rozemarijn (“rosemary”) + goudhaantje (“Chrysomelinae beetle”).


kruipertje

Diminutive, from kruiper (“crawler”) + -tje. The plant is so called because its pointy seedhead sticks to clothing easily and will slowly move over time while doing so.


zodeklokje

fairy's thimble (Campanula cochleariifolia)


prachtklokje

From pracht (“splendor”) + klokje (“bellflower”).

peachleaf bellflower
peachleaf bellflower

peachleaf bellflower (Campanula persicifolia)


akkerklokje

creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides)


grasklokje

the harebell plant, Campanula rotundifolia


rood bosvogeltje

Literally, “red helleborine”. Compare German Rotes Waldvöglein.

Het rood bosvogeltje is zeer zeldzaam in de Benelux.

The red helleborine is very rare in the Benelux region.


schilmesje

paring knife, peeler (a household utensil for peeling fruits or vegetables)


duinviooltje

From duin (“dune”) + viooltje (“pansy”).

dune pansy, a subspecies of wild pansy (Viola tricolor curtisii)


alpenviooltje

From alp (“alp”) + -en- + viooltje (“pansy”).


vlasbekje

Blend of vlas (“flax”) + leeuwenbekje, diminutive of leeuwenbek (“snapdragon”).

Linaria vulgaris
Linaria vulgaris#Translingual


hetzelfde liedje

Het is altijd weer hetzelfde liedje.

De politicus dreunde elke keer hetzelfde liedje op.

The politician droned on about the same old story every time.

(idiomatic) same old story, same old same old


zegje

From zeggen + -je (diminutive suffix), but there is no corresponding non-diminutive noun; the word is thus a diminutivum tantum.

Nadat hij eindelijk zijn zegje gedaan had, ging men over tot het volgende punt.

After he finally had his say, they moved on to the next point.


poepiedoepie

Reduplication of poepie, with slight alteration.

(informal) sweetie, cutie pie (term of endearment, typically for young children or animals)


heitje voor een karweitje

heitjes voor karweitjes (plural)
heitjes voor een karweitje (plural)

Literally, “25 guilder cents for a small job”.

lit

(Netherlands, idiomatic) an odd job or small task done in exchange for a very small amount of money, particularly those done by children


mosbloempje

From mos (“moss”) + bloempje (“flower (diminutive)”).

compound

mossy stonecrop, moss pygmyweed (Crassula tillaea)


kijkje

een kijkje nemen


kruipklokje

From kruipen (“to creep, crawl”) + klokje (“bellflower”); this bellflower species tends to grow in a crawling fashion and remains close to the ground, as is also reflected in the English name trailing bellflower.

Serbian bellflower, trailing bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana)


zomerklokje

From zomer (“summer”) + klokje (“bellflower”). Note that, despite its name, this plant is taxonomically not of the actual bellflower family (Campanulaceae); it owes its name solely to the bellflower-like appearance of its flowers. (It belongs instead to the Amaryllidaceae.)


bijdehandje

From bijdehand + -je, using the diminutive suffix to substantivize the adjective and give it a somewhat derogatory or overly familiar connotation (compare slimpie).

(informal, mildly derogatory) smart alec, know-it-all, pedant


kaiserbroodje

Compound of German Kaiser (“emperor”) + broodje (“bread roll”), a partial calque of German Kaisersemmel.


addertje onder het gras

Literally, “a [small] adder under the grass”. Compare English snake in the grass; like the English, this may ultimately represent a calque from Latin.

lit

(idiomatic) an unforeseen difficulty or complication


brooike

Via d-weakening from broodke or a closely related variant (compare forms such as archaic broodeken). The same sound change can be observed in e.g. rooie, from rode.


allegaartje

From allegaar + -tje. allegaar is a contracted form of al te gader and is cognate with English all together.


blondje

Audio

(informal, somewhat condescending) a blonde


wilgenroosje

Audio

From wilg (“willow”) + -en- + roosje (“rose (diminutive)”), like English willowherb named after its leaves, which resemble that of a willow.

compound

Chamaenerion angustifolium
Chamaenerion angustifolium#Translingual

rosebay willowherb, fireweed, Chamaenerion angustifolium


harig wilgenroosje

Audio


tikkeltje

Only used in een tikkeltje (“a bit, not much”)


niemendalletje

(informal) a very revealing piece of clothing


animeermeisje

(informal) A woman who entertains guests at a night club.


Haags bakkie

Literally, “[a] cuppa [coffee] from The Hague”, perhaps in reference to stinginess on the part of people from The Hague.

lit

(Holland, informal) Half a cup of coffee.