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Disambiguation: Many common words can have more than one meaning, with different translations

List of Prepositions and Other 'Little Words' — Pages: - Aan - Achter - Af - Al - Als - Binnen/Buiten - Daar - Dan - Dat - Door - Eens - Er - Erg - Even - Haast - Het - In - Laat - Maar - Na - Naar - Net - Nog - Of - Om - Onder/Boven - Op - Over - Toen - Uit - Van - Voor - Vroeg - Waar - Wat - Weg - Zo - more

Aan - On, At, To, Of, For, In, From, By, About

I don't see great differences in the meaning or the situation described but 'aan' click to hear can be translated in English by many different words, like On, At, To, Of, For, In, From, By, and About. As you may have seen in the other Disambiguation Pages, even closely related languages like Dutch and English don't have straight equivalents for most prepostions. The usage has historically grown. You could say it's an acquired taste.
Antoher example of different word combinations you'll see on this page is English saying 'to pay attention to,' for which Dutch says 'aandacht besteden aan' click to hear 2 - 'to pay,' hand over money is usually transated as betalen click to hear ‑>> - while Dutch besteden click to hear 2 is 'to spend,' which more specifically means using money (or time) for specific things
If you're not a native speaker of English it might be helpful to translate the examples of usage in your own language to avoid the intermediate step to English.
'Aan' = On
'Aan' = To
'Aan' = At
'Aan' = Of
'Aan' = For
'Aan' = In, Into
'Aan' = From
'Aan' = By
'Aan' = About
No Preposition in English
Compound Words with 'Aan'

Aan = On

'Aan' click to hear often indicates a location, placement or being near to, like English 'on' in names of towns and cities like Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-upon-Tyne or Southend-on-Sea:
Wijk aan Zee click to hear 2
Alphen aan de Rijn click to hear - de Rijn click to hear 2 The river Rhine (the town is actually along the old course of the river) Oudekerk aan de IJssel click to hear 2 ‑>> (de IJssel click to
 hear is a river in the East of the country - this town is on a small stream by the same name in the West of the country)

Aan de ene kant ... click to hear 2 3 On the one [side] hand ... ... aan de andere kant click to hear 2 ... on the other hand But also: Aan de kant! click to hear 2 3 4 To the side! Out of the way! Ik ben aan de beterende hand click to hear 2 I'm [on the [hand] side of] getting better (I was sick but now my health is improving) aan de andere kant van de muur click to hear on the other side of the wall aan de overkant click to hear 2 3 on the other side, on the opposite site (of the water, for instance)

Alle hens aan dek! click to hear 2 3 'All hands on deck'  Dutchified English phrase: 'All crew to stations'

(Het is click to hear) boter aan de galg click to hear (saying) ['It's butter on the gallows'] - something valuable wasted, a useless effort

"Spiegeltje, spiegeltje aan de wand, wie is de mooiste in het land?" click to hear 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest [in the land] of them all?' ‑>> een foto aan de muur click to hear a picture on the wall

Lag ik maar aan het strand! click to hear 2 If only I was lying on the beach! ~ I wish I was at the beach

Zet je de vuilnisbak aan de straat? click to hear Will you put the garbage can [on the street] on the curb, to the side of the street?

Harder werken aan Nederlands leren click to hear Work harder on learning Dutch

tijd besteden aan click to hear 2 3 4 spending time on Ik besteed veel tijd aan m'n website click to hear 2 3 I'm spending a lot of time (working) on my website
More besteden click to hear 2 'to spend' - below

Aan de lopende band click to hear 2 (saying) '[Like] on the assembly line, like coming off a conveyor belt' - ceaselessly, continually (said for instance of someone producing an endless series of jokes)

'Beginnen aan' click to hear 2 3 is 'to start on,' and by extension 'getting into' - more beginning
Ik begin er vast aan click to hear 2 I'm already starting on it Hij weet niet waar-die aan begint click to hear 2 3 4 He doesn't know what he's [starting on] getting into Was ik er maar nooit aan begonnen click to hear 2 3 4 I wish I'd never started on it, I wish I'd never gotten into this

'Wijten aan' click to hear 2 3 is 'to blame on' indicating a cause, assigning responsibility - more
Wij weten 't aan 't weer click to hear We blamed [it on] the weather

'Aan' click to hear 'on' can be about things like lights, machines and appliances that are 'on' - and here its opposite is 'uit' click to hear 2 ('off') - for instance:
(de) aan/uit knop click to hear 2 on/off switch, power switch

'Aan' and 'uit' in this and other meanings can be combined with various verbs like
zijn click to hear 'to be' ‑>> to 'aan zijn'  click to hear 2
and staan click to hear 'to stand, to be' ‑>> to 'aanstaan'  click to hear 2 3
- lights, machines and appliances 'are on.'
The opposite, 'be off' is 'uit zijn' click to
 hear
Is de ijskast weer aan? click to hear Is the fridge on again? de ijskast is aan click to hear fridge is on, is running de ijskast staat aan click to hear the fridge is on, is running (Ik) denk dat de ijskast toch weer aanstaat click to hear I think the fridge is on (again) after all, I'm afraid the fridge is on 't Licht is uit click to hear 2 3 The light is off De verwarming is uit click to hear 2 The heater is off De verwarming is de hele nacht aan geweest click to hear 2 The heater has been on all night We waren vergeten de verwarming laag te zetten click to hear 2 We had forgotten to turn the heater down 'zetten' click to hear 'to set, put' - see  below
We waren vergeten 'm laag te zetten click to hear 2 We had forgotten to turn it down We waren vergeten 'm uit te zetten click to hear We had forgotten to turn it off 't Licht is de hele nacht aan geweest click to hear 2 The light has been on all night We waren vergeten 't uit te doen click to hear We had forgotten to turn it off 'Aandoen click to hear 2 and 'uitdoen' click to hear 2 3 can mean 'to turn on or off' lights, mechanisms or machinery - more below

The correct word for (electric) 'refrigerator' is (de) koelkast click to hear ‑>> - but (de) ijskast click to hear is more common - it's a word from the time that ice companies delivered large blocks of ice that were put in insulated boxes, the refrigerators of the 19th Century.
de ijskast! click to hear

'Aan zijn'  click to hear 2 and its opposite 'uit zijn'  can also refer to romantic relationships:
't Is dik aan click to hear 2 (slang) [It's on thick] - They're deeply in love, they're very much attracted to each other Is 't uit tussen Jan en Klazien? click to hear 2 3 Is it over between Jan en Klazien? (Is the relationship over?) ‑>>

'Aandoen click to hear 2 can mean 'to turn on' lights, mechanisms or machinery, but it can also mean 'to put on clothes, footwear and things like that.'
The opposite 'uitdoen' click to hear 2 3 means 'turning off' lights and mechanisms etc., and also 'taking off' clothes etc. - more ‑>>

(de) aan/uit knop click to hear 2 on/off switch, power switch Doe 't licht aan click to hear 2 3 Turn on the light Doe het licht uit click to hear 2 Turn off the light Doe de verwarming aan click to hear 2 Turn on the heater (de) centrale verwarming click to hear central heating
Doe je het licht uit als je weggaat? click to hear [Will you ...?] Please turn off the light(s) when you leave Toen ik het licht aandeed sloegen de stoppen door click to hear When I turned on the light the fuses blew

Doe laarzen aan click to hear 2 3 Put on boots Doe je jas uit click to hear 2 3 Take off your coat

Alles uit behalve de radio! click to hear Take off and turn off everything except the radio

Another common meaning of 'aandoen' is 'to cause grief or trouble.'
Wat doe je me aan! click to hear 2 [What are you doing to me!] - You're causing me much grief Dat kun je me niet aandoen! click to hear 2 3 You can't do that to me! (You're going to hurt my feelings) aandoenlijk click to hear 2 'touching,' endearing, affecting een aandoenlijke vertelling click to hear 2 3 an affecting narrative, a moving, gripping story

'Zetten' click to hear means something like 'to set, put, move to a place or position ‑>>
'aanzetten' click to hear 2 is 'to turn on, start up' - though it can also mean stuff accumulating, literally on a surface, like 'to cake' - but also figuaratively to stick, catch
uitzetten click to hear is 'to turn off, shut down'

Ik zette de radio aan click to hear 2 3 I turned on the radio 't Zet niet aan click to hear 2 ~It doesn't contribute, ~~It doesn't help We waren vergeten 'm uit te zetten click to hear We had forgotten to turn it off

'aangaan'  click to hear 2 3 and its opposite 'uitgaan'  click to hear 2 3 are usually about electric lights or appliances being turned on and off 'automatically' or by interference
Het licht ging aan click to hear The light came on Gaat de ijskast aan? click to hear Is the fridge turning on? Hè, de ijskast gaat aan click to hear Bummer, the fridge is turning on Toen het donker werd ging het licht aan click to hear When it got dark the light turned on Toen de bliksem insloeg ging het licht uit click to hear 2 When lightning hit the light went out Toen het licht uitging zag ik de sterren click to hear 2 When the light went out I saw the stars ‑>>

But 'niet aangaan' click to hear 2 3 and 'niets aangaan' click to hear usually mean 'none of your business, no concern of yours'
't Gaat me niet aan click to hear
't Gaat me niets aan click to hear 2 It's none of my business, I shouldn't meddle 't Gaat je niets aan click to hear It's none of your business, stay out of it!

'Aan hebben'  click to hear 2 3 refers to clothes and/or shoes a person is wearing, 'has on'
Ik heb geen schoenen aan click to hear 2 3 4 I don't have shoes on Ze heeft niks aan click to hear 2 She has nothing on, she's not dressed Op sommige stranden heeft niemand wat aan click to hear 2 3 4 On some beaches, nobody is wearing anything

'Houden' click to hear 2 is something like 'to hold, to keep' ‑>> It's often found as 'houden van' click to hear 'to like, to love' ‑>>
'Aanhouden' click to hear 2 3 can mean police or other authorities stopping and detaining people, but usually it means 'to keep on,' like not taking off clothes etc., or to continue what you're doing, 'continue against adversity, persevere, sustain'
Hou(d) je schoenen aan click to hear 2 3 Keep your shoes on De aanhouder wint click to hear (saying) He/she who perseveres will win, succeed The opposite of that last meaning is 'opgeven' click to hear 2 3 to give up, ceasing to make an effort
Ik geef 't op click to hear 2 3 4 5 I give [it] up

Wat heb ik nou aan m'n fiets hangen? click to hear 2 3 4 (saying) ['What do I have hanging on my bike, what's hanging from my bike?'] - expression of surprise at a strange situation you find yourself in Ik hang 't niet aan de grote klok click to hear 2 (saying) ['I'm not hanging it on the big bell'] - I'm keeping quiet about it, ~I'm not shouting it from the rooftops

Aan de hand click to hear 2 is something like 'going on'

Wat is er aan de hand? click to hear What's going on?
Wat is hier aan de hand? click to hear What's going on here?
Wat is er hier aan de hand? click to hear 2 What's going on here? ‑>>
Er is wat aan de hand click to hear 2 There is something going on
Er is niks aan de hand click to hear 2 There is nothing going on, nothing wrong, 'nothing to see here'
Wat is er eigenlijk aan de hand? click to hear 2 3 What is actually going on? (It's not obvious, maybe it's not what it looks like) ‑>>
Wat is er toch aan de hand? click to hear 2 3 What's going on? I don't get it
Wat zou er aan de hand zijn? click to hear 2 3 What could be happening? (wondering about a distant sound or mystery)
But: (already seen above)
Ik ben aan de beterende hand click to hear 2 I'm getting better, my health is improving (after you've been sick)

Aan = To

Aan tafel! click to hear 2 [Come] to the table! (food is served)

Aan de kant! click to hear 2 3 4 To the side! Get out of the way! Er zit een luchtje aan click to hear 2 (saying) ['There's a funny smell to it'] - 'there's something fishy about it'

Aan alles komt een eind click to hear 2 There's an end to everything (nothing lasts forever) Er komt geen eind aan click to hear 2 There is no end to it - more endings

De laatste hand leggen aan ... click to hear (saying) [Laying the last hand to ...] - Applying the final touch to ...

(iets) overlaten aan click to hear leaving (something) to Laat het aan de vakman over click to hear Leave it to the professionals (Dutch uses the singular 'professional') Mensen aan hun lot overlaten click to hear 2 3 4 Leave people to their fate (not helping them)

Je kunt er geen touw aan vastknopen click to hear 2 (saying) ['you can't tie a rope to it'] 'it's incomprehensible' - expression meaning 'it's impossible to understand' or 'it doesn't make sense' -- there's no entry point where you could try to start understanding (het) aanknopingspunt click to hear 2 3 clue, lead, point to start studying, investigating, discussing or understanding

vastmaken aan click to hear 2 3 to (firmly and physically) connect, attach to

Breng het aan de kook click to hear 2 3 Bring it to a boil aan de kook brengen click to hear to bring to a boil

'Aan'  is often used with 'geven' click to hear 2 3 'to give' ‑>> and other verbs about transfer, someone receiving something
See also: The Indirect Object - smartphone version

Bob geeft het aan Els click to hear 2 Bob gives it to Alice

Jan geeft een boek aan Piet click to hear Jan gives a book to Piet Jan heeft een boek aan Piet gegeven click to hear 2 Jan has given a book to Piet But you can also say:
Jan geeft Piet een boek click to hear Jan gives Piet a book Jan heeft Piet een boek gegeven click to hear Jan has given Piet a book

Ik heb gisteren in Assen een cadeau aan Piet gegeven click to hear 2 Yesterday in Assen I gave Piet a present Geef de bloemen aan Marietje click to hear Give the flowers to Marietje Geef de bloemen aan haar click to hear Give the flowers to her Ik geef bloemen aan Marietje click to hear I'm giving flowers to Marietje Hij gaf een cadeau aan Jo click to hear He gave a present to Jo Hij zei dat ik het aan Jan moest geven click to hear He said that I should give it to Jan, he said to give it to Jan De pijp aan Maarten geven click to hear 2 (saying) ['give] Hand the pipe to Maarten' - to pass away, die Geef eraan! click to hear 2 3 Give, donate to it

"Neem hem het talent af en geef het aan hem die er tien heeft!" click to hear Take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags
((Matthew 25:28 The Parable of The Talents - BibleGateway translation)

Ik schreef een brief aan m'n moeder click to hear I wrote a letter to my mother Ik liet de brief aan Jan zien click to hear 2 3 I showed the letter to John
Actually, in both English and Dutch this can mean 'I showed a certain letter (from someone else) to Jan' and 'I showed the letter to Jan to someone'

Ergens iets aan hebben click to hear 2 3 something is useful, you can use it ‑>> The phrase 'iets hebben aan' click to hear 2 3 is used when something is useful to someone:
Ik heb er niks aan click to hear 2 3 4 5 It's not useful to me, it's of no use to me Daar heeft niemand wat aan click to hear 2 3 4 [That's of use to nobody] - That's of no use to anyone Maar als ik heel snel praat, daar heeft niemand wat aan click to hear slow But if I speak very quickly, that's not of use to anybody Wat heb je eraan? click to hear 2 3 [What is its use to you?] - Is it useful to you? Wat heb je d'r aan? click to hear 2 [What is its use to you?] - Is it useful to you? (a D is inserted because the pause in 'je-er' takes more energy)
Heb je er wat aan? click to hear 2 3 4 5 Is it of (any) use to you, is it useful to you? Heb je d'r wat aan? click to hear 2 Is it of use to you? Is it useful to you?

Ergens 'iets aan vinden' means liking (and things like that) a piece of entertainment like a play or a movie, a book or a piece of music. It's usually in the negative:
Ik vind er niks aan click to hear ['I find nothing in it'] - I don't care for it, it's not interesting to me Ik vond er niet veel aan click to hear ['I did not find much in it'] - I didn't care for it, it was not interesting to me' Also:  Er is niks aan click to hear 2 3 1. It's not interesting, there is nothing in it
2. It's very simple, easy to solve, 'there's nothing to it'

'Hechten' click to hear is 'to attach, make fast, close,'
zich hechten aan click to hear 2 to become emotionally attached to Ben je eraan gehecht? click to hear 2 [Have you become] Are you (emotionally) attached to it? (de) hechting click to
      hear suture, medical stitch ‑>>
plural: hechtingen click to
      hear 2 3
Ik lag in een deuk click to hear 2 I was in stitches, laughing uncontrollably

'Getting used to' trouble, bother and inconvenience is wennen aan click to hear 2 3 or just wennen click to hear - more
Ik ben eraan gewend click to hear 2 3 4 5 I've gotten used to it, I'm used to it Ik kan er moeilijk aan wennen click to hear 2 I have difficulty getting used to it

(de) aandacht click to hear 2 attention
from 'denken' click to hear 2 to think ‑>>
aandacht voor details click to hear attention to details aandacht besteden aan click to hear 2 to [spend] pay attention to Besteed geen aandacht aan het geld click to hear Don't pay attention to the money Besteed geen aandacht aan details click to hear Don't pay attention to details Besteed geen aandacht aan de kritiek click to hear 2 3 Don't pay attention to the criticism Besteed nog geen aandacht aan de details click to hear 2 Don't pay attention to the details yet, for now ignore the details

geld besteden aan click to hear 2 3 to spend money on Besteed er geen geld aan! click to hear 2 3 Don't spend money on it! Je kunt er een boel geld aan besteden click to hear 2 You can spend a lot of money on it geld uitgeven aan click to hear 2 to spend money on Je kunt er een boel geld aan uitgeven click to hear You can spend a lot of money on it

See also

tijd besteden aan click to hear spending time on - above

Aan = At

aan de tafel click to hear at the table Hij zat aan tafel click to hear He was sitting at the table Er is iemand aan de deur click to hear There is someone at the door We zaten aan 't ontbijt click to hear We were at breakfast Ze zijn aan het goede adres click to hear 2 3 (saying) They are at the right address, they came to the right place Aan het eind van de straat gaan we rechtsaf click to hear At the end of the street we'll go right

Hij zit aan de grond click to hear 2 3 (saying) ['he sits, he is at the ground' - 'he's stuck at the lowest level'] - 'he's down and out' - out of options because no money

Aan = Of

gebrek aan click to hear lack of
gebrek aan fantasie click to hear 2 3 lack of imagination een vitamine D-gebrek click to hear a vitamin-D deficiency Een tekort aan vitamine-D click to hear 2 3 a vitamin-D deficiency Er is soms een tekort aan tomaten - tomatentekort click to hear Sometimes there's a shortage of tomatoes - tomatoes shortage bij gebrek aan beter click to hear [due to lack of [something] better] - lacking a better alternative een teveel aan informatie click to hear 2 an overabundance, overload of information

Elke dag heeft genoeg aan z'n eigen leed click to hear Each day has enough suffering of its own

Hij is aan kanker gestorven click to hear 2 3 He died of cancer

Daar kun je je geen buil aan vallen click to hear
Je kunt je d'r geen buil aan vallen click to hear (saying) ['You're not going to fall and get a bump of it'] 'it's not a significant amount of money' - often said to people who are deliberating about a small expense

een wereld aan boeken click to hear 2 a world of books, a lot of books

een hekel hebben aan click to hear 2 to dislike strongly, detest, loathe Ik heb een hekel aan roddelen click to hear I have a great dislike of gossip, I really dislike gossip Als ik ergens een hekel aan heb is het aan leugens click to hear 2 3 If there is [something] one thing that I hate it is lies Als ik ergens een hekel aan heb is het aan mensen die liegen click to hear 2 If there is [something] one thing that I hate it is people that tell lies

'Denken' click to hear 2 is 'to think' ‑>>
'denken aan' click to hear 2 3 is translated as 'thinking of' - 'taking into account,' 'pay attention to, bear in mind, keep in mind' or a thought association

Denkend aan Holland zie ik brede rivieren traag door oneindig laagland gaan click to hear When I think of Holland I see wide rivers flow slowly in boundless lowlands
Henk Marsman - complete poem
Ik zat te denken aan ... click to hear I was thinking of ... - The Continuous Ik zit te denken aan een cadeau click to hear I'm thinking of a present Waar denk je aan? click to hear What are you thinking of? 't Deed me denken aan een boek ... click to hear 2 It made me think of a book ... 't Doet me denken aan een boek van Mulisch click to hear 2 It makes me think of a book by Mulisch

Daar had ik niet aan gedacht click to hear 2 3 I had not thought of that, I had forgotten about that, I did not take that into account Daar had ik even niet aan gedacht click to hear 2 3 It had slipped my mind for a moment Daar had je aan moeten denken click to hear 2 (3 4) You should have thought of that Ik moet er niet aan denken click to hear 2 I shouldn't think of it, I don't want to think of it, I shudder when I think of it, it makes me afraid
Denk eraan ... click to hear 2 Think of ..., Bear in mind ... Denk eraan dat de zomertijd dit weekend ingaat click to hear Bear in mind that the [summer time] daylight saving time starts this weekend Zoveel dingen om aan te denken! click to hear 2 So many things to think of, keep in mind! Ik denk er vaak aan click to hear 2 3 I often think of it (a memory) Ik denk vaak aan je click to hear I often think of you (with affection) Daar dacht ik pas later aan click to hear 2
Daar dacht ik later pas aan click to hear 2 I only thought of that later, afterwards 'Opletten' click to hear 2 3 and 'letten op' click to hear 2 3 are a slightly different 'paying attention to, to check' ‑>>
- see also: aandacht above

But: (het) aandenken click to hear 2 'souvenir' - something to make you remember

Herinneren aan click to hear 2 3 is 'to remind' someone of something, to make sure they won't forget
Ik herinnerde hem aan de afspraak click to hear I reminded him of the agreement, that there was an agreement Ik herinnerde hem aan z'n belofte click to hear 2 I reminded him of [his] the promise he had made ('Promising' in the sense of 'having potential' is veelbelovend click to hear 2 3 4 ‑>> )
Ik wil er niet aan herinnerd worden click to hear 2 3 4 I don't want to be reminded of it, I don't want that memory to come up Herinner me eraan click to hear 2 3 Remind me of it, remind me to ... (Zich herinneren click to hear is 'to remember' ‑>>)

kind aan huis click to hear 2 (saying) (like a) child of the house Hij is er kind aan huis click to hear 2 3 [he is like a child of that house] - 'he often visits and acts as if he lives there'

Aan = for

de behoefte aan warmte click to hear 2 3 the need for warmth (heat) de behoefte aan rust click to hear 2 3 the need for quiet, rest

't Is niet aan ons om te oordelen click to hear 2 3 4 It's not for (up to) us to judge

Aan = In, Into

Geen wolkje aan de lucht click to hear 2 (saying) [Not a cloud in the sky] No problems are expected

werk hebben aan click to hear 2 3 you need to put work, effort into something Je hebt er een hoop werk aan click to hear 2 3 [You're putting a lot of work into it] There is a lot of work in it for you

Aan = From

Dat ontbrak er nog maar aan! click to hear That was still missing from it! - Another unpleasant complication, adding to the misery

Ze lijden aan geheugenverlies click to hear 2 'They are suffering from memory loss' - usually said when people ignore inconvenient history

Aan = By

'Kennen'  click to hear is 'to know' and
'herkennen'  click to hear is to recognize ['to know again'] - more
Ik herkende hem aan z'n stem click to hear 2 I recognized him by his voice "Aan de vruchten kent men de boom" click to hear 2 'By its fruit the tree is known' (Proverbs 9:17) ‑>>

zich ergeren aan click to hear 2 3 4 to be annoyed by (at, with) ‑>> Ik erger me aan z'n houding click to hear 2 3 4 I'm annoyed by his attitude Ik erger me aan de buren click to hear 2 3 4 I'm annoyed by the neighbors One can also be annoyed 'at' or 'with' (in English)

Aan = About


iets doen aan click to hear to do something about something, to take action to remedy ergens iets aan doen click to hear 2 3 to do something about something, to take action to remedy Je moet er wat aan doen click to hear 2 3 4 You have to do something about it We moeten er wat aan doen click to hear 2 We should do something about it Er is niks aan te doen click to hear ['there is nothing to be done (about it)'] - 'nothing can be done about it, it can't be helped' short: Niks aan te doen! click to hear 2 3
Er is toch niks aan te doen click to hear 2 3 Nothing can be done about it anyway Kun je er wat aan doen? click to hear 2 3 Can you do something about it? Wat kun je d'r aan doen? click to hear 2 3 4 What can you do about it? "Die achterop doet er niks aan!" click to hear 2 3 The one in back is not helping (a common call to tandem bicycle riders) Ik kan er niks aan doen click to hear ['I can't do anything about it']
1. 'I can't help it,'
2. I can't fix it

No Preposition in English

Rustig aan! click to hear 'easy now!' - 'steady!' - 'take it easy!'

Ligt 't aan mij? click to hear 2 Is it me?
1.Is it my fault? Am I the problem?

2. Am I the only one who sees or feels it like this?

Vraag 't aan een expert click to hear 2 3 Ask an expert, a specialist (about it)

A Few Compound Words with 'Aan'

zich aanstellen click to hear 2 to behave in an exaggerated manner, usually childish, somewhat out of touch with reality
Stel je niet aan! click to hear 2 Don't exaggerate, don't be childish (patronizing) Hij stelt zich aan click to hear 2 He's exaggerating, behaving like a child kinderachtig click to hear 2 childish

'Aanbreken'  click to hear 2 3 is 'to begin, start' or 'to begin with, start on'
De dag breekt aan click to hear The day begins - more beginnings Bij 't krieken van de dag click to hear At daybreak Breek 't niet aan click to hear 2 3 4 5 Don't start on it, don't open it (food or snacks packages)

Above, we've seen geven click to hear 2 3 'to give' with aan click to hear - but the compound verb aangeven click to hear 2 is the slightly different 'to hand, pass,' put something into someone else's hands. It can also mean 'to indicate, signal' and 'to register,' file an official report.

Geef 't aan click to hear 2 3 1. Hand it to me 2. Mark it, indicate it 3. Report it to the police
richting aangeven click to hear 2 3 to indicate, signal (change of) direction (in traffic)
Je moet 't goed aangeven click to hear 2 3 You'll have to indicate it [well] clearly
toonaangevend click to hear 2 [setting the tone] - trend-setting, prominent, leading
Hij ging de geboorte aangeven click to hear 2 He went to register the birth

(De) aanval click to hear 2 is 'attack' and 'Aanvallen' click to hear 2 is 'to attack'
Ik val aan - volg mij click to hear I am attacking - follow me - ascribed to Rear Admiral Karel Doorman click to hear at the Battle of the Java Sea, 1942, his last message - but it may have been just a flag signal Een aanval vanuit een land is een aanval door dat land click to hear An attack from a country is an attack by that country

hartaanval click to hear 2 heart attack
astma-aanval click to hear 2 3 asthma attack
woede-aanval click to hear [attack of anger] fit of rage
- more vallen click to hear ‑>>

The opposite of 'aanvallen' is verdedigen click to hear 'to defend' or zich verdedigen click to hear 2 3 'to defend oneself'
See also: Reflexive Verbs and Military

aantrekken click to hear 2 3 is literally 'pull towards you' or 'to attract' like in the adjective aantrekkelijk click to hear ('attractive') but it can also mean 'putting on clothes or shoes' and 'zich niets/niks aantrekken van' means 'not care, not mind, not bother about'

De stoute schoenen aantrekken click to hear 2 3 (saying) ['putting on the brave shoes'] - 'doing something bold' Trek de stoute schoenen aan click to hear 2 3 (saying) ['put on the brave shoes'] - 'be brave, do that bold thing'

Ik trek me er niks van aan click to hear 2 3 4
Ik trek me d'r niks van aan click to hear 2 3 ~It doesn't bother me, I dont't pay attention ot it, I don't care Trek je er niks van aan click to hear 2 Don't pay attention ot it, don't let it bother you, don't get upset over it Trek 't je niet aan click to hear 2 3 4 Don't get upset over it, don't pay attention to it, don't let it bother you

Zich nergens iets van aantrekken click to hear 2 3 4 5 Not be concerned about anything, just doing, 'not give a damn'

'Aanspreken' can mean 'to address, start talking to someone' (sometimes challenging) or it can mean 'to appeal, touch your feelings'

Ik sprak hem aan click to hear 2 3 I addressed him, I started speaking to him, I challenged him t Spreekt me niet aan click to hear [It doesn't speak to me] - It doesn't appeal to me
(a little stronger and more polite than:
't Zegt me niks click to hear 2 [It says nothing to me] It doesn't appeal to me /or/ it's meaningless to me
- Zeggen 'to say'
(de) wettelijke aansprakelijkheid click to hear 2 legal liability
Ik hou(d) je verantwoordelijk click to hear 2 3 I hold you responsible, you are liable
aanspraak maken op click to hear 2 laying (a) claim to

'aanwakkeren' (said of wind) becoming stronger
De wind wakkert aan click to hear The wind is becoming stronger 'Wakker' click to hear otherwise means 'awake' - See also: Sleep

People say raak! click to hear 2 when a target is hit with an object or in a verbal attack, something like 'touché.' It's from the verb 'raken' click to hear 2 'to hit, to touch'

Hij is op de Noordpool in moeilijkheden geraakt click to hear 2 3 4 He [hit trouble] ran into trouble on the North Pole
aanraken click to hear 2 to touch
(de) aanraking click to hear touch
Raak het niet aan! click to hear 2 Don't touch it!
Raak niks aan! click to hear 2 3 [Touch nothing] - Do not touch anything!
aanraken met een stok click to hear touching with a stick (pole?)
met een stok aanraken click to hear 2 touching with a stick (pole?)
zonder iets aan te raken click to hear 2 3 4 without touching anything
afblijven click to hear 2 3 4 stay away from, do not touch, do not take ‑>>
aankomen click to hear 2 1. to arrive 2. to gain weight 3. to touch
Kom er niet aan! click to hear 2 Don't touch it!
Kom nergens aan! click to hear 2 3 [Touch nothing] - Don't touch anything!
'Niks/niets' and 'nergens' are not interchangeable. 'Raak nergens aan' is not good Dutch, and
'Kom niks aan' click to hear 2 3 means 'Don't gain weight' but it's weird.
We komen om vier uur aan click to hear 2 3 We'll arrive at four o'clock
Ze kwamen tegelijk aan click to hear 2 They arrived at the same time
De winter komt eraan click to hear 2 Winter is coming
(de) aankomst click to hear 2 arrival ‑>>

'Raden' click to hear 2 3 usually means 'to guess, estimate' but an old-fashioned meaning is 'to counsel'
'aanraden' means 'to recommend'
Wat zou U aanraden? click to hear 2 3 4 5 What would you recommend?

'Bevelen' click to hear 2 is 'to command, to order,' like an officer telling soldiers what to do, and (het) bevel click to hear is an order like that, but
(de) aanbeveling click to hear is 'recommendation'

'Voelen' click to hear 2 is 'to feel' ‑>>
'aanvoelen' click to hear 2 3 'to sense,' to notice non-verbally, intuitively
Dat voel je goed aan click to hear You have a good sense of it (understanding the subconscious signals) Dat voel ik aan click to hear 2 I know that instinctively, it's something I sense (like one's native language) Ik voel het aan click to hear 2 3 I have an intuitive understanding of it

'Aanbieden' click to hear is 'to offer, make an offer' - its root verb bieden click to hear can be 'to offer,' but also stronger: 'to present' or 'to make available,' and it can also mean 'to bid' like in an auction, a game or a competition for an order. Bieden is a strong verb:
bieden
to offer
- bood
offered
- geboden
offered
click to hear
(het) bod click to hear 2 bid, offer
(het) aanbod click to hear 1. offer 2. supply
(de) aanbieding click to hear 2 1. offer 2. on-sale item, 'special offer'
"Mag ik U een verfrissing aanbieden?" click to hear 'May I offer you a refreshment?' - an extremely formal phrase for offering someone a drink - but it's usually said in jest, when opening a window or door in a stuffy room.
Ze boden hulp aan click to hear They offered help, assistance
Ze boden weerstand click to hear 2 3 They offered resistance, they resisted
'Verbieden' click to hear is 'to forbid, not allow.' You may come across signs saying:
verboden toegang click to hear no admittance, keep out!

'Passen' click to hear 2 is 'to fit' and 'passend' click to hear is 'fitting'
aanpassen click to hear 2 3 1. to adapt 2. to try on (clothes)
(de) aanpassing click to hear adaptation
Je moet 't aanpassen click to hear 2 3 4 1. You'll have to adapt it
2. You should try it on (a clothing item)

'Leiden' click to hear is 'to lead' ‑>>
naar aanleiding van click to hear 2 3 in reaction to, in response to (de) aanleiding click to hear 'occasion,' 'reason,' 'trigger event'
The classic example of a 'trigger event' is the assassination in Sarajewo. The First World War had been brewing for years and for many reasons, but started in the Summer of 1914 because of the murder of the Austrian crown prince. It could have started after another event at another time - or maybe not at all or in a different form.
De aanleiding tot de Eerste Wereldoorlog click to hear 2 3 4 The trigger event [of] that set off the First World War

aankunnen op click to hear 2 3 to count on, to rely on (you can trust it)
Je kunt erop aan click to hear 2 You can count on it Also: Je kunt ervan opaan click to hear 2 3 You can count on it

iets aankunnen click to hear 2 3 to be able to deal with, manage something Kun je het aan? click to hear 2 Are you up to it?

'Toe zijn aan' click to hear can have several meanings about situations:
Dat is nog tot daaraan toe click to hear 2 3 ~that's borderline acceptable (but the next or other thing really goes too far) 'Ergens aan toe zijn' click to hear 2 3 4 is said when people are not happy or feel they cannot continue much longer in the present situation and are looking forward to a specific change
Hij is aan z'n pensioen toe click to hear 2 3 4 5 'He's sick and tired of work and is ready to retire Ik ben er nog niet aan toe click to hear 2 I have no great need of it yet, I'm not ready for it yet Ik ben aan vakantie toe click to hear 2 3 I need a break like a vacation from work (or school) Ik ben er hard aan toe click to hear 2 I really, urgently want that (break) But 'weten waar je aan toe bent' click to hear 2 3 means 'to know "where you stand," what to expect'
Dan weet je waar je aan toe bent click to hear 2 Then you'll know 'where you stand,' what you can expect And 'er slecht aan toe zijn' click to hear 2 3 means 'not doing well, to be in a bad state medically'
Hij is er slecht aan toe click to hear 2 3 4 He's not doing well, he's in a bad shape medically - more 'toe'

(De) beurt click to hear is usually a person's 'turn' in a game (or in a line)
'Aan de beurt zijn' means it's the subject's turn
Less common is (de) beurt click to hear as a treatment like a cleaning or an overhaul

Wie is er aan de beurt? click to hear Whose turn is it? Who's Next?
Ben ik aan de beurt? click to hear Is it my turn?
Is hij aan de beurt? click to hear 2 3 4 Is it his turn?
Jij bent aan de beurt click to hear It's your turn, you are on
Het is jouw beurt click to hear 2 3 It's your turn
Daarna ben jij aan de beurt click to hear 2 3 After that it's your turn
ik ben click to hear [I am] it's my turn (in a game)
jij bent click to hear 2 [you are] it's your turn (in a game)
zij is click to hear [she is] it's her turn (in a game)
In chess, you'd rather say:
Wie is aan zet? click to hear 2 3 4
Whose turn is it?
Hij wachtte geduldig op z'n beurt click to hear 2 3 He waited patiently for his turn
een goede beurt click to hear 2 a thorough cleaning, a serious overhaul etc.

"Aan 't" click to hear 2 with a verb infinitive and sometimes a noun is like a continuous telling what you're doing at the moment

Wat ben je aan 't doen? click to hear What are you doing, what are you busy with?
Wat ik aan 't doen ben click to hear 2 3 What I'm doing, what I'm busy with, what I'm working on
Ik ben aan 't winkelen click to hear 2 I am shopping
Ik was aan 't winkelen click to hear I was shopping
Ik ben aan 't koken click to hear I am cooking, preparing hot food
Ik ben een brood aan 't bakken click to hear 2 I am baking (a) bread
Ik ben aan 't opnemen click to hear 2 3 I am recording (sound)
Laten we aan 't werk gaan click to hear 2 3 4 Let's start working,l Let's get to work
Aan 't werk! click to hear 2 3 4 5 6 to work! get busy!
aan 't schrijven click to hear 2 3 writing
Dan heb je de poppen aan het dansen click to hear 2 3 (saying) ['Then you'll have the puppets dancing' - the show will start] - 'then the fat is in the fire, all hell will break loose'

Usually, (de) gang click to hear means 'corridor, hallway' but 'aan de gang' click to hear 2 3 4 means 'get busy with' - it's a form of the verb gaan click to hear ('to go') ‑>>

Ik moet met 't eten aan de gang click to hear 2 3 I have to start cooking or preparing food
Ik ga er gelijk mee aan de gang click to hear I'll start on it right away
aan de gang! click to hear 2 Let's start on it! Let's get going! Get busy!
aan de slag! click to hear 2 to work! get busy!

Hij timmert aardig aan de weg click to hear 2 3 (saying) He is well-known for his activities, his activities have made him rather well-known - 'He's rather successful'
- 'aan de weg' means 'in public' here
- 'timmeren' click to hear 2 usually means 'to hammer' or more generally 'to do carpentry' ‑>> - 2

'Betalen click to hear is 'to pay' ‑>> and (de) betaling click to hear 2 is 'payment'
(de) aanbetaling click to hear 2 is 'down payment'

klagen click to hear is 'to complain' and (de) klacht click to hear is 'complaint'
(de) aanklacht click to hear 2 3 4 'indictment, official complaint or accusation'
aanklagen click to hear 2 3 'to bring charges'
('to accuse' is beschuldigen click to hear 2 3 4 ‑>>)

'Vullen' click to hear 2 is 'to fill'
(de) aanvulling click to hear is 'addition, supplement'

'Trouwen' click to hear 2 3 is 'to marry' ‑>>
aangetrouwd click to hear 2 3 [married into] '~a relative by marriage'
een aangetrouwd nichtje click to hear 2 3 "a niece-in-law"
(het) aanzoek click to hear 'marriage proposal'

'Nemen' click to hear is 'to take' ‑>>
aannemen click to hear 2 to assume // to adopt // to take on
(de) aanname click to hear 2 assumption
(de) aannemer click to hear 2 contractor, construction manager ‑>>
(het) aangenomen kind click to hear adopted child ‑>>
But: aangenaam click to hear 2 (aangename click to hear 2 3 4) pleasant, comfortable
onaangenaam click to hear 2 3 4 unpleasant, uncomfortable
Aangenaam kennis te maken! click to hear 2 3 Pleased to meet you! (somewhat formal, but I'm not aware of another phrase like it) 'n aangename temperatuur click to hear a pleasant, comfortable temperature

'Grijpen' click to hear is 'to grab, catch' ('grip') ‑>>
aangrijpend click to hear 2 touching, moving - 'gripping' your feelings

lopen click to hear 2 is 'to walk' ‑>>
(de) aanloop click to hear 'run before a jump, run-up' - also 'running up, starting up period'

'Tonen' click to hear 2 3 4 is 'to show'
'aantonen' click to hear 2 is 'to prove'
The more common word for 'to show' is laten zien click to hear 2 ['to let see'] ‑>> and 'proof, evidence' is (het) bewijs click to hear 2 ‑>>
vertonen click to hear to display

'Wezen' click to hear 2 is an old form of the verb 'zijn' click to hear 'to be' ‑>>
aanwezig click to hear (aanwezige click to hear 2) 'present, in attendance, here!'

'Van' click to hear 2 is 'from' ‑>>
'Vandaan' click to hear 2 is 'from' - point of departure or origin - often with komen click to hear 'to come' ‑>>
Waar vandaan? click to hear 2 3 Where from? Waar kom je vandaan? click to hear 2 3 Where are you from?
1. From where did you travel?
‑>>
2. Where are you from originally? ‑>>
De plaats waar ik vandaan kom click to hear The place where I'm from, my home town ‑>> Waar komt die rotzooi toch vandaan? click to hear 2 3 4 Where in the world does all that garbage come from?

aanzienlijk click to hear 2 3 considerable, large
een aanzienlijk bedrag click to hear 2 3 a considerable sum (money) niet onaanzienlijke bedragen click to hear 2 3 not insignificant amounts of money, no trifling sums

'Bellen' click to hear 2 3 is usually 'to call, use the telephone,' but it can also mean to ring, sound a (door or signal) bell
aanbellen click to hear - to ring a doorbell
Ik belde aan bij de buren click to hear 2 3 I rang the doorbell at the neighbors' Er is iemand aan de deur click to hear There's someone at the door (de) bel click to hear bell (door, signal)
(de) klok click to hear (church) bell
klok luiden click to hear to ring a (church) bell (or bells)

(het) aanrecht click to hear 'kitchen countertop' ‑>>
(het) aambeeld click to hear - anvil (also aanbeeld)
(de) aanslag click to hear 1. assault 2. touch (on keyboard, musical instrument)
(het) aantal click to hear quantity, amount in numbers ‑>>
aangenaam click to hear 2 (aangename click to hear 2 3 4) pleasant, comfortable
(het) aandeel click to hear 2 portion, part, share, contribution
 plural: aandelen click to hear 2 shares, stock
(de) aansteker click to hear lighter (fire) ‑>>
aanstekelijk click to hear 2 3 contagious, infectious
besmettelijk click to hear infectious (diseases) ‑>>
aanstaande click to hear 2 3 4 this coming (day)
aanstaande vrijdag click to hear 2 3 this (coming) Friday
aanvankelijk click to hear 2 at first, originally
(het) aanhalingsteken click to hear quote mark ‑>>
 plural: aanhalingstekens click to hear

(De) aanstoot click to hear 2 is 'offense, feeling insulted'
Aanstoot wordt genomen, niet gegeven click to hear 2 3 Offense is taken, not given

(de) aandrang click to hear 2 3 urge
aandringen op click to hear 2 3 to urge, press, insist on ergens op aandringen click to hear 2 to urge, press for something Ze drongen aan op spoed click to hear 2 3 they urged hurry, to be quick See also: dringen

Ik heb even de eeuwigheid mogen aanschouwen click to hear 2 3 [I have been allowed for a moment to view eternity] - I was allowed a brief glimpse of eternity

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Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2