Disambiguation: Many common Dutch words have more than one meaning.

Disambiguation Home - 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

Disambiguation: Dutch 'Maar' - Multiple Meanings and Related Words

Maar	'but' - "strange but true" 'just, only' - "there's just one solution" - "He's only a baby" pragmatic marker - various translations

1. 'Maar' = 'but'

Raar maar waar 2 3	Strange but true
Langzaam maar zeker 2 3	Slow but steady
Rijk maar geen geld 2 3	Rich, but no money / Rich without money
Eenzaam maar niet alleen 2	Lonely but not alone
Geen woorden maar daden! 2	Not words but actions! No words but action!
Hij was eerlijk, maar beleefd	He was honest, but polite
Ouder, maar niet wijzer	Older, but not wiser
Ik had schrijver willen worden, maar ik ben spreker geworden	I wanted to be a writer, but I've become a speaker
We zouden gaan fietsen, maar 't begon te regenen	We were going to ride our bikes, but it started to rain
Ik krijg wel eens honger op straat, maar ik eet altijd thuis 2	I get hungry in the street sometimes, but I always eat at home
De geest is gewillig, maar 't vlees is zwak 2 3	The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41)
Ik werd niet door een wesp gestoken, maar door een bij	I was not stung by a wasp, but by a bee
Ik ben wel oud, maar toch niet zò oud 2	I may be old, but I'm not that old
De wind is gaan liggen, maar we zitten nog steeds in het water	The wind has died down, but we're still [in the water] flooded
Nederlands is een mooie taal ...	Dutch is a beautiful language ...
... maar misschien niet om te zingen ( )	... but maybe not for singing
Geld maakt niet gelukkig ... 2	Money doesn't make you happy, money does not create happiness ...
... maar 't is wel (ge)makkelijk 2 3	... but it is convenient, it makes life easier
't Is niet vies ... 2 3	It doesn't taste bad ...
- maar 't had lekkerder kunnen zijn 2	- but it could have been better
- maar 't was ook niet geweldig 2 3	- but it wasn't great either
- maar 't is ook niet bijzonder 2	- but it's not special either (talking about experiments in cooking)
't Is niet fout ... 2 3	It's not wrong ...
- maar 't is niet mooi 2 3	- but it's not pretty
- maar je kunt het eenvoudiger zeggen 2 3	- but there's a simpler way to say it
Ik heb een paar jaar pianoles gehad ...	I've had a few years of piano lessons ...
... maar ik had beter gitaar kunnen leren spelen	... but it would have been better if I'd learned to play the guitar
We zijn er bijna ... 2	We're almost there ...
... maar nog niet helemaal 2	... but not [yet entirely] quite
M'n vrouw zegt dat de bal niet in het doel wordt geschopt maar geschoten	My wife says that the ball is not kicked but shot into the goal (soccer; English usage may be different)
Velen worden geroepen, maar weinigen worden uitgekozen	Many are called, but (only a) few are chosen
Ja, maar ...	Yes, but ...(voicing objections)
Maar jazeker! 2	But certainly!
Maar gaat U verder	But please continue (with what you were saying)
Maar niet heus	But not really - "Not!"
Maar wij zitten met de gebakken peren 2 3	(expression) But we are left with [the baked pears] an unwanted responsibility
Maar vandaag voel ik me gelukkig weer een stuk beter	But today luckily I feel a whole lot better
Er zijn speciale molentjes voor maar ik heb er geen 2	There are specialized 'little mills' for it but I don't have one (talking about kitchen gadgets like a Romano beans slicer)

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

'Echter' 2 3 is a somewhat bookish, formal word meaning 'however, nevertheless, but, yet.' The more common though not entirely synonymous words are maar and toch 2 ‑>>
'Echter' 2 3 can also be the comparative degree of echt 2 3 (echt/echte 2) 'real' - so: 'more real.' Also a bit unusual.
Er is echter geen ander woord 2 There is however not another word Er is echter geen ander woord voor 2 But there is no other word for it Iets te gaan doen echter lijkt nog steeds een goed idee 2 3 But to go out and do something, to take action still looks like a good idea

'Maren' is a verb almost exclusively found in the phrase:

"Niks te maren!" 2

['Don't say but'] - 'No ifs or buts'

'Doch' is a very old-fashioned word for 'but' giving a contrast. It's in a famous phrase in the Tom Poes 2 books by Dutch master cartoonist Marten Toonder 2

Een eenvoudige doch voedzame maaltijd 2 3 4

A simple but nutritious meal

2. 'Maar' = 'just, only' (in a variety of meanings)

'Maar' = only, just
't Lijkt maar zo	It only looks that way
Misschien lijkt 't maar zo 2 3 4	Maybe it only looks that way
We wonen nog maar kort hier 2	We've only lived here for a short while
Dat ging maar net goed 2 3	That only just went well (it could easily have gone wrong)
Door de tegenwind kwamen we maar met moeite vooruit 2	Because we had the wind against us, we only progressed [with difficulty] slowly
Door de tegenwind kwamen we met moeite vooruit 2	Because we had the wind against us, we progressed [with difficulty] slowly
Ik wil alleen maar bij deze lieve mevrouw blijven 2	[I only want ...] - All I want is to stay with this kind lady (from 'Miracle on 34th Street')
'Maar' = only, no more than
't Duurde maar tien minuten	It lasted only ten minutes
't Kostte maar vijf minuten 2	It [did cost] took only 5 minutes
Er is maar één oplossing 2	There's only one solution
't Gebeurt maar eens in je leven 2	It happens only once in your life
't Is maar een verhaaltje	It's just a story
't Is maar een schrammetje 2	It's only a scratch
Hij is nog maar een baby 2	He's [still] just a baby
één keer maar 2 3	just one time, one time only
"Dat is maar bijzaak" 2 3 4	'That is only a side issue, that's not the important thing
Dutch people don't use the equivalent slechts  ('just, only') in the spoken language, it's only written
'Maar' = just (continuation)
't Water blijft stijgen	The water keeps rising
't Water blijft maar stijgen	The water just keeps rising
't Blijft maar regenen 2	It just keeps raining, the rain just doesn't let up
't Houdt maar niet op 2	It just doesn't stop, it just never stops
't Gaat maar door 2 3	It just goes on and on, it never stops (like waves breaking on a beach)
Ik heb 't maar zo gelaten 2	I just left it like that - I didn't take (further) action
'Maar' = just (warning or encouragement)
Laat je handjes maar eens wapperen 2	['Just make your (little) hands wave frantically, snap']- Get active! Get cracking!
Als je dat maar laat! 2 3	['If only you don't do that'] - Leave it out, don't do that
Als je dat maar weet 2 3	[If only you know that] - Be sure to keep that in mind
Als je haar maar goed zit! 2 3	[If only your hair 'sits well'] - The most important thing is that your hair looks OK
Zeg 't niet tegen Piet 2	Don't [mention it to] tell Piet
Zeg 't maar niet tegen Piet 2	[Just] Please don't tell Piet, It would be better not to tell Piet
Zeg maar niks tegen Piet 2 3 4	[Just] Please [say nothing] don't say anything about it to Piet
'Maar' = just
Doe maar normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg 2	Just do like you always do, that's enough craziness already
't Is maar wat je gewend bent 2 3	It's just what you're used to
't Wil maar niet lukken 2 3	[It's indeed not succeeding] - It just isn't working out
Hij doet maar wat 2 3	["He just does something random"] - (He's not serious, not making an effort)
Hij zegt maar wat 2 3 4	[He's just saying something at random] - He's not serious, what he says is of no value

Combining with a verb, 'maar' can express a wish: 'if only ...,' 'I wish ...'

Was ik maar ... 2 3	I wish I was ..., I wish I had ... (Dutch can use either 'zijn' (to be) or hebben ('to have') for the perfect tense)
Was ik er maar nooit aan begonnen 2 3 4	I wish I had never started (on) it, gotten into it
Was ik maar bij moeder thuis gebleven 2 3 4	I wish I had stayed with my mom (at my parents' house - "Mama told me not to come")
Was ik maar in Den Haag! 2	I wish I was in The Hague. Things would be better if I was in The Hague.
Had ik maar ... 2	I wish I had ..., If only I had ...
Had ik maar een boel geld	I wish I had a lot of money
Lag ik maar aan het strand 2	I wish I was lying (lazing?) on the beach
Kon ik nog maar even blijven liggen! 2 3	['If only I could remain lying down a moment longer '] - I wish I could stay in bed a little longer
Compare:
Als 't niet te laat is 2	If it's not too late
Als 't nog niet te laat is 2 3	If it's not too late yet
Als 't nog maar niet te laat is	If only it's not too late (I hope it's not too late)

Synomyms, Alternates and Related Words

Hij begon zomaar te huilen 2	He just started to cry, I don't know why
't Hield zomaar op 2	It suddenly stopped, I don't know why
geen bijzondere reden 2 3 4	(for) no special reason

3. 'Maar' - 'Pragmatic Marker'

Zeg 't niet tegen Piet 2	Don't tell Piet (about it)
Zeg 't maar niet tegen Piet 2	Better not tell Piet, Just don't tell Piet
Zeg maar niks tegen Piet 2 3 4	Better [tell Piet nothing] not tell Piet anything (about it)

Maar wij zitten met de gebakken peren 2 3	(saying) ['But we are left with the baked pears'] But we are the ones that have to pick up the pieces, or more precisely: we are left with an unwanted responsibility
Wij zitten ermee 2 3	We are left holding the bag ‑>>
Wij zitten er maar mee 2 3	We are left holding the bag (and we're not happy with it and we deserve sympathy)

Hij doet ook maar 2 3	He just does as he pleases
Die mensen doen ook maar 2	Those people just do as they please

'Maar' ~just - a polite or friendly encouragement, like 'feel free' or 'you may'

Laat maar	Let it be, never mind, don't bother (no need for action)
Laat maar zitten 2 3	['No need to 'move,' just leave it be'] - Keep the change (offering the change as tip)
Zeg 't maar 2 3	You can say it, Feel free to speak up
Zeg maar wat je zou willen hebben van Sinterklaas	Just say what you'd like to have from Santa (from 'Miracle on 34th Street')
Doe 't maar 2	Go ahead, do it
Geef maar hier 2	You may hand it to me (I'll take care of it)
Let maar niet op mij 2	Now don't pay attention to me
Rustig maar 2	There, there (comforting an upset person)
Gelukkig maar! 2 3	Lucky indeed! We're lucky
Je bent er maar druk mee 2 3	[You're quite busy with it.] It's taking a lot of your time.
't Zal je kind maar wezen	Just imagine that it would be your child
Ho maar! 2	Stop it! That's enough.
Nederlands ho maar!	Dutch [just stop] - not so much! (said when an outrageous statement is made in bad Dutch)
Zo zie je maar ... 2	So, this way you see ..., this shows ...
Zo zie je maar wie echt je vrienden zijn	This shows who your real friends are

Similar but Unrelated Words

Dutch Vocabulary Overview - Dutch Grammar Overview - Listen to and Read Dutch

email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2016. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed, or hotlinked to.
Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2