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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

Onder (Below, Under) - Beneden (Down, Downstairs) /
/ Boven (Above, Upstairs, Up, On Top Of, Over)

'Onder' = Under, Below, Lower, Among/Between

also: (de) duikboot ['diving boat']

onder nul below zero ‑>> - 2
onder 't mes 2 'under the knife' - surgery ‑>> onder bepaalde omstandigheden 2 3 under (in) certain circumstances onder welke omstandigheden 2 under which circumstances

onder de stoel 2 under the chair onder de tafel under the table ‑>> onder 't huis under the house

de verdieping eronder 2 the floor under it, the floor below 't kan er net onderdoor 2 3 [It can just go through under it, with little room to spare] - it just fits through

Iemand een hart onder de riem steken 2 3 (saying) ['Put a heart under someone's belt'] - to encourage, support a person (Stoett says the belt in the image is a soldier's diagonal shoulder strap)

D'r op of d'r onder [on (top of) it or (deep down) below it] - a risky venture, like 'all or nothing,' going for broke, do-or-die

onder leiding van 2 3 under the leadership of, led by onder invloed van 2 3 under influence of, influenced by onder ede 2 under oath
(de) eed 2 3 oath

onder vier ogen [under 4 eyes] - in private, one-on-one conversation onder andere 2 3 among other things onder elkaar 'among each other' - in trusted, exclusive company mannen onder elkaar 2 3 'men among each other' - men without women, occasionally misbehaving (het) onderonsje [little between-us] - private chat, tête-à-tête Onder ons gezegd en gezwegen ... 2 ['Spoken and silent between us'] 'Just between you and me ...' ... Gij zijt de gezegende onder de vrouwen ... 2 ... Thou art the blessed one among the women ... (from the Hail Mary

onder 't eten 2 during dinner (or lunch, breakfast) - 'with food' (taking medication) This onder  means 'while engaging in' and is used with activities like walking, bicycling, praying

Ik was onder de indruk I was impressed but:  Ik had de indruk ... 2 I had the impression ... (I felt, sensed ...) ‑>>

Verbs with 'Onder'

gaan to go

-

ging went

-

gegaan gone

2

• ondergaan (ONDERgaan) 2 with the stress on the preposition 'onder' means 'to go down, go under,'
• but 'ondergaan' (onderGAAN) 2 3 with the stress on the base verb 'gaan' means 'to undergo, be subjected to.'

• When the stress is on the base verb ('gaan') the compound verb doesn't split:
  Hij onderging de behandeling geduldig 2 He patiently underwent the treatment Hij onderging de behandeling zonder te klagen He underwent the treatment without complaining
• But when the stress of the word is on the preposition ('onder') this verb splits in the simple tenses:
  De zon gaat onder 2 The sun is going down De zon ging onder 2 3 The sun went down 's Avonds ging de zon onder 2 In the evening the sun went down Ging de zon onder? 2 Did the sun go down?
  • In 'conditional sub-sentences' (stating a place, time or a condition for the other part of the sentence - 'subordinate clauses') verbs do not split:
    Toen de zon onderging ... 2 3 When the sun went down ... Toen de zon onderging begon de muziek When the sun went down the music started Toen de zon onderging werd het donker When the sun went it became dark Ze gingen weg toen de zon onderging 2 They left when the sun went down
• More about splitting verbs
• More about conditional sub-sentences

(het) onderwijs education, teaching, instruction, training ‑>> onderwijzen   2 3 'to teach' is a strong verb:

onderwijzen to teach

-

onderwees taught

-

onderwezen taught

2

onderduiken 2 3 [to dive under] - to go into hiding (like Anne Frank) onderduikers 2 people in hiding

onderduiken		to go into hiding
ik duik onder		I'm going into hiding
ik dook onder		I went into hiding
ik ben ondergedoken		I have gone into hiding

Words with 'Onder'

de onderwereld 2 'the underworld'
1. the criminal world
2. the Classical Greeks' afterlife

ondervoed 2 3 underfed, malnourished

(het) onderhoud 2 1. maintenance (of machinery, for instance)
2. formal conversation achterstallig onderhoud 2 overdue maintenance

onderhouden		to maintain
ik onderhield		I maintained
ik heb onderhouden		I have maintained

(het) ondergoed 2 3 4 5 underwear
(de) onderbroek 2 3 underpants ‑>>

onderzetters 2 3 'mats' (for under hot pots and pans on the table)

(de) ondergetekende 2 (the) undersigned (I, me) (de) handtekening 2 signature, John Hancock

(de) onderkant 2 underside, bottom (of a box etc.) (de) bovenkant top, topside (of a box etc.) - more sides ondersteboven 2 [downside-up] - upside down
op de kop 2 on its head, upside-down

(de) onderarm lower arm
bovenbenen upper legs
(de) onderkaak 2 3 lower jaw
(de) bovenkaak 2 3 upper jaw
(de) bovenlip 2 upper lip
(de) onderlip 2 lower lip

ondertussen 2 3 in the meantime Er is ondertussen veel veranderd 2 3 Much has changed in the meantime

(de) onderbreking 2 interruption, break onderbreken 2 3 to interrupt
wij onderbreken 2 we interrupt
ononderbroken 2 3 uninterrupted, continuous

het onderbewuste 2 the subconscious (het) onderwerp subject
(het) onderdeel part // (sub)division

(de) ondersteuning 2 support
(de steun support)

onderweg 2 on the way Onderweg drinken we een kopje koffie 2 We'll have a cup of coffee on the way onderweg naar 2 3 on the way to - travel Ik ben onderweg naar Ede 2 I'm on the way to Ede

(het) onderzoek 2 investigation, research, examination (het) vooronderzoek preliminary investigation
(zoeken 2 to search)

onderhandelen to negotiate
(de) onderhandelingen 2 negotiations

(de) veronderstelling 2 assumption

(de) officier 2 (military) officer
(de) onderofficier 2 non-commissioned officer, subaltern (sergeant, corporal) ‑>>

Boven means Above, Up, Upstairs, On Top (Of) - but it's often translated as 'Over'

Already shown above:
(de) bovenkant top, topside (of a box etc.) - more sides ondersteboven 2 [downside-up] - upside down
bovenbenen upper legs
(de) bovenkaak 2 3 upper jaw

boven het water over, above the water ‑>> boven het huis above the house ‑>>

Baas boven baas 2 (saying) ['boss over boss'] - 'There's always someone who can do it better' - said of someone who thinks too much of himself 't Gaat me boven de pet 2 (saying) 'It's over my [cap] head' - I don't understand it, it's too difficult for me Misschien komt 't wel weer boven water 2 3 4 [Maybe it'll come above water again sometime] - only figuratively: Maybe it (an item that was lost, cannot be found) will turn up again een dak boven je hoofd 2 a roof over your head Er was niemand boven hem There was nobody over (above?) him de laag erboven 2 the layer over it, the layer on top of it boven de partijen 2 3 'above the parties' - impartial, not taking sides Vliegende schotels boven Zwitserland 2 3 Flying saucers (UFO's) over Switzerland Er is boven een atelier 2 There's an artist's studio upstairs

naar boven is 'up,' moving to a higher position
Ik ga naar boven 2 3 I'm going up, I'm going upstairs We gingen met de roltrap naar boven We took the escalator up

'omhoog' 2 3 is also the direction of movement 'up'
We klommen omhoog We climbed up De enige uitweg is omhoog The only way out is up

bovendien 2 3 ['on top of that'] - moreover, furthermore, what's more Hij is heel slim en bovendien erg aardig 2 3 4 He's very clever and on top of that very kind, a nice person

Beneden = Downstairs - Naar Beneden = (Moving) Down

naar beneden

beneden 2 3 4

'omlaag' 2 is also '(moving) down'
We gleden omlaag we (glided) slid down

Neer = Down

'Neerzetten' 2 3 'to put, put down, place, deposit Waar heb je 't neergezet? 2 3 4 Where did you put it?

neerkijken op 2 to look down on, to view with contempt, disdain, despise Ze kijken op ons neer They look down on us Ze voelen zich verheven 2 They feel they are raised, have ascended, they feel superior Weg met betweters! 2 3 4 Throw out the know-it-alls!

Niet bij de pakken neerzitten 2 (saying) ['Don't sit down with your burdens'] - keep going, don't let misfortune get you down
Stoett says it's from the Bible, a packed donkey that lies down can't get up again.

Neder 2 3 is an older form of 'neer' (think 'nether') meaning 'down' and also 'low.' It's only found in compound words.
(de) nederlaag defeat
verslaan 2 3 1. to defeat ‑>>
2. to report ‑>> (de) overwinning victory
(de) nederzetting 2 3 settlement, outpost - see  'neerzetten' above

nederig 2 humble
Welkom in mijn nederige stulp 2 'welcome to my humble, lowly dwelling' Nederland 2 3 [low-lying lands] The Netherlands, Holland - ‑>>

'Beneden/Onder/Boven De Grote Rivieren'

50 km ~ 30 miles, 100 km ~ 60 miles

more maps

de Rijn 2 (Rhein, Rhine, Rhin)
de Waal 2
de Maas (Meuse)

de IJssel
de Schelde 2 (Scheldt, Escaut)
(de) rivier (river)

De Tachtigjarige Oorlog 2 3

Republiek 2

De Verenigde Provinciën

De Zeven (7) Provinciën

(Carnaval 2)

Zachte G 2 3		Zachte G 2 3		'soft' (Southern) G		more

the river Waal at Nijmegen Nijmegen

Waal bridge at Nijmegen

the river IJssel at Deventer (picture by Margo Griffin) Deventer - more Place Names

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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