Numbers in Idioms

Numbers turn up all over Dutch idiom, and they're a satisfying group to learn because each one packs a vivid little picture: a coin balanced on its edge, two hands on one belly, a clock at five-to-twelve. The catch is that none of these can be translated word-for-word — the number is part of a frozen expression, and the meaning lives in the whole phrase. This page gives you the real Dutch, the literal image behind it, and what a native speaker actually means by it. A couple of them also hide a spelling trap (that apostrophe in z'n tweeën, that trema on the ën), so read the forms carefully.

"How many of us": met z'n tweeën, drieën, vieren

To say "the two of us did it together," Dutch uses met z'n tweeën — literally "with his twos." It's a fixed counting construction: met z'n + the number + -en (with a trema where the vowel collision needs it). This is the everyday way to say a group did something as a unit.

The two spelling traps: z'n is a contraction of zijn and needs the apostrophe, and tweeën / drieën carry a trema (ë) on the second e, because Dutch marks a fresh syllable boundary that way — without it you'd misread tweeen. Vieren and vijven don't need the trema (no vowel collision).

A close call: op het nippertje, een dubbeltje op zijn kant

Two idioms for "that was close." Op het nippertje — "on the little nip" — means in the nick of time, by a hair's breadth. Een dubbeltje op zijn kant — "a ten-cent coin on its edge" — describes a situation that could have gone either way, a true coin-toss. (A dubbeltje was the old ten-cent guilder coin, small and flat enough that balancing it on its edge was almost impossible — hence the precariousness.)

On top of the world: in de zevende hemel

In de zevende hemel zijn — "to be in the seventh heaven" — is to be blissfully happy, overjoyed. This one maps cleanly onto the English "in seventh heaven," but note the Dutch keeps the definite article: in DE zevende hemel, not bare "in seventh heaven."

The eleventh hour: het is vijf voor twaalf

Het is vijf voor twaalf — "it's five (minutes) to twelve" — is the Dutch way of saying it's the eleventh hour: time is almost up, urgent action is needed now. You'll see it constantly in news and politics about deadlines and crises.

Thick as thieves — but read it carefully: twee handen op één buik

Twee handen op één buik zijn — "to be two hands on one belly" — describes two people who are always in agreement, who back each other up no matter what. The image is the two hands of a single person, always in sync. English "thick as thieves" is close, but note the Dutch often carries a slightly negative tint — that they're in cahoots, conspiring, covering for each other — so it's not purely a compliment about friendship.

Note the spelling: één carries an acute accent here (and on buik it's op één buik), because een would otherwise read as the indefinite article "a." The accent forces the reading "one."

Cautious vs. reckless: over één nacht ijs gaan

Niet over één nacht ijs gaan — "not to go over one night's ice" — means to not act hastily, to take your time and be careful. The image is ice that has only had one night to freeze: too thin to trust. You almost always hear it in the negative — we gaan niet over één nacht ijs (we're not rushing into this). The positive over één nacht ijs gaan means to act rashly.

Agreement and hierarchy: op één lijn, eerste/tweede viool

Op één lijn zitten — "to sit on one line" — means to be on the same page, to agree. Eerste viool spelen ("to play first violin") means to be the leading figure; tweede viool spelen ("to play second violin") means to play a subordinate, secondary role — exactly like English "play second fiddle."

Totally: honderd procent

Honderd procent — "a hundred percent" — works as in English for full agreement or full effort, but Dutch also uses zich niet honderd procent voelen ("to not feel a hundred percent") for being slightly unwell, and voor de volle honderd procent for "wholeheartedly."

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• met z'n tweeën / drieën — "the two/three of us"; mind the apostrophe (z'n) and the trema (tweeën, drieën).
• Close calls: op het nippertje (in the nick of time), een dubbeltje op zijn kant (could've gone either way).
• in de zevende hemel (blissful) keeps the article; het is vijf voor twaalf = the eleventh hour.
• twee handen op één buik = always in agreement, often conspiratorially; write één with the accent.
• Agreement/hierarchy: op één lijn zitten (on the same page), eerste/tweede viool spelen (lead / play second fiddle); niet over één nacht ijs gaan = proceed cautiously.