Idiomatic Expressions with "Het" and "Er"
In Dutch, you will frequently encounter fixed expressions combining the dummy pronoun het (it) with an er-word (like erover, ermee, or erbij). These combinations create idiomatic verbs whose meanings aren't always obvious from the individual words, but they are very common in daily conversation—especially when discussing gossip.
Het erover hebben
The phrase het erover hebben literally translates to "to have it about it," but is the standard idiomatic way to say "to talk about it" or "to discuss it."
| They have an affair, and everyone talks about it. | Ze hebben een affaire, en iedereen heeft het erover. |
| Do you want to talk about it? | Wil je het erover hebben? |
Het ermee gehad hebben
When the drama becomes too much to handle, use het ermee gehad hebben (literally: to have had it with it) to mean "to be fed up with it."
| I am fed up with it because of all that hassle! | Ik heb het ermee gehad vanwege al dat gedoe! |
Het erbij laten
If you decide not to pursue a conflict any further, use het erbij laten (to leave it at that).
| I catch him, but we leave it at that. | Ik betrap hem, maar we laten het erbij. |
| They deny the lie and leave it at that. | Ze ontkennen de leugen en laten het erbij. |
Neighborhood Gossip
Neighborhood drama often involves a cast of suspicious characters and actions, such as eavesdropping (afluisteren) or stirring up trouble (stoken).
| The neighbor secretly eavesdrops on us. | De buurvrouw luistert ons stiekem af. |
| It is the hypocritical neighbor who stirs up trouble. | Het is de schijnheilige buurman die stookt. |
Eventually, the truth has to come out. Someone might accuse another person, or the guilty party might finally confess (opbiechten).
| She accuses him, but wants to talk about it. | Ze beschuldigt hem, maar wil het erover hebben. |
| He refuses to confess the lie, and I am fed up with it. | Hij weigert de leugen op te biechten, en ik heb het ermee gehad. |
