Breakdown of Wij hebben een hekel aan de winter.
de winter
the winter
een hekel hebben aan
to really dislike, to not be able to stand
Questions & Answers about Wij hebben een hekel aan de winter.
Why does this sentence use the preposition aan?
This is a fixed preposition. In Dutch, the standard way to say you hate or strongly dislike something is the set phrase een hekel hebben aan (literally: to have a dislike to). You must always use aan to connect this phrase to the thing you dislike.
What does the word hekel literally mean?
Hekel is a noun that translates to "a dislike", "an aversion", or "a hatred". Because it is a noun, it needs the article een (a) in front of it. The sentence literally translates to "We have a dislike to the winter."
Is there a single verb for "to hate", or do I always have to use this long phrase?
The single verb haten (to hate) does exist. However, native Dutch speakers use the phrase een hekel hebben aan much more often in everyday conversation when talking about weather, foods, chores, or situations they strongly dislike.
In English we usually just say "We hate winter" without "the". Why does Dutch use de winter here?
In Dutch, you often use the definite article (de or het) when talking about seasons, nature, or abstract concepts in a general sense. Therefore, "winter" becomes de winter.
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