Breakdown of Bewaar de smoes, voor het geval de jarige vroeg komt.
vroeg
early
komen
to come
bewaren
to keep
voor het geval
in case
Questions & Answers about Bewaar de smoes, voor het geval de jarige vroeg komt.
Why does the sentence start with bewaar? Is the subject missing?
Yes. Bewaar is the imperative form of bewaren, meaning to keep, to save, or to hold on to.
Dutch imperatives often leave out the subject, just like English:
- Bewaar de smoes. = Keep the excuse.
- implied subject: you
So the sentence is giving an instruction or advice.
What exactly does smoes mean?
Een smoes means an excuse, often with the idea that it is not fully honest, or that it is a made-up explanation.
So it is usually closer to:
- excuse
- pretext
- cover story
It is not usually a neutral excuse like a valid reason. It often suggests something slightly suspicious or playful.
Why is it de smoes and not het smoes?