How to use 'even' in Dutch
Have you ever wondered what even means in Dutch? Although the word looks like even in English, the meaning is different and for some reason, many people find it confusing. In this short blog we will get rid of the mystery so that you'll have much more clarity :)
The first meaning of even is a short moment. Sometimes you may translate it with for a while.
Here are some examples:
Ik drink even mijn koffie (I'll just drinking some coffee now)
Ik ben even bij de buren (I am visiting my neighbors for a while)
Even means that something should not take that long. It really is only a short moment.
This is why Dutch people often use it when they have requests. Somehow, it makes it more polite and gentle. The suggestion is that it will only take a short moment, Here are some practical examples:
Kan je even de suiker geven? Could you give / pass the sugar, please?
Wil je even de deur openen? Would you be willing to open the door please?
Geef even de melk! Please, give the milk!
Very often you'll also hear even in a kind of apology. When Dutch people use the word even, the suggestion is that it will only last for a limited time, so it makes the apology more 'friendly'
Sorry, ik ben nu even bezig Sorry, I am busy at the moment
Ik heb nu even geen tijd, sorry I do not have time now, unfortunately....
Sometimes even can also mean that you'll have it, right now....
Even koffie! Let's have coffee right now...
Even pauze! Let's have a break, right now!
Here is an important thing.... even can sometimes be an expression of sarcasm. One thing that gives it away is the tone of voice...
Wacht even! Wait a minute
Ja, dag.... ik heb nu even geen zin! Sorry, I am not in the mood!
Mijn schoonmoeder blijft nog wel even My mother in law will stay for a (looong) while
How even appears if differnt forms....
On top of that, even can appear in different forms. Do you understand the difference between bier & biertje? Een biertje is smaller than bier and quite often if things are smaller then Dutch people see it as something positive. Here is another example: middag is afternoon and een middagje is a nice warm and social afternoon. Een middagje in de sauna sounds warmer and more intimate than een middag in de sauna...
That is why eventjes sounds even more gentle and warmer than even. You can say: ik drink eventjes mijn koffie and then it means that you drink your coffee for only a short little moment.
And then. we also have effe & effetjes. These are informal and colloquial versions of even & eventjes. Don't worry too much about it, the main thing is that you recognize it.
By the way, here is how you can ask people if they have a moment. There are many different ways....
Heb je een moment?
Heb je een momentje?
Heb je even een momentje?
Heb je eventjes een momentje?
Heb je even?
Heb je eventjes?
O ops! There are 2 different meanings!
Here is a question for you in English. What do you see?
Even a Dutch person experiences feelings
Now we are even....
Can you see that these words have different meanings? The most important thing is that you understand the sentence that now you are even...
In Dutch even indicates an equal amount. Here are some examples:
Honden en katten zijn even leuk Dogs and cats are equally nice
We hebben even veel likes op Facebook We have the same amounts of likes on Facebook. Pay attention, it could also mean that we only have likes on Facebook for a short moment, so context matters...
Last but not least, chances are high that you must have heard this:
Even denken Let me think for a moment
Even kijken Let me look and somethimes it also means let me think
Did you discover something new about even? Share your insights here.....