Companionable. It's the most direct translation, and it's very close to how we use the word "gezellig". We just use the word a lot more frequently. The warm feeling you get when you are with friendly company, even if that's just your own company, that's what we call companionable and it's a theme that's central to Dutch culture. If you'll agree Christmas is the most companionable time of the year, I think you're very close to understanding to why the Dutch want everything to be companionable.
I’ve usually translated it to “cozy” with a bit of “at ease” and “comfortable”. But, I’m an American that speaks some Dutch (all my family are from the Netherlands, but I’m born in USA), so I’m not completely fluent.
My favorite word in Dutch is morning greeting: goeiemorgen. In Russian it sounds like dick-morgen which is ridiculous if you're native Russian speaker. This song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9H-ffphZf8&ab_channel=Eurov...) even went viral in Russia because of this (goeiedag sounds like bullshit also).
P.S. Link from the post doesn't open in Russia ("Country blocked") and I had to use VPN to read it lol. It's ONGEZELLIG to block someone read article about cozy and ecologic living.
Trust me, Russian can be equally hilarious for us Dutch. Its just that Dutch is a less widely spoken language.
Blyat for example almost reads like blaat which to us is the sound a sheep makes. It also refers to blaten, talking nonsense.
The English word cunt sounds like the Dutch kunt which means can (je kunt means you can). Kunt gets censored in a popular game, even if the rest of sentence is Dutch.
Then we have German where an English listener might think bisschen means bitch, and generally an English speaker might think a German is angry while its just the sound of the language (in contrast to, say, French).
Recently, some Dutch song (I think it was Belgian?) went viral in Ukraine as well.
Anyway, as a native Dutch speaker with autism, gezellig is equal to Orwellian double speak like Russian pravda (theres other examples, too). If its gezellig for others, it might very well not be for me. Or its tokkie level (tokkie = white trash). In other words, not a word I value when others use it.
EDIT: I believe you might find this song by a comedian weird for different reasons than intended: https://youtu.be/ATdRtTtzZ3c (he is singing good morning, good afternoon, its like this: I am a customer).
As a foreigner 10 years into living in the Netherlands, I find this article a bit shallow. Yes gezellig is a word and concept I frequently encounter but to say it encompasses the heart of Dutch Culture makes no sense to me. I think only someone who hasn't spent a lot of time with Dutch people would say something like that.
Sort of like saying the word "awesome" encompasses the heart of American culture.
I wonder if this is written by an actual Dutch person. About half the examples make no sense, they are using the word it as an adjective for people, something I don't think I've seen Dutch people(including myself) do
Also the author complains of the overcommercialization of the Danish Hygge, pretty sure gezellig is there already.
As a Dutch person, worth pointing out that we Dutch people like using words in an ironic sense. So using the word gezellig in situations are anything but gezellig is ironic and therefore something people might do. But it adds to the confusion.
But basically it usually refers to situations, locations, or meetings of people being either gezellig (enjoyable, agreeable, etc.) or the opposite, ongezellig.
The Dutch would be crazy not to package up their gezellig coffeeshop and brown cafe culture, decor, and furniture in shipping containers for export, and deploy them in American states and other countries that have legalized cannabis, the same way the Irish package and ship entire prefabricated pubs around the world.
Many people got that hygge book, but it's funny when you actually go to Denmark and find out most of it is actually made up. Hygge is real, but it's being pushed way more now that it's become a global word.
Huh. In that case, I'd say "Gezellig" is pretty gnarly[1].
[1]: "gnarly" being one of those English words that can mean almost anything depending on context. In particular, similar to "Gezellig" it can mean both something like "very good / excellent" AND "horrible/bad". It's also frequently used to mean something like "difficult/dangerous/challenging".
On the topic "untranslatable words that express a culture" here are my favourites:
- Italian: words that express refined craftsmanship: sprezatura, virtuoso, capo-lavoro, affresco, al-dente, allegro/adagio, ...
- French: life must be appreciated to its full: joie-de-vivre, bon-vivant, coquette, lingerie, gourmet, finesse, chic, ..
- Japanese: a very sharp capability to appreciate what others can't: wabi-sabi, umami, satori, ...
- English: a very ingrained respect for democracy and its values: accountability, grassroots/astroturf, pork-barrel, bullying, harassment, lobying, ...
- German: a clear eyed perception that the world is dangerous and mean: torchlusspanic, schadenfreude,...
- Brazilian Portuguese: all that matters are emotional and physical connections: cafuné, xamego, sacanagem, ...
I am a native English speaker, and may be wrong about this, but I believe that the use of "de nada" from Spanish, and "de rien" in French to mean "you're welcome" suffer from similar loss in translation. Do not the former phrases imply that thanks is not needed?
A close English idiom might be "Don't worry about it" or "no problem" in the place of "you're welcome." Even "You're welcome" implies this as in "You're welcome [to ask for such a favor in general]"
Languages are fascinating! German has an almost identical word ("gesellig" - https://dict.leo.org/german-english/gesellig), but with a different meaning that can easily be translated as "sociable" (referring to a person) most of the time. Looks like the Dutch extended it to places that encourage being sociable?
Interesting… seems that Dutch gezellig is something similar to the Danish notion of hygge, but without the sense of “an almost pathological taste for Poul Henningsen lamps as a means to tame whatever it was that drove Danish men to spend their lives Viking across the Atlantic”.
But then my experience in Denmark was very narrowly spent with my ex-wife’s family there, so maybe I’d have gotten hygge with it eventually.
My favorite Dutch eyes is Swaffelen (or zwaffelen or dick-slap) is a Dutch term meaning to hit one's soft or semi-hard penis - often repeatedly - against an object or another person's body. Swaffelen was named as the word of the year in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2008.
Yes. I can't take the "untranslatable" claim for good fish when the article doesn't address this obvious objection: Any Norwegian or Danish reader can see that it's the same word as "koselig", likely even etymologically.
The article makes an impression that "gezellig" is somewhat close to French "savoir-vivre", "la vie est belle", Italian "dolce vita", and maybe even Latin "carpe diem"?
It looks like multiple cultures have similar appreciation to spending one's time well, but also focus on different aspects of what "well" means.
> The article makes an impression that "gezellig" is somewhat close to French "savoir-vivre", "la vie est belle", Italian "dolce vita", and maybe even Latin "carpe diem"?
I don't speak those languages, but I don't think those words are an apt translation. The word doesn't really describe a way of life, or the enjoyment of life in particular, it's more of a vibe or an emotional state or an emotional association to a certain place, event, or situation. The English word "convivial" seems to come pretty close, though from the example sentences I can find I still think the meaning is slightly different.
I find it quite difficult to accurately describe my perception of the word "gezellig" without anecdotes of shared experiences. I believe savoir-vivre and dolce vita are similar in that way; there are direct translations, but they all miss some element of what the original meant.
No, "gezellig" is like just being with a bunch of friends having fun. Everybody is happy talking to each other, mood is great, maybe some food and drinks available.
At least as a native that's how I always interpret it. It's always in a setting with people.
"Woord van het jaar 2008" Swaffelen (of zwaffelen) is het aantikken met de penis, vaak met herhaalde bewegingen, van andermans lichaam of een voorwerp.
[+] [-] tinco|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] emmelaich|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] semi-extrinsic|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cwbrandsma|2 years ago|reply
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P.S. Link from the post doesn't open in Russia ("Country blocked") and I had to use VPN to read it lol. It's ONGEZELLIG to block someone read article about cozy and ecologic living.
[+] [-] Fnoord|2 years ago|reply
Blyat for example almost reads like blaat which to us is the sound a sheep makes. It also refers to blaten, talking nonsense.
The English word cunt sounds like the Dutch kunt which means can (je kunt means you can). Kunt gets censored in a popular game, even if the rest of sentence is Dutch.
Then we have German where an English listener might think bisschen means bitch, and generally an English speaker might think a German is angry while its just the sound of the language (in contrast to, say, French).
Recently, some Dutch song (I think it was Belgian?) went viral in Ukraine as well.
Anyway, as a native Dutch speaker with autism, gezellig is equal to Orwellian double speak like Russian pravda (theres other examples, too). If its gezellig for others, it might very well not be for me. Or its tokkie level (tokkie = white trash). In other words, not a word I value when others use it.
EDIT: I believe you might find this song by a comedian weird for different reasons than intended: https://youtu.be/ATdRtTtzZ3c (he is singing good morning, good afternoon, its like this: I am a customer).
[+] [-] pieter_mj|2 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] getoffmyyawn|2 years ago|reply
Sort of like saying the word "awesome" encompasses the heart of American culture.
[+] [-] francislavoie|2 years ago|reply
For context, this word was a key plot point in this last night's episode of the show.
[+] [-] peterpost2|2 years ago|reply
Also the author complains of the overcommercialization of the Danish Hygge, pretty sure gezellig is there already.
[+] [-] jillesvangurp|2 years ago|reply
As a Dutch person, worth pointing out that we Dutch people like using words in an ironic sense. So using the word gezellig in situations are anything but gezellig is ironic and therefore something people might do. But it adds to the confusion.
But basically it usually refers to situations, locations, or meetings of people being either gezellig (enjoyable, agreeable, etc.) or the opposite, ongezellig.
[+] [-] balsam|2 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] DonHopkins|2 years ago|reply
https://medium.com/@Thrillist/how-the-irish-ship-entire-pubs...
>How the Irish ship entire pubs around the world
>You may not have been to Ireland, but you’ve still pulled up a stool to a Dublin-made bar counter.
[+] [-] frantathefranta|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mindcrime|2 years ago|reply
[1]: "gnarly" being one of those English words that can mean almost anything depending on context. In particular, similar to "Gezellig" it can mean both something like "very good / excellent" AND "horrible/bad". It's also frequently used to mean something like "difficult/dangerous/challenging".
[+] [-] unknown|2 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] diego_moita|2 years ago|reply
- Italian: words that express refined craftsmanship: sprezatura, virtuoso, capo-lavoro, affresco, al-dente, allegro/adagio, ...
- French: life must be appreciated to its full: joie-de-vivre, bon-vivant, coquette, lingerie, gourmet, finesse, chic, ..
- Japanese: a very sharp capability to appreciate what others can't: wabi-sabi, umami, satori, ...
- English: a very ingrained respect for democracy and its values: accountability, grassroots/astroturf, pork-barrel, bullying, harassment, lobying, ...
- German: a clear eyed perception that the world is dangerous and mean: torchlusspanic, schadenfreude,...
- Brazilian Portuguese: all that matters are emotional and physical connections: cafuné, xamego, sacanagem, ...
[+] [-] mallomarmeasle|2 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] yawpitch|2 years ago|reply
But then my experience in Denmark was very narrowly spent with my ex-wife’s family there, so maybe I’d have gotten hygge with it eventually.
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[+] [-] qikInNdOutReply|2 years ago|reply
Its a funny case of words shifting meaning, while still sounding similar.
[+] [-] alentred|2 years ago|reply
The article makes an impression that "gezellig" is somewhat close to French "savoir-vivre", "la vie est belle", Italian "dolce vita", and maybe even Latin "carpe diem"?
It looks like multiple cultures have similar appreciation to spending one's time well, but also focus on different aspects of what "well" means.
[+] [-] jeroenhd|2 years ago|reply
I don't speak those languages, but I don't think those words are an apt translation. The word doesn't really describe a way of life, or the enjoyment of life in particular, it's more of a vibe or an emotional state or an emotional association to a certain place, event, or situation. The English word "convivial" seems to come pretty close, though from the example sentences I can find I still think the meaning is slightly different.
I find it quite difficult to accurately describe my perception of the word "gezellig" without anecdotes of shared experiences. I believe savoir-vivre and dolce vita are similar in that way; there are direct translations, but they all miss some element of what the original meant.
[+] [-] louwrentius|2 years ago|reply
At least as a native that's how I always interpret it. It's always in a setting with people.
[+] [-] DonHopkins|2 years ago|reply
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaffelen
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