# een borreltje drinken



## peterA333

Hello,

Would it be correct to translate "een borreltje drinken"
as "drink a sip" (have a sip) ?

een: a
borreltje: dram
drinken: drink


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## HKK

Een borreltje is a small portion of any liquor. It does always refer to a whole portion, not just a sip.


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## peterA333

Thank you~~~


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## Joep

"Laten we een borreltje drinken" also may mean "let's make an appointment to discuss these matters in an informal setting, like a bar". "Borrelen" lost it's meaning of liquor and now just means "drinking beer".


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## AllegroModerato

Joep said:


> "Laten we een borreltje drinken" also may mean "let's make an appointment to discuss these matters in an informal setting, like a bar".
> 
> "Borrelen" lost it's meaning of liquor and now just means "drinking beer".


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## ThomasK

Hoho, I may be allowed to disagree. I mean: here in Flandres 'borrelen' is uncommon as such, and 'borrel' is still liquor of some 30° (not whisky, not port or sherry), like jenever, only to be drunk in very small glasses (but you can drink many). 

And the association with a meeting is uncommon here either whereas _zakenlunches_ are.


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## Lopes

Alleen het drinken van bier is wel erg kort door de bocht lijkt me, ik zou eerder zeggen "iets" drinken.


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## 0ana

For as much as I know, it means "to have a drink", and to have a sip would be closer to "een slokje hebben", if I'm not wrong.


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## ThomasK

I don't think so: _een slokje_ is not like a _borrelt_je. Both are small, but borreltjes suggest alcohol, etc.


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## 0ana

Maybe I wasn't clear enough: I thought "een borreltje drinken" means "to have a drink", and "een slokje hebben" means "to have a sip" - am I wrong?


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## ThomasK

I am sorry to say, but you are: _slokje_ is sip, _borreltje_ is alcohol, and in Flanders a special kind of alcohol in general (30°).


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## 0ana

Well, thank you. I wasn't that sure about it. 
By the way, Google Translate might be one of the factors maintaining the confusion among less skilled speakers like me (I've just checked, "een borreltje hebben" is translated as "have a drink" at this moment).


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## ThomasK

That is quite a mistake. By the way: we only say that we 'een borreltje drinken' (not 'hebben', not ever ;-)).


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