# Gezellig



## codina

Hello everybody,

I recently read a napkin from a renowned dutch lager (yes, that one in the green bottle) and I found this piece of information:

"The dutch seek out pubs and cafés  that have a warm and friendly environment, which makes everyone feel relaxed and welcome. They call this unique vibe *gezellig*"

Is this true? Is this just þųĮĮşħïŧ? Is there an equivalent in english? Should I be more selective about my readings?


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## Brownpaperbag

Hi,

I guess that's true. I live in Italy and you can't compare a Dutch _café_ to an Italian _bar_. It has probably to do with the weather, people are a lot more outside here so the inside isn't so important. _Gezellig_ is quite difficult to translate, it's a typical Dutch word, but _cosey_ comes close..

Brown.


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## codina

Thanks a lot Brown


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## Mariposaya

Hi everybody,

'Gezellig' is indeed difficult to translate. In Spanish it would be for example *acogedor *or *simpático. *
*-* Una casa acogedora  - een gezellig huis
*-* Un tío simpático - een gezellige kerel

A lot of other adjectives could be considered since 'gezellig' is, as Brown already mentioned, a tipical Dutch understanding that has no direct equivalent in Spanish (or English for that matter).


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## codina

Thanks for the spanish examples. Today I enriched my vocabulary after a few _cold ones_.


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## elroy

On the off chance that you know German, the German equivalent is _gemütlich_.


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## codina

Unfortunately I don't know any german, but I appreciate your contribution elroy. Thanks


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## ThomasK

Maybe this list of all kinds of equivalents (or near...) at All Languages can help as well...


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## Dominiekske

It's a word we use very often in Holland to describe a situation or place with a good vibe, like:

"Gezellig samen eten" - having dinner together with a good atmosphere
"Een gezellig café" - a cafe with a good vibe, where you can feel good

So no bullshit at all! Hope this helps


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## babyfish520

i am new here 
thank you very much


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## ThomasK

As a non-Dutch native speaker (Flemish) I'd like to point out that the meaning referred to by D. is the generally accepted one, but there is also the very Dutch use of* gezellig as an adverb*, as in 'gezellig iets drinken', 'gezellig gaan wandelen', 'gezellig naar Marokko' (internet quote). It seems to me that it means something like 'go and have a drink, and have fun/have a good time/feel good'. We don't have a perfect equivalent in Flanders, only something like 'rustig'. _(Isn't this performative language as a matter of fact? The speaker is trying to create an atmosphere by 'describing' it beforehand)_

*'Lekker'* can mean the same thing. 'Lekker iets gaan eten' does not so much focus on the quality of the food, but on the atmosphere, as one can 'lekker gaan fietsen', 'lekker gaan dansen', etc. Do my fellow Dutch speakers from 'boven de Moerdijk' agree ?


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## Dominiekske

Thomas, I'd agree with your explanation of the adverbial use of "gezellig". It's a way of describing a situation or proposing to go and do something that immediately gives the hearer a good feeling about it.

The "lekker"-part I'm not so sure about. If I said "lekker iets gaan eten" I'd primarily be talking about the food, although the word does in a way give the same kind of good vibe as "gezellig". I agree with you about "lekker gaan fietsen/dansen", although in my view it's an expression that belongs to quite a low register of the language. I'm now quite weary of using it as my Flemish partner always laughs at me for it.


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## ThomasK

Well, I agree as for the register, but just admit it is quite common 'there', in that register, though indeed we 'don't buy' that very well in Flanders... ;-) 

And I am practically sure that the 'lekker' in 'lekker gaan eten' has the same status now, though indeed that literal meaning might have been the cause of the confusion later on. 

Yet, you never say 'lekker*s* [noun] gaan eten'. As in  'eens goed gaan eten' in Dutch: it is an adverb mainly, not an adjective, I am sure...


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## Brownpaperbag

Hi all,

My two cents.

Compare:

Ik heb vandaag lekker een dag vrij, ik blijf gezellig thuis vandaag.

The main difference in my opinion is that _lekker_ refers to the fact/activity itself, whereas _gezellig_ refers to the atmosphere surrounding it.

Brown


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## ThomasK

Oh-oh, I'll keep out here. Or one question: 'Ik ga lekker fietsen' vs. '... gezellig fietsen'? Can you compare those two? 

_If there is a moderator around, he might split this thread up, starting at #10, and call it_ *'lekker' vs. 'gezellig' (adverb)*_ !_


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## Dominiekske

It is common, you're right about that. In "lekker gaan eten" I think the more primary meaning of "lekker" (referring to food, drink, etc.) takes over, but it does have a connotation of well-being.

We do use the word "lekkers" to refer to tasty foods, but to me it sounds a bit childish and old-fashioned. It's something granny says to her grandson on handing him a bag of sweets: "kijk eens naar al dat lekkers!".

@Brownpaperbag, I think the main difference between the adverbial uses of "lekker" and "gezellig" is that the latter always refers to multiple people having a good time, whereas "lekker" can also refer to something you do alone. For example, some people like to go out for dinner alone, and they might say "lekker iets gaan eten", or you might feel like going for a walk alone and say "lekker een stukje gaan wandelen".


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## ThomasK

Dominiekske said:


> It is common, you're right about that. In "lekker gaan eten" I think the more primary meaning of "lekker" (referring to food, drink, etc.) takes over, but it does have a connotation of well-being.
> 
> We do use the word "lekkers" to refer to tasty foods, but to me it sounds a bit childish and old-fashioned. It's something granny says to her grandson on handing him a bag of sweets: "kijk eens naar al dat lekkers!".


 
'Lekker (gaan) eten': not sure, but I am not Dutch. Could it be that there is/can be a semantic difference between 'lekker eten'  and 'lekker gaan eten' ? 

'Lekkers': I just wanted to point out that 'lekker' has probably never been a noun (or adj.), only an adverb.


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## Dominiekske

Hmm it's tricky. I think it has more to do with whether it's about one person or about more people. I think the first two sentences have a connotation of well-being,  but only as a result of the quality of the food. The latter two have more of a connotation of a good vibe, of "convivialité" (one possible French translation of "gezellig").

"Ik ben lekker aan het eten."
"Ik ga lekker eten."
"Wij zijn lekker aan het eten."
"We gaan lekker eten."

I don't really understand what you're trying to say in your last sentence, are you saying that "lekker" can only be an adverb? Because you often use it as an adjective ("het eten is lekker").


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## ThomasK

Dominiekske said:


> I don't really understand what you're trying to say in your last sentence, are you saying that "lekker" can only be an adverb? Because you often use it as an adjective ("het eten is lekker").


 
I am sorry, I was hinting at the 'lekker gaan eten'. I meant to say that regarding that phrase I do not think it has ever been a noun, not even an adj. But I might be mistaken...


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## jacquesvd

Dominiekske said:


> @Brownpaperbag, I think the main difference between the adverbial uses of "lekker" and "gezellig" is that the latter always refers to multiple people having a good time, whereas "lekker" can also refer to something you do alone. For example, some people like to go out for dinner alone, and they might say "lekker iets gaan eten", or you might feel like going for a walk alone and say "lekker een stukje gaan wandelen".


 
"Gezellig" can even refer to a place like when somebody refers to it in a conversation with a friend and says: 'een heel gezellig lokaal; moet je ook eens naar toe gaan' and thus underscores Brownpaperbag's statement that it addresses primarily the 'atmosphere' or 'ambiente' .


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## little_wings

Funny topic. 
My humble contribution: I am Flemish, from the same region as Thomas, and I agree with his saying that we use "lekker" as in "Eens lekker gaan eten". It is however, in my opinion, a very regional use, mostly said by people from West-Flanders, and the use of it for non-natives might be tricky.. 
I read "Ik ga lekker eten" was mentioned as an alternative with the same meaning but I would like to add another meaning to that; I associate "Ik ga lekker eten" (or any other verb) rather with, for example, a lightly pestering child, in the sense of "Ik ga lekker eten, en jij niet", "Ik heb lekker betere punten dan jij", think of the "hehe" added by Nelson in The Simpsons.


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## ThomasK

_(See, Mr/ Ms Moderator, it would be better to have a separate thread !)_

I think though that we are referring to the same use, but here we use it in a different situation. Don't you ?


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## Grytolle

little_wings said:


> "Ik heb lekker betere punten dan jij"


West-Flemish people say that?


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## ThomasK

As a WF (but borderline, no, border ;-)), I'd say something similar in standard Dutch even, or I would have said that when I was younger - but not in my dialect.


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## little_wings

"Ik heb lekker betere punten dan jij", for example, is a bit childish but yes, I heard it in my region.
@ Thomas: we must be from quite the same region, me too I'm from a village at the border between East- and West-Flanders (Waregem). 
I was indeed referring to the same use of "Lekker gaan eten" in the first part of my post, but I however wanted to add that second meaning/association to it, because it hadn't been mentioned before.


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## ThomasK

So, yes, I think we use it, even in standard Dutch. But it might be better to separate this from our gezellig thread. Is there a moderator around? 

_(I'll send you a PM in half an hour)_


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