Hi Charlie.👋 I loved your reactions to this video, especially your surprise at discovering the Dutch word (“niksen”) for what you already do naturally. So cool! Thanks for taking the time to review my video. I learn a lot from your input and perspective. You’re the best, man. 😊
You're only shown the bright side of love! Look beyond... It's one of the most criminal countries! I can make the states look perfect too! But it ain't!
And you can even have the goverment pay for your education at a later age... If you meet the requirements . But even if you have a low paying job, or no job you can get an education if you want it. With all the negative things I said, the Netherlands is still the best country to live in world wide! @ Riny: I know you know this stuff...
In regard to education: you're never too old to learn or start a new education. I'm 54 years old now, and I've just started a new studies (I wanna become a Dutch language teacher). It's a 4-year education, and the whole 4-year education costs less than 10k in total!
Once I was chatting with someone (from I think Australia) and the lol word was used so I was like, do you speak Dutch. No was the answer. I asked him but you know what lol means. Yeah laughing out loud.😅
Thanks for your video! About 'niksen' - also common in germany. We say 'faulenzen' (like, hang around lazy) oder 'sich einen Lenz machen' (do nothing). 😊
@@ItsCharlieVest You got the pronunciation right, it's like the president Nixon, but not related... more like nixan.. Just doing nothing.. could be what i'm doing right now. Just watching youtube, doing nothing. Just entertainment.
How your face lit up at the realisation there's a word for 'just chill, do nothing, it's okay to not be 'productive' every once in a while. 😊 Take a break from the treadmill. You really understand the concept of 'gezelligheid'. Which is the noun of the verb 'gezellig'. Let's get you to The Netherlands, Charlie; You'll fit right in!
the heid at the end of gezelligheid means the state of "being gezellig", you know this from the word "apartheid" the state of being kept apart (not gezellig)
@@deetgeluid Well, cozy isn't in there in literal translation. Rather 'As if you where with fellows', which overlaps partially with the meaning of cozy (which is closer to 'Knus'.)
A few fun other Dutch words in the same vain as niksen that me and my friends like to use are: bedrotten (bed rotting) is a word that we use when, for example you just got broken up with and all you do is just lay in bed and eat ice-cream. You take a day or a moment to "bedrot" when you are not feeling well and you just stay inside your bed for the entire day. uitzieken (out sicking) When you have been sick for a few days and your feeling better, but not yet perfectly oké and you decide to take an extra day off to feel better. "Ik moet nog even een dag uitzieken," I have to have another day to sick it out, btw you're never to old to learn, we even have special schools in the Netherlands for adults that have not yet completed their education. A lot of people go their even for just one subject, there is no shame in deciding to learn some more :)
Yep and the example Charlie mentioned of staring into 'nothingness' is more like "dagdromen" which is "daydreaming" in English. The act of "niksen" is a bit different. It is almost like deliberately doing nothing... or a retrospective to summarize what you were doing when someone asks you. "Wat was je aan het doen?" (What were you doing?) "Oh ik zat gewoon even te niksen" (Oh nothing, I was just "niksen") And don't forget the typical Dutch word "gewoon" :)
We (in Denmark ) have a word for geziling to. “ Hygge “😀but then again. The Netherlands and Dennark is very similar . Get out of there Charlie. And go to the Netherlands . It’s a wonderful country. You’ll love it 🤗🤗
@@lottebuejensen2310 We use "kos" in Norway the same way you use hygge in Denmark. Posh, elderly people here may still say "hygge". There's a reason why Denmark has been the favorite summer vacation country for Norwegians for decades! 🤗
Niksen -Nik'sun Is maybe my most productive activity. I overthink a lot and plan future projects or review older. And then decide if it is for the better or worse and adjust my plans to it. And the reasons can be anything: financial, weather, too much work or getting something done easier etc.
I live in the Netherlands and i don’t even know where to get a gun (don’t need it, don’t want it). In America you can buy one on every street corner for the price of a pack of bubble gum.
For lack of any better comparison: Gezellig=cozy, gezelligheid=cozyness. It's being gezellig, the whole vibe of it. Gezellig is anything happy, lovely, cozy or whatever positive feeling you want. Even rainy weather can be gezellig, just as long as you like it.
More technically: "Gezellig" is an adverb. "Gezelligheid" is a noun. "-heid" is a suffix describing "the state of being...", just like "-ness" is in English. Another example is "lazy" and "laziness", which is "lui" en "luiheid" in Dutch.
Gezelligheid is the word for describing the situation. When you are in that situation then it is gezellig. En lekker niksen is my favorite, to do absolute nothing. ❤
Hey Charlie, I know you love us and our country. 😁 I love you and your RUclips channel. That's why I am along time a member. If you should live in the Netherlands I think we could be friends. But that being said. I like to react on a comment that you said about the topic Tolerance and Inclusivity. It doesn't effect you because you're straight. People who are tolerant and accepting other people is (most of the time) a happy person. That's also you. 😄 Oooh and as a Dutch person I love NIKSEN (sometimes). 😆
People always try to mystify "Gezelligheid" as something unique that only we, the Dutch have and understand. I am sure every country and culture has it in some sort of form or shape. For the Americans it would be for instance a coming together with Thanksgiving or Christmas, sharing your time together. I think you could roughly translate "gezelligheid" to 'a shared experience' that you are very aware of when it is happening. Maybe the Dutch are more frequently aware of this sharing and the moments of togetherness, maybe we take it less for granted. These moments don't need to be big or special to feel like gezellig. Christmas dinner is "gezellig", but having lunch with your colleagues can be "gezellig" as well.
It’s not only togetherness, ‘gezellig’ has to be a very positive atmosphere , even with the same people in the same setting it’s not equally gezellig every time…! The positive feeling for everyone has to be part of it to call it gezellig…
You're never too old to learn. He (and you) focus on education for children. But in The Netherlands, it is also quite common for an employer to pay for your education. Most of the times within the scope of your job, but not necessarily.
When I was younger I worked at a bank. They gave courses ( with diploma ) paid by the bank ( of course! ) and in their time ( obviously ). Improved your chances on promotion as well.
Litterally all people watching this video right now are doing 'niksen'. It is to clear your brain and also as a treat for the good things you already did today.
The important stage before you are able to do nothing (niksen) without shame or guilt is laziness (luiheid). Laziness is the driving force behind progress. To understand this statement properly you just have to realize what in general is considered to be greatest invention of mankind: the invention of the wheel. In order to be able to be lazy without shame or guilt, you have to organize your life properly and be efficient in doing things.
“Gezelligheid” can be translated to ‘fellowhood’ (Gezel translates to fellowman, gezellig is having a good time with your fellowman) (heid is very similar to hood) ps Most people say “Nikse”
How it evolved: Nothing is “niets” in Dutch That turned into “niks” as a popular translation. That turned into the verb “niksen” Meaning doing nothing deliberately to reflect and relax “What are you doing?, I’m sitting to do nothing (niks)” “Ok, enjoy!”
Niksen is pronounced like vixen, but with an N. You can make the N at the end silent if you want, either way is fine. But yeah, what happened there is we took the Dutch word for nothing (niks) en turned it into a verb that means doing nothing. We did the same with the other Dutch word voor nothing: niets -> nietsen (pronounced like beats, but with an N).
The Dutch ‘tolerance and inclusivity’ has its roots in trading. For centuries the Dutch has been trading with different kind of tribes all over the world. To gain trust, you have to be open minded.
You say that inclusivity doesn't impact you personally, and I can kind of see your point, but I do think I personally feel less safe or at least less comfortable if I don't get the feeling that everyone is respected the same way... For some reason, seeing every person be who they are without the need for fear makes me feel like I can be who I want to be. In a way equal respect for everyone is something that benefits everyone in my opinion. It factors in to the general happiness and gezelligheid factors
I guess the Italian 'dolce far niente' is like Dutch 'niksen'. Though the Dutch word for it is a lot more compact. And, indeed, of the plural ending of verbs and nouns in Dutch, -en, the n is silent. Unless you're in a region where they drop the 'e' instead.
Niksen: The official pronunciation would be with the n at the end of the word included hoever, in many places local slang might have it without the n. Generally you said it correctly.
The way your face lit up by Niksen...priceless. But your not supposed to sit at your desk. More like sitting on your couch or in the park on a bench. Deliberatly leaving things that can wait. And just let your mind go free. It is not just Dutch though. It is an almost necessary time for yourself, to unwind. Most Dutch people work hard, job, voluntary work (are economy would burst if people stopped doing voluntary work), caring for familymembers or friends in need of help (mantelzorg), sports, hubby, wife and or kids, household and off course social interacting (being gezellig!). I am sure I left out a few things. Getting up at 7 and finally sitting down at 9 in the evening... So it just comes down to nothingness...
That is why we work less. Efficiency. Not wasting half an hour beating around the bush. If you lose half an hou in every meeting you need to work at least 60 hours a week.
Dude, I hope you can manage to come over to Holland. You'll definitely be able to unwind and relax 😊👍. Je bent welkom in ons land. (=Your welcome in our country.)
when "niks"means nothing and "niksen" (yes the n is hearable like he said it) is "doing nothing", then niksen would be translated exactly to "to niks" "When she rang my bell I was niksing........ I released a sigh, hoping she would go away. But the bell rang again. So I got up from my sofa and opened her. "Hi Forwalu, what's up?" she wanted to know. "Oh.. I was just niksing, Dear." Her face showed a slight frown. "Hope I'm not disturbing!?" "Not if you agree to niks with me....." "Sounds like a good plan! Letz niks together!"
americans think the dream is buying stuff they dont need or even want just to flash their neighbors, europeans think the dream is spending time with friends and family and have it "gezellig" and do "niks"
greetings from NL 🙋♂ as always liked the content ! We always complain about the taxes but I think we get allot for it, maybe not always if you are middle class but in general there is always a safety net and that brings a certain peace of mind, knowing that for most of the folks you will not lose it all if life its you hard. like job security when you get sick and medical bills if you suddenly need care in the hospital. And work for an American company in the Netherlands, and always if we have US colleges over for work there tent to stay till everybody left xD
If you were stunted by "niksen", you will be amazed by the most brilliant word in the Dutch language: "Epibreren". It roughly means: giving the impression of being busy, while doing nothing. Ps the pronunciation of "niksen", comes close to "Nix-ən" (mostly with such a lack on emphasis on the last "n" that it's barely pronounced
Haha lachen! Ik ben dat woord nooit meer vergeten. Ik gooi het wel eens in de groep om te zien wie erop aanslaat. De meesten niet. “Een woord dat je niet zo vaak hoort”. Is het van Jiskefet ofzo…? Weet het niet meer 😂.
@@kiekert7499 'Epibreren' werd in 1954 voor het eerst gebruikt (en dus ook verzonnen) door de schrijver Simon Carmiggelt in één van zijn 'Kronkels' (een cursiefje = korte dagelijkse column) in Het Parool. Epibreren is daar het 'gewichtig niks doen' van een ambtenaar die bewust een taak op de lange baan schuift
Let's say gezellig is cosy in English and gezelligheid is then cosiness. The equivalents In English for the "-heid" or "-teit" endings (that essentially mean the same thing) are "-ness" or "-ty". But they aren't always used like for like. So, for example fragility translates to kwetsbaadheid.
Dutch households produce so much energy with solar panels that in the near future we're going to have to pay to provide the power grid with our electricity. Isn't that wild?
in Belgium you wouldn't pronounce the 'n' at the end of an infinitive. In the Netherlands, you would. Both is correct Dutch but considered regiolects. So "nikse(n)", pronounce it like with which regiolect you associate most.
Niksen is pronounced as you did perfectly the last time in this video. Niks... en than the schwa (uh). Niksuh. We usually don't pronounce the last "n".
5:56 all cute, but that only works for office jobs. I am a printingpress operator, working in shifts, 12 hours a day off from home. So it doesn't apply on all.. neither for ship builders, constructionworkers, factory workers..
Nonsense. We have all those jobs in the Netherlands as well, you know. All the things mentioned apply to the blue collar jobs just the same. It's a matter of planning and different mindset.
Niksen does have a bit of a negative association. Niksnut is translated to "good-for-nothing or layabout" For the pronunciation of "niksen", you should end with more "sun" or "sand" without the letter d. (Nixon (Nick's son?)...>Nicksun)) But I am not a linguist and english is not my native language.😁
Another great video, Charlie!! 👍 You're a Dutchie at heart!! You were clearly born on the wrong continent. 🤭 Hopefully, you and your family can experience "gezelligheid" on this side of the big pond, one day! 🙂
Charlie, I just wondered...have you saved up yet to come to the Netherlands!? I know you have plans that way. I think you need to take some action and maybe even come over first by yourself to look for opportunities here! Doing some groundwork. People here will help you and show you the way. I believe you have the right mentally to become a Dutchy. You will be happy here.
I don't know why, but there is one thing I really love about being dutch/ the dutch language, and that is overmorgen/eergisteren. I always hate having to say to foreign friends: The day after tommorow, or the day after yesterday, I don't really know why. About the other things, not everything is perfect, and everyone will find something wrong with some topic, but in opposition of the US, it is a bit better
"niksen" is essentially pronounced about the same that you'd say "richard Nixon", except that the "O" of Nixon is a bit more like an "uhhhh". But honestly, its so close that I wonder If I can actually hear the difference or if it's just my mind making stuff up based on what I expect to hear.
Charlie, why are you doing your 'niksen' at your desk? Do you have a garden? Are there any trees around in your area? I mean, you see your desk enough when you are working, my friend. Feel the grass, hear the birds, look at the ants gathering food. Or like Mike said, look at the clouds. Anything, anyplace, anywhere but your desk. But you get the concept. Work to live, not live to work. You are never too old to learn. If you have the time and the means I would say go for it! See you in the next one. Take care.
You know that in the Netherlands you dont have to explain to your boss why you want a free day or week, thats private and none of his business. You just ask for your leave and if he doesnt have a great reason he cant refuse. Simpel. its niksen , you say nik ze . Love to do it. Doing it right now whatching youre video haha
Every person should be 'niksen' sometimes. Just be,nothing else It will get you in balance Most of the dutch people does it Even at work you can do it sometimes If you co worker ask what yiu doing and you say ...ik ben even een minuutje aan het niksen( I 'm just " niksen" for a few a minute) than it is okay Because everyone understand it It refresh you and after it you can work harder
It may be a bit too rosy tho, we do enjoy many of these things that he mentions, but there are many people on a very tight budget, who are never going "niksen". We've made it a nice country to live in, but an expensive country as well.
Gezellig is really simple to explain Senario: You are going with vriends and familly out for dinner and you have a great time this is the mening of gezellig Annd when you all then leaf you normaly will say we had a great time We say het was gezellig The exact same meaning So you can say gezellig equals having a good time Not so hard to explain what it mean
Mike forgot perhaps the most important reason: The Netherlands (or Europe) have a better quality of food. Many additives are simply banned in Europe, but allowed in the US.
i'm belgian and like that i was born here instead of usa . however every country has it's benefits . although they seemingly become harder to find in usa . for me there's only one thing that i would like to visit . freedom factory . is that close to you or more like the other side of the country?
Niksen is all most the same pronunciation as president Nixon but with a less o sound at the end but more like the word Zen and the emphasis on Nix ( niks).
"Niksen" is very easy to pronounce for U.S. people; you had a president with the perfect name (Nixon). Granted, he was too much of a crime-fightin' go-getter to just be "niksen" but the pronunciation's still the same😁 Also, we may have less gun violence (helluva lot less from what I hear).... Buuuut~...... Criminals here weaponized fireworks into stuff that'll destroy houses (literally...), so we're not _completely_ safe here... Then again, when it comes to walking around with traffic and such; yeah, here you can just cross streets without fear of being hit by a car (_after_ you look left, then right, then left to check for traffic of course)...
Hai Charlie, inclusivetly and tollerance doesn't apply to you now, but you do not know if it will apply to your family later. My son came out as trans and my oldest as non binaire. And I'm very happy I live in the Netherlands ❤️. Hope you and your loved ones stay save❤❤❤ And you say NIKSEN (just doing noting, and enjoying it) is pronounced like nixon(your old president, but say it fast)
I really dont want to have your playlist on repeat all night, dont wanna dream about you ya cnt. But how about we set up a go fun me up for you, I mean if half of your subs drop one Dallah, you got 25k, im sure that’s gonna make a dent in ur problems
I love my country but I have to say that here also issues begin to surface. More crime, shootings, stabbing, terrorism, health care is declining, there are not enough teachers for good school educations, too much immigrants, everything gets more expensive. We start to look more and more like a criminal expensive divers classes country. And thats a shame.
U said the word niksen pretty well it whas better than that guy said on wichs video u reacted also u spell it like this in dutch Niksen dont be afraid to make it sound hard because u wil sound more like a dutch person like our G in our alphabet should be spoken out in a harder way rather than softer good luck and also why not try to get funds to gether to either move here or go on a nice long holiday around here
And actually niksen was not a word before, its a slang for the word niets, became niks and means nothing, and as always we constantly make new words so someone just give birth to niksen, as in to do nothing, its like saying nothinging in english
Hi Charlie.👋 I loved your reactions to this video, especially your surprise at discovering the Dutch word (“niksen”) for what you already do naturally. So cool! Thanks for taking the time to review my video. I learn a lot from your input and perspective. You’re the best, man. 😊
The best thing is that "niksen" is actually a verb.😂
@ Ironic, isn’t it? 😊 To do…nothing. 😆
Thank you! 😃
Wouldn't "lazing around" be a decent synonym?
@ Yes, that’s a good translation, but without any of the judgment that might be associated with being lazy. It’s like daydreaming. 😶🌫️
The Netherlands is by no means a perfect world. There is plenty of room for inprovement. But having said that: man am i grateful to live here
this. 22 years here.
You're only shown the bright side of love! Look beyond... It's one of the most criminal countries! I can make the states look perfect too! But it ain't!
Charlie here in the Netherlands you are never to old for education. People can start at any age a new education.
And you can even have the goverment pay for your education at a later age... If you meet the requirements . But even if you have a low paying job, or no job you can get an education if you want it. With all the negative things I said, the Netherlands is still the best country to live in world wide! @ Riny: I know you know this stuff...
yeah, I remember when doing my Master one of my classmates was 50.
In regard to education: you're never too old to learn or start a new education. I'm 54 years old now, and I've just started a new studies (I wanna become a Dutch language teacher). It's a 4-year education, and the whole 4-year education costs less than 10k in total!
Oh! So niksen is a verb, which in Dutch is called a werkwoord, which literally means a working word, lol (lol means fun in Dutch btw).
Lol means laugh out loud
@@raymon8307 Yes. But before that it meant fun in Dutch. Lollig is funny. It's just a coincidence I know, but it's a funny coincidence.
Once I was chatting with someone (from I think Australia) and the lol word was used so I was like, do you speak Dutch. No was the answer. I asked him but you know what lol means. Yeah laughing out loud.😅
@ Dat is dus lollig.
Always Some smarta$$. 😂
Thanks for your video!
About 'niksen' - also common in germany. We say 'faulenzen' (like, hang around lazy) oder 'sich einen Lenz machen' (do nothing).
😊
oh cool, thanks for the support!
@@ItsCharlieVest You got the pronunciation right, it's like the president Nixon, but not related... more like nixan.. Just doing nothing.. could be what i'm doing right now. Just watching youtube, doing nothing. Just entertainment.
How your face lit up at the realisation there's a word for 'just chill, do nothing, it's okay to not be 'productive' every once in a while. 😊 Take a break from the treadmill. You really understand the concept of 'gezelligheid'. Which is the noun of the verb 'gezellig'. Let's get you to The Netherlands, Charlie; You'll fit right in!
Gezellig is not a verb though
@@FrankDijkstra Yeah, it's an adjective.
omg guys lets start a go fund me we need this guy to come here to the Netherlands !!!!❤
I totally agree..
Charlie is born in the wrong country...he's so Dutch 😂😂❤
exactly what i was thinking. he and his family. i do have a guest room here in Rotterdam
@@lesasawahata4652 perhaps hé can walk the 4 days Nijmegen 😊
agreed charlie should be here in the Netherlands, he is Dutch like hell haha
the heid at the end of gezelligheid means the state of "being gezellig", you know this from the word "apartheid" the state of being kept apart (not gezellig)
cool thanks
the (not gezellig) cracked me up :D
@@ItsCharlieVest And Gezel means Fellow, So gezelligheid literally translates as Fellowshippiness
Basically heid is ness. Cozy ness, gezellig heid.
@@deetgeluid Well, cozy isn't in there in literal translation. Rather 'As if you where with fellows', which overlaps partially with the meaning of cozy (which is closer to 'Knus'.)
Ik heb weer 20 minuten en 40 seconden genikst XD Dank je Charlie, op een dag ben je hier, jaag die droom na!
A few fun other Dutch words in the same vain as niksen that me and my friends like to use are:
bedrotten (bed rotting) is a word that we use when, for example you just got broken up with and all you do is just lay in bed and eat ice-cream. You take a day or a moment to "bedrot" when you are not feeling well and you just stay inside your bed for the entire day.
uitzieken (out sicking) When you have been sick for a few days and your feeling better, but not yet perfectly oké and you decide to take an extra day off to feel better. "Ik moet nog even een dag uitzieken," I have to have another day to sick it out,
btw you're never to old to learn, we even have special schools in the Netherlands for adults that have not yet completed their education. A lot of people go their even for just one subject, there is no shame in deciding to learn some more :)
Lantefanteren is another one. Lounging around
Bedotten has nothing to do with bed. It's another word for to fool someone among friends
@@MartinWebNatures Er staat ook 'bedRotten' en niet 'bedotten'
Yep and the example Charlie mentioned of staring into 'nothingness' is more like "dagdromen" which is "daydreaming" in English.
The act of "niksen" is a bit different. It is almost like deliberately doing nothing... or a retrospective to summarize what you were doing when someone asks you.
"Wat was je aan het doen?" (What were you doing?)
"Oh ik zat gewoon even te niksen" (Oh nothing, I was just "niksen")
And don't forget the typical Dutch word "gewoon" :)
A former boss of mine stopped working at 65 and started studying geography at university
wow
Gezelligheid is fun in general! We Dutch love the moments in life where you can enjoy loved ones, family and friends! The warmth of your heart.
As a Dutchie i've been thinking about a good translation for 'gezellig' and what popped up in my mind was the old, original meaning of the word 'gay'.
We (in Denmark ) have a word for geziling to. “ Hygge “😀but then again. The Netherlands and Dennark is very similar .
Get out of there Charlie. And go to the Netherlands . It’s a wonderful country. You’ll love it 🤗🤗
@@lottebuejensen2310 We use "kos" in Norway the same way you use hygge in Denmark. Posh, elderly people here may still say "hygge". There's a reason why Denmark has been the favorite summer vacation country for Norwegians for decades! 🤗
@ 💕
Ha,ha,ha
Of vrolijk,de vrolijkaarts.
Niksen -Nik'sun Is maybe my most productive activity. I overthink a lot and plan future projects or review older. And then decide if it is for the better or worse and adjust my plans to it. And the reasons can be anything: financial, weather, too much work or getting something done easier etc.
I live in the Netherlands and i don’t even know where to get a gun (don’t need it, don’t want it). In America you can buy one on every street corner for the price of a pack of bubble gum.
Het is gezellig - It is cosy. Gezelligheid - Cosiness. Its more like that, my attempt to explain it.
I am a new subscriber and I love your content so far! You sound so kind and humble. Thank you for what you are doing! ❤
Thank you so much!
For lack of any better comparison: Gezellig=cozy, gezelligheid=cozyness. It's being gezellig, the whole vibe of it.
Gezellig is anything happy, lovely, cozy or whatever positive feeling you want. Even rainy weather can be gezellig, just as long as you like it.
More technically: "Gezellig" is an adverb. "Gezelligheid" is a noun. "-heid" is a suffix describing "the state of being...", just like "-ness" is in English. Another example is "lazy" and "laziness", which is "lui" en "luiheid" in Dutch.
If you get the "niksen" part, you're half Dutch ..... 😊
the other half is "normaal doen"
Gezelligheid is the word for describing the situation. When you are in that situation then it is gezellig. En lekker niksen is my favorite, to do absolute nothing. ❤
Hey Charlie, I know you love us and our country. 😁 I love you and your RUclips channel. That's why I am along time a member. If you should live in the Netherlands I think we could be friends. But that being said. I like to react on a comment that you said about the topic Tolerance and Inclusivity. It doesn't effect you because you're straight. People who are tolerant and accepting other people is (most of the time) a happy person. That's also you. 😄 Oooh and as a Dutch person I love NIKSEN (sometimes). 😆
Hi Dutchie, the great thing about a work-life balance is that you work smarter and are more motivated. Is more like working from project to project.
People always try to mystify "Gezelligheid" as something unique that only we, the Dutch have and understand. I am sure every country and culture has it in some sort of form or shape. For the Americans it would be for instance a coming together with Thanksgiving or Christmas, sharing your time together. I think you could roughly translate "gezelligheid" to 'a shared experience' that you are very aware of when it is happening. Maybe the Dutch are more frequently aware of this sharing and the moments of togetherness, maybe we take it less for granted. These moments don't need to be big or special to feel like gezellig. Christmas dinner is "gezellig", but having lunch with your colleagues can be "gezellig" as well.
It’s not only togetherness, ‘gezellig’ has to be a very positive atmosphere , even with the same people in the same setting it’s not equally gezellig every time…! The positive feeling for everyone has to be part of it to call it gezellig…
You're never too old to learn. He (and you) focus on education for children. But in The Netherlands, it is also quite common for an employer to pay for your education. Most of the times within the scope of your job, but not necessarily.
When I was younger I worked at a bank. They gave courses ( with diploma ) paid by the bank ( of course! ) and in their time ( obviously ). Improved your chances on promotion as well.
Litterally all people watching this video right now are doing 'niksen'. It is to clear your brain and also as a treat for the good things you already did today.
Charlie, you pronounced it almost right.
The 'e' in niksen is pronouced u as in 'thus'. The last n is indeed pronounced just as the first n.
The important stage before you are able to do nothing (niksen) without shame or guilt is laziness (luiheid).
Laziness is the driving force behind progress. To understand this statement properly you just have to realize what in general is considered to be greatest invention of mankind: the invention of the wheel. In order to be able to be lazy without shame or guilt, you have to organize your life properly and be efficient in doing things.
“Gezelligheid” can be translated to ‘fellowhood’ (Gezel translates to fellowman, gezellig is having a good time with your fellowman) (heid is very similar to hood) ps Most people say “Nikse”
The heid at the end makes it a noun. Like with gezond (healthy) and gezondheid (health)
How it evolved:
Nothing is “niets” in Dutch
That turned into “niks” as a popular translation.
That turned into the verb “niksen”
Meaning doing nothing deliberately to reflect and relax
“What are you doing?, I’m sitting to do nothing (niks)”
“Ok, enjoy!”
Niksen is pronounced like vixen, but with an N. You can make the N at the end silent if you want, either way is fine. But yeah, what happened there is we took the Dutch word for nothing (niks) en turned it into a verb that means doing nothing. We did the same with the other Dutch word voor nothing: niets -> nietsen (pronounced like beats, but with an N).
The Dutch ‘tolerance and inclusivity’ has its roots in trading. For centuries the Dutch has been trading with different kind of tribes all over the world. To gain trust, you have to be open minded.
You say that inclusivity doesn't impact you personally, and I can kind of see your point, but I do think I personally feel less safe or at least less comfortable if I don't get the feeling that everyone is respected the same way... For some reason, seeing every person be who they are without the need for fear makes me feel like I can be who I want to be. In a way equal respect for everyone is something that benefits everyone in my opinion. It factors in to the general happiness and gezelligheid factors
The 'heid' in 'gezelligheid' is like the 'ness' in 'coziness'. 😉
I guess the Italian 'dolce far niente' is like Dutch 'niksen'. Though the Dutch word for it is a lot more compact. And, indeed, of the plural ending of verbs and nouns in Dutch, -en, the n is silent.
Unless you're in a region where they drop the 'e' instead.
Niksen: The official pronunciation would be with the n at the end of the word included hoever, in many places local slang might have it without the n. Generally you said it correctly.
I think it's pretty close to Nixon, like the former president.
As a flemish, I pretty well know what niksen is, and since I'm retired, it's a big part of my daily occupations.
NIKSEN is one of my hobbies,love it 🥸👀
The way your face lit up by Niksen...priceless.
But your not supposed to sit at your desk.
More like sitting on your couch or in the park on a bench.
Deliberatly leaving things that can wait.
And just let your mind go free. It is not just Dutch though. It is an almost necessary time for yourself, to unwind.
Most Dutch people work hard, job, voluntary work (are economy would burst if people stopped doing voluntary work), caring for familymembers or friends in need of help (mantelzorg), sports, hubby, wife and or kids, household and off course social interacting (being gezellig!). I am sure I left out a few things. Getting up at 7 and finally sitting down at 9 in the evening...
So it just comes down to nothingness...
We Dutch are also directly, right forward when we speak to a person.
That is why we work less. Efficiency. Not wasting half an hour beating around the bush. If you lose half an hou in every meeting you need to work at least 60 hours a week.
Dude, I hope you can manage to come over to Holland. You'll definitely be able to unwind and relax 😊👍. Je bent welkom in ons land. (=Your welcome in our country.)
He needs to get over here..This guy is Dutch,period. Born in the wrong country...He fits in perfectly
I would'nt go to Holland, too crowded. The Netherlands would be a somewhat better idea. 😉
when "niks"means nothing and "niksen" (yes the n is hearable like he said it) is "doing nothing",
then niksen would be translated exactly to "to niks"
"When she rang my bell I was niksing........ I released a sigh, hoping she would go away. But the bell rang again. So I got up from my sofa and opened her. "Hi Forwalu, what's up?" she wanted to know. "Oh.. I was just niksing, Dear."
Her face showed a slight frown. "Hope I'm not disturbing!?"
"Not if you agree to niks with me....."
"Sounds like a good plan! Letz niks together!"
"Gezelligheid "... heid is an addition to a word what translates into "ness" like happiness ....
americans think the dream is buying stuff they dont need or even want just to flash their neighbors, europeans think the dream is spending time with friends and family and have it "gezellig" and do "niks"
You should so come to the Netherlands dude, we'd love you
greetings from NL 🙋♂ as always liked the content ! We always complain about the taxes but I think we get allot for it, maybe not always if you are middle class but in general there is always a safety net and that brings a certain peace of mind, knowing that for most of the folks you will not lose it all if life its you hard. like job security when you get sick and medical bills if you suddenly need care in the hospital. And work for an American company in the Netherlands, and always if we have US colleges over for work there tent to stay till everybody left xD
If you were stunted by "niksen", you will be amazed by the most brilliant word in the Dutch language: "Epibreren". It roughly means: giving the impression of being busy, while doing nothing.
Ps the pronunciation of "niksen", comes close to "Nix-ən" (mostly with such a lack on emphasis on the last "n" that it's barely pronounced
Haha lachen! Ik ben dat woord nooit meer vergeten. Ik gooi het wel eens in de groep om te zien wie erop aanslaat. De meesten niet. “Een woord dat je niet zo vaak hoort”. Is het van Jiskefet ofzo…? Weet het niet meer 😂.
@@kiekert7499 'Epibreren' werd in 1954 voor het eerst gebruikt (en dus ook verzonnen) door de schrijver Simon Carmiggelt in één van zijn 'Kronkels' (een cursiefje = korte dagelijkse column) in Het Parool. Epibreren is daar het 'gewichtig niks doen' van een ambtenaar die bewust een taak op de lange baan schuift
Let's say gezellig is cosy in English and gezelligheid is then cosiness. The equivalents In English for the "-heid" or "-teit" endings (that essentially mean the same thing) are "-ness" or "-ty". But they aren't always used like for like. So, for example fragility translates to kwetsbaadheid.
Dutch households produce so much energy with solar panels that in the near future we're going to have to pay to provide the power grid with our electricity. Isn't that wild?
in Belgium you wouldn't pronounce the 'n' at the end of an infinitive. In the Netherlands, you would. Both is correct Dutch but considered regiolects. So "nikse(n)", pronounce it like with which regiolect you associate most.
Niksen is pronounced as you did perfectly the last time in this video. Niks... en than the schwa (uh). Niksuh. We usually don't pronounce the last "n".
It depends on the regional dialect. But I think that the most parts of our country doesn’t pronounce the n
5:56 all cute, but that only works for office jobs. I am a printingpress operator, working in shifts, 12 hours a day off from home. So it doesn't apply on all.. neither for ship builders, constructionworkers, factory workers..
Nonsense. We have all those jobs in the Netherlands as well, you know. All the things mentioned apply to the blue collar jobs just the same. It's a matter of planning and different mindset.
Niksen is wonderful. Do whatever you want to do, without the pressure of it needing to be productive or useful.
Niksen does have a bit of a negative association. Niksnut is translated to "good-for-nothing or layabout"
For the pronunciation of "niksen", you should end with more "sun" or "sand" without the letter d. (Nixon (Nick's son?)...>Nicksun))
But I am not a linguist and english is not my native language.😁
Gezellig = cozy & gezelligheid = coziness
Another great video, Charlie!! 👍 You're a Dutchie at heart!! You were clearly born on the wrong continent. 🤭 Hopefully, you and your family can experience "gezelligheid" on this side of the big pond, one day! 🙂
And I did my high scool education om my 50th, so you never to old to learn.
Charlie, I just wondered...have you saved up yet to come to the Netherlands!? I know you have plans that way. I think you need to take some action and maybe even come over first by yourself to look for opportunities here! Doing some groundwork. People here will help you and show you the way.
I believe you have the right mentally to become a Dutchy. You will be happy here.
100% agree...
He is not happy there
Gezellig -heid is like cozy-ness
I don't know why, but there is one thing I really love about being dutch/ the dutch language, and that is overmorgen/eergisteren. I always hate having to say to foreign friends: The day after tommorow, or the day after yesterday, I don't really know why. About the other things, not everything is perfect, and everyone will find something wrong with some topic, but in opposition of the US, it is a bit better
"niksen" is essentially pronounced about the same that you'd say "richard Nixon", except that the "O" of Nixon is a bit more like an "uhhhh". But honestly, its so close that I wonder If I can actually hear the difference or if it's just my mind making stuff up based on what I expect to hear.
Charlie, why are you doing your 'niksen' at your desk? Do you have a garden? Are there any trees around in your area? I mean, you see your desk enough when you are working, my friend. Feel the grass, hear the birds, look at the ants gathering food. Or like Mike said, look at the clouds. Anything, anyplace, anywhere but your desk.
But you get the concept. Work to live, not live to work.
You are never too old to learn. If you have the time and the means I would say go for it!
See you in the next one. Take care.
Niksen to prononce it you can say : Nick ksen (nicksen) or Nixen..
charlie i will put a playlist on for you every day ;)
aww thanks!
You know that in the Netherlands you dont have to explain to your boss why you want a free day or week, thats private and none of his business. You just ask for your leave and if he doesnt have a great reason he cant refuse. Simpel. its niksen , you say nik ze . Love to do it. Doing it right now whatching youre video haha
cool, I also do niksen and didn't know that there is a word for it. 🙂 and last letter n is pronounced. I think the closest is: Nixon. lol
Every person should be 'niksen' sometimes.
Just be,nothing else
It will get you in balance
Most of the dutch people does it
Even at work you can do it sometimes
If you co worker ask what yiu doing and you say ...ik ben even een minuutje aan het niksen( I 'm just " niksen" for a few a minute) than it is okay
Because everyone understand it
It refresh you and after it you can work harder
The word ' gezellig ' is a very old word.
In fact Old English also had the same word ' gesaelig ' and ' gesaeliglice '.
English lost a word 😂😂😂
It may be a bit too rosy tho, we do enjoy many of these things that he mentions, but there are many people on a very tight budget, who are never going "niksen". We've made it a nice country to live in, but an expensive country as well.
Gezellig is really simple to explain
Senario:
You are going with vriends and familly out for dinner and you have a great time this is the mening of gezellig
Annd when you all then leaf you normaly will say we had a great time
We say het was gezellig
The exact same meaning
So you can say gezellig equals having a good time
Not so hard to explain what it mean
Charlie, start a crowdfund: help my family to the Netherlands. Bet you are here in 4 months and never will go back 😂
We have at least 20 vacation days and 10 days on top of that for special days like x-mas etc..
The legal minimum is 4 times the number of hours one works per week. So that anyone can take 4 weeks off per year.
However, most companies offer more.
@@annedenhaag3511 Daarom staat er 'at least' meestal is het tussen de 23 en 25 dagen.
Niksen should be #1. It’s the Netherlands’ favorite pastime.
Agree😂
Just say it like Nixon, but with an e (Nixen) 😊 I love niksen.
I think you're quite Dutch already, Charlie. Except for the language. But that can be fixed.
haha yeah i need to practice more
Mike forgot perhaps the most important reason: The Netherlands (or Europe) have a better quality of food. Many additives are simply banned in Europe, but allowed in the US.
i'm belgian and like that i was born here instead of usa . however every country has it's benefits . although they seemingly become harder to find in usa . for me there's only one thing that i would like to visit . freedom factory . is that close to you or more like the other side of the country?
"-heid" in Dutch is comparable with "-ness" in English.
Btw, I think you would be very "gezellig" to hang out with
Niksen is all most the same pronunciation as president Nixon but with a less o sound at the end but more like the word Zen and the emphasis on Nix ( niks).
Great video (but your clock is amazing 🤩).
I don't need to hear that statement all the time. We are not good in everything! Our culture also prever to be more modest to stay grounded. 😊😊😊
Charlie, i have one question. Why you not come here to the Netherlands?😊
" Niksen " is pronounced exactly as the old president of te U.S. Nixon. Exactly the same 😀
"Niksen" is very easy to pronounce for U.S. people; you had a president with the perfect name (Nixon). Granted, he was too much of a crime-fightin' go-getter to just be "niksen" but the pronunciation's still the same😁
Also, we may have less gun violence (helluva lot less from what I hear).... Buuuut~...... Criminals here weaponized fireworks into stuff that'll destroy houses (literally...), so we're not _completely_ safe here...
Then again, when it comes to walking around with traffic and such; yeah, here you can just cross streets without fear of being hit by a car (_after_ you look left, then right, then left to check for traffic of course)...
Hai Charlie, inclusivetly and tollerance doesn't apply to you now, but you do not know if it will apply to your family later. My son came out as trans and my oldest as non binaire. And I'm very happy I live in the Netherlands ❤️. Hope you and your loved ones stay save❤❤❤
And you say NIKSEN (just doing noting, and enjoying it) is pronounced like nixon(your old president, but say it fast)
We are controllled , not much freedom left ! Greetz from tht Netherlands ( try to wake up!!!!!)
Here's the gezelligest song in the whole world: Ja gezellig by Joost Belinfante
ruclips.net/video/XTeKDRSV4s8/видео.html
Niksen and niksuh is both correctly pronounced.
Niksuh is more common I guess. The pronunciation niksen might be considered somewhat elitist.
You say you only live once. But that's not true. You only die once and you live every day anew. And enjoy it.😉
Most of this guy's mentions are valid. Although a couple are not exactly unique to us imo.
I really dont want to have your playlist on repeat all night, dont wanna dream about you ya cnt.
But how about we set up a go fun me up for you, I mean if half of your subs drop one Dallah, you got 25k, im sure that’s gonna make a dent in ur problems
haha you would be hearing my terrible pronunciations all night lol
@@ItsCharlieVest Ngl id be hard all night ;)
yes..a GO FUND ME WOULD HELP BIG TIME
This would really work, I think.
My most favorite hobby..niksen 🎉😂
Seems to me he is talking about The Netherlands 15 years ago...
I love my country but I have to say that here also issues begin to surface.
More crime, shootings, stabbing, terrorism, health care is declining, there are not enough teachers for good school educations, too much immigrants, everything gets more expensive. We start to look more and more like a criminal expensive divers classes country. And thats a shame.
Just pronounce ‘niksen’ the same way as the name of a former US president who denied being a crook
You do pronounce the n in niksen
U said the word niksen pretty well it whas better than that guy said on wichs video u reacted also u spell it like this in dutch Niksen dont be afraid to make it sound hard because u wil sound more like a dutch person like our G in our alphabet should be spoken out in a harder way rather than softer good luck and also why not try to get funds to gether to either move here or go on a nice long holiday around here
Your Dutch genes try to get home ;)
so so true
And actually niksen was not a word before, its a slang for the word niets, became niks and means nothing, and as always we constantly make new words so someone just give birth to niksen, as in to do nothing, its like saying nothinging in english