What if I told you there’s a word that’s so versatile it can be used in almost every situation imaginable, from food to body parts and from sarcasm to slang? The Dutch have such a word: lekker. Don’t get too excited when you see or hear it and think you know what it means, because there are a lot (a lot!) of options. Let’s see what those are.
Etymology
Lekker is first mentioned as lecker in the mid-1200s – in fact, it’s still written like that in German. Back then, it meant gluttonous, as in: very greedy in a foody kind of way. It’s derived from the verb lecken (now: likken, Eng: to lick), a word that’s a couple hundred years older. It hasn’t been used in the gluttonous sense for a long time, but you can still see this derivation in its most-used meaning.
Lekker – delicious
Nowadays, lekker is most commonly used as a way to describe good food. When asked how a particular dish tasted, a Dutch speaker might very well answer lekker, meaning they liked it quite a lot. In fact, even though the Dutch like their synonyms, there aren’t a whole lot of those for this particular meaning of the word, so you’ll hear it quite a lot around dining tables and in restaurants, the only other common substitute being heerlijk, which the Dutch tend to see as a superlative of lekker. The word smakelijk (Eng: tasty) means a similar thing, but is almost exclusively used in the phrase Eet smakelijk (Bon appetit).
In the same sense, but used differently, lekker can be used in anticipation of something that’s expected to taste good. When asked if they would like a cup of coffee, a Dutch person may answer Ja, lekker, anticipating a tasty hot beverage without knowing for sure whether it’s actually going to be lekker at all.
Lekker – good
A similar meaning can be found when feelings are involved. When asked how they’re doing, a Dutch person may feel lekker in general. A well-executed massage may feel lekker. And yes, the same goes for the feeling a person may have during certain bedroom activities, both for sleeping and the other thing.
Lekker – hot
Apart from delicious, the most common use of lekker may well be in the sense of beautiful / hot. Lekker ding (literally: tasty thing) is used to colloquially describe a good-looking person. The same use can be found in combination with certain body parts; because of the slight shallowness of this use, those body parts are often the ones people tend to be sexually attracted to (lekker kontje means cute butt).
Lekker as an adverb to an adjective
Lekker’s only use isn’t as an adjective or an adverb of its own, it can also be used as an adverb to an adjective. Lekker gek is a way to describe a person who’s delightfully quirky (often said about oneself). This is one of the few instances in which lekker as an adverb in relation to an adjective isn’t meant in a sarcastic way, a topic we’ll discuss in a bit.
Lekker – well done
No, this isn’t yet another food reference. Lekker can also be used to indicate one’s approval of someone else’s doings. A great tennis shot can be met with a loud lekker! by that player’s doubles partner. Lekker bezig (no real translation available, basically: you’re doing good, more literally: you’re busy doing good) can be said to a child showing off their high grades. Lekker gewerkt (you’ve worked well) is an indication of approval of the job someone has performed.
Lekker – sarcasm
So far, these meanings have all been rather positive, but that’s not always the case. Because lekker is used so often, it’s also found its way into the realm of sarcasm. Lekker dan more or less means very well, then, but it’s often (though not always) used sarcastically. Daar ben je lekker mee (Eng: you’re lekker with that) means something along the lines of well, you’re screwed. As is always the case with sarcasm, original positive meanings can get a negative connotation by using a different tone of voice, giving much of the previously mentioned meanings of lekker a rather different outcome.
Lekker with a negative connotation
Sometimes, lekker isn’t even used sarcastically, it’s used in a plain old negative manner, combined with already negatively connoted words. You may hear lekker stom (stupid) or lekker dom (dumb) as a way to indicate a negative feeling towards something, while at the same time making the original statement sound a little less harsh.
Lekker – leaky
This is one you’re not very likely to stumble upon, but I felt like mentioning it anyway. The word lek means leaky, as in: it has holes in it and liquid is coming out. Something that’s more leaky than something else can technically be described as being lekker, or leakier, than the other thing, although it’s a form that’s often avoided by phrasing things differently, even though it would be grammatically correct.
Things to keep in mind:
- When used as an adjective to a word that uses de as the article, or used with plural forms, lekker becomes lekkere, as per general Dutch rules of grammar.
- Dutch people like to spice up their adjectives by adding other words to it. Something can be erg lekker or heel lekker (or even heel erg lekker), meaning: very tasty, or something can even be superlekker, or whichever superlative your imagination comes up with.
Long story lekker short
The Dutch love lekker. They use it to describe good food, good feelings, good-looking people and jobs being done well; they use it to make things sound slightly less harsh; they even use it a lot whilst being sarcastic. In everyday conversation, you’re bound to hear the word being thrown around, not just in restaurants, but basically everywhere. Try adding it to your favorite adjectives and adverbs some time, no matter how silly, and your Dutch conversation partner might not even bat an eye.
Keep learning, and if you made it all the way down this far: lekker bezig!
