False friends – 02: onderarm vs underarm

Transcript of the video lesson – onderarm vs underarm:

Hi, welcome to learndutch.org’s false friends.

Words from different languages that sound or look the same, but with a different meaning. Today the Dutch word: “onderarm” which looks like the english “underarm”. Both are body parts, but not the same! They are false friends!

 And for this human anatomy lessson, I invited an artist. And I asked him, to make a painting of me. And to make it as realistic as possible.

Apart from some minor details, I think he did an ok job.

Now, the English word “underarm”, is this part of the body, in other words armpit. In Dutch we say “oksel”. And that’s close to a word that in english is used as well “oxter”.

And now the part that the Dutch call “onderarm”. And that is in English “forerarm”.

If you’re exercising in the gym. You now know what your Dutch coach is talking about, when he tells you to train your “onderarm”.

 ik ben gespierd van mijn oksel to mijn onderarm

I have tense muscles from my underarm to my forearm

“Onderarm” and “underarm” are false friends.

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