False friends – 12: slim vs slim

Transcript of the video lesson – slim vs slim:

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: “slim”, and the english word “slim”. They are both adjectives, but with a different meaning. They are false friends!

If you ask me to think about someone who is “slim” by the English meaning, then I think about these models on the catwalk. In Dutch we say “slank”. Well, with models we say: “superslank”.

But if you ask me think about someone who is “slim” by the Dutch meaning, then probably a model is one of the last I would think about. Slim in Dutch is clever. Of course, let me stress that I do not mean to say that fashion models are stupid. It’s just that with me, this word rather brings up associations with Einstein.

zij was slim genoeg om op dieet te gaan

she was clever enough to start a diet

So now you know, the Dutch “slim” and and the English “slim” are false friends!

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