During your time in the Netherlands, you’ve probably heard the word gezellig being used. Dutchies are very loud and proud of this concept, so let’s explore its meaning together!
This word also happens to be not so gezellig to pronounce, and it can’t be directly translated into other languages, yet it is a concept we can all understand and appreciate.
Gezellig can best be described as a state of cosiness and togetherness — a shared sense of joy in spending time together with friends, or drinking at a terrace by the canal after work.
The word can be used in many contexts, so read on for our guide to this magical and very specific Dutch word!
Word origin
The word’s origin is derived from the term gezel, meaning “friend” or “companion”.
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Back in the old days, gezel was also used to classify a “journeyman.” This was used in the Dutch guild system as a group that forms around master craftsmen, which is where the word also got its connotation of belonging.
What makes something gezellig?
A search on how the word is used reveals that, like many similar abstract concepts, gezellig is really in the eye of the beholder. 💎
Therefore, what qualifies as gezellig depends on the person, as things are not equally gezellig for everyone.
It gets even more complicated because gezellig can be used to describe different things: events, places, and people.
Does this remind you of another Dutch word used pretty much everywhere? Ah yes, lekker man!
Lekker and gezellig are comparable in the way since they’re both used to describe almost every feel-good, cool thing in the Netherlands.
But is everything that is lekker also gezellig? 🤔 We do not know, and scientists have been trying to figure out the answer to this very important cultural question for years — but feel free to weigh in on the matter in the comments.
What we can perhaps agree on is that some things are completely gezellig, no matter your preferences, such as the following 100% gezellig scenarios:
- Basking in the glow of fairy lights in a room, while drinking wine with your friends and listening to music on a vinyl player. (Definitely gezellig 🍷)
- Arriving home after a long day at work and getting greeted by your adorable cat. (Super gezellig 🐈)
- Eating brood met kaas (bread with cheese) on a rainy day. (Surely gezellig, but the sandwich is pretty lekker too 🥪)
- Feeling the warmth of the sun after the abyss of Dutch winter. (50% gezellig, 50% the sun is always lekker 🌞)
- Discovering you have been exempt from paying taxes in the Netherlands forever through the grace of the King himself. (Wholesomely gezellig and a lekker story to tell to your friends ✨)
As you can see, gezellig can be used in different ways as long as it includes the following elements: a state of cosiness that is shared with other people/pets in a spirit of togetherness and belonging. 📃
Gezellig to Dutchies vs. internationals
The Dutch have many things they see as gezellig, but that might not apply to internationals.
Take, for example, borrelen: where Dutchies gather around for drinks and bitterballen, and do their fair share of networking.
An international, however, may not feel welcome at these kinds of events, as Dutchies might not speak English or include the internationals in the conversation.
Back at my university, there used to be a board that organised borrels in different locations on our campus. Attendees were mostly Dutchies in suits, and, surprisingly, not a lot of internationals showed up and felt welcome.
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It was certainly gezellig for them, but it eventually got cancelled by their boards due to a lack of international participants. 🤷♀️
Similar to gezellig in other languages
Like patatjes met mayo (chips with mayonnaise), not everything Dutch is uniquely Dutch.
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The closest English equivalents to gezellig might be “cosiness” or “togetherness”; it’s not a direct translation, as gezellig is really an assortment of different concepts in one. 🍱
There is, however, a word in Danish and Norwegian that comes closer to the original meaning of gezellig, namely hygge.
The Germans also have a word that is similar: Gemütlichkeit. It denotes a state of friendliness and warmth, belonging and peace of mind. But to be precise, the Dutch have their own version of this gemoedelijkheid.
In general, it seems that Germanic and Nordic countries have words that partially resemble the meaning of gezellig, if only their climates were gezellig. 🥶
Ongezellig: the flipside
Now that we have an understanding of gezellig, it’s time to learn about its evil twin: enter ongezellig. 😈
If gezellig is warmth and cosiness, then ongezellig is the coldest, most desolate place, where everything and everyone is uninviting, rude, and definitely not lekker.
It’s like a corporate office meeting where nobody knows what they’re talking about, and office politics takes the forefront — that can be described as ongezellig.
Other ongezellig things include:
- Having to pay high taxes when you’ve already spent your money.
- Having to meet up with that one acquaintance of yours who always talks about themselves and never asks you anything.
- Going to a busy cafe to discover there are no more charging plugs for your laptop.
- Having your bike pushed in a canal by the wind.
- Dropping your boterham face down on the floor.
As such, if you are ever anywhere and a Dutchie uses the word ongezellig to describe the situation, it is probably a sign to run for your life. 🏃♂️
What are your most gezellige experiences in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!
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