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A2 Dutch listening practice · Dutch · Curated for beginners
Does “geluk” mean luck or happiness in Dutch?
Decorating a nursery, a mum commissions a drawing of a Japanese cat and a frog: «die staan beiden voor goed geluk» (“both stand for good luck”). The lovely twist for learners: geluk means both “luck” and “happiness.”
So “geluk hebben” is “to be lucky,” while “geluk” on its own is also plain happiness, and gelukkig means “happy” (or “fortunately”). Dutch, like German Glück, simply doesn’t split the two. The clip’s lucky charms fit right in: the beckoning Japanese cat and the frog, both good-fortune symbols the family loves. Good luck and good cheer, one and the same.
Vocabulary frequency
How common is the vocabulary in this A2 Dutch listening practice listening practice?
General Dutch frequency
Spoken Dutch frequency
Words above this video’s level
Quick glosses for vocabulary that goes beyond this video’s A2 level.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-NL 2014 (spoken). Buckets approximate; exact ranks not stored.
- ▸In Dutch wishes: “veel geluk!” (good luck / much happiness).
- ▸Alongside gelukkig (happy; fortunately).
- ▸Mirrored in German Glück (luck and happiness too).
- ▸In Dutch talk of good-luck charms and symbols.