What does “subliem” mean in Dutch?
Weekendje in het champagnegebied met vriendinnen
B1 Dutch listening practice · Dutch from the Netherlands · Curated for intermediate learners
On a girls' weekend in the Champagne region, the verdict on the wine is unequivocal: «de champagne was echt subliem» (“the champagne was truly sublime”). Subliem means sublime, superb, exquisite, the word the Dutch reach for when “lekker” (tasty) just won’t do.
It’s a notch above everyday praise, reserved for the genuinely special: een subliem doelpunt (a sublime goal), subliem weer (glorious weather). The clip is also a small lesson in Dutch humour abroad, the vlogger jokingly Frenchifies her Dutch (“le container in”) and admits her vooroordelen (prejudices) about the French were all wrong.
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Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-NL 2014 (spoken). Buckets approximate; exact ranks not stored.
- ▸In Dutch reviews of food, wine, and travel.
- ▸A step up from lekker (tasty) and mooi (nice).
- ▸In Dutch sports commentary: een subliem doelpunt.
- ▸In Dutch travel vlogs gushing about a trip.