What does “een goed begin is het halve werk” mean?
Slim boodschappen doen met een handig boodschappenlijstje
A2 Dutch listening practice · Dutch · Picked for people who know a little
Een goed begin is het halve werk (“a good start is half the work”) is one of the most-recited Dutch proverbs. Kids hear it from a teacher before a test. Adults hear it from a coach before a project, a contractor before a renovation, a doctor before a pregnancy. The Dutch are partial to a particular flavor of proverb: practical, faintly stern, dressed up as common sense. It’s the kind of wisdom you hear in a parental tone, even from your colleague.
This Voedingscentrum clip uses the proverb to sell smart grocery shopping: check the cupboards first, then write the boodschappenlijstje, then go. “Een goed begin is het halve werk,” said dryly, with full conviction.
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this A2 Dutch listening practice video?
How common in written Dutch
How common in spoken Dutch
Harder words in this video
These words are harder than A2. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-NL 2014 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In Dutch high-school pep talks before tentamens and the eindexamen (NRC education, De Volkskrant features)
- ▸In Dutch project kickoffs and management slide decks (Het Financieele Dagblad, BNR Nieuwsradio)
- ▸In Dutch parenting and pregnancy literature (Ouders.nl, Hartstichting, Thuisarts.nl)
- ▸In Dutch home-renovation TV and DIY guides (*Eigen Huis & Tuin*, vtwonen)