What is “niksen” in Dutch?
Waarom niets doen goed is voor je hoofd
A2 Dutch listening practice · Dutch · Picked for people who know a little
Niksen is the Dutch verb for doing nothing on purpose, and around 2019 it briefly became a global wellness export. The New York Times, Time, and Olga Mecking’s book Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing spread the idea that the Dutch had a unique relationship with idleness. The actual word is just niks + -en (“to nothing-verb”). Dutch people use it casually and aren’t always sure when foreigners started treating it as a spiritual practice.
In this clip, mom lies still: “Ik neem eventjes vrij van de gedachten in mijn hoofd.” Her explanation: “Van niets doen raakt mijn hoofd leeg. Dan komt de plek vrij voor nieuwe ideeën.”
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 international wellness coverage of niksen (The New York Times, Time, The Guardian)
- ▸On Olga Mecking and the Dutch lifestyle concept (Olga Mecking, Niksen on Wikipedia, Niksen book)
- ▸In Dutch broadsheet culture columns (NRC, De Volkskrant, De Correspondent)
- ▸In Dutch wellness and parenting press (J/M Ouders, Happinez, Margriet)