What does “nog” mean in Dutch?

The little word nog turns up everywhere in Dutch. It can mean “still” (hij slaapt nog — he’s still sleeping), “yet” (nog niet — not yet), or “another/more” (nog een koffie — another coffee). In counting questions it does a particular job: hoeveel nog? means “how many are left?” — literally “how many still?” It’s a common word with a wide range, and hearing it in one context starts to unlock it in many others.

A mother helps her son with maths homework: “Hoeveel appels heeft Tom nog?” (How many apples does Tom have left?). She makes it physical with Skittles: “Hoeveel skittles heb ik nog?” — taking three away and asking what remains. The child keeps getting it wrong, which means nog appears in every question, making the form very hard to forget. Beyond subtraction, nog stretches into everyday phrases: nog even (just a moment longer), nog maar (only, just), nog steeds (still, even now), nog eens (once more, again), wil je nog iets? (would you like anything else?). The punchline of the clip comes when the mother says “Ga naar je kamer, ik wil je niet meer zien” — and the child replies “maar mommy, ik ben al op mijn kamer” (but mommy, I’m already in my room). Al = already, the companion that pairs naturally with nog niet.