Bedeutung
To be very happy.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Despite the 'nuchter' (sober) nature of the Dutch, this idiom is widely accepted in birth announcements (geboortekaartjes). In Flanders, the idiom is just as common as in the Netherlands, often used in romantic contexts. Even in professional settings, it's okay to use this when a major deal is closed or a promotion is announced. The hashtag #indewolken is frequently used on Instagram for engagements and pregnancy reveals.
Use 'Helemaal'
Add 'helemaal' (completely) before 'in de wolken' to sound more like a native speaker when you're really excited.
Preposition Alert
Remember: IN de wolken, never OP de wolken. This is the #1 mistake for English speakers.
Bedeutung
To be very happy.
Use 'Helemaal'
Add 'helemaal' (completely) before 'in de wolken' to sound more like a native speaker when you're really excited.
Preposition Alert
Remember: IN de wolken, never OP de wolken. This is the #1 mistake for English speakers.
Baby Context
If someone has a baby, always ask: 'Zijn jullie in de wolken?' It's the most natural thing to say.
Nuchterheid
Don't be surprised if Dutch people use this sparingly; they save it for truly big moments!
Teste dich selbst
Vul het juiste voorzetsel in (Fill in the correct preposition).
Ik ben in de wolken ___ mijn nieuwe fiets!
We use 'met' to indicate what we are happy with in this idiom.
Welke zin is correct voor iemand die heel blij is?
Hoe zeg je dat je heel gelukkig bent?
The fixed idiom is 'in de wolken zijn'.
In welke situatie gebruik je 'in de wolken zijn'?
Match de situatie:
This idiom is used for very happy events like the birth of a child.
Maak de dialoog af.
Sanne: 'Ik heb de loterij gewonnen!' Mark: 'Wat goed! Je bent zeker...'
Mark is confirming Sanne's extreme happiness.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
In vs. Met je hoofd in
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenIk ben in de wolken ___ mijn nieuwe fiets!
We use 'met' to indicate what we are happy with in this idiom.
Hoe zeg je dat je heel gelukkig bent?
The fixed idiom is 'in de wolken zijn'.
Match de situatie:
This idiom is used for very happy events like the birth of a child.
Sanne: 'Ik heb de loterij gewonnen!' Mark: 'Wat goed! Je bent zeker...'
Mark is confirming Sanne's extreme happiness.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
12 FragenIt's better to use 'lekker' or 'blij'. 'In de wolken' is usually reserved for bigger life events.
Always plural: 'in de wolken'.
The meaning is the same, but the preposition is 'in' in Dutch and 'on' in English.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
Yes, it's a very romantic thing to say to a partner.
Not really. To be sad, you'd say 'in de put zitten' (to be in the pit).
Yes: 'Ik was in de wolken'.
Yes, for big successes like 'We zijn in de wolken met dit contract'.
That means you are not paying attention or you are daydreaming.
Yes, it is standard Dutch used in both the Netherlands and Flanders.
It's a bit poetic, but yes, if the sun makes you extremely happy.
A good opposite is 'met beide benen op de grond staan' (to have both feet on the ground).
Verwandte Redewendungen
In de zevende hemel zijn
synonymTo be in seventh heaven
Op een roze wolk zitten
similarTo be on a pink cloud
In zijn nopjes zijn
similarTo be very pleased
Met je hoofd in de wolken lopen
contrastTo have one's head in the clouds
Dolgelukkig zijn
synonymTo be deliriously happy
