Significado
To work extremely hard.
Contexto cultural
The Dutch value 'hard werken' but also 'work-life balance'. Using this phrase often implies you are in a temporary period of high stress, not a permanent state. In Flanders, the phrase is equally common, though you might hear 'zwoegen' slightly more often in rural areas. In Surinamese Dutch, idioms of effort are often very colorful. While 'zich in het zweet werken' is understood, local expressions might be used for even more emphasis. In Dutch startups, 'zich in het zweet werken' is often replaced by English terms like 'hustling', but the idiom remains the standard for describing the actual feeling of the work.
Use it for recognition
If you see a colleague working hard, say: 'Je werkt je echt in het zweet, hè?' It's a great way to build rapport.
Reflexive Pronoun
Never forget the 'me/je/zich'. Without it, the sentence sounds broken to a native speaker.
Significado
To work extremely hard.
Use it for recognition
If you see a colleague working hard, say: 'Je werkt je echt in het zweet, hè?' It's a great way to build rapport.
Reflexive Pronoun
Never forget the 'me/je/zich'. Without it, the sentence sounds broken to a native speaker.
Nuchterheid
Don't use it to brag. Use it to describe a reality. The Dutch prefer modesty.
Ponte a prueba
Vul het juiste wederkerend voornaamwoord (reflexive pronoun) in.
Wij werken ___ in het zweet om het huis te schilderen.
Because the subject is 'Wij' (We), the reflexive pronoun must be 'ons'.
Welke zin is grammaticaal correct?
Kies de juiste zin:
The idiom always uses the preposition 'in' and the neuter article 'het'.
Maak de dialoog af met de juiste vorm van het idioom.
A: Waarom ben je zo moe? B: Omdat ik ___ de hele middag ___.
The speaker (B) is talking about themselves (me) in the past tense (heb gewerkt).
In welke situatie is dit idioom het meest gepast?
Situatie: Je hebt 5 minuten gewerkt aan een makkelijke e-mail.
The idiom implies significant effort. Using it for a 5-minute easy task is sarcastic or incorrect.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Formality Levels
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosWij werken ___ in het zweet om het huis te schilderen.
Because the subject is 'Wij' (We), the reflexive pronoun must be 'ons'.
Kies de juiste zin:
The idiom always uses the preposition 'in' and the neuter article 'het'.
A: Waarom ben je zo moe? B: Omdat ik ___ de hele middag ___.
The speaker (B) is talking about themselves (me) in the past tense (heb gewerkt).
Situatie: Je hebt 5 minuten gewerkt aan een makkelijke e-mail.
The idiom implies significant effort. Using it for a 5-minute easy task is sarcastic or incorrect.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasYes, absolutely. It is very common to use it for studying or difficult office tasks.
No, it's neutral. It's perfectly fine to use with your boss or your grandmother.
'Hard werken' is a simple description. 'Zich in het zweet werken' is more idiomatic and emphasizes the intensity/exhaustion.
Yes, the phrase is fixed. You cannot say 'in zweet' or 'met zweet'.
Yes, that is the figurative use. It just means you are putting in a lot of effort.
Yes: 'Ik werkte me in het zweet' (imperfectum) or 'Ik heb me in het zweet gewerkt' (perfectum).
It's common in journalism and blogs, but in very formal legal or academic texts, you might use 'zich tot het uiterste inspannen'.
Yes, just change the pronoun: 'Zij werkt zich in het zweet'.
Not necessarily. It depends on your tone. It can be a proud statement of hard work.
It is equally common in both, though the pronunciation of 'zich' and 'zweet' will differ slightly.
Frases relacionadas
zich uit de naad werken
synonymTo work extremely hard (more informal).
zwoegen
similarTo toil or drudge.
de handen uit de mouwen steken
builds onTo roll up one's sleeves and get to work.
met de pet naar gooien
contrastTo do a job poorly or without effort.
