मतलब
To keep a secret or not tell anyone about something.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
The use of diminutives like 'mondje' is a hallmark of Dutch culture, aiming to make interactions feel 'gezellig' and less confrontational. In Flanders, the phrase is also used, but they might more frequently use 'uw bakkes houden' in very informal/slang settings, which is much harsher. In the Surinamese-Dutch community, secrecy is often expressed with 'soso lobi' (only love) or more direct terms, but 'mondje dicht' is understood in school/work contexts. Even in flat-hierarchy Dutch companies, 'mondje dicht' is used between peers to signal that a piece of information is 'off the record'.
The Power of the Diminutive
Always use '-je' when you want to sound like a trusted friend rather than a bossy authority figure.
Watch the Pronoun
Don't say 'Houd de mondje dicht'. It must be 'je', 'mijn', etc. Dutch speakers find the generic 'de' very unnatural here.
मतलब
To keep a secret or not tell anyone about something.
The Power of the Diminutive
Always use '-je' when you want to sound like a trusted friend rather than a bossy authority figure.
Watch the Pronoun
Don't say 'Houd de mondje dicht'. It must be 'je', 'mijn', etc. Dutch speakers find the generic 'de' very unnatural here.
Sinterklaas Context
If you are in the Netherlands in November, you will hear this phrase constantly. It's the 'secret season'!
खुद को परखो
Vul het juiste bezittelijk voornaamwoord in.
Ik vertel je een geheim, maar jij moet ___ mondje dicht houden.
The subject is 'jij', so the possessive pronoun must be 'je'.
Welke zin is het meest natuurlijk?
We organiseren een verrassing voor opa.
'Houd je mondje dicht' is the standard fixed expression for secrets.
Maak de dialoog af.
Sanne: 'Ik heb een nieuwe baan, maar vertel het nog niet aan de rest.' Mark: 'Oké, ik zal...'
The verb 'houden' is used to describe maintaining a state (the mouth being closed).
In welke situatie gebruik je 'mondje dicht'?
Kies de beste situatie:
The phrase is informal and playful, making it perfect for family secrets.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
अभ्यास बैंक
4 अभ्यासIk vertel je een geheim, maar jij moet ___ mondje dicht houden.
The subject is 'jij', so the possessive pronoun must be 'je'.
We organiseren een verrassing voor opa.
'Houd je mondje dicht' is the standard fixed expression for secrets.
Sanne: 'Ik heb een nieuwe baan, maar vertel het nog niet aan de rest.' Mark: 'Oké, ik zal...'
The verb 'houden' is used to describe maintaining a state (the mouth being closed).
Kies de beste situatie:
The phrase is informal and playful, making it perfect for family secrets.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
4 सवालNo, it's actually the opposite. The diminutive '-je' makes it friendly and soft. However, 'Houd je mond!' (without the '-je') can be very rude.
Only if you have a very close, informal relationship. Otherwise, stay with 'discreet zijn'.
The plural is 'mondjes'. You can say 'Houd jullie mondjes dicht', but 'Houd jullie mondje dicht' (singular) is also common for a group.
Mostly, yes. It can also be used to tell someone to be quiet for a moment, but it almost always implies a shared reason for the silence.
संबंधित मुहावरे
Je mond voorbij praten
contrastTo accidentally reveal a secret.
Zwijgen als het graf
similarTo be as silent as the grave.
Onder vier ogen
builds onBetween two people (literally: under four eyes).
Iets onder de pet houden
synonymTo keep something under your cap.
