मतलब
To make a situation unnecessarily difficult.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
The Dutch 'Poldermodel' values consensus. Driving things to the 'spits' is often seen as a sign of poor leadership or lack of social intelligence. In Flanders, the phrase is also common, but the culture can be slightly more hierarchical than in the Netherlands, meaning a boss might 'drijven de zaak op de spits' more often without social backlash. In modern tech startups in Amsterdam, this phrase is used to warn against 'over-engineering' a conflict or a feature to the point of breaking the team spirit. In international diplomacy, this is a technical term for 'brinkmanship'.
Use it as a warning
It is very effective to say 'Laten we het niet op de spits drijven' to stop an argument before it gets out of hand.
Don't use 'rijden'
Even though you 'drive' a car (rijden), in this idiom you must use 'drijven' (to push/float/drive).
मतलब
To make a situation unnecessarily difficult.
Use it as a warning
It is very effective to say 'Laten we het niet op de spits drijven' to stop an argument before it gets out of hand.
Don't use 'rijden'
Even though you 'drive' a car (rijden), in this idiom you must use 'drijven' (to push/float/drive).
The 'De Zaak' variation
Using 'de zaak' (the matter) makes you sound more professional and objective in a business setting.
खुद को परखो
Vul het juiste woord in.
Ik wil de discussie niet op de ______ drijven.
The fixed idiom is 'op de spits drijven'.
Wat is de betekenis van 'iets op de spits drijven'?
Als iemand de zaak op de spits drijft, dan...
It means escalating a conflict to force a decision.
Maak de dialoog af.
A: 'Ik ga ontslag nemen als ik die bonus niet krijg!' B: 'Ho even, laten we het niet...'
The correct form is 'op de spits drijven'.
In welke situatie gebruik je deze uitdrukking?
Kies de beste situatie voor 'iets op de spits drijven'.
War threats are a classic example of driving a situation to the 'spits'.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
अभ्यास बैंक
4 अभ्यासIk wil de discussie niet op de ______ drijven.
The fixed idiom is 'op de spits drijven'.
Als iemand de zaak op de spits drijft, dan...
It means escalating a conflict to force a decision.
A: 'Ik ga ontslag nemen als ik die bonus niet krijg!' B: 'Ho even, laten we het niet...'
The correct form is 'op de spits drijven'.
Kies de beste situatie voor 'iets op de spits drijven'.
War threats are a classic example of driving a situation to the 'spits'.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
10 सवालYes, about 90% of the time. It implies that the escalation is unnecessary or dangerous.
Yes, but be careful. It sounds quite serious and might make the argument feel even heavier.
Ik dreef de zaak op de spits. (Strong verb: drijven - dreef - gedreven).
It is always 'op de spits'.
No, you need an object like 'het', 'iets', or 'de zaak'.
Only etymologically. 'Spits' means peak/point. But the idiom is about conflict, not traffic.
Yes, it is common in both the Netherlands and Flanders.
'De boel op scherp zetten' is a very close synonym.
Rarely. Only if you are talking about pushing your own limits to achieve a goal, but even then, it sounds a bit risky.
It's a diphthong. It sounds like a mix between 'ay' and 'eye'.
संबंधित मुहावरे
de boel op scherp zetten
similarTo put things on edge/alert.
water bij de wijn doen
contrastTo compromise (put water in the wine).
de druppel die de emmer doet overlopen
builds onThe straw that breaks the camel's back.
voet bij stuk houden
similarTo stand one's ground.
