Meaning
When a problem appears.
Cultural Background
The Dutch use this phrase frequently in 'polder' politics to describe social tensions that threaten national consensus. In Flanders, the phrase is equally common and used in the same way, often in political discourse regarding language tensions. In Dutch corporate culture, being 'direct' means addressing problems as soon as they 'de kop opsteken' rather than letting them linger. Dutch doctors use this to normalize the recurrence of chronic issues, making the problem feel like an external 'pest' rather than a personal failure.
Use it for News
If you want to sound like a native speaker when discussing politics or the economy, use this instead of 'verschijnen' (to appear).
Negative Only!
Remember, if you use this for a positive thing, Dutch people will think you are being sarcastic or that you actually dislike the thing.
Meaning
When a problem appears.
Use it for News
If you want to sound like a native speaker when discussing politics or the economy, use this instead of 'verschijnen' (to appear).
Negative Only!
Remember, if you use this for a positive thing, Dutch people will think you are being sarcastic or that you actually dislike the thing.
Kop vs Hoofd
Using 'kop' reinforces the idea that the problem is a nuisance, like a weed or a pest.
Test Yourself
Vul de juiste vorm van het werkwoord 'opsteken' in.
Vorig jaar ___ de inflatie plotseling de kop ___.
The sentence starts with 'Vorig jaar' (Last year), so we need the past tense (OVT) of the separable verb 'opsteken'.
In welke situatie is deze uitdrukking CORRECT gebruikt?
Kies het juiste antwoord:
The phrase is only used for negative things like conflicts, illnesses, or problems.
Maak de dialoog af.
A: 'Ik dacht dat de computer gefixt was.' B: 'Ik ook, maar ___.'
This fits the context of a recurring technical problem.
Combineer het onderwerp met de juiste zin.
Match de onderwerpen:
All these negative subjects work perfectly with the idiom.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Common Subjects for 'De Kop Opsteken'
Health
- • Griep
- • Rugpijn
- • Migraine
Society
- • Inflatie
- • Racisme
- • Onrust
Work
- • Bugs
- • Conflict
- • Stress
Practice Bank
4 exercisesVorig jaar ___ de inflatie plotseling de kop ___.
The sentence starts with 'Vorig jaar' (Last year), so we need the past tense (OVT) of the separable verb 'opsteken'.
Kies het juiste antwoord:
The phrase is only used for negative things like conflicts, illnesses, or problems.
A: 'Ik dacht dat de computer gefixt was.' B: 'Ik ook, maar ___.'
This fits the context of a recurring technical problem.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
All these negative subjects work perfectly with the idiom.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsNo, that is grammatically correct but idiomatically wrong. It sounds very unnatural to a native speaker.
It is neutral. You can use it in a newspaper, a business report, or when talking to a friend about your cold.
Only if you think that person is a recurring problem! Usually, it is used for abstract things like issues, illnesses, or trends.
The past tense is 'stak de kop op' and the perfect tense is 'heeft de kop opgestoken'.
Related Phrases
de kop indrukken
contrastTo suppress a problem immediately.
tevoorschijn komen
similarTo appear / to come forward.
opspelen
similarTo act up (usually of an illness or a part of the body).
het hoofd bieden aan
contrastTo face/resist a problem.
