मतलब
To have a vague memory of an event.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
Dutch people often use this phrase to avoid appearing too assertive or 'pedant' (know-it-all). It's a form of social lubricant. In Flanders, you might also hear 'Het ligt in mijn schuif' (It's in my drawer) metaphorically, but 'Er staat me iets van bij' is equally common and understood. In Dutch universities, professors use this to encourage students to fill in the gaps. It signals that the information is accessible but needs collective effort to recall. It is a polite way to disagree with a boss. Instead of saying 'You are wrong,' you say 'I remember it differently' using this phrase to soften the blow.
Use 'vaag' for extra safety
If you really aren't sure, add 'vaag' (vaguely). It makes you sound very natural: 'Er staat me vaag iets van bij.'
Don't say 'Ik'
Never start this specific phrase with 'Ik'. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
मतलब
To have a vague memory of an event.
Use 'vaag' for extra safety
If you really aren't sure, add 'vaag' (vaguely). It makes you sound very natural: 'Er staat me vaag iets van bij.'
Don't say 'Ik'
Never start this specific phrase with 'Ik'. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
Polite disagreement
Use this to gently suggest someone else might be wrong about a shared memory.
खुद को परखो
Vul de ontbrekende woorden in.
Er ______ me iets ______ bij dat we om drie uur hadden afgesproken.
The fixed expression is 'er staat iemand iets van bij'.
Welke zin is correct?
Choose the grammatically correct sentence:
'Er' is the dummy subject, and 'me' is the indirect object.
In welke situatie gebruik je deze zin?
Je weet niet meer precies hoe laat de trein gaat, maar je denkt rond 8 uur.
This phrase is perfect for expressing a vague memory about a time.
Maak de dialoog af.
A: 'Ken jij die nieuwe buurman al?' B: 'Nee, maar...'
The 'dat'-clause is the most natural way to follow up with a specific (but vague) detail.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
अभ्यास बैंक
4 अभ्यासEr ______ me iets ______ bij dat we om drie uur hadden afgesproken.
The fixed expression is 'er staat iemand iets van bij'.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence:
'Er' is the dummy subject, and 'me' is the indirect object.
Je weet niet meer precies hoe laat de trein gaat, maar je denkt rond 8 uur.
This phrase is perfect for expressing a vague memory about a time.
A: 'Ken jij die nieuwe buurman al?' B: 'Nee, maar...'
The 'dat'-clause is the most natural way to follow up with a specific (but vague) detail.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
14 सवालYes! 'Er staat me iets van hem bij' means you remember something about him, but not clearly.
It's neutral. You can use it in almost any situation.
'Het komt me bekend voor' is for recognition (seeing something), while 'Er staat me iets van bij' is for recall (remembering a fact).
Yes: 'Er stond me iets van bij.'
It's a placeholder for the subject 'iets' which comes later in the sentence.
In this specific idiom for vague memory, yes. Without 'van', it means something else.
Yes, if you remember a lot but not everything perfectly.
Use 'Er staat me er niets van bij.'
Yes, especially in emails or journalism when citing sources from memory.
No, it sounds like you are being honest about your memory.
It's less common. Usually, it's for facts, events, or visual memories.
Usually a 'dat'-clause: '...dat we dat al gedaan hebben.'
No, 'I think' is an opinion. This is specifically about memory.
Yes, 'mij' is more emphatic or formal, but 'me' is much more common.
संबंधित मुहावरे
iets voor de geest halen
similarTo recall something to mind
het geheugen opfrissen
builds onTo refresh the memory
het is me ontschoten
contrastIt slipped my mind
een belletje doen rinkelen
synonymTo ring a bell
