B2 Expression 격식체

ten koste van

at the expense of

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'ten koste van' when you want to describe a situation where achieving one goal requires sacrificing something else.

  • Means: Something is gained while something else is lost or damaged.
  • Used in: Business reports, critical analysis, or discussing personal sacrifices.
  • Don't confuse: It is not a simple 'because of' (vanwege); it implies a negative trade-off.
Gain + Loss = ten koste van

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means you lose something to get something else. It is used when you make a choice that has a bad side.
You use 'ten koste van' when you gain a result but pay a price. For example, if you work too much, you lose your free time. It is a formal way to talk about sacrifices.
This expression is used to describe a trade-off. When you achieve a goal, you often have to give up something else. It is common in professional Dutch to describe the negative side effects of a decision or a project.
The phrase 'ten koste van' is a standard way to express that an action or achievement has a negative impact on another aspect. It is frequently used in formal contexts to discuss the 'cost'—not necessarily financial—of progress or change. It implies a critical perspective on the situation.
Syntactically, 'ten koste van' functions as a complex prepositional phrase. Pragmatically, it serves to highlight the inherent tension in decision-making processes, where the pursuit of a primary objective necessitates the compromise of a secondary value. Its usage is characteristic of formal, analytical registers, often found in journalistic or corporate discourse.
From a cognitive linguistic perspective, 'ten koste van' maps the domain of 'financial expenditure' onto the domain of 'abstract loss'. It is a conventionalized metaphor that allows speakers to quantify the qualitative impact of an action. Its usage indicates a high degree of register awareness, as it elevates a simple causal relationship into a critical evaluation of systemic trade-offs.

뜻

To achieve something by losing something else.

🌍

문화적 배경

The Dutch are very direct about trade-offs in business.

💡

Use it in reports

It makes you sound professional.

뜻

To achieve something by losing something else.

💡

Use it in reports

It makes you sound professional.

셀프 테스트

Fill in the missing part.

De winst ging ___ ___ ___ de kwaliteit.

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: ten koste van

The correct phrase is 'ten koste van'.

🎉 점수: /1

자주 묻는 질문

1 질문

Yes, but it's usually for abstract things.

관련 표현

🔄

ten nadele van

synonym

to the detriment of

어디서 쓸까?

💼

Work Meeting

Manager: We hebben de deadline gehaald, maar dat ging ten koste van de kwaliteit.

formal
🏃

Personal Life

Friend: Je traint veel, maar gaat dat niet ten koste van je vrije tijd?

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'cost' (koste) you pay for a 'gain'. You are paying the price!

Visual Association

Imagine a scale. On one side, you have a shiny trophy (the gain). On the other side, you have a pile of broken pieces (the cost).

Rhyme

Ten koste van, een verlies in de hand.

Story

Jan wanted to be the best runner. He trained every single day. He won the gold medal, but he realized he had no friends left. He had achieved his dream ten koste van his social life.

Word Web

kostenprijsverliesopofferingnadeelruilgevolg

챌린지

Write three sentences about your day, using 'ten koste van' to describe a trade-off you made.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

a costa de

None, it is a direct equivalent.

French moderate

au détriment de

The French version is slightly more formal.

German high

auf Kosten von

None.

Japanese moderate

～を犠牲にして

It is more explicit about the 'sacrifice' aspect.

Arabic high

على حساب

None.

Chinese high

以...为代价

None.

Korean moderate

~을 희생하여

It is a verbal construction rather than a prepositional one.

Portuguese high

à custa de

None.

Easily Confused

ten koste van 대 vanwege

Learners use it for cause.

Use 'vanwege' for simple cause, 'ten koste van' for sacrifice.

자주 묻는 질문 (1)

Yes, but it's usually for abstract things.

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