Literature & books
Writing
Fiction The subject matter concerns Fictie, verzinsel
imaginary events and people
E.g. some books are labelled as *
non-fiction It deals with the real world Non-fictie
<informatieve
boeken/lectuur>
Fictional Fictioneel, verzonnen
(fictief, roman-)
A novel Stories about people and events Een roman
that have been invented by the
author
A novelist A person who writes s. Een romanschrijver
A play Pieces of writing intended to be Een toneelstuk,
performed in a theatre, on the voorstelling
radio, or on television and which
consist of the words that a set of
characters say.
A playwright A person who writes s. Een toneelschrijver
An essay E.g. Haven’t you received a copy of my ** Een essay, opstel
~ on Antigone? (korte studie)
An essayist Sb who writes s for publication. Een essayscrhijver
A tale An imaginative, interesting story Een verhaal(tje),
E.g. he can tell a good *. sprookje
(a folk tale) (een volksverhaal)
A story-line The outline of the events in the Een verhaallijn
(of) story Een plot, intrige
= a plot (of) E.g. the * of the novel / play / film was too
Storyline complicated. I couldn’t follow it.
To construct a Een plot, intrigue
plot construeren,
(op)bouwen, …
To relate <fml> To tell or describe a story to Vertellen (verhalen)
~ sth, wh- (to sb) people.
= to tell E.g. I *ed the whole story of the time Chris
~ sb (sth, that, and I were stranded in Scotland.
wh-)
To narrate Vertellen (verhalen)
~ sth <form>
A narrator The person telling the story. Een verteller
E.g. he was the * in the film/novel.
A narrative E.g. he writes a moving *, it’s well-written. Een verhaal
The * of her battle against depression makes /verhalend (adj) (een
fascinating reading.
vertelling,
beschrijving)
To unfold To develop and become known or (z.)
~ sth understood. ontvouwen/uitspreiden
E.g. my reaction to his story as it *ed was , opengaan/-baren
one of amazement.
A character The people that a book, film or Een personage, rol
play is about.
, A protagonist The most important character De hoofdpersoon
(het kopstuk, de
kampioen)
A hero/ heroine1 The main character, who is usually Een held(in)
admired or respected for his resp.
her good qualities
E.g. the mythological * must surmount
enormous trials.
a villain The main bad character Een schurk (slechterik)
E.g. He was cast as the * of the forthcoming
production.
1
heroin = heroine (drugs) !
Literary Devices
Simile Expression which describes a Een (uitgebreide)
[C, U] person / thing as (in some aspects) vergelijking
being similar to sb or sth else. It usu. <stijlfiguur>
starts with ‘like’ or ‘as’. E.g. “He’s as
white as a sheet”
Metaphor It imaginatively identifies 1 object Een metafoor,
[C, U] with another which has the emotional beeldspraak
and imaginative qualities you are
trying to attribute to the first object.
It doesn’t start with words like ‘as’ or
‘like’ (≠ ) it’s not stating explicitly
that it’s comparing 2 things.
E.g. “a heart of stone”
Metaphorical Metaforisch, figuurlijk
[Adj]
Figurative To use a word or an expression in Figuurlijk, figuratief
[Adj] a more abstract, imaginative or (symbolisch)
metaphorical meaning than its
ordinary one.
Imagery The use of figurative language to Beeldspraak
[U] produce pictures in the minds of (beelden, beeldwerk)
the readers (/ hearers).
Wit The ability to use words or ideas Gevat, scherpzinnig
[U, C] in an amusing, clever and
imaginative way.
Witty Gevat, geestig (adj.)
[Adj]
A wit Sb who can be . De geest(igheid), het
verstand, geestig
persoon
A witticism An amusing or clever remark. Een kwinkslag,
~ of so. E.g. “there’s only one thing worse than de geestigheid
being talked about, that is not being talked
about” is a * of O. Wilde
Wordplay Making jokes by using the Een woordspeling
[U] meanings of words in an unusual,
amusing or clever way.
= A pun A use of words that have more than Een woordspeling
~ on sth one meaning, or words that have the
same sound but different in
meanings, so that what you say has
two different meanings and makes
people laugh.
E.g. “My dog’s a champion boxer”, “She told
the child to try not to be so trying” are *s.
To pun Woordspelingen
~ on sth maken, aanstampen
Writing
Fiction The subject matter concerns Fictie, verzinsel
imaginary events and people
E.g. some books are labelled as *
non-fiction It deals with the real world Non-fictie
<informatieve
boeken/lectuur>
Fictional Fictioneel, verzonnen
(fictief, roman-)
A novel Stories about people and events Een roman
that have been invented by the
author
A novelist A person who writes s. Een romanschrijver
A play Pieces of writing intended to be Een toneelstuk,
performed in a theatre, on the voorstelling
radio, or on television and which
consist of the words that a set of
characters say.
A playwright A person who writes s. Een toneelschrijver
An essay E.g. Haven’t you received a copy of my ** Een essay, opstel
~ on Antigone? (korte studie)
An essayist Sb who writes s for publication. Een essayscrhijver
A tale An imaginative, interesting story Een verhaal(tje),
E.g. he can tell a good *. sprookje
(a folk tale) (een volksverhaal)
A story-line The outline of the events in the Een verhaallijn
(of) story Een plot, intrige
= a plot (of) E.g. the * of the novel / play / film was too
Storyline complicated. I couldn’t follow it.
To construct a Een plot, intrigue
plot construeren,
(op)bouwen, …
To relate <fml> To tell or describe a story to Vertellen (verhalen)
~ sth, wh- (to sb) people.
= to tell E.g. I *ed the whole story of the time Chris
~ sb (sth, that, and I were stranded in Scotland.
wh-)
To narrate Vertellen (verhalen)
~ sth <form>
A narrator The person telling the story. Een verteller
E.g. he was the * in the film/novel.
A narrative E.g. he writes a moving *, it’s well-written. Een verhaal
The * of her battle against depression makes /verhalend (adj) (een
fascinating reading.
vertelling,
beschrijving)
To unfold To develop and become known or (z.)
~ sth understood. ontvouwen/uitspreiden
E.g. my reaction to his story as it *ed was , opengaan/-baren
one of amazement.
A character The people that a book, film or Een personage, rol
play is about.
, A protagonist The most important character De hoofdpersoon
(het kopstuk, de
kampioen)
A hero/ heroine1 The main character, who is usually Een held(in)
admired or respected for his resp.
her good qualities
E.g. the mythological * must surmount
enormous trials.
a villain The main bad character Een schurk (slechterik)
E.g. He was cast as the * of the forthcoming
production.
1
heroin = heroine (drugs) !
Literary Devices
Simile Expression which describes a Een (uitgebreide)
[C, U] person / thing as (in some aspects) vergelijking
being similar to sb or sth else. It usu. <stijlfiguur>
starts with ‘like’ or ‘as’. E.g. “He’s as
white as a sheet”
Metaphor It imaginatively identifies 1 object Een metafoor,
[C, U] with another which has the emotional beeldspraak
and imaginative qualities you are
trying to attribute to the first object.
It doesn’t start with words like ‘as’ or
‘like’ (≠ ) it’s not stating explicitly
that it’s comparing 2 things.
E.g. “a heart of stone”
Metaphorical Metaforisch, figuurlijk
[Adj]
Figurative To use a word or an expression in Figuurlijk, figuratief
[Adj] a more abstract, imaginative or (symbolisch)
metaphorical meaning than its
ordinary one.
Imagery The use of figurative language to Beeldspraak
[U] produce pictures in the minds of (beelden, beeldwerk)
the readers (/ hearers).
Wit The ability to use words or ideas Gevat, scherpzinnig
[U, C] in an amusing, clever and
imaginative way.
Witty Gevat, geestig (adj.)
[Adj]
A wit Sb who can be . De geest(igheid), het
verstand, geestig
persoon
A witticism An amusing or clever remark. Een kwinkslag,
~ of so. E.g. “there’s only one thing worse than de geestigheid
being talked about, that is not being talked
about” is a * of O. Wilde
Wordplay Making jokes by using the Een woordspeling
[U] meanings of words in an unusual,
amusing or clever way.
= A pun A use of words that have more than Een woordspeling
~ on sth one meaning, or words that have the
same sound but different in
meanings, so that what you say has
two different meanings and makes
people laugh.
E.g. “My dog’s a champion boxer”, “She told
the child to try not to be so trying” are *s.
To pun Woordspelingen
~ on sth maken, aanstampen
