Of course, we don’t “sleep out” in English. Strange because so many Dutch words beginning with uit- are rendered in English with out, if you follow me. Some match up easily. So uitbreken means to break out, either of prison or een brand is uitgebroken – a fire has broken out.

The verb uitgaan means to go out, as in to leave or to date someone. And uitdelen, which resembles to deal out, means just that: to hand out or to distribute. The three letters even become a verb: uiten – to utter.

Others have several meanings which cannot always be translated with an out. Take uitblazen – blow out, as in een kaars uitblazen – blow out a candle. But ik moet even uitblazen equates to I must take a breather. Similarly, uitgeven means to give out, but also to publish. A publisher is een uitgever; a publishing house een uitgeverij.

Some words don’t seem at first to translate with out. Uitrusten can mean to rest (another breather!) or to equip, but you could also say to kit out. Same with the adjective uitstekend meaning excellent; you could also say outstanding. The verb uitsteken means to stick out: hij stak zijn tong naar mij uit – he stuck out his tongue at me; or hij stak boven alle anderen uit – he towered above the rest.

Many of these verbs produce nouns ending in -ing. So uitgraven – dig out or dig up has the noun uitgraving – an excavation. Uitlaten – to let out or see out also means to comment and gives uitlating – a comment. But not all: uitspreken means to pronounce (“speak out”) and has the noun uitspraak – pronunciation or pronouncement. Uitroepen – to call out gives us uitroep – an exclamation. And uitstappen – to alight or disembark has the noun uitstapje – an outing or excursion.

But there are verbs that seem to defy any attempt at translating them with out. Take uitbollen – take things easy; uitbuiten – exploit (in the bad sense); uitlokken – provoke; uitdagen – challenge; uitlachen – laugh at; and uitlezen – finish a book (and not read out, which is luidop lezen).

My favourite is een uitsmijter – a bouncer. Smijten means to throw forcefully; think of the biblical “to smite thine enemies”. Oddly, it’s also a plate of ham and eggs served on bread. And in a show, it’s the final number.