afwezig
absent | af (=off) + aanwezig (=present) → off‑present → absent.
alinea, de
paragraph, the | Think ‘a line a’—a block of lines → paragraph.
bijgeloof, het
superstition, the | bij (=beside) + geloof (=belief) → beliefs beside true faith → superstition.
dramatisch
dramatic | Looks like ‘dramatic’.
examenvrees, de
fear of exams, the | examen (=exam) + vrees (=fear) → fear of exams.
falen
to fail | Looks like ‘fail’ → to fail.
geheugen, het
memory, the | Contains ‘heugen’ (=to remember): your ‘geheugen’ is your store of memories → memory.
ingewikkeld
complicated | in (=in) + gewikkeld (=wrapped) → wrapped up in layers → complicated.
inhalen
to do over | in (=in) + halen (=fetch) → fetch it back/catch up → do (a class/exam) over.
kluisje, het
locker, the | kluis (=safe) + -je (little) → little safe → locker.
nakijken
to check | na (=after) + kijken (=look) → look over afterward → check.
opblijven
to stay up | op (=up) + blijven (=stay) → stay up.
overhoren
to test | over (=over) + horen (=hear) → to ‘hear over’ someone’s knowledge → quiz/test.
paniek, de
panic, the | Looks like ‘panic’.
sjaal, de
scarf, the | Sounds like ‘shawl’ → scarf.
spieken
to cheat | Sounds like ‘to peek’ at answers → cheat.
talent, het
talent, the | Same as English → talent.
toespraak, de
speech, the | toe (=to/forward) + spraak (=speech) → a speech delivered to people.
uitgerust
well-rested | Contains ‘rust’ (=rest): after sleep you’re ‘out‑rested’ → well‑rested.
uitslag, de
result, the | uit (=out) + slag (=strike/score) → the outcome/result.
voorbereiding, de
preparation, the | voor (=before) + bereiding (=preparation) → preparation.
wekker, de
alarm clock, the | From ‘wekken’ (=to wake): the wekker wakes you → alarm clock.
zelfverzekerd
self-confident | zelf (=self) + zeker (=sure) → sure of oneself → self‑confident.
zich aanstellen
to be dramatic | aanstellen can be ‘to appoint’, but ‘zich aanstellen’ = to put on a show → be dramatic.
