je van den domme houden
to play dumb; to feign ignorance
Advanced Phrase
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Pronunciation
/jə vɑn dɛn ˈdɔ.mə ˈɦɑu.dən/
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Cultural Note
This idiom uses the archaic article 'den' (the old accusative masculine form of 'de'), which gives it a slightly formal, traditional feel. Despite its old-fashioned grammar, it is actively used in modern spoken Dutch. The Dutch value of directness makes playing dumb especially noticeable.
📝 Example Sentences
Hou je niet van den domme, je weet precies wat ik bedoel.
Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I mean.
Hij hield zich van den domme tijdens het gesprek.
He played dumb during the conversation.
Ze kan zich goed van den domme houden.
She is good at playing dumb.