Example: Achteraf gezien was het beter om thuis te blijven.
Definition
"Achteraf gezien" is a Dutch phrase meaning 'in hindsight' or 'looking back,' used to express a reflection on past events with the knowledge gained afterward. For example, 'Achteraf gezien was het beter om thuis te blijven' means 'In hindsight, it was better to stay home.'
The phrase "achteraf gezien" comes from the Dutch words 'achteraf' meaning 'afterwards' or 'later' and 'gezien,' the past participle of 'zien,' meaning 'seen.' Together, they literally translate to 'seen afterwards.' Did you know this phrase neatly captures the human tendency to reassess situations with the advantage of hindsight?
Learn to use this expression actively
"Achteraf gezien" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (B1) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
Would you like to not only understand these expressions, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select Dutch as the language you want to learn.
in hindsight