Example: Ik moet dit spel snel onder de knie krijgen.
Definition
"Iets onder de knie krijgen" means mastering or becoming proficient at something, often after practice or effort. It implies gaining control or understanding of a skill or task, as in the sentence: 'Ik moet dit spel snel onder de knie krijgen,' meaning 'I need to quickly master this game.'
The phrase "iets onder de knie krijgen" literally translates to 'to get something under the knee,' symbolizing control. It originates from old Dutch expressions where having something 'under the knee' meant having it firmly controlled or handled, much like holding something physically beneath your knee to keep it steady.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Iets onder de knie krijgen" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C1) - set 1", containing 100 commonly used expressions.
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to master something