Example: Hij ging naar een vriend om zijn hart te luchten.
Definition
"Zijn hart luchten" means to express one’s feelings or troubles openly, usually to find relief or comfort. For example, when someone says, 'Hij ging naar een vriend om zijn hart te luchten,' it means he went to a friend to share his worries or emotions.
The phrase "zijn hart luchten" literally translates to 'airing one's heart,' originating from the idea of letting fresh air into a closed space to make it feel lighter and more comfortable. This metaphor suggests that sharing personal feelings helps to relieve emotional burden, much like fresh air refreshes a room.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Zijn hart luchten" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C1) - set 1", containing 100 commonly used expressions.
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to get something off one's chest