Example: Hij probeerde iemand de voet dwars te zetten tijdens het spel.
Definition
"Iemand de voet dwars zetten" means to deliberately hinder or obstruct someone, often by creating difficulties or obstacles in their path. It is commonly used to describe actions that intentionally interfere with another person's progress or plans.
The phrase "iemand de voet dwars zetten" literally translates to 'putting someone's foot sideways' in Dutch. It originates from the imagery of physically placing a foot across someone's path to trip or block them, symbolizing intentional obstruction. This vivid expression has been used in Dutch for centuries to describe deliberate interference.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Iemand de voet dwars zetten" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to obstruct someone