Example: Ze moeten water naar de zee dragen zonder te morsen.
Definition
"Water naar de zee dragen" is a Dutch expression meaning to perform a pointless or redundant task, similar to the English phrase 'carrying coals to Newcastle.' It describes efforts that add no value because the resources are already abundant or unnecessary in the target location.
Translations
to do something pointless
hacer algo inútil
fer una cosa inútil
porter de l'eau à la rivière
Wasser ins Meer tragen
portare acqua al mare
carregar água para o mar
Etymology
The phrase "water naar de zee dragen" literally means 'carrying water to the sea.' It originates from the obvious futility of transporting water to an ocean, where water is plentiful. This idiom humorously highlights the absurdity of doing something superfluous or unnecessary.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Water naar de zee dragen" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to do something pointless