Example: Ik weet van wanten als het over voetbal gaat.
Definition
"Van wanten weten" is a Dutch expression meaning to know one's stuff, especially to be skilled or knowledgeable in a particular area. For example, it indicates that someone is confident and competent, as in knowing what they are doing in football.
Translations
to know what you're doing
saber cómo funciona
saber de què va
savoir s'y prendre
wissen wie es geht
sapere il fatto suo
saber se defender
Etymology
The phrase "van wanten weten" literally translates to 'to know of mittens' in Dutch. It originally referred to knowing how to handle a glove well, symbolizing skill and control. Over time, it evolved to mean being experienced or savvy in a general sense.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Van wanten weten" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to know what you're doing