IdiomNature
Dutch
Dutchvuur met vuur bestrijden
Meaning: to counter a harmful action using the same method or intensity.
Literally: To fight fire with fire
Example: “Ze bestreden vuur met vuur en begonnen ook een reclamecampagne.” — They fought fire with fire and started an ad campaign of their own.
English equivalent: To fight fire with fire
Equivalents in other languages
English: fight fire with fire
Origin: Firefighters fight a wildfire by burning a strip of land in its path, so the advancing fire finds no fuel. Vuur met vuur bestrijden matches English "fight fire with fire" and is probably taken from it; no first Dutch use is documented.
More Dutch idioms
- uit de hand lopen to become uncontrolled or chaotic.
- achter slot en grendel imprisoned or confined.
- het zit tussen de oren in one's mind or thoughts.
- in de clinch liggen To be in conflict or at odds with someone.
- een uur in de wind stinken To smell extremely bad.
- uit zijn plaat gaan To lose control of oneself or go crazy.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Liesje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange Lindelaan. Eight consecutive l-words, with the vowel behind the l changing every time.
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.
- Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna. The same noun/verb homograph trap as the German version — vliegen does triple duty.
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