draf
/drɑf/masculine
The Dutch word for trot is draf.
draf represents the specific gait of a horse, characterized by a two-beat diagonal movement, where the front and hind legs on opposite sides move simultaneously.
Meaning: gait of an animal between walk and canter (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/drɑf/
Did you know?
- In Dutch, the word draf can refer to the leftover residue from the brewing process, known as 'brewers' grain'. This is a completely different meaning from the horse gait.
- The Netherlands is world-famous for dravers, horses specifically bred for the draf gait. These horses compete in harness racing, where they are pulled in a sulky rather than ridden.
- In some Dutch dialects, the word draf is occasionally used to describe a light, hurried walk by a human, mimicking the horse's movement.
Examples in context
- Ik houd van het bekijken van de prachtige paarden die in draf lopen.I enjoy watching the beautiful horses trotting.
- De draf van het paard is erg gelijkmatig.The trot of the horse is very steady.
- Het paard versnelde van een wandeltempo naar een draf.The horse accelerated from a walk to a trot.
Example conversation
Sophie and Levi are watching horses at a farm.
- SophieKijk, dat paard gaat nu in draf.Look, that horse is trotting now.
- LeviDat ziet er heel soepel uit.That looks very smooth.
- SophieJa, draf is een mooie gang.Yes, the trot is a beautiful gait.
- LeviIk zou dat graag eens proberen.I would love to try that sometime.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “trot” translations and entries draf, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
