Betekenis van matter In het Nederlands

• 0 a situation or subject that is being dealt with or considered:

  • Could I talk to you about a personal matter?

  • Allen denied any knowledge of the matter.

  • Please phone me back - it's a matter of some importance.

  • Talking about the world's problems is one thing, but solving them is another matter altogether (= is completely different).

  • Her resignation is not going to help matters.

  • Three of our players were ill, and to make matters worse, our main scorer had broken his ankle.

  • Baking a cake isn't difficult - it's just a matter of following the recipe.

  • Being arrested by the police is no laughing matter.

• 1 the reason for pain, worry, or a problem:

  • What's the matter? Why are you crying?

  • What's the matter with your hand? It's bleeding.

  • Is anything the matter?

  • I don't know what the matter is with the car, but it won't start.

• 2 physical substance in the universe:

  • Some scientists believe that there is about ten times as much matter in the universe as astronomers have observed.

  • Most vegetable matter is compostable.

  • There's no waste matter left over.

• 3 a substance or things of a particular type:

  • advertising/printed matter

  • Do you find the subject matter of the book (= the subject that the book deals with) interesting?

• 4 used in expressions describing how small an amount or period of time is:

  • The interview was over in a matter of minutes.

  • She complained he had short-changed her, but it was only a matter of a few pence.

• 5 to be important, or to affect what happens:

  • We were late but it didn't seem to matter.

  • "What did you say?" "Oh, it doesn't matter."

  • [ + question word ] It doesn't matter what you wear - just as long as you come.

  • [ + that ] It didn't matter that our best player was injured after ten minutes - we still won.

  • I know Charles doesn't think this project is important, but it matters to me.

• 6 a situation or subject that is being dealt with or considered:

  • Her arrival complicates matters even further.

  • I think this is a matter best left to the mayor to decide.

• 7 the reason for pain or worry:

  • What’s the matter? Why are you so upset?

• 8 physical substance in the universe

  • printed matter

  • waste matter

• 9 to be important:

  • [ I ] "What did you say?" "Oh, it doesn’t matter."

  • [ + question word ] It no longer mattered what happened.