Dutch Language Blog

Photo Credit: Heather Tucker

Two weekends ago, I had the opportunity to visit Texel, an island in the Netherlands.  Texel is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands.

The weather was not looking promising as we headed off for Den Helder, where we would take the double-decker ferry across to the island.  But our guide had assured us that the weather on the islands can be in complete contrast to the mainland.  The ferry ride to Texel only lasts 20 minutes but in those 20 minutes the weather did indeed change – still windy but almost no rain and even some sunshine.

Den Hoorn

Our first stop was the small town of Den Hoorn.  Small shops and unique houses lined the streets.  Sheep-filled fields were dotted around and the church was a natural photo stop.

De Slufter

From Den Hoorn we travelled to the nature reserve “De Slufter.”  The area is the result of an opening in a formation of dunes, which allows sea-water to flow in.  Attempts to close the opening were for some time unsuccessful and it was later decided to leave the opening open and keep the area as a nature reserve.  Access into the nature reserve area itself is only possible with a guide (although you can wander around the outskirts) and water-proof shoes/boots are recommended.

The Lighthouse

Photo Credit: Heather Tucker

After our walk around De Slufter, we rode to the North of the island where a red lighthouse and a windy, sandy beach awaited us.  It is possible to climb to the top of the lighthouse (a fee applies) but I decided to walk along the beach instead, collecting shells and spotting a crab.

Flotsam

According to an article by The Independent, Texel’s shores receive over 2,000 kg of sea-offerings a day.  Over 500 messages in a bottle, alone were on display in the main maritime museum once.  If you are into scavenging then Texel could be a great place for you.

Oudeschild

We finished our trip in the harbor town of Oudeschild.  Fresh fried fish to eat and fishing boats to photograph were in no short supply.

Before my trip to Texel, I must admit that I did not know much about the island or just how much there is to do there.  The trip I went on only touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the number of activities, culinary opportunities and nature locations Texel has.  I encourage you to visit their website and have a look at the video below.

Goede Avond TL Dutch readers!

I hope that you are doing well and that your Dutch studies this week have been moving ahead at full speed.  Last week we looked at some Dutch vocabulary and some Dutch verbs.  Today we will move onto phrases you might use when asking or giving directions.

Starting Out

When you venture up to someone with the intention of asking them for directions, it is probably best to not start out by flinging questions around faster than a quiz master.  Two phrases that can help build-up the conversation are:

Pardon, mag ik u iets vragen? (Excuse me, may I ask you something?)

Bent u hier bekend? (Do you know the area?)

These are two questions that can also give you a heads-up about what a conversation is going to be about if someone approaches you and starts talking.

Asking Directions

Below you will find some phrases that can help you when asking directions.  However, don’t forget that there is no need, especially when you are first starting out, to use the more elaborate phrases.  Simple phrases like “Waar is…?” and “Ik zoek…” will work just as well.  Try combining one of the starter phrases above with one of these simpler phrases and already you have a good conversation started.  Then you can practice understanding the response!

Giving Directions

Again, no need to make your response too complex.  Short phrases with hand gestures and even a small hand-drawn map will get you understood.  You can build up to the longer phrases gradually.

Phrases for Asking and Giving Directions

• Hoe kom ik bij het station? (How do I get to the train station?)
• Hoe ver is het vanaf het vliegveld? (How far is it from the airport?)
• Ik moet naar… (I need to go to…)
• Waar is de bushalte? (Where is the bus stop?)
• Waar kan ik een taxi vinden? (Where can I find a taxi?)
• Hoeveel is de ritprijs? (How much is the fare?)
• Is er in de buurt een goed restaurant? (Is there a good restaurant in the neighbourhood?)
• Hoe ver is het nog? (How far is it from here?)
• Ik ben verdwaald. (I am lost.)
• Ik zoek… (I’m looking for…)
• U moet hier links. (Go left here.)
• Mag ik u iets vragen? (May I ask you something?)
• Weet u de weg naar… (Do you know the way to…)
• Ben je hier bekend? (Do you know the area? – informal)
• Ik ben hier helemaal bekend. (I know the area well.)

How are you getting on with the vocabulary I introduced in my last post?  Hopefully you have been trying out some of the techniques that I suggested (and some of your own) and are making some steady progress.  Stick with it, I promise it will be worth it in the end.  Today we are going to stick with the theme of asking for directions by looking at some of the useful verbs to know for the task.

Verbs Used When Giving Directions

Often people use the verbs moeten (must/have to) or gaan(go) when giving directions in Dutch.

U moet hier rechts. (You have to go right here.)

U gaat hier linksaf. (Go and turn left here.)

Moeten

Let’s look at moeten in a little more detail.  Moeten is a modal verb, a verb that is used in combination with other verbs.  When the verb being used in combination with moeten is either hebben or gaan, this verb (hebben/gaan) is usually left out.  You can see it in the first example above.  In the sentence, the verb gaan has been left out.  This is something that you will find quite often when asking for or giving directions.

Verbs Related to Motion Taken

You can also use the verbs related to the motion being taken.  If someone is driving, you can use rijden (drive) or lopen (walk) for people who are walking.

U loopt voorbij de kerk. (You walk past the church.)

U rijdt tot de stoplichten. (Drive up to the traffic lights.)

Take, Turn Into and Cross Over

You can also use nemen (take or turn into) and oversteken (cross a street).

U neemt de eerste straat rechts. (Take the first street on the right.)

Bij het zebrapad steekt u over. (Cross the street at the zebra crossing.)

Some Practice for You

Translate these sentences from English to Dutch.

1.  Do you know the way to the bank?

2.  Walk up to the traffic lights.

3.  Turn right here.

Translate these sentences from Dutch to English.

1.  Dan loopt u rechtdoor.

2.  U gaat hier rechtsaf en u loopt tot de stoplichten.

3.  Je moet voorbij die kerk en dan is het ergens aan de linkerkant.

Good luck with the exercises, keep up the practice with the vocabulary and I’ll see you next week when we will look at some key phrases related to asking directions and more than you ever wanted to know about taxis in the Netherlands.