Archive for August, 2013
The De vs. Het Dilemma Solved… (Well, Almost) Posted by tiffany on Aug 21, 2013
‘De’ or ‘het’? The lack of hard and fast rules makes this one of life’s great enigmas. Loads of Dutch language learners (myself included) search far and wide for an explanation. Some trick or secret that will eliminate the de vs. het dilemma. The thing is… there isn’t one. This is most likely something…
A Dutchie By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet Posted by tiffany on Aug 14, 2013
What’s in a name? When it comes to Dutch names, apparently quite a lot. Take first names, for instance. Seems the Dutch were firm believers in getting their money’s worth out of them. First names would survive in one family for generations. As it turns out, there was an intricate formula that kept them going…
Dutch Words that are Good for Your Health Posted by tiffany on Aug 11, 2013
There’s a saying in Dutch, “gezondheid is de grootste schat.” Health is the greatest treasure. But, sometimes, despite our best efforts, poor health swoops in to rain on our parade. While most Dutch people speak excellent English, it’s always nice to know the lingo. When it comes to your health and well-being, you want to…
Your Guide to Dutch Abbreviations Posted by tiffany on Aug 3, 2013
In last week’s post, we went over afkortingen (abbreviations) for chattaal (chat language) – think BRB, LOL, etc… but in Dutch. In a comment on the post, Peter reminded us that there are many, many afkortingen employed in every-day Dutch language that can sometimes make you feel like you’re trying to crack a secret code…