Archive for January, 2016
Can You Say This Correctly? – 1: Arla Biologische Volle Melk – Long and Short Klinkers Posted by Sten on Jan 31, 2016
One of the hardest things about learning Dutch is pronunciation. Whether it is about the ui-klank (the “ui” sound), the G-klank (the “G” sound) or other sounds you might have a hard time with. This series, called “Can You Say This Correctly?”, is about providing a speech example that I recorded. I will give the Dutch text, a translation…
Warme Truiendag: Will You Join Us? Posted by Sten on Jan 29, 2016
Friday, February 5, it’s Warmetruiendag (Warm Sweater Day) in the Netherlands. I hope the video below will explain this better: TRANSCRIPT OF THE VIDEO Bezoeker 1: Ik doe mee aan Warmetruiendag. Bezoeker 2: Ja, ik doe zeker mee aan Warmetruiendag. Ik heb altijd de verwarming helemaal uitstaan en mijn kamer is altijd ijskoud. _ Girl: Hee, daar is Warmetruienman!…
The Pain of Separable Verbs Posted by Karoly Molina on Jan 27, 2016
This morning I had a very “girly” problem related to Dutch. I was getting a manicure and I wanted to explain to the manicurist that I wasn’t able to completely remove the gel nail polish and needed her to help me. The problem was….which verb do you use for removing nail polish. In my head…
Why is the Dutch Door called Dutch Door? Posted by Sten on Jan 26, 2016
The Dutch door – also known as double-hung door, half door or stable door in Great Britain – is a door of which the top half can be opened while the lower half remains shut. These doors have been around since the 17th century, and had an especially large impact on the earlier American colonies. In…
Foreign Influences: The French Influence on Dutch Posted by Sten on Jan 25, 2016
Just like any other language, Dutch is influenced by many other languages, including those spoken in neighboring countries like Germany, France and Great Britain. Obviously, Dutch also influences other languages, like those spoken in the former Dutch colonies, such as Suriname. Today, however, I would like to address the influence of French on the Dutch…
5 Dutch Foods I Wish Were EVERYWHERE Posted by Sten on Jan 22, 2016
Dear readers, first of all, Gelukkig nieuwjaar (happy new year)! I hope it is still appropriate at this time, since it is already so late. I am sorry that you have not heard from me for such a long time, but I had very time consuming exams. I just returned from half a year studying in France…
Dutch Childhood Games Posted by Karoly Molina on Jan 20, 2016
First of all, I would like to wish everyone a happy new year! I know I am a bit late on the congratulations, but it is my first post of the year and I would love to wish all the blog readers the very best for 2016….may it be a year filled with love, happiness…