Archive for 'Dutch Language'
The Dutch Resistance in World War II – Part 4: De Engelandvaarders Posted by Sten on Jun 7, 2019
In the aftermath of the dodenherdenking and the celebration of the bevrijding of the Netherlands from the German occupation during World War II on May 4 and 5 and the fact that 2019 marks 80 years since the start of World War II in 1939, I am writing a series on how the Dutch got sucked into…
Dutch Word of the Month May: De Verademing Posted by Sten on May 27, 2019
In this blog series, we choose a Dutch word of the month. We may tie the word to current events, or just choose one as we see fit. If you have nominations for Word of the Month, please leave them in the comments, and we will consider them. But now, the Word of the Month…
The Dutch Resistance in World War II – Part 3: Het Verzet Posted by Sten on May 23, 2019
In the aftermath of the dodenherdenking and the celebration of the bevrijding of the Netherlands from the German occupation during World War II on May 4 and 5 and the fact that 2019 marks 80 years since the start of World War II in 1939, I am writing a series on how the Dutch got sucked into…
Spreekwoorden en Uitdrukkingen (Sayings and Expressions) 9 – Rocks Posted by Sten on May 20, 2019
I visited the grotten (caves) of Maastricht last weekend. They are entirely human-made, as the mergel (marl) in the Sint-Pietersberg (“Saint Peter’s Mountain”) has many uses. It is used as bouwmateriaal (construction material), ingredient for cement (concrete), veevoer (fodder), kleurstof (coloring) and kalkmeststof (agricultural lime). While there is no spreekwoord (saying) related to mergel, there is an uitdrukking (expression). I found a fitting spreekwoord though! For other sayings and expressions in this series, click…
The Dutch “Krul” – A Unique Mark of Approval Posted by Sten on May 13, 2019
There are many quick ways to quickly show your approval in writing. A very common sign of goedkeuring (approval) is the vinkje (check mark). While the vinkje is sometimes also used in the Netherlands, the goedkeuringskrul (“approval curl”) is a lot more common! But why this difference, and where do these signs come from? What is it used for?…
An Unusual Dutch Easter Tradition: Matzes Posted by Sten on Apr 21, 2019
It is Pasen (Easter)! On Easter Sunday, the Dutch have a few traditions they follow, and one that I am highlighting today are a very popular food item: matzes! Why Do The Dutch Eat Unleavened Flat Bread during Easter? During the Paasontbijt (Easter breakfast), which is usually quite extensive, the Dutch eat these flat crackers a lot…
Dutch Resistance in World War II – Part 1: De Slag bij Mill Posted by Sten on Apr 15, 2019
In anticipation of the dodenherdenking and the celebration of the bevrijding of the Netherlands from the German occupation during World War II on May 4 and 5 and the fact that 2019 marks 80 years since the start of World War II in 1939, I am writing a series on how the Dutch got sucked into the war…