Archive for 'Dutch Language'
Doe de Groetjes! Posted by Sten on Jul 2, 2018
Picture the following: You are op bezoek bij (visiting) your friend, and you start talking about these old mutual friends you have. It’s been years! And you will see them in just a few days! So your friend tells you: doe ze de groetjes van mij! (Say hi to them for me!). Sounds familiar? Not surprising. The Dutch like…
The Oostvaardersplassen – What went wrong? Posted by Sten on May 22, 2018
You might remember our post on Flevoland, a Dutch province that was created from scratch – literally. The land did not exist before. Part of that creation of land was also the the creation of a natuurgebied (nature reserve), called the Oostvaardersplassen. With a size of 5600 hectares (about 14,000 acres), it is an important natuurgebied not just for the Netherlands…
3 Reasons To Like The Dutch Monarchy Posted by Sten on Apr 27, 2018
Yesterday, we looked at three reasons to dislike the Dutch monarchy. It is expensive, not transparent, useless… So pragmatic! What do proponents think? Today, on the verjaardag van de koning (the King’s birthday), we will look at 3 reasons to like the Dutch monarchy! 1. Verbindt mensen! Having a koning (king) makes people feel connected, as he is the…
3 Reasons To Dislike The Dutch Monarchy Posted by Sten on Apr 26, 2018
Tomorrow, Koning Willem-Alexander can blow out 51 kaarsjes (candles)! And the whole country is going to celebrate it along with him. Right? No. There are some people opposed to the king. And just this week, negative voices have raised again. Why? Here are three, non-exhaustive, reasons why having a koningshuis (royal house) may not be such a wonderful idea, according to tegenstanders (opponents)…
Top 3 Dutch April Fool’s Jokes 2018! Posted by Sten on Apr 2, 2018
1 april, kikker in je bil! (April 1, frog in your butt!) Every year, on April 1, people play pranks on each other – and 2018 is no different! And it is not just your brother, dad or neighbor that jokes with you, but also companies and news sources! In my opinion, the Dutch have a pretty great…
Let’s Go Dutch! – Going Dutch Posted by Sten on Feb 19, 2018
You’re in a restaurant with friends. The food is great, the music is nice, the waiters are friendly, and you’re having a lot of fun. Suddenly: Hier is de rekening! (Here is the bill!) – who is going to pay? Are you paying for all, or are you going Dutch? Check out other “Dutch”-terms posts here. Let’s Go…
4 Reasons To Escape Carnival Posted by Sten on Feb 12, 2018
Every February, one of the largest events below the rivieren (rivers) is happening: Carnaval (Carnival). For a few days, the entire Dutch south, especially Noord-Brabant and Limburg, are a complete mess! On this blog, we have written before some of the nice things about Carnaval. But not everybody likes it! While there are many people coming into the…