Archive for 'Dutch Language'
Word Use: Oranje Voetbal Posted by Karoly Molina on Jun 30, 2014
The best way to learn new vocabulary is to use it. One exercise that has always challenged me and helped me learn word use in other languages is a paragraph where you fill in the words. It seems like something we’ve done since grade school, but it helps use new words. When you work on…
The “ui” Conundrum Posted by Karoly Molina on Jun 10, 2014
The first time I came to the Netherlands, I was ready to get to know my future country and even more excited to learn Dutch. My significant other picked me up at the airport, and we began our drive to our “home” for the two coming weeks. On the highway, I spotted the first Dutch…
Time to Say Vaarwel Posted by tiffany on Jun 1, 2014
Well, dear blog readers, here we are… my last blog post for Transparent Language. My family and I are relocating to the United States and with the upcoming move and the uncertainty of the future, a further commitment to the blog just isn’t doable. Sharing this Dutch language journey with you here has been an…
A bus on water – the Waterbus! Posted by Sten on May 30, 2014
In the Dutch west, to be exact in the surroundings of Rotterdam called the Rotterdam-Drechtsteden, the people have developed an interesting, peculiar way of transport. They call it the waterbus (water bus). It is, as its name suggests, a bus on the water. It is much like a regular ferry. The waterbus uses the OV-chipkaart, so you can…
A Cookie From Your Own Dough and Other Dutch Idioms Posted by tiffany on May 28, 2014
What would a language be without its own unique sayings? In English, for instance, we color our communication with a number of clichés. How often have you heard someone talk about it being just the way the cookie crumbles or wax poetic about home, sweet home? Turns out, the Dutch also love their expressions. But…
Language Listening Lesson – Het Verhaal van Mark Posted by Sten on May 17, 2014
Summer is slowly approaching. However, these past two weeks have been rainy, very windy, cold… Nothing you would expect from a great summer! So while we are reviving the cold winter months with blankets and hot chocolates, why also not some cozy Dutch? Let’s start off with the first Triple L! (Language Listening Lesson) The following story…
What Color Is Dikkie Dik, Anyway? Posted by tiffany on Apr 27, 2014
One of the things about being in what I like to call a bicultural relationship is that you never know when those cultural differences are going to pop up. We had one such moment toward the beginning of our relationship when we happened upon a snoozing cat. He looked up as we passed, which seemed to…