Archive for 'Dutch Language'
Dutch Idioms 20 – Butter and Porridge Posted by Sten on Apr 22, 2021
Welcome to another post in our series on Dutch idioms! Today it’s time for some more food-related idioms. Here are two uitdrukkingen (expressions) that combine the body and food in some weird ways. And somehow became well-known expressions. Let’s check them out. For other idioms in this series, click here. Boter op het hoofd hebben To live…
This Dutch Invention Will Make You Scream! Posted by Sten on Apr 16, 2021
Getting tested for COVID is indispensable right now. But it is so uncomfortable with that swab! Isn’t there a better way? Well, according to this Dutch inventor, a scream test might be a viable solution. What is the QuBA, how does it work, and will we scream to get tested soon? Screaming to test COVID?…
How 4 Words Caused a Political Crisis in the Netherlands Posted by Sten on Apr 5, 2021
The past two weeks, the Netherlands was in de ban van (under the spell) of the ominous words “Positie Omtzigt, functie elders” (position Omtzigt, job elsewhere). Who is Omtzigt, where do these words come from and what does this all mean? Here’s how these four words caused a political crisis in the Netherlands. Who are the verkenners? Before we…
Dutch Idioms 19 – Eggs Make It Easy Posted by Sten on Mar 24, 2021
Welcome to yet another post in our series on Dutch idioms! Today, I want to take a closer look at two pretty weird ones, and they’re both related to eggs. Without further ado, here’s the first for today: the spreekwoord (saying). For other idioms in this series, click here. Dat is een eitje! Literally: That’s a…
What Do You Call A Female Dutch Surgeon? Posted by Sten on Mar 19, 2021
Languages often have three genders – male, female and neuter. And most often, the male form is the standard one. However, there are many situations in which you want the feminine form instead. Especially when you’re talking about people and their profession, hobbies and passions. So how do female endings work in Dutch, and when…
Dutch Fillers Part 2 – 8 Very Common Dutch Stopwoorden Posted by Sten on Mar 11, 2021
So, yesterday we talked about why we actually use stopwoorden (fillers). And while we explained there why we even use these stopwoorden, I want to give you a few very common Dutch stopwoorden and their meanings! Click here to read Dutch Fillers Part 1. 8 of the most often used fillers in Dutch, of zo Like…
Dutch Fillers Part 1 – Why do We Use Stopwoorden? Posted by Sten on Mar 10, 2021
So, you’ve tried to learn Dutch, right? Well, you know, there are words that make sentences unnecessarily long, right? Like, without them, you could, like, still say the same thing, you know, with fewer words. You can probably tell by now, I am talking about stopwoorden (“fill words”, fillers). We have them in Dutch, too! Here’s why…