Archive for 'Dutch Language'
How Did Sinterklaas Arrive in The Netherlands During COVID? Posted by Sten on Nov 23, 2020
One of the most cherished Dutch traditions, the Sinterklaasfeest (St. Nicholas celebration) is a cultural beacon in the Netherlands. With his arrival on his stoomboot (steamboat) from Spanje (Spain) every year in November to his mysterious delivery of the pakjes (“little packages”, gifts) for the big night of opening them on pakjesavond (“little packages evening”) on December 5 to the abundance of cavity-inducing…
Spreekwoorden en Uitdrukkingen (Sayings and Expressions) 16 – Sunshine! Posted by Sten on Oct 29, 2020
The last time we looked at spreekwoorden (sayings) and uitdrukkingen (expressions), it was May. The zomer (summer) had just started, and we talked about the nice weather. However, you can also have too much sun… At least that’s what our spreekwoord suggests. Sunshine is still awesome, though, as our uitdrukking argues! Let’s take a look at them, starting with the spreekwoord! For other sayings and expressions…
Untranslatable Dutch: Inkakmomentje Posted by Sten on Oct 6, 2020
Today we have a fun untranslatable Dutch word. It’s used quite a lot and its use is quite widespread. It also isn’t very vulgar, so it can be used in many settings, too! I’m talking about that moment that you kinda fall apart: your inkakmomentje. Click here for more untranslatable words Inkak… Wait, what? An inkakmomentje is a…
What’s Dutch About The Dutch Oven? Posted by Sten on Oct 2, 2020
While many of the “Dutch” terms that I’ve discussed here on the blog are entirely unrelated to the Dutch, today we have one that actually is! The braadpan (frying pan) made of gietijzer (cast iron) was a Dutch invention that made its way into the early North American colonies. Especially on the trails westwards, it was a popular cooking…
What do the Belgians Speak? Posted by Sten on Sep 8, 2020
We’ve talked about the differences between Dutch and Flemish before. Words and pronunciation are quite different between Dutch dialects and Flemish ones – but where does that leave us? Flemish is not a language; the official language is Nederlands (Dutch). So what gives? A tussentaal? Vlaams as an official language does not exist; It is Nederlands. In 1980, Belgium and…
Binnenhof: Eerste Kamer Posted by Sten on Jul 21, 2020
The Binnenhof (Inner Court) is the center of the Dutch overheid (government). Located in the heart of Den Haag (The Hague), it oozes Dutch geschiedenis (history) and verhalen (stories). In this series, we’ll go building by building and explore what each is all about. Today, let’s check out the Eerste Kamer! For more posts in the Binnenhof series, click…
Knalplanga! Posted by Sten on Jul 13, 2020
July 4th was a little more than a week ago. Happy late 4th of July, dear Americans! It’s a day with parties, events and fireworks – and during the pandemic mostly the latter. But fireworks lead to injuries each year, even deaths. In the Netherlands, we have such issues too. Not in July, but in…