Vuurwerk: Should it be restricted? Posted by Sten on Dec 31, 2018
Oudejaarsavond (New Year’s Eve) and vuurwerk (fireworks) are inseparable in the Netherlands. No jaarwisseling (turn of the year) without the loud knallen (bangs) and bright kleuren (colors) of the vuurpijlen (rockets) and rotjes (firecrackers)! However, this vuurwerk also has a dark side. Every year, there are hundreds of accidents with these dangerous producten (products) that lead to ernstige letsels (serious injuries), from losing fingers to losing eyesight. Should, perhaps, vuurwerk be forbidden? Or is…
Wil or wilt? Posted by Sten on Dec 17, 2018
A rather small conundrum, but an important one if you want to understand Dutch properly: is it jij wil or jij wilt? Small difference, but is it significant? Let’s find out. The difference of one letter Willen (to want) is an important verb, often a hulpwerkwoord (auxiliary verb). The official conjugation is as follows: ik wil (I want) jij/u wilt (you (informal)/you (formal) want) hij/zij/het…
The Dutch and All Their Money (Words) Posted by Karoly Molina on Dec 12, 2018
There are so many stereotypes about the Dutch and money: cost savvy, always looking for a good bargain, and in a not so nice way, cheap. But are the Dutch really this thrifty and what does their language use say about the role money plays? History To understand why the Dutch tend to save and…
Van Dale Word of the Year 2018 Posted by Karoly Molina on Dec 5, 2018
The official list of the Van Dale Word of 2018 is out and open for votes, but before we go to the list, who is this van Dale? Van Dale Dictionary If you are learning Dutch, you might have heard of the wonderful dictionary by Van Dale. Van Dale is like the Webster’s and Oxford…
Untranslatable Words: Kletskoek Posted by Sten on Nov 20, 2018
Wat zeg je nou? Kletskoek! Ik heb daar niets mee te maken! You may have heard this before. Somebody is upset, and their choice of words is… kletskoek? A chatting cookie? What does that mean, how did we get here? Here is an attempt to explain it. Click here for more untranslatable words Gossip Biscuit! Nowadays, the…
Health Insurance in the Netherlands – Choices! Choices! Choices! Posted by Karoly Molina on Nov 14, 2018
It is that lovely time of the year when Dutch insurances or zorgverzekeraars publish their prices for the next year and we are all faced with the decision to change or not to change providers. So what do the Dutch have to choose and who decides what is insured and what isn’t? De Wet First and…
Dutch Horror Films- Meet Jimmy Posted by Karoly Molina on Nov 1, 2018
There is something about the chilly fall days with its wind and rain that make it ideal for horror films even after Halloween. If you are a fan of horror movies and all things gory, the Dutch film Meet Jimmy is something for you! The story Meet Jimmy took its inspiration from the high demand crime podcasts…