Mental Health in the Netherlands Posted by Karoly Molina on Aug 16, 2017
I wrote before about going to the huisarts or the doctor when it comes to a regular cold or fever. Today’s post focuses on a more serious matter, but one that affects many people: mental health. According to the Trimbos Instituut, about 20% of Dutch adults suffer from depression during their lifetime and 13% of mothers suffer from…
Tweeklanken 3: eeu(w), ei, eu, ui Posted by Sten on Aug 14, 2017
Hi again. Welcome to the third instalment on the series on tweeklanken. Today, we discuss those that start with an e. Last week, we discussed ei already, as it is very much related to the ij. The other two tweeklanken with e are pretty straightforward, I think. Furthermore, because the ui and eu are kind of related in what they sound like, I will also discuss ui today. They are…
6 Things to Know About Babies in the Netherlands Posted by Karoly Molina on Aug 9, 2017
Whether you are planning to have a baby in the Netherlands or just have friends and family here who will, having babies in the Netherlands comes with its own customs and traditions. Below is a list of the most useful things to know about having babies in the Netherlands: Thuisbevalling Thuisbevalling or a home birth…
Tweeklanken 2: ie, ieu(w), ij/ei Posted by Sten on Aug 8, 2017
Hi there! Welcome to the second post on tweeklanken, or vowel combinations. Here’s last week’s post on ae, ai, aai, and au/ou. Today we have an exciting one, because we will discuss the ij, one very special letter in the Dutch alphabet and in the realm of tweeklanken. Apart from the ij, we will discuss the ie and ieu(w) today, because they also start with an i…
American Crayfish Invades the Netherlands Posted by Karoly Molina on Aug 4, 2017
The waterboards of Delft and The Hague has begun a campaign to save the flora and fauna of the Dutch rivers and canals. The culprit: de amerikaanse rivierkreeft! According to a NOS article: In 1985 werd de Amerikaanse rivierkreeft voor het eerst waargenomen in de Nederlandse wateren. Het gaat hier om wat in jargon een ‘invasieve exoot’…
Tweeklanken 1: ae, ai, aai, au/ou Posted by Sten on Jul 31, 2017
Dutch is pretty straightforward with its alfabet (alphabet): It has 26 letters, there are no special ones. So, that’s pretty simple! However, there are some lettercombinaties (letter combinations) that create a different sound. There are 16 of them, and in the coming weeks, we will have a look at all of them. Today, we start of with those starting…
Talking About Time in Dutch Posted by Karoly Molina on Jul 30, 2017
In the land of agendas and appointments, talking about time is essential. The following are some essential words and phrases you can use when setting up your next appointment. Hoe laat wil je afspreken? It is useful to know how to ask at what time you would like to set up an appointment. While your…