{"id":2248,"date":"2013-07-25T13:21:42","date_gmt":"2013-07-25T13:21:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/?p=2248"},"modified":"2014-07-18T15:51:00","modified_gmt":"2014-07-18T15:51:00","slug":"think-learning-dutch-is-hard-it-could-be-worse-you-could-be-learning-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/think-learning-dutch-is-hard-it-could-be-worse-you-could-be-learning-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Think Learning Dutch is Hard? It Could Be Worse. You Could Be Learning English!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you seen the graphic making the rounds on Facebook? The one about all the reasons why English is hard to learn?<\/p>\n

It includes things like “the soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert” and “after a number of injections my jaw got number.” Pretty mind blowing, huh?<\/p>\n

Lots of Dutch language learners complain that it’s such a difficult language to learn. And native Dutch speakers themselves don’t hesitate to remind you of how tough their language is and how awesome you are for giving it a go.<\/p>\n

But it could be worse. You could be learning English!<\/p>\n

Check out this poem… if your brain can handle it.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,<\/em>
\n But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.<\/em>
\n Then one fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,<\/em>
\n Yet the plural of moose should never be meese,<\/em>
\n You may find a lone mouse or a whole nest of mice,<\/em>
\n But the plural of house is houses, not hice.<\/em>
\n If the plural of man is always called men,<\/em>
\n Why shouldn\u2019t the plural of pan be called pen?<\/em>
\n The cow in the plural may be cows or kine,<\/em>
\n But a bow if repeated is never called bine,<\/em>
\n And the plural of vow is vows, never vine.<\/em>
\n If I speak of a foot and you show me your feet,<\/em>
\n And I give you a boot would a pair be called beet?<\/em>
\n If one is a tooth, and a whole set are teeth,<\/em>
\n Why shouldn\u2019t the plural of booth be called beeth?<\/em>
\n If the singular\u2019s this and the plural is these,<\/em>
\n Should the plural of kiss ever be nicknamed keese?<\/em>
\n Then one may be that and three would be those,<\/em>
\n Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,<\/em>
\n And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.<\/em>
\n We speak of a brother, and also of brethren,<\/em>
\n But though we say mother, we never say methren,<\/em>
\n Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,<\/em>
\n But imagine the feminine she, shis and shim,<\/em>
\n So the English, I think, you all will agree,<\/em>
\n Is the queerest language you ever did see.<\/em>
\n~author unknown<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Though, truth be told, Dutch is not that far behind. Check out this poem shared by blog reader Fritz Evenbly in the comments section of the post 14 English Words You Probably Didn’t Know Have Dutch Origins<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Het meervoud van slot is sloten<\/em>
\n Maar toch is het meervoud van pot, geen poten<\/em>
\n Evenzo zegt men; een vat twee vaten<\/em>
\n Maar zal men niet zeggen: een kat twee katen<\/em>
\nWie gisteren ging vliegen, zegt heden ik vloog.<\/em>
\n Dus zeggen ze misschien ook van wiegen ik woog.<\/em>
\n Nee mis! want ik woog is afkomstig van wegen.<\/em>
\n Maar is nu ik \u201cvoog\u201d, een vervoeging van vegen.<\/em><\/p>\n

En van het woord zoeken vervoegt men ik zocht<\/em>
\n En dus hoort bij vloeken, misschien wel ik vlocht<\/em>
\n Alweer mis! want dit is afkomstig van vlechten<\/em>
\n Maar ik hocht is geen juiste vervoeging van hechten<\/em><\/p>\n

Bij roepen hoort riep, bij snoepen geen sniep<\/em>
\n Bij lopen hoort liep, maar bij slopen geen sliep<\/em>
\n Want dit is afkomstig van het schone woord slapen<\/em>
\n Maar zeg nu weer niet, ik riep bij het woord rapen.<\/em><\/p>\n

Want dat komt van roepen, en u ziet terstond<\/em>
\n Zo draaien wij vrolijk in een kringetje rond<\/em>
\n Van raden komt ried, maar van baden geen bied<\/em>
\n Dat komt van bieden, (ik hoop dat u \u2018t ziet)<\/em>
\n Ook komt hiervan bood, maar van wieden geen wood.<\/em><\/p>\n

U ziet de verwarring is akelig groot<\/em>
\n Nog talloos veel voorbeelden kan ik u geven<\/em>
\n Want gaf hoort bij geven, maar laf niet bij leven<\/em>
\n Men spreekt van wij drinken, wij hebben gedronken<\/em>
\n Maar niet van wij hinken, wij hebben gehonken<\/em><\/p>\n

Het volgende geval, dat is bijna te bont<\/em>
\n Bij slaan hoort, ik sloeg, niet ik sling of ik slond<\/em>
\n Bij staan niet ik stong ik sting maar ik stond<\/em>
\n Bij gaan hoort ik ging, en niet ik goeg of ik gond<\/em><\/p>\n

Een mannetjeskat, noemt men meestal een kater<\/em>
\n Hoe noemt men een mannetjesrat, soms een rater<\/em>
\n zo heeft het NEDERLANDS verschillende kwalen<\/em>
\n Nietemin is en blijft het, DE TAAL DER TALEN.<\/em>
\n~attributed to language critic Charivarius (Gerard Nolst Trenit\u00e9, 1870-1946)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So remember, learning Dutch may not be a picnic. But neither is learning English. And if you can speak one, you can surely learn the other!<\/p>\n

What do you find to be the oddest\/most difficult thing about the English language? How about Dutch? Share in the comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Have you seen the graphic making the rounds on Facebook? The one about all the reasons why English is hard to learn? It includes things like “the soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert” and “after a number of injections my jaw got number.” Pretty mind blowing, huh? Lots of Dutch language learners…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":2250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3590],"tags":[930,117729],"class_list":["post-2248","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dutch-language","tag-english","tag-learning-dutch"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t