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“Making
an Appointment” and Other “Dutchisms”
by
Kathy de Haan, May 2004
If
you are a native English speaker and have lived in The Netherlands for at
least a year, chances are fairly good that you have already added a
few Dutchisms to your vocabulary.
Dutchisms
are literal translations of English words that have become part of the
regular English vocabulary used by many Dutch people.
In general, there is no real harm using these words yourself, but
be warned. When you start
talking about “making appointments” to see friends, or referring to
the text at the bottom of your TV screen as “undertitles”, you will
start kicking yourself. And
trust me, it will only get worse!
Agenda
In Holland, we do not spontaneously get together with friends.
We must first check our “agenda” and then make an
“appointment”.
Partner
It is perfectly reasonable to talk about your “partner” when you are
referring to your "spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend". Where
I am from in the USA, "partner" is usually reserved for gay
couples or business associates.
Learning
Dutch
If you are learning Dutch while continuing to speak English here, chances
are even greater that you will add Dutchisms to your everyday speech.
Think about these examples:
1)
collega -- You
will now feel compelled to say "colleague" when you used to say
"co-worker".
2)
handig
-- You will tend to overuse the word "handy" when you mean
“convenient”, as in "He's two hours late. That's not very
handy."
3)
ik vind
-- You might start overusing "I find" when you used to say “I
think”, as in "I find this pea soup much too salty."
Context
By the way, what exactly is a "map"? Is it a thing that
has roads printed all over it, or is it a piece of cardboard
that holds papers?
How
about a "folder"? Is that the thing that holds papers
or is it an ad from the supermarket?
So,
then what is a “recipe?” Is it a list of ingredients with
instructions on how to cook something, or is it a slip of paper you get
from your doctor to order medicine?
These
are three examples of English words that are sometimes misused by Dutch
speakers. You will usually understand what is meant by the
context.
Cozy
and Other Gaps in English
There is no decent translation that captures the same feeling as
“gezellig”, so many of us simply say it in Dutch.
This also applies to ending e-mails with “groetjes”.
It just has a nicer ring to it than “regards, greetings, cheers
or take care”. Another
example, in our house anyway, is “lekker”.
You could say “yummy or delicious” but again, those don’t
quite measure up (especially if you add the hand-waving-next-to-your-head
gesture).
Back
Home
Using Dutchisms may help ensure that you are understood in The
Netherlands, but what happens when you talk this way with friends and
family back home? If you have not already experienced it, get
ready for some strange looks and a bit of snickering.
WC
Let me say one word. "Toilet". "May I use your
toilet?" or "Where is the toilet?" While perfectly
fine here, these phrases will just not do in America. Say these in
Ohio and people might think you need to throw up.
Stuck
Between Worlds
Sometimes, this new way we speak English can make us sound a bit arrogant
to folks back home. For example, we say "holiday" instead of
"vacation", and ”mobile” phone instead of “cell” phone.
Even referring to “America” as “The States” still gets a
chuckle from my friends now and then.
You
may already be comfortable writing dates the European way, as in "24
May" instead of "May 24”, but how do you like using
“commas” instead of “periods” when writing numbers with decimal
points?
How
much these words effect you may depend on where you are from.
For Americans, some words are not Dutchisms at all, but are actually
Britishisms. These include
words that sound a bit odd to the American ear, e.g. trousers,
petrol, and bank holiday. But, we’ll leave that topic for another
time.
The
Dutchism list goes on! Feel
free to send your word ideas, comments and questions to: kdh@commonlink.nl
Kathy
de Haan is an English Language Trainer in Zaanstad, Netherlands. She
worked in Media Marketing and Advertising for eight years in America
before moving to Holland in 1999. After four years as Marketing
Director in IT Market Research in The Netherlands, Kathy now provides
customized language training to businesspeople who use English as a
Second Language.
Common Link English Language Training
"Helping people become more confident in using English to
communicate."
Wormerveer, Zaanstad
ph: 075-6223900, fax: 075-6223902
kdh@commonlink.nl
www.commonlink.nl
Copyright
2004 by K. de Haan
This article may not be reprinted, in part or in whole, without
prior written consent.