Speaking Dutch & awkward misunderstandings

Language is a collection of sounds to express our thoughts and emotions and these sounds have an emotional impact. In different languages, the same sound can have a completely different meaning and impact. This can evoke a specific emotional reaction. For example, it can be embarrassing or even shocking. This should be considered, because your personal interpretation is not necessarily correct!

In the first article of this series you learned a little about the pronunciation of a certain lady from a certain part of town. All too familiar, as I am born in South Africa. Although I’m not fluent in Afrikaans, the variations in pronouncing the Dutch vowels can lead to some hilarious misunderstandings.

Subsidie for all and everyone, hilarious again

Many moons ago I worked at one of the Amsterdam housing corporations. At the time the system was ‘huursubsidie’, this translates to subsidised rent or rent control. This system is now called ‘toeslagen’. De ‘toeslagenaffaire’ brought down the Dutch government recently, but that is another story. You already know ‘huur’ is rent, a topic high on the list of many expatriates in Amsterdam. If you see a sign ‘te huur’ in Amsterdam (for rent) Amsterdammers probably complain that it will be ‘te duur’ (too expensive). One day someone came by the housing corporation office to apply for what he thought was ‘huursubsidie’. Instead of the Dutch pronunciation ‘huuuursubsidie’ he asked for ‘hoersubsidie’… and there we are back to the certain lady from a certain part of town again. Of course my colleagues had a laugh after this happened, so always remember that rent is pronounced as ’ huuuur’. U heeft de huur nog niet betaald’ means  “you (formal) have not paid the rent yet!”

Most challenging vowel learning Dutch?

Around that time a friend of mine was working for the Dutch Railways, NS – which stands for ‘Nederlandse Spoorwegen’ (Neeeederlandse Spoorweeeegen). Their headquarters is in Utrecht, try to pronounce ‘Uuuutrecht’! They were developing software to recognize speech as means of ‘customer service’. People would press a button and be helped by a computer. So this gentleman of non-Dutch origin needs information. The computer asks ‘Op welk station bevindt u zich?’ (at which station are you?). The man answers: ‘Oetrecht’. The computer repeats: you are at Zoetermeer station. No, no the man says: ‘Oetrecht’! The computer repeats: You are at Zoetermeer station. No, ‘OETRECHT’!

Practice makes perfect

It’s important to remember your long Dutch vowels: ‘Uuuutrecht, nuuuu, nuuuu’ (now). Uber is a great example as well. The word is incorrectly translated from the German über, meaning best or better and is in Dutch pronounced as ‘Uuuuber’ and not Oeber! Do you want to practice your Dutch ‘U’? Fill in these words in google translate and click on the speaker.
– universum
– uniek
– Hallo buurman! Hallo buurvrouw! (hello neighbour!)
– your neighbours are ‘de buren’
– het uur (the hour)
– Het is één uur (it’s one o’clock)
– Dat is duur (that’s expensive)
– vuur (fire)
– zuur (sour, in Amsterdam typically, pickled)
– Zuur erbij? Used in spicy Indonesian or Surinamese food – and raw herring!
– zuurkool (sauerkraut, literally ‘sour cabbage’)
– zuurstof (oxygen)

Written by Chiel Nobels