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Dutch Language & Usage [closed]

Proposed Q&A site for students, teachers, and linguists wanting to discuss the finer points of the Dutch language.
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At 2+ years in Area 51 we have to close this proposal. Keep this proposal alive by restarting it. See discuss.area51.stackexchange.com/q/5798. – Robert Cartaino♦ Apr 11 at 21:41

42
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Closing Two-Year+ Proposals

apr 16 at 23:47 PearsonArtPhoto 3,838
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What language is this proposal going to be written in?

feb 19 at 14:36 11684 159
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Note that we have a lot of great new questions - time to vote them up

nov 19 at 16:38 Marcin 232

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closed as not a viable proposal by Robert Cartaino♦ Apr 11 at 21:40

This proposal will not result in a useful, productive, or viable Q&A site.

60 Example Questions (6 closed)

active oldest votes
up vote 26 down vote
Are there any rules for knowing which nouns use 'het' and which nouns use 'de'?
added by oosterwal Feb 8 '11 at 22:50
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2  
As interesting as this question is, I would suggest that voters consider upvoting other questions. This would take us faster to the commitment phase. – Otavio Macedo Jan 25 at 15:31
up vote 20 down vote
What are the main differences between Dutch and Afrikaans?
added by Jaime Soto Jan 18 '11 at 13:33
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up vote 16 down vote
Do I use "u" or "je" when I start speaking to someone I do not know?
added by Caspar Kleijne Jun 23 '11 at 6:05
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you need to say "u" to someone you don't know – long tom Feb 7 at 11:27
You need to say "u" when speaking to someone of authority, e.g. a police officer or other (government) official, even if you know them. – derabbink Mar 6 at 10:05
up vote 14 down vote
Can 'hun' be used as the subject of a sentence?
added by rightfold Jan 17 '11 at 12:32
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up vote 14 down vote
What tongue-twisters or nursery rhymes I can use to practice difficult sounds?
added by oosterwal Feb 8 '11 at 22:54
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Eat your heart out: Tongbrekers – Hendrik Jan 31 at 11:37
1  
I particularly like this one: 'De postkoetskoetsier poetst de postkoets met postkoetspoets op een postkoetspoetsdoek' – 11684 Feb 20 at 17:07
Achtentachtig prettige grachten. – Giorgio Apr 7 at 18:15
up vote 13 down vote
I have heard of the 'kofschip' where is it used for?
added by Toon Krijthe Mar 23 '11 at 9:30
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up vote 12 down vote
When is "er" appropriate?
added by Graham Sunderland Feb 4 '11 at 13:20
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up vote 11 down vote
Why are Feyenoord (the soccer team) and Feijenoord (the Rotterdam district where they play) spelled differently?
added by Jaime Soto Jan 21 '11 at 19:32
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2  
I think this is on-topic. It offers a bit of language history and may point out subtleties to non-native speakers. – oosterwal Feb 8 '11 at 22:49
1  
That was my intent - I wanted a question that related to the ij digraph. – Jaime Soto Feb 9 '11 at 14:23
Feijenoord with "lange ij" doesn't work very well internationally. They changed it to Feyenoord in 1971 after they won the Europe Cup 1 – Hendrik Jan 31 at 11:32
up vote 11 down vote
What is the proper pronounciation of 'Grolsch'?
added by oosterwal Feb 8 '11 at 22:58
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When I've been offered it in Amsterdam, it was with the equivalent of an english "H" sound for both the G and the "ch" - "Hrols`h" if you will. – Marcin Nov 19 '12 at 16:40
@Marcin that is not correct (the first g is much closer to the Scottish ch in loch, and the last ch is not pronounced at all), but this page here is not the place for answers. Save those for the site when it goes live. – Mr Lister Nov 21 '12 at 20:43
I can't say I've ever heard a Scottish person pronounce "loch", but what I did hear in Amsterdam sounded exactly like I would pronounce "Hrols'h". The final "h" does not denote the same sound as the first "H", but the final sound in the word was not the same as the final sound in "Bols", so I would not say the "ch" is completely silent - there is a definite exhalation. – Marcin Nov 21 '12 at 20:52
As to not answering - I think it's no coincidence that this question garnered upvotes after being answered. The fact of answers illuminates the relevance and interest of the question. – Marcin Nov 21 '12 at 20:53
3  
I disagree with the double-h explanation. In most areas in the Netherlands (possibly excluding Brabant/Limburg) you'll hear how the "g" is really a throat-scraping sound and the "sch" sounds like an s. People that make "sch" at the end of words sound like "sh" are forgotting our sch->s shift many years ago (e.g. Nederlandsch is just Nederlands nowadays). – asmodai Dec 10 '12 at 12:15
show 2 more comments
up vote 11 down vote
Is there a good equivalent idiom in Dutch for "[the cats out of the bag]"?
added by Caleb Apr 12 '11 at 12:43
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up vote 11 down vote
How are verbs of English origin conjuged? I read somewhere "Ik heb de documentatie geüpdatet", surely that can't be correct?
added by Joubarc, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Dec 26 '11 at 19:34
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1  
But it is, though... – 11684 Nov 17 '12 at 19:05
I'm painfully aware of that :-) Keep in mind these are just example questions, not meant to be answered now. – Joubarc Nov 19 '12 at 8:31
up vote 11 down vote
Why is it "Het rode huis" and "Een rood huis"? Shouldn't it be "rood" in both cases?
added by Joubarc Aug 13 '11 at 11:10
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When in doubt, use 'rooije'. ;-) – oosterwal Jan 28 at 18:58
Huh? 'Een rooie huis' is ook fout volgens mij. Bovendien hoort daar (wederom volgens mij) ook geen 'j'. – 11684 Feb 19 at 14:41
Merk op, deze vragen zijn voorbeeldvragen en hoeven nu niet beantwoord te worden. Spaar dat voor de beta. – Joubarc Feb 19 at 15:13
Wie verft z'n huis nou ook rood. Gebruik een voor de hand liggende kleur zoals beige. Dan heb je dat probleem niet. – Mr Lister Feb 20 at 17:58
Wie zegt dat het geverfd is? Er zijn toch ook rode bakstenen... – Joubarc Feb 20 at 20:35
show 3 more comments
up vote 10 down vote
What does the word "overslaan" mean in English?
added by Marc-François Jan 17 '11 at 19:05
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8  
I'm not sure about this one: it can be looked up in any dictionary, so I'd say off topic as General Reference... – Cerberus Jul 7 '11 at 15:45
I still think it's a useful question, since it will likely end up into a discussion/explanation about split verbs. You could argue that this particular question is then way too specific; still it gets my upvote, since this will probably be how such questions will be asked on the site. – Rody Oldenhuis Dec 4 '12 at 9:17
up vote 10 down vote
Waarom is het "Jij bent tuinman" maar "Ben jij tuinman?" en niet "Bent jij Tuinman"?
added by Aldwoni, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Dec 26 '11 at 19:34
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2  
Ik ben niet zeker of een 'waarom' zoals in deze vraag thuishoort bij de proposal. Dan kom je dichter bij linguistiek of taalgeschiedenis. – Wivani Sep 7 '11 at 11:12
3  
Ik denk dat linguistiek of taalgeschiedenis ook on-topic zijn. Bij french.se is het ook zo, en ik vermoed dat het ook voor andere talen geldt. – Joubarc Jan 6 '12 at 6:00
Maar wel bent u tuinman. Leuk hè? – 11684 Nov 18 '12 at 9:00
up vote 10 down vote
Which spelling should I follow, the one from Het Groene Boekje or the one from Het Witte Boekje? What's the difference?
added by Joubarc Aug 13 '11 at 11:09
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You might want to fix the "ortograph" here to "orthography". – hippietrail Nov 7 '11 at 20:39
Or use a real word - thanks. – Joubarc Nov 8 '11 at 18:40
up vote 10 down vote
Zijn verkleinwoorden in "ke" juist of niet? (boekske, meiske,...) - ik hoor die toch elke dag!
added by Joubarc Aug 13 '11 at 11:11
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De verkleinwoorden met "ke" komen meer uit het België. Volgens mij is dat iets typisch vlaams. Het zou gewoon boekje of meisje moeten zijn. – Remy Strijker Jan 5 '12 at 18:27
3  
Weet ik - maar let op, deze vragen zijn voorbeeldvragen en hoeven nu niet beantwoord te worden. Spaar dat voor de beta. – Joubarc Jan 6 '12 at 6:01
Besides, flemish (vlaams) and dutch are dialects. Same grammar, slightly different vocabulary. – Toon Krijthe Feb 29 '12 at 10:45
1  
Similar grammar. – Marcin Jan 22 at 16:08
up vote 10 down vote
Do either the Dutch or the Flemish people regard Flemish to be a different language to Dutch?
added by hippietrail Aug 26 '11 at 7:50
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up vote 10 down vote
Is Frisian considered to be a dialect of Dutch or a separate language?
added by hippietrail Aug 26 '11 at 7:50
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Definitely a seperate language. Frisian's would get very angry if you call it a dialect. I think it is even internationally recognized as such (Google) – Hendrik Jan 31 at 11:35
up vote 10 down vote
Do speakers of Dutch and Afrikaans usually have to switch to English to communicate with each other effectively?
added by hippietrail Aug 26 '11 at 7:51
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up vote 10 down vote
How do I know wether it is "geef me DIE pen" or "geef me DE pen"?
added by Stefto, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Dec 26 '11 at 19:35
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You use "DIE" when you know exactly wich pen you mean. For Example the one he just took of your desk. You use "DE" when you don't know wich pen you mean. For example a new pen from stock. – Luc Prevoo Apr 3 at 12:49
up vote 10 down vote
Is there a difference between a boekhandel and a boekwinkel?
added by Marcin Nov 10 '11 at 11:26
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This can be looked up easily in about every Dutch dictionary. – 11684 Feb 19 at 14:43
Can it? I mean, if there is a difference, I've yet to find it. And if there's none, then the question on why there are two different words to mean the same thing is interesting too. – Joubarc Apr 10 at 19:39
It may be an interesting question, but I'm not sure whether it fits the Q&A format. Is it an answerable question or will it just provoke an open-ended discussion? – Gert Arnold Apr 11 at 12:55
up vote 10 down vote
Why is plural of porie poriën, but plural of industrie - industrieën?
added by Alexander Serebrenik Jul 10 '12 at 15:26
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Heh. You know. this one actually has a simple and straightforward answer. – Mr Lister Jul 18 '12 at 14:20
up vote 10 down vote
Pannekoek or pannenkoek, kattekruid or kattenkruid? When does one add -n-?
added by Alexander Serebrenik Jul 11 '12 at 10:57
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or s? stationsstraat. – 11684 Nov 17 '12 at 19:13
This is a non-question, it can easily be looked up at Vandale.nl – Ton Plomp Jan 25 at 16:24
I don't agree with that, most dictionaries won't summarize the general rules (plural on purpose) on this question. @TonPlomp – 11684 Feb 19 at 14:39
Not to mention that the fact you have to look it up most of the time, is interesting per se. I mean, the fact that the answer itself is partly '"there are no rules, look it up" is a very relevant thing we'd want to say. Plus, this is one of the topics which seems to confuse native Dutch speakers, so it's definitely worth considering. – Joubarc Apr 10 at 19:35
up vote 10 down vote
What's the difference between "ik heb vergeten" and "ik ben vergeten"?
added by bartlaarhoven Dec 29 '12 at 23:59
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up vote 9 down vote
Where does the word fiets come from?
added by Mr Lister Jul 18 '12 at 11:44
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It is a Dutch invention, so I think it comes from the fantasy of - if I could remember the name of the inventor of the bike now that would be really nice now... So I'd say this will be closed as impossible to answer. – 11684 Nov 17 '12 at 19:11
According to Wikipedia, the inventor was Gian Giacomo Caprotti. But nogmaals, dit is niet de plaats om vragen te beantwoorden. Dan houden we geen vragen meer over voor de echte site! – Mr Lister Feb 20 at 18:01
up vote 7 down vote
Why is the pronoun "gij" archaic in Dutch, but still used in Flemish? When did this distinction start to appear?
added by Berthilde Nov 15 '12 at 10:05
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up vote 6 down vote
Is there an equivalent to the German "man passive" construct in Dutch?
added by Ville Sundberg Sep 10 '11 at 14:57
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Do you mean the 'passive voice'? – 11684 Feb 19 at 14:44
up vote 4 down vote
What is the difference between "als" and "dan"?
added by asmodai Dec 10 '12 at 13:22
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Nice question! As a native speaker, I can use them correctly, but I have no idea as to what the actual rule is. – 11684 Feb 20 at 17:16
Als je die als Nederlander goed kunt gebruiken, dan ben je beter dan vele andere Nederlanders! – Mr Lister Feb 20 at 18:04
up vote 3 down vote
Hoe gebruik ik 'toch'?
added by Ville Sundberg Sep 10 '11 at 14:53
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up vote 3 down vote
Does every voltooid deelwoord get "ge-" prefixed?
added by asmodai Dec 10 '12 at 12:51
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up vote 2 down vote
Is the Dutch grammar fixed, or does it still change? When was the last change?
added by Joubarc Aug 13 '11 at 11:08
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up vote 2 down vote
What are the major variations between Dutch regions? Are there only differences in pronunciation or does grammar and vocabulary differ too?
added by Martijn Pieters Jul 13 '12 at 8:11
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up vote 2 down vote
What's the difference between "jullie", "uw", "u", "jij", and "je"?
added by Marcin Nov 4 '12 at 23:45
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1  
Definitely an interesting question as well. Talking with people learning Dutch they tend to get confused at first. jullie - plural form of you, normal and possessive (jullie zijn klaar; dat is jullie bus) u - you, polite form (nowadays when written with capital tends to refer to polite form for a deity) uw - possessive form of u (e.g. dat is uw boek?) jij - (voiced) second person pronoun (e.g. jij staat vandaag achter de toonbank) je - unvoiced/softer/more intimate form of jij (e.g. ik hou van je); also used in the form of they (e.g. je zou wel gek zijn met dit weer naar buiten te gaan) – asmodai Dec 10 '12 at 12:22
@asmodai I don't agree with you on all those examples, but this is not the place to answer the question. Save it for the beta. – 11684 Feb 19 at 14:48
up vote 2 down vote
What are the main differences between (Nederlands) Dutch and Flemish?
added by Marcin Nov 11 '12 at 18:10
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up vote 2 down vote
When should I use "hun" and when "hen"?
added by Gert Arnold Nov 27 '12 at 23:05
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up vote 2 down vote
Why doesn't the plural "horloges" get an apostrophe like "pinda's" does?
added by asmodai Dec 10 '12 at 13:00
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This is a good one, but I used up all my upvotes. – Mr Lister Feb 20 at 18:05
up vote 2 down vote
Why is there such a big correlation between Dutch and Swiss German? Much more than with "hochdeutsch"?
added by bartlaarhoven Dec 30 '12 at 0:03
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Is there really such a big correlation between Dutch and Swiss German? To my knowledge there is a closer correlation between Dutch and Northern German dialects. – Giorgio Apr 7 at 18:31
This question is based on my personal experience only. But nevertheless, it seems that the Swiss German is in a similar situation as the Dutch; borrowing words not only from German but also from French or Italian, for example. I noticed that certain words (I have no example at the top of mind) are similar in Swiss German and Dutch, where the Germans have a completely different word for it... – bartlaarhoven Apr 8 at 8:15
up vote 1 down vote
Where can one study Dutch? [closed]
added by rightfold Jan 17 '11 at 12:41
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closed as off topic by Tim H, Marc-François, jimsmi6, Toon Krijthe, Caleb Apr 12 '11 at 12:41

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

1  
This is possibly to localized. – Toon Krijthe Mar 23 '11 at 9:37
up vote 1 down vote
What would be an idiomatic translation for the English exclamation "Awesome!"?
added by Marcin Nov 18 '11 at 9:53
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up vote 1 down vote
How and when is the phrase "er is sprake van" used?
added by deutschZuid May 29 '12 at 23:35
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