Posts under "Dutch Language"

The Verb Zijn (To Be)

Posted by heather No Comments
Feb 7 2012

Verbs might not be the most exciting part of a language but they are one of the most important.  With that in mind, today we will take a look at the verb zijn, which means to be.

Here are some examples of the verb at work:

  • Ik ben de lerares. (I am the teacher.)
  • Zij zijn Nederlanders. (They are Dutch.)
  • Zij is een meisje. (She is a girl.)

The conjugation of the verb zijn is irregular, just like in English.  So, this is one of those verbs that you will need to learn by heart.  In the present tense, there are four finite or conjugated verbs.

Dutch

English

ik ben

I am

jij/je bent

you are (informal, singular)

u bent

you are (formal, singular)

hij, zij/ze, het is

he, she, it is

wij/we zijn

we are

jullie zijn

you are (informal, plural)

u bent

you are (formal, plural)

zij/ze zijn

they are

The verb zijn can be used for quite a few things.  For example, you can use it to tell nationalities:

Ik ben Amerikaan. (I am American.)

You can also use it to identify things:

Jij bent een kind. (You are a child.)

And to give basic descriptions:

Zij is oud. (She is old.)

Some Opportunities for Practise:

Vul de geode vorm van het werkwoord ‘zijn’ in. (Fill in the correct form of the verb ‘to be.’)

  1.  Ik _______ ziek.
  2. Wij _______ op school.
  3. U _________ aardig.
  4. Jullie ________ te laat.
  5. Zij __________ lerares.

Vul het persoonswoord en een vorm van ‘zijn’ in. (Fill in the subject pronoun and a form of ‘to be.’)

  1. De leraar kijkt naar ons.  ____ ____ boos.
  2. Ik maak veel fouten.  ____ _____ verdrietig.
  3. Moeder ligt in bed.  ___ ____ ziek.

Goed of Fout? Omcirkel het juiste antwoord. (Right or Wrong? Circle the correct answer.)

  1. Ik is ziek.              Goed / fout
  2. Wij zijn cursisten.             Goed / fout
  3. Het meisje ben mooi.    Goed / fout

How the Dutch Got Their Cycle Paths

Posted by heather 1 Comment
Jan 10 2012

green_bikeBikes.  They are everywhere in the Netherlands.  In 2006, there were more than 17 million bikes in the Netherlands, with 750,000 of those in Amsterdam alone and no doubt that number has significantly increased.  With around 91% of households owning at least one bike (and often more than one), it is not hard to see that the Dutch love their bikes.

And why not?  Cycling is healthy, easy and cheap.  And with over 10,000 kilometres of dedicated bike paths, cycling is also pretty safe.  So well thought out are the cycle paths that it would be easy to assume they had almost always been around but that wasn’t the case.  The following video gives a really complete and interesting history of how the cycle paths and lanes came about.

YouTube Preview Image

Inspired by all the cycling, here is some cycle related vocabulary for you to utilise:

  • fiets – bike (plural is fietsen)
  • fietsen – to cycle
  • fietspad – bike path
  • snel – fast
  • langzaam – slow
  • fietsbel – bike bell
  • fietstas – bike bag
  • mand – basket
  • fietslampen – bike lights
  • fietslampenset – bike lights set
  • fietser – someone who rides a bike
  • bromfiets – motorized bike
  • bakfiets – sturdy bike modified to incorporate a large wooden box or platform on the front
  • ligfiets – a bike modified to be ridden in a laying position

And if cycling vocabulary was a little easy for you, then why not check out these bike related idioms.  I’ve included both the literal translation and the idiom meaning.

  • aah op die fiets (literal: oh, on that bike) – Now I get it! Now I see what you mean.
  • doorfietsen (literal: cycle through) – flip or thumb through
  • voor elkaar fietsen (literal: cycle for each other) – wrangle, manage
  • ga fietsen stelen (literal: go steal bikes) – get lost/drop dead
  • wat heb ik nu aan mijn fiets hangen? (literal: now what’s hanging on my bike) – what kind of mess am I in now? What’s all this?
  • fietsvriendelijk (literal: bicycle friendly) – pro-bicycle, pro-cycling

Do you know of any other bike related idioms?

 

Happy New Year and Learning Dutch Resolutions

Posted by heather 1 Comment
Dec 29 2011

It was a bit odd realising that today’s post would be my last post in 2011 for the Transparent Language Dutch blog.  The year has really gone by very snel (fast).  Today I wanted to tell you about some of the things that happen in the Netherlands for the New Year’s celebration and hear about your Dutch language goals for 2012.

 

Oud Jaar/Nieuw Jaar (old Year/New Year)

In Dutch, the phrase for New Year’s Eve is actually Oudejaarsnacht, meaning old year’s night.  Rather than it being the eve before the New Year, you have an old year and new year.  I really like the phrase.

Oliebollen

We have already touched on the topic of oliebollen in a previous post, so I won’t go into too much detail here but it is quite a Dutch tradition to make and/or eat oliebollen on Oudejaarsnacht.  If you stay at a hotel for the celebration, you might even find one in your room.

Vuurwerk (Fireworks)

As of today, it becomes very noisy outside because everyone has begun to collect their fireworks from the shops.  In the Netherlands it is technically illegal to have fireworks before December 29th.  In fact, it is even illegal to set them off until a specified time on December 31st.  And while, naturally, fireworks do still get set off before the allocated day and time (there are even some going off nearby as I write this) it is on December 31st that loud explosions and bright displays can be heard and seen across the country.

New Year’s Phrases

In case you want to wish people a happy New Year, here are some handy phrases for you:

  • Gelukkig nieuwjaar – Happy New Year
  • Beste wensen – Best wishes
  • Fijn uiteinde – Happy/good ending

New Year’s Resolutions

Of course, a new year is usually the time many people review their goals and set resolutions for the coming twelve months.  Will you be setting some Dutch related New Year’s resolutions?  If so, we would love to hear about them.  Some ideas might include:

  • Learning 100 new vocabulary words
  • Reading a book in Dutch
  • Following a Dutch TV programme
  • Mastering all the Dutch tenses

And with that, I think there is nothing more for me to do then to wish you a gelukkig nieuwjaar!!

See you next year!

Transparent Language Dutch Blog – 2011 Review

Posted by heather No Comments
Dec 27 2011

It is around this time of year that people start to review the year that is about to end. The top songs of 2011, the best memories you made or the favorite photos you took, they are all up for review and who would we be at Transparent Language if we didn’t do a spot of reviewing ourselves. So here we go with a review post of some of the things we covered this year on the Dutch blog:

And as an added bonus, here are some of the topics that have been covered before but that are still popular:

Plus, don’t forget what we have been up to in the Facebook group – questions about what you ate during the day, if you wanted a white Christmas or not and if you were on team kruidnoten or team pepernoten were all part of the group.  Not to mention the general conversation and photo sharing.

Who knows what 2012 will bring!

Christmas in the Netherlands

Posted by heather 1 Comment
Dec 20 2011

Kerstzegels

Are all your Christmas decorations up?  Are there presents under your tree?  There are only five more days to go before the big day.  I hope you are ready.  To get you into the Christmas mood, Dutch style, here are some things you might like to know about Christmas in the Netherlands.

Christmas Days

In the Netherlands there is Eerste Kerstdag and Tweede Kerstdag (First Christmas Day and Second Christmas Day).  It is quite common to spend one Christmas day with one side of the family and the other day with the other side, although every family is different of course!

Christmas Greetings

These greetings (with rough translations) will get you through the holidays, sounding like a native Dutch speaker:

  • Vrolijk Kerstfeest or Vrolijk Kerstmis (Happy Christmas party/feast)
  • Prettige Kerstdagen or Prettig Kerstmis (Enjoyable Christmas Days/Merry Christmas)
  • Fijne Dagen or Fijne Kerstdagen (Nice Days – can be used for other holidays)
  • Gelukkig Kerstmis – (Happy Christmas)

Christmas Stamps

Christmas may result in a general post slowdown what with all those extra letters and packages that have to be delivered.  But the post service in the Netherlands has tried to alleviate your pain a bit with a little something known as “Decemberzegels” or “Kerstzegels.”  These special post stamps are only valid from November 22nd tot en met (to and including) January 6th.  Each stamp is at a discounted rate and every year they look different (this year they are really cute!).

Pas Op! (Watch Out!):  The stamps are only valid for items that weigh 0-50 grams and also only for post sent within the Netherlands.

Christmas Wrapping

A tradition that appears in the Netherlands around Sinterklaas and Christmas time is the gratis (free) gift wrapping.  When you head up to the check-out with your purchases, you will often be asked, “is dit een kadootje?” (is this a gift?).  If you answer ja (yes), your item will be transformed into a present fit for presenting directly to the receiver without a single request for money.  It is possible that the text en/of (and/or) stickers will give away where your gift was purchased and you may wait quite some time with a large queue forming behind you because the cashier is typically the same person with gift wrapping responsibilities but still a nice touch, especially if you are late with buying your presents!

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