8 DUTCH WORDS that confuse English speakers!

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I like to share my experiences of an American expat in the Netherlands. I describe both the unique and everyday aspects of Dutch culture, and life in Holland while enjoying every bit of it!

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[andrevandervlies]

Regarding the monster/sample thing: When I visited Loch Ness I filled a glass jar with water which is now displayed in my living room. So now when visitors ask why I have a jar of water I can tell them it's a Loch Ness monster.

[Dawwwg]

'Paardenbloem' got his name from the fact that horses really like to eat them :)
'Schoonouders'; the schoon- part comes from Middle Dutch (and German) and is derived from Middle French 'beau/belle'; with the additional meaning of 'honorable', which was also the formal form to address in-laws since the 13th Century.

[PeterHoogerbrugge]

'Monster' (sample) derives from the Latin 'monstrare', which means to show or demonstrate. 'Demonstrate' also derives from monstrare.

[arturama]

Eva, you might like the limericks of John O'Mill. He mixed up English and Dutch and they are only understandable if you speak both languages. He's written lots of books with these. If you don't get them at first, it helps to read them aloud.
Some examples:

- Lady Lickfield-
There's a love-crazy lady in Brixam
who's such a formidable blixum
that men-coming near-
all sidder with fear
for she grabs and she bites and she licks' em

- The sleep of the just-
A sleepwalker caught in a cyclone
broke his neck and his back and his thighbone
but he just slentered on
in his old nightyapon
which proves him a very rare snighbone

- Rot yong-
A terrible infant called Peter
sprinkled water in his bed with a gheeter
his father got woost
took hold of a cnoost
and gave him a pack on his meeter

[hansstromberg]

Several Germanic languages have words resembling those making you confused: For Brother in law the Ggerman language uses Schwager. In Sweden it is svåger, while sister in law is svägerska. Dandelion is pure French: Dent de lion, i.e. lion's tooth. Here we call it maskros - worm's rose. Tussilago Farfare is called hästhovsört in Swedish, horse hoof, (in french it is ped d' âne, donkey'foot).
Many Germanic languages use words emanating from Old Norse, whereas English is heavily influenced by French (1066 and all that). So glove is Handschuh in German and handske in Swedish and so on. In English living animals are Germanic, such as Cow, sheep, calf, but French when eaten Beef/Boef mutton/mouton veal/veau.
Languages are truly fascinating!
Hans Strömberg
Sweden

[corjp]

The Paardenbloem is called that because, what I was taught that those flowers grew in the fields where the horses grazed and the ate them.

[vincenttayelrand]

Pointing out the weirdness of everyday Dutch life is why I love expat vlogs like yours.

Every new video from yours is treat so please keep them coming.

[lauriedepaurie]

Schoonbroer is technically a correct term. Zwager is Hollands, and since we decided to form ABN out of dialects from Holland this irregularity exists. But most parts outside of the Randstad, especially to the south, schoonbroer is a perfectly acceptable word

[Robin-fpsx]

On your Christmas wishlist: an "etymologisch woordenboek" You'll love it to bits!

[taiqidong]

Monster derives from an old Dutch word: "monsteren" (to inspect), so the object that you inspect is a "monster" (a sample). Another derivative is "aanmonsteren", a nautical term that means "to board a ship - to sign a contract for a journey", and finally "monster" as in "monster". Comes from the latin "monstrum" that means "a bad omen"...

[JacobBax]

The edge around the glass is a "montuur"

[AK-nqfx]

I'm pretty sure somebody has mentioned it already, but we also say "trots als een pauw" (proud as a peacock) :)

[dasja]

Ava: A toiletseat is pretty transparant....
Me: hihi, glasses are too....that's a similarity.

Nice video again!

[MrHaagsesjonny]

@ 11:35 Paardenbloem. Because dandelions are experienced by horses as very tasty and therefore like to eat them. Horses only eat the fresh leaves and flowers in the pasture, but the roots also have medicinal properties.

[jpdj]

"Monster" (sample) has an old etymology and we can see it as base in the verb "to demonstrate" - and there you have the rationale of its origin. It's an object used to demonstrate, prove, test, qualities of something.

[jpdj]

WC bril is clearly a reference to the frame around a lens in your "glasses" or "spectacles". The word "bril" itself was a reference, originally, to the glass that used to be made of what was called "beril" in old Dutch at the time (beryllium).
The "toilet" has a history of euphemisms that are replaced each time the previous euphemism is not understood as a euphemism any longer and in that way has become an explicit or rude word. "Water closet" was a euphemism. "Toilet" too.

[eronsentertainmentstore]

A "bril" is not glasses, but it refers to the round frame, where glasses refers to the glass in the frame. For short Dutch call it by the frame, English calls it by the Glass in the frame.

[mauritsgeerts]

The prefix ´bere-' can be used with several adjectives, it just refers to the strength of the animal. Something can be "beregoed' (very good), someone can be 'beresterk" (strong as a bear)... The association of proud with a monkey is more specific. There is a dutch expression: 'Zo trots als een aap met zeven staarten' (As proud as a monkey with seven tales).Often shortened to "Zo trots als een aap" or "apetrots".

[ylva]

It's funny to compare languages! I am from Sweden and in Swedish we call our in-laws svärfar, svärmor svåger och svägerska. Dandelion is Maskros in Swedish ie wormrose. And at last vi call klokhuis för kärnhus. A house för seeds .

[PersonS]

Some of my favorite words in dutch are paddenstoel en elfenbankje :) according to the internet it had something to do with witches