Secrets of Dutch and German colloquial language…

…and what they reveal about the culture of both countries.

A women's fashion manufacturer sent a brochure and calls a week later with a discount promotion. The German version: “Hello, you are speaking with company X, I have a special offer for you today!” The Dutch variant: “Hello, this is company xx, may I put you in the spotlight today?” Two variants of the same question. Effect: Germans, when addressed in this way, feel they are being fooled. Dutch people feel threatened by the German version. Within our own culture, we have a deeply rooted notion of “how something should sound,” what tone of voice is needed to trust what we hear.

Squeaking versus staccato versus mumbling

You can speak Dutch perfectly well without even slightly parting your teeth. Speaking quietly under the breath is much more common in the Netherlands. German colloquial language, on the other hand, is a kind of staccato, which often sounds military to Dutch ears. On the other hand, Dutch in daily use is much more emotional. Especially through the ‘voice feeling,’ through sounds that have no real substantive meaning but make an important contribution to the overall emotional package. They are used in a wide variety of situations as vocal ‘lubricants’ for the most diverse emotional expressions: “Nou nou” (to make something seem less bad), “hèhè” (when something has succeeded, even if it is just to conquer a table in a pub), “zo dan” as a sign of surprise) are typical examples here.

Exclamation mark versus question mark

Due to the final sound sharpening of German, even the most friendly intended statement often sounds like a strict command. The exclamation mark seems to hang in the air. The Dutch language gladly makes the necessary detours in its formulations and is not so to-the-point..“Could we perhaps still…? To exaggerate: “Schatz, wir müssen reden!” must in Dutch get the semantics of “I think we need to talk about this again.” That helps to meet communicative expectations.

Here is an overview of terms from colloquial language that have a very different meaning on both sides of the border and require different ‘translations’.

‘müssen‘ is used much more often in German. The German version is more like a ‘sollen’ and has a less obligatory character than the Dutch ‘moeten’. The use of ‘moeten’ in Dutch often immediately meets resistance: “I don’t have to do anything!”

‘Pflicht‘: more a concept and an attitude towards life than a word in German. Implies everything necessary to get something done. Provides certainty in the German way of life and often meets resistance on the Dutch side.

‘gezellig‘: one of the most important and beautiful Dutch words. A collective term for a positive feeling for all forms of being together with other people. Visiting mom for coffee, at the campsite, or at a rock festival. Much broader than the German ‘Geselligkeit’ and also more extensive than ‘gemütlich’.

‘lekker‘: Dutch collective word that goes much further than the meaning ‘tasty’. It means everything that can be perceived by the senses and feels pleasant: the weather, a massage… This can also be said about people (‘lekker meisje’ - nice girl) or activities (‘lekker bezig’ - doing well).

‘gewoon‘: Dutch collective word for everything that is ‘simple, normal, without fuss’. In the Netherlands with a positive connotation, because things that do not fit within the standard are often viewed with suspicion. Has little in common with the German meaning of ‘gewöhnlich’ in the sense of simple.

We only hear what we know.

Our mental system assigns every word we hear a meaning stored by us. When we hear the word ‘house,’ all the essential characteristics of what we understand by ‘house’ (e.g., detached) come to mind. If German colleagues then invite us to their home, we expect something that corresponds to these characteristics (and may be disappointed if it is ‘only’ an apartment in a new building). If we are open to translating in intercultural daily life in such a way that we take into account the semantics of the other culture, we really come closer to each other and ensure communicative understanding.