Can you speak Dutch?
Mar 20th 2008, 4:35 pm
#16
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
Often the name of the seaside-town Scheveningen is mentioned when this issue comes up. It is said that no non-native can pronounce Scheveningen correctly.
Mar 21st 2008, 2:58 am
#17
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
Well, I don't see any difficulty with it - if you can pronounce "Schipol" you can pronounce "Scheveningen".
As I understand it , the "Scheveningen" principle applied to German spies in the Netherlands in WW2. The Dutch used the word to test if a suspected spy was truly Dutch, since a German would pronounce the "sch" as "sh". For example, "what a pity" in German is "wie schade", and the "schade" is not guttural.
As I understand it , the "Scheveningen" principle applied to German spies in the Netherlands in WW2. The Dutch used the word to test if a suspected spy was truly Dutch, since a German would pronounce the "sch" as "sh". For example, "what a pity" in German is "wie schade", and the "schade" is not guttural.
Mar 21st 2008, 3:47 am
#18
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
The British began to suspect that a WWII Dutch resistance cell had been overtaken by the Germans, all because a wireless operator noticed that the word "prijs" had been transmitted as "preis." And in fact that cell had been compromised.
Mar 21st 2008, 3:17 pm
#20
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
Damn you tommies. You hast found mich aus! I told you not to mention ze war! Scheveningen!!!!
Mar 22nd 2008, 8:10 pm
#23
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
Ja, ik spreek een beetje veel Nederlands, maar ik woon in West Vlaanderen, België.
The Flemish are very friendly and helpful towards tourists, but when you live and work in Flanders, Belgium, you've got to learn the language, as not many people (quite rightly) won't speak English. So, my Dutch should be perfect after five years then! Well no actually, in my province the dialect is so difficult to understand that they place sub-titles on TV whenever someone from the region is talking, as nobody else in Flanders understands them.
The Flemish are very friendly and helpful towards tourists, but when you live and work in Flanders, Belgium, you've got to learn the language, as not many people (quite rightly) won't speak English. So, my Dutch should be perfect after five years then! Well no actually, in my province the dialect is so difficult to understand that they place sub-titles on TV whenever someone from the region is talking, as nobody else in Flanders understands them.
Last edited by Foto John; Mar 22nd 2008 at 8:17 pm.
Mar 22nd 2008, 8:23 pm
#24
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
Have you seen In Brugge (the movie)?
Mar 22nd 2008, 8:24 pm
#25
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
Ja, ik spreek een beetje veel Nederlands, maar ik woon in West Vlaanderen, België.
The Flemish are very friendly and helpful towards tourists, but when you live and work in Flanders, Belgium, you've got to learn the language, as not many people (quite rightly) won't speak English. So, my Dutch should be perfect after five years then! Well no actually, in my province the dialect is so difficult to understand that they place sub-titles on TV whenever someone from the region is talking, as nobody else in Flanders understands them.
The Flemish are very friendly and helpful towards tourists, but when you live and work in Flanders, Belgium, you've got to learn the language, as not many people (quite rightly) won't speak English. So, my Dutch should be perfect after five years then! Well no actually, in my province the dialect is so difficult to understand that they place sub-titles on TV whenever someone from the region is talking, as nobody else in Flanders understands them.
Mar 22nd 2008, 8:36 pm
#27
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
That is interesting! I have thought that in the case of Belgium it is the French-speakers who mostly can't speak any other language and couldn't be bothered to even make the effort. I have thought the Flemish-speakers are the ones who are more inte3rnational in their outlook, learn the other language of the land as well as English and probably other languages as well. Well, given the grammatical similarity of the languages, German should be like a piece of cake for Flemish-speakers.
Mar 22nd 2008, 8:39 pm
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
Mar 22nd 2008, 8:56 pm
#29
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
The Flemish speak excellent English, French and mostly good German too! The point I was trying to make, was that as soon as you start living in Flanders the Flemish expect (quite rightly in my opinion) immigrants to integrate and speak their language. They go out of their way to speak other languages, so long as the foreign speaker doesn't live in Flanders.
Well, that is certainly a good thing. What I've heard from the Dutch side is that it is perfectly possible to live in the Netherlands and lead a full life without being able to speak any of the local language because the locals are too eager to flaunt their skills at English.
The Flemish clearly have a more self-respectful attitude. If you live among us speak our language. That's the way it should be.
Mar 23rd 2008, 8:21 pm
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Re: Can you speak Dutch?
It's very encouraging for beginners of Dutch like myself, but I certainly can't "live a full life" without understanding the newspapers, television, posters, notices, websites, or the general talk around me.
