| Flemish meanings |
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Sometimes it looks as if the Dutch and the Flemish, like the British, Americans, and other English speakers, are 'separated by the same language'. Although we don't need to bring a phrasebook to travel back and forth, several words have slighly or completely different meanings in Flemish and Netherlands Dutch. Examples: kleed means 'dress' in Flanders and 'rug' in the Netherlands; tas means 'cup' in Flanders and 'bag' in the Netherlands; tut means 'baby's pacifier' in Flanders and 'fussy woman' in the Netherlands; botten are 'boots' in Flanders and 'bones' in the Netherlands; drummen means 'to push (in a crowd)' in Flanders and 'to play drums' in the Netherlands; doorgaan means 'to take place' in Flanders and 'to go on' in the Netherlands. Some expressions can give rise to misunderstandings. Ik zie je graag means 'I love you' in Flanders but 'I'm glad to see you' in the Netherlands. Some words only exist in Flanders, such as verderzetten 'to continue', and kwijtspelen 'to lose, get rid of'.
© DutchToday 2007 |
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