Dunglish is a combination of Dutch and English, a name for Dutch English, the Dutch speaker's version of the English language. The languages are closely related Germanic languages, and the Dutch are taught English in elementary school. Most Dutch consider themselves fluent in English. Listening to a Dutch politician speaking English will reveal this is not always the case. The Dutch (and Flemish) in practice sometimes make mistakes when speaking and writing English.

Errors occur mainly in pronunciation, word order and the meaning of words. Former Dutch ambassador and Prime minister Dries van Agt once seemed to have said "I can stand my little man" (ik kan mijn mannetje staan).These mistakes, which may be comical, are referred to as "Dunglish" (in Dutch, Nederengels).

Common errors

Errors often occur because of the faux ami possibility: words are incorrectly translated for understandable reasons. Examples are:

• Undertaker as a translation of ondernemer (entrepeneur), a mistake made by then prime-minister Joop den Uyl.
• Realisation is in Dutch used for completion or execution of work, not for getting conscious. The words have the same origin.

Errors in pronounciation

• Third is commonly pronounced in the Netherlands as turd. This serves as a warning to Americans visiting the Netherlands who are the third in a line with the same first-name along paternal lines, to drop the 'III'.

Other examples

"Welcome in Amsterdam"

Should be: "Welcome to Amsterdam" (in Dutch, "Welkom in Amsterdam")

"That can"

Instead of: "that's possible", "sure" or "of course" (in Dutch, "Dat kan")

"Thank you for your reaction"

Instead of: "Thank you for your reply" (in Dutch, "Bedankt voor uw reactie")

"I hate you all very welcome"

In Dutch: "Ik heet jullie allemaal zeer welkom"

"They hardly worked....".

Should be: "They have been working very well". (in Dutch, "Ze hebben hard gewerkt)

Related topics

• franglais