Dutch English is very good (if kuttural). It is even understandable if/when you bear in mind that...
| when a Dutchman says: | he probably means: | rather than: |
|---|---|---|
| typical Dutch | characteristically Dutch | |
| please | here you are | please |
| beautiful/beautyfull | great | gorgeous |
| learn | teach | learn |
| if | when | |
| then | than | |
| 10 x + y (for 1 < x < 10, 1 < y < 10) | 10 y + x (for 1 < x < 10, 1 < y < 10) | |
| monotonous | monotonic | |
| sheet | transparency (Br. overlay) | bed linnen/piece of paper |
| how does it look like? | what does it look like? | |
| ß (beta) faculty | exact sciences | second rate institute |
| ß he sits behind the computer | he sits at the keyboard | he is changing cables |
| a Röntgen photo | an X-ray | |
| How long are you? | How tall are you? | |
| the most famous picture in the world | Rembrandt's Nachtwacht | the Mona Lisa |
| Do you have a fire? | Do you have a light? | |
| England | Britain | |
| Eastern | Easter | |
| ex-murderer | axe murderer | |
| pocketbook | paperback | purse |
| canteen | cafeteria | flask |
| "Let's make things better" | "Let's not make things worse" | |
| eventually | possibly | in the end |
| heppie ent | happy ending |
Contributions are appreciated! Mail to me.