An interview, both with students who are learning Dutch and the founder of Koentact, Koen, about their favourite funny Dutch words
Why Dutch words sound so funny
Dutch can be full of surprises, even for native speakers. The infamous “g” and “sch” sounds often feel more like a throat exercise than a word. Together with some literal translations, like “peanut cheese” for peanut butter(pindakaas) or “run animal” for reindeer(rendier), you get a language that even the most dedicated students can’t take seriously at times. We walked on the Elandsgracht, Jordaan area in Amsterdam, to ask some of our students, people on the street, and Koen what their favourite funny Dutch word is.
We found our first word walking from the tram to the office. On the sidewalk, we met Janneke and her 2 sons. Her oldest son told us his favourite funny word is hagelslag. No, it’s not a storm. It literally means “hailstorm,” but it refers to the chocolate sprinkles Dutch people put on bread. Children eat it for breakfast, and so do adults.
When we arrived in the office, we ran into Koen and asked him what his favourite funny word is. He told us his favourite Dutch word is gezellig, which we could have guessed, since he says it all the time! Gezellig is the most Dutch word of all. Roughly meaning “cosy,” but really it’s a feeling. Being with friends and family, a warm atmosphere, and good vibes. Expats often have a difficult time translating gezellig, since there is no direct translation in most other languages.
After working a bit in the office, we walked to the classrooms and went around to see if our students already knew some funny Dutch words. Amy from the B1 classes told us her favourite is uitwaaien. This has to be a favourite among Dutch people. Once again, a very Dutch word. It means “to go out in the wind”. The goal of “uitwaaien” is to clear your mind or refresh your mood. Often done on a windy day on the beach, or with a bike ride through the forest.
We also heard her friend Aisha say ochtendhumeur! This might not have been very relevant at the time, since we were going around in the evening, but a very good one. Ochtendhumeur literally means “morning mood.” In English, just “I’m grumpy.” In Dutch, it’s a perfectly accepted state before coffee, recognised and respected.
One of our teachers told us he really likes the word appelflappen, since it’s pronounced funny. Appelflappen are deep-fried apple pastries, often eaten during New Year’s Eve, but also available all year round in the Appie. You don’t understand Dutch culture if you’ve never burned your tongue while eating an appelflap.
Last but definitely not least is Koekeloeren. Meaning “to peek” or “to snoop around.” Often used like: “Ik zat even te koekeloeren bij de buren”, which means: I was spying on the neighbours. Although spying on the neighbours is not all that difficult, since they basically invite you to with their huge Dutch windows.
Funny Dutch words make you learn Dutch faster
Is Dutch hard to learn? Not when you laugh while doing it. Did you know that having fun while learning is the single most important thing to learn faster, better and smarter? That’s why regularly incorporating funny words is a great way to speed up your language learning.
We hope you learned some new funny Dutch words for your next Dutch conversation. Is there a word missing? Be sure to leave behind a comment with your favourite Dutch word!
Want to discover more of these gems while practising Dutch in real-life situations? Join one of our (online) courses or activities, and explore Amsterdam, Dutch culture and the Dutch language together with other expats at your level. See you soon!
