And The Dutch Class

The Dutch beginner course that I signed up for, finally started last week. It is held in this small but cozy building near work and I am with six other expats in the class. To be honest, I am taken by surprise by the Dutch language. There is something especially heavy about it that gives a very pushy first impression. It is supposedly the closest language to English but you discover this only when you start looking at written words and find about the meaning. Just like what happens to your sense of taste after eating a very spicy sauce - you know the fact that it overwhelms you and you can not taste anything else much- The "kheee" sound is so repetitive and abundant in Dutch that when they speak, you feel like hearing people clearing their throats by short coughs and the ear just gives up capturing what else that is in between :)

I just learned how to say "eighty-eight beautiful canals" in Dutch: "achtentachtig prachtige grachten" (you got to say pronouce "khee" for each "g" and "ch" you can see). You got to repeat this a couple of times if your mobile rings in the class, our teacher joked the other day.

Comments

[Hiva]

achtentachtig prachtige grachten:
So it's besically, akhtentakhtikh prakhtikh khrakhten???
That's a lot of khee :)

[Georg Hausherr]

Bonjour Mr. Behi,

Here in the Dordogne area are a lot of Dutch people. They come because of the milder weather and the good wine and the low housing prices.

When I hear them talking, in a Café or so, I think sometimes "that's English" but I don't understand them nevertheless". Then I know it's Dutch!

In fact, Dutch language is far nearer to German than to English.

Georg