Learning Dutch

The not so famous five dishes of Dutch cuisine My wonderful readers, I’m afraid that it’s time for another Dutch phrase of the week. For expats, there are many ways to integrate with our denim loving hosts. Yes language is key, as is doe maar effe normaal! But to really …

Dutch phrase of the week: Speak English like Louis van Gaal Louis van Gaal, is the Dutch manager of Manchester United. His grasp of English has amused, bemused, and confused many in my country of birth. The Dutch media has had lots of fun, highlighting his challenges when speaking English, which brings …

Dutch Phrase of the Week, the Hangover Comes Later If you followed the Shallow Man’s advice about Oud en Nieuw in the Netherlands, then on the first day of 2015, you may well have woken up with a hangover. If you were really lucky (or unfortunate), you might have woken …

It’s Oud en Nieuw! It’s Oud en Nieuw (New Years Eve) in the Netherlands. Perfect timing for a seasonal Dutch phrase of the week, this time all about Oud en Nieuw, and more importantly, the local tradities. Everything you need to know. The things I do for my readers!   …

How to Survive Dutch Service, Seven Essential Tips The Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, is famous for its picturesque canals, beautiful (but badly dressed) women, international character and terrible, shocking, appallingly bad service, or as the Dutch call it ‘belabberde service’. With this in mind, the Shallow Man, staying true to …

Dutch phrase of the week: How to Break up with Your Dutch Partner, the correct Dutch phrases to use. Ik heb helaas slecht nieuws, yes it’s that time of the week I know you’ve been dreading, it’s Dutch phrase of the week. So last week you learned how to flirt …

How To Flirt With The Dutch In Three Easy Steps The Shallow Man, like the voyagers of the Starship Enterprise, (warning IT joke) believes in boldly going where no person has gone before. One of my goals is to teach my ever growing expat flock about life in the Netherlands. …

Dutch Phrase of the Week: The Seven Shades of Neuken The Shallow Man, in his never ending quest to teach expats all about life in the Netherlands, has been providing weekly posts about different aspects of the Dutch language. Previously we discussed the term Mierenneuker (someone that is annoyingly precise about everything) …

Dutch idioms (the animal kingdom) It’s time again for Dutch phrase of the week. The Shallow Man in his mission to assist expats anyway he can with integrating into Dutch society examines different aspects of the Dutch language. This week we’ll focus on Dutch idioms that use members of the animal …

How to use swear words like the Dutch The Dutch are famous for their cheese, but amongst expats they are just as well known for their whine. A common form of whining from our eccentric hosts is “bloody foreigners come and work here, but don’t speak Dutch!”. Actually I can …