Lesson 10 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Exceptions and Irregularities in Dutch Spelling and Pronunciation - Street Words - Fractions - Inches and Centimeters

I say: truth and common sense, and I stick to that. I take The Holy Writ as an exception, of course.	Ik zeg waarheid en gezond verstand, en hier blijf ik bij. Voor De Schrift maak ik natuurlijk een uitzondering.
It already starts to go wrong with Van Alphen, right away in that first line about those 'darling children.'	De fout begint al van Van Alphen af, en wel terstond by de eerste regel over die 'lieve wichtjes.'
What in heaven's name could that old man have had in mind pretending to worship my sister Truitje with her sore eyes, or my brother Gerrit who was always touching his nose?	Wat drommel kon die oude heer bewegen zich uit te geven voor een aanbidder van myn zusje Truitje die zere ogen had, of van myn broêr Gerrit die altyd met zyn neus speelde?
And yet, he says that he sang those lines of poetry, 'propelled by love.'	En toch, hy zegt: 'dat hy die versjes zong, door liefde gedrongen.'
As a child I was often thinking: 'I'd like to meet you, Mister, and if you'd refuse the marbles I'd ask for, or my full name in sweet pastry - my name is Batavus - then I'd call you a liar.'	Ik dacht dikwyls als kind: 'man, ik wilde U graag eens ontmoeten, en als ge de marmerknikkers weigerde, die ik vragen zou, of myn naam voluit in banket - ik heet Batavus - dan houd ik U voor een leugenaar.'
But I've never met Van Alphen. He had already passed away, I think, when he told us that my Dad was my best friend - I liked Pauweltje Winser better, who lived next door in the Batavierstraat - and when he told us that my little dog was so grateful. We had no dogs, because they're not clean.	Maar ik heb Van Alphen nooit gezien. Hy was al dood, geloof ik, toen hy ons vertelde dat myn vader myn beste vrind was - ik hield meer van Pauweltje Winser, die naast ons woonde in de Batavierstraat - en dat myn kleine hond zo dankbaar was. Wy hielden geen honden, omdat ze zo onzindelyk zyn.
Everything and all lies! And that's the way children are brought up.	Alles leugens! Zo gaat dan de opvoeding voort.
The woman selling vegetables has brought the new little sister in a large cabbage.	Het nieuwe zusje is van de groenvrouw gekomen in een grote kool.
All Dutchmen are brave and noble.	Alle Hollanders zyn dapper en edelmoedig.
The Romans were glad that the Batavians didn't kill them.	De Romeinen waren bly dat de Batavieren hen lieten leven.
The Bey of Tunis would get a colic when he heard the snapping of the Dutch flag.	De Bey van Tunis kreeg een kolyk als hy het wapperen hoorde van de Nederlandse vlag.
The duke of Alba was a monster.	De hertog van Alva was een ondier.
The low tide, of 1672 I think, lasted a little longer than usual, especially to protect Holland.	De eb, in 1672 geloof ik, duurde wat langer dan gewoonlyk, expres om Nederland te beschermen.
Lies! Holland is still Holland because our old folks took good care of business and had the true religion. That's what it is. continued	Leugens! Nederland is Nederland gebleven omdat onze oude luî goed op hun zaken pasten, en omdat ze het ware geloof hadden! Dàt is de zaak.

Exceptions and Irregularities in Spelling and Pronunciation

(tegenvoorbeeld )

Where Dutch is Not Phonetic

unexpected short A		Sometimes, an A in the first syllable of a word is short, although according to the spelling rules it should be long (followed by one consonant and another vowel.) In these cases, there is usually a second long vowel: lawaai 2 (noise) - kabaal 2 (noise, ruckus) - compare with: kabel (cable) - more
CHTJ		T in CHTJ is dropped. It's too hard to say: toch-t-je (small tour or trip) tochtje - zachtjes (softly) nichtje (cousin (female) // niece) luchtje (a smell // something fishy)
'Voiceless, Unstressed E' the 'schwa'		A single E can be 'long' - 'short' or 'voiceless, unstressed' (the 'schwa') and to foreigners and non-native speakers it's often hard to tell which E's are 'voiceless, unstressed.' See Lesson 4 and the Pronunciation Reference page
een		The indefinite article een ('a') is pronounced with voiceless E. It's also written as " 'n " which shows the pronunciation correctly. The number 1 and 'one' meaning 'quantity: one' is usually written with accents: één ('one') een een ('n één) a one een kwart a quarter (of something) - ¼ wat een 2 3 4 what a ..., such a ...! Iemand zal een oplosing moeten vinden Someone will have to find a solution Er is maar één oplossing 2 There's only one solution
EI, IJ or UI with -E ending		Words that end in ei, ij or ui will have a sound like Y in AWAY inserted when an ending that starts with voiceless E (like -e, -en or -er) is added. This sound is not put in writing. ei - eieren (egg - eggs) kei keien ei eieren beiaard (boulder - boulders - egg - eggs - bell-ringer) vrij - vrijer (free - more free/'lover') - lui luie (lazy) ui uien kruier (onion - onions - porter)
EEUW 2 3		geeuw meeuw schreeuw (yawn - seagull - cry/shout) leeuw leeuwen - Zeeuws - eeuwig (lion - lions - from the Dutch province of Zeeland - eternal)
H after T		H after T is not pronounced: thee / teen (tea / toe) - thans / tand (at the moment / tooth) - ether / eter (ether / a person eating) - theoloog / theïne (theologian / 'teaine' (=caffeine)) of course except in compound words that split between T and H, for instance: witheet (wit-heet) 2 ([white-] red-hot) - like in English 'pothole' - pot-hole
I after A, AA, OO or OE		'consonant Y,' like Y in AWAY: kooi roeien vlaai (cage - to row - fruit pie) aai boei nooit ('caress' - buoy - never) AI: like AI in THAIS: maïs - Thais - pais (maize, Indian corn - Thai - 'peace') maïs - Thais - pais en vree (maize, Indian corn - Thai - 'peace and peace,' very quiet) braille fraai fraaie fraaier fraais (beautiful, pretty (various forms)) kraai 2 (crow) ooi dooien dooit (ewe (sheep) - to thaw - (it) thaws) mooi mooier mooist (pretty, beautiful - prettier - prettiest) koe koeien (cow - cows) groei groeien groeit (growth, increase - to grow - (it) grows) moeilijk / moeilijke ) (difficult) ‑>> vermoeid / vermoeide (tired) - vermoeiend 2 (tiring) ‑>>
IEUW 2		somewhat like EW in British English NEW nieuw - nieuws (new - news) nieuw nieuwe nieuws kieuwen 2 (new - new - news - gills) het nieuws 2 (the news - in English, the S is pronounced somewhat like Z)
-IG ending		I like first A in AWAY ('voiceless E') vluchtig 2 3 (fleeting) - duchtig 2 (thorough) - luchtig ('airy') beeldig zalig bochtig ('adorable' - heavenly - curvy (road)) duchtig prachtig (thorough - wonderful) grimmig jolig kranig (grim - jolly - spirited) aardig melig huiverig (kind - ~corny - ~hesitant) schietvereniging 2 (gun club) So 'katterig' ('like a hangover or the flu') sounds the same as 'katterug' ('a cat's back') Ik voelde me katterig [I felt like] I had a hangover (or the flu) een hoge katterug a cat's [high] arched back
bijzonder		bijzonder ('special') only in this word is IJ pronounced as long I (English EE) 'Bijzonder' lijkt de enige uitzondering 'Bijzonder' seems to be, looks like the only exception
-ISCH ending		I long, CH not pronounced. There have been plans to change this spelling to -IES Slavisch chemisch Belgisch (Slavic - chemical - Belgian) kritisch fysisch (critical - physical (having to do with physics)) logisch siberisch arabisch (logical - siberian - arabic)
-LIJK ending 2		IJ like first A in AWAY ('voiceless E') degelijk dergelijk dagelijks (solid - ~like, similar - daily) ijselijk - olijk - eerlijk (icy - ~'arch,' somewhat rebellious funny - honest) lelijk - billijk - ergerlijk (ugly - ~reasonable, proportional - annoying) Note that a few short words end in 'regular' IJK, not -LIJK ending: gelijk rijk (equal - rich)
SCHR		CH in SCHR is not pronounced: scheut - schreeuw - schijf - schreien 2 (new growth, shoot / small amount of fluid poured - cry, shout - disk - to weep) schrijven - schriel - schroom - verschrikkelijk (to write - small, stunted in growth - hesitancy - horrible, terrible) schroot (scrap metal) - schoot (lap, womb)
STJ, STZ		T between S and J or S and Z is usually dropped. It's too hard to say. (pos-t-zegel 2) - postzegel (stamp (mail)) - postzegels kastje worstje 2 (small cabinet - small sausage) nest / nestje (nest - small nest) feest 2 / feestje 2 (party, festivity, think of 'feast' / small party)
UW		long U +W stuw - kluwen - zenuw (water-control dam - literally, a bunch of strings - figuratively a bunch of connections - nerve) Uw - duw - duwen - zwaluw (your (polite) - a push - to push - swallow (bird))
WR		W before R is said as V: wervel - wrevel (backbone disk, vertebra - irritation, mild anger) vrees - wreed - vraag - wraak (fear - cruel - question - revenge) weerwraak - verwrongen 2 (~revenge ('back') - twisted)
erwt		('pea') a rare silent W: erwt - erwt erwten 2
murw		murw ('beaten' (or annoyed) into submission) - this 'F' pronunciation is an exception. (Thank you Eddie Gillette)

Major Exceptions to the Phonetic Spelling of Dutch - page 2

Regular Vowel Combinations

AU = OU

EI = IJ

EU

OE

UI

‑>>

short A long A

short E long E 'voiceless E' ('schwa')

short I long I (IE)

short O long O

short U long U

EA		pronounced separately, long Dutch E and A kreatief realiteit (creative - reality) Thea - Beatrix (girls' names)
EO		pronounced separately, long Dutch E and O geograaf (geographer) - theorie 2 (theory) - theocratie (theocracy) aureool (nimbus, circle of light) - Theo (a boys' name)
IA(A)		pronounced separately, long Dutch I, and long or short Dutch A triangel - Ria - riant - cruciaal (triangle, percussion instrument - girls' name - comfortably - crucial, vital, all-important)
IAU		miauw ('meow,' what cats say)
IEE		prieel - dieet - diëten 2 (pri-eel (Summer room) - di-eet - di-e-ten (diet, diets))
IO(O)		pronounced separately: long Dutch I, and long or short Dutch O: pion - trio - bastion - viool - radio (pawn - trio - bulwark - violin - radio)
UE		duel - duet - actueel (current) juweel - ritueel 2 (jewel - ritual)

See also the note about occasionally 'inserting' a D after a 'schwa' - below

Foreign Words

bougie

benzine

auto

Latin AE		In a few words of Latin origin AE is said as Dutch long E, English A as in FACE: Caesar 2 - praeses / quaestor ('president; treasurer') - laesie 2 ('lesion' - medical jargon) - but in old Dutch names AE is said as long A: Kersemaeker / (see also Old Spelling in Names)
French -AIE		As in French: portemonnaie ('purse')
French -AIL		As in French: detail ('detail') - failliet 2 ('bankrupt; bankruptcy') - medaille 2 ('a medal') - braille ('Braille') - taille 2 ('waist') - wespentaille ('a wasp's waist')
French -AIR		As in French: militair ('a soldier; military') - ordinair 2 ("common," 'vulgar') - vulgair 2 ('vulgar, cheap') - populair 2 ('popular, generally liked') - documentaire ('documentary')
French AU		in a few common words of French origin, AU is pronounced as long O (like in CODE) auto ('car') - some people say auto with a Dutch AU but to me that sounds awful - automatisch ('automatic, automatically') - automaat ugh! ('something "automatic"') - - automatiek 2 OK ('fast-food vending machine') - autochtoon ugh! ('original inhabitant') - restaurant 2 ('restaurant')
French CH		a few words of French origin have kept the French CH pronunciation (somewhat like English SH) charme ('charm') - charmant ('charming') - cheque ('check' - money) - chirurg ('surgeon') - chocola ('chocolate') - machine 2 ('machine') - manchet ('cuff') - manchetknopen ('cufflinks') - broche ('brooch') - douche ('shower' - also French OU) - chagrijnig (in a bad, angry mood) - also as saggerijnig
CH in 'Christus'		CH in 'Christus' (Christ) and derived words and names is usually pronounced as K: Christus ('Christ') - Jezus Christus 2 and related names and words: christen (a christian) - plural: - christenen (christians) christelijk ("christian") - in Holland usually referring to traditional Protestantism - but small group of very orthodox protestants say these words and names with Dutch CH: christelijk ("christian") Christien ('girls' name') - Chris ('boys' name')
é		as in French, Dutch long E café 2 ('cafe, bar') - hé ('hey!')
è		as in French, Dutch short E hè ('expression of disappointment') - appèl ('appeal') - première ('festive opening night') - carrière ('career') - kassière ('female cashier') - misère 2 ('misery')
French -EAU		Like in French, like Dutch long O bureau ('office; office desk') - bureaustoel ('office chair') - politiebureau 2 ('police station') - cadeau ('a present' - also written as 'kado') - eau de Cologne ('Cologne, inexpensive perfume')
Greek EU		Dutch pronounces EU in Greek names and words of Greek origin as Dutch UI: eufemisme 2 ('euphemism') - euthanasie 2 3 4 ('euthanasia') - Zeus Odysseus Theseus - therapeut - pseudodemocratie (therapist - pseudo-democracy)
French -EUILLE		As in the original French: portefeuille ('wallet')
French G		Different from Dutch CH/G percentage ( % ) - energie 2 ('energy') - genie 2 ('genius' - person / military corps of engineers) - gel ('gel') - gêne 2 3 ('embarrasment') - gênant ('embarrassing') - logeerkamer ('guest room') - passagier ('passenger') - slijtage ('wear and tear') - giraf ('giraffe') - corrigeren ('to correct') - marge 2 ('margin') - geste 2 ('gesture') - college ('class at college or university') First G Dutch, second G French: garage ('car repair shop; car housing') - bagage 2 ('luggage') ongegeneerd ('shameless, without embarrassment, barefaced') French AU: - aubergine 2 ('eggplant') French OU: bougie ('spark plug') - courgette ('zucchini') A very small number of not very common words in Dutch have a 'hard' French G (very similar to G in English GO or BEGIN): guerilla 2 ('guerilla' - from Spanish) - guillotine 2 ('guillotine') - (The double L is also not pronounced as in regular Dutch. Compare: gorilla 2) - gouache ('gouache') - bigarreaux 2 ('candied cherries') - Gaullisme ('Gaullism') - Grenoble ('a city in France') Thank you Salim A. for pointing out a mistake
French GN		'French' GN is pronounced as N - Consonant Y (Dutch NJ): signaal 2 ('a signal') - signaleren 2 ('to notice') - magnifiek ("magnificent") - vignet 2 ("certificate") - appelbeignet ('a type of apple cake') In the often-used, common word champignons ('button mushrooms') the NG has disappeared. With difficulty I say (exaggerated!) champiGNons Compare with 'regular' Dutch GN: magneet 2 ('magnet') - Agnes (girls' name)
French -IER		consonant Y + A like in FACE (Dutch J + long E) premier ('prime minister') - compare with regular Dutch kassier ('male cashier')
French J		journalist ('reporter') (French OU) - journaal ('TV News') (French OU) - jam ('jelly, jam') (English A) - jus 2 ('gravy' also French -US ending)
French LL		like consonant Y (Dutch J) failliet 2 ('bankrupt') - faillisement 2 3 ('bankruptcy') - portefeuille ('wallet') - fouilleren 2 ('to frisk, body-search') - vanille 2 ('vanilla')
French short O		roze ('pink') - compare with Dutch short O: ros (an aging but trusty horse) and rot (rotten, spoiled, 'off') and Dutch long O: rozen 2 (roses) and roos 2 (rose) zone 2 ('zone, area') - compare with: zoon/zonen ('son/sons') and zon/zonnen ('sun/suns') - zonneschijn 2 ('sunshine') controle 2 ('check (on) ~ inspection') - but: controleren 2 3 ('to check (on) - inspect')
Greek OE		Pronounced as Dutch EU: oecumenisch 2 ('ecumenical') - Oedipus ('Oedipus') (Latin -US ending pronounced as English OOS, Dutch OES) - oedipaal ('like Oedipus')
Frech OEU		Pronounced much like 'voiceless E' or Dutch short U but longer: oeuvre ('an artist's body of work') - manoeuvre 2 ('maneuver, strategic move') - but the OEU of the Dutchified verb manoeuvreren 2 ('to maneuver') is pronounced as OO (Dutch OE.)
French OI		As in French: toilet ('toilet, bathroom') - dressoir boudoir ('fancy dining room cabinet; a lady's dressing room')
French OU		several words of French origin keep the French OU pronunciation (somewhat like English OO, Dutch OE ) coulant - couplet - foudraal (accepting, tolerant - verse - leather bag for a tool) - gouverneur ('governor') - route ('route, way, course') - routine ('routine, habit') - troubadour 2 ('troubadour, minstrel') - coureur ('race car driver, motorcycle racer') - rouge ('make-up item, red') (French G) - bouillonblokje 2 ('beef cube') - souffleur ('stage whisperer') - zouaaf ('zouave' - Papal soldier) ;" - plural: - zouaven - tournooi 2 ('tournament, tourney') - tournee 2 ('tour' - traveling series of shows by performing artist or artsts)
-TIE ending		(probably from French and English -TION) The T of the -TIE ending is either pronounced as TS (after vowels and N) or as S (after most consonants) TS: conditie ("shape"; 'condition') - democratie ('democracy') - advertentie ('ad, advertisement') - operatie ('operation; surgery') - organisatie ('organisation') - positie ('position') - tolerantie ('tolerance') - clementie gratie ('clemency / a pardon') - natie traditie garantie ('nation / tradition / guarantee, warranty') S: reactie ('reaction') - infectie ('infection') - frictie 2 ('friction') - adoptie ('adoption') - proportie ('proportion') - selectie functie fractie 2 ('selection function fraction') Endings like -TIEF, -TIEK and -TIER are not irregular - compare: aktie / aktief 2 (action / active) - politie / politiek ('police / politics') - motie / motief 2 (motion, resolution / motive) - optie / optiek (option / viewpoint; optics) - portie / portier 2 (portion / car door; doorman)
Y		almost always a vowel - pronounced as Dutch I, either long or short short: mysterie mystiek (mystery - mysticism) long: - lyrisch mythe systeem (lyrical - myth - system) but (in rare cases) when between vowels Dutch Y is pronounced as consonant Y (Y in YES) - Dutch J: yoghurt 2 ('yogurt') - royaal 2 ('generous, ample') - loyaal 2 ('loyal') - loyaliteit 2 ('loyalty') - rayon 2 ("area")

D and T Softening

In a few words, D's are changing into Dutch J's, English consonant Y's, usually before voiceless E:

goed goede goeie 2 - (good)
goeiemorgen (good morning)
op een goeie dag ... (someday ...)
rood rode rooie 2 - (red)
die rooie veger (that red broom - not a stock expression)
door de rooie gaan (cross into extremes)
(de) rode kool 2 3 / (de) rooie kool red cabbage ‑>>
dood dode dooie (dead)
op z'n dooie gemak ([at his dead ease] -taking his time, without any hurry)

D's are also disappearing in a few first person singular, 'ik' ('I') present tense verb forms, and also in the 'jij' question mode:
houden ik houd ik hou (to hold) / houden van (to like, to love)
Ik houd niet van vis (I don't like fish)
Ik houd niet van vlees snijden (I don't like cutting meat)
daar houd ik niet van (I don't like that)
ik snijd het brood (I'm cutting the bread)
hij snijdt het brood (he is cutting the bread)
ik sneed het brood (I was cuting the bread)
jij houdt / houd jij? (you 'hold ' / do you 'hold'?)
jij snijdt / snijd jij? (you are cutting / are you cutting?)
"Houd jij van opera? - Ik niet." ("Do you like opera? - I don't.")
more houden van - to like, to love

the D in oude ('old') and koude ('cold') is often softened to W.
One could say Dutch always has a W-sound after AU and OU, but (to my ears) it gets more prominent when followed by voiceless E:
oud oude ouwe (old)
oude man - oude baas - ouwe baas ('old man' - in South-African this further evolved into oubaas 2)
ouwe koeien uit de sloot halen 2 ([haul - dredge up old cows from the ditch] pointless talk about foregone matters, flogging a dead horse)
kouwe drukte 2 ([cold busy-ness] fake bustle)

In sloppy, somewhat emotional Dutch, T's and D's are dropped:
" Da' lus' ik nie' "
'Dat lust ik niet' ) 'I don't like that, I don't want to eat it' "Ik wor' nie' goed"
Ik word niet goed [I'm becoming unwell] I'm going to be sick, throw up, "I don't feel so good"

Shortening, Contractions

In speaking, I occasionally drop the I of IS in 'HIJ IS'

Hij is aan z'n pensioen toe 2 3 4 5 'He's sick and tired of work and is ready to retire ‑>> Hij is er slecht aan toe 2 3 4 He's not doing well, he's in a bad shape medically Hij is niet op z'n mondje gevallen 2 3 4 (saying) [He didn't fall on his mouth']
He never hesitates to speak up, He's not shy to speak his mind
(It's more commonly said about females than about males)

hij slaat 2 3 he hits, slaps compare proniunciation with: hij is laat 2 3 4 5 'he is late,' not in time

Having a hand in your pocket doesn't look good. A jokey comment could be:
Die man gaat verhuizen 2 'That guy is going to move [house]' Hij heeft z'n hand al ingepakt 'He's already packed his hand' In speaking, hij heeft is sometimes run together as hijft:
'Hijft' z'n hand al ingepakt 2 3

Hij heeft schulden 2 3 4 He has debts (probably a lot) Hij heeft ergens wel gelijk 2 3 4 He is partly right, he's correct in some aspects, he has a point Hij heeft niks bereikt 2 3 4 [He reached nothing] - He has achieved nothing, he didn't get results, 'he got nowhere' Hij heeft al het geld opgemaakt 2 3 He has spent (used up?) all the money Hij heeft al het water opgemaakt 2 He has used up all the water Hij heeft er een uur over zitten nadenken 2 3 4 5 He's been thinking about it for an hour Hij heeft boter op z'n hoofd 2 3 4 ['(he has) butter on his head'] - he should stay away from heat or it will melt
- meaning: "he's criticizing others, but he's not innocent himself: he is a hypocrite"

Dat is een zorg minder 2 3 4 That's one less worry - something we don't have to worry about anymore Dat is interessant 2 3 That's interesting Dat is nogal logisch 2 3 4 That's rather logical, that's self-evident (I see that) You could go a little further, drop the T too and say da's

Dat is erg lastig 2 3 4 That's very inconvenient, that's a bother Dat's erg lastig
Da's erg lastig
I wouldn't say "da's"  myself but you'll hear people speak that way

Insertions

('schwa')

Ik trek me er niks van aan 2	I'm not bothered by it, I don't care
Ik trek me d'r niks van aan 2 3	I'm not bothered by it, I don't care
Wat heb je eraan? 2 3	[What do you have of it] - What's the use (of it) (to you)?
Wat heb je d'r aan? 2	[What do you have of it] - What's the use (of it) (to you)?
Wat zegt U ervan? 2	What do you say (of/about it)? (polite, formal 'you')
Wat zegt U d'rvan? 2 3 4	What do you say (of/about it)? (polite, formal 'you')
Wat zeg jij d'r van? 2 3	What do you say (of it)? (informal 'you')
Wat denk jij d'r van? 2	What do you think (of it)?
Wie belde er?	Who called? (telephone)
Wie belde d'r? 2 3	Who called?
Neem je d'r iets voor? 2	Do you take something for (against) it? (medication)
Ik hoop dat je d'r tijd voor hebt 2 3 4	I hope you'll have time for it
Heb je d'r wat van geleerd? 2	What have you learned of it? What did it teach you?
Heb je d'r last van? 2 3	Does it bother you?
Heb je er wat aan? 2 3 4 5	Is it of (any) use to you, is it useful to you?
Heb je d'r wat aan? 2	Is it of (any) use to you, is it useful to you?
Ik kan me d'r zo kwaad over maken 2	I get so angered by it, it makes me very angry
Je kunt je d'r geen buil aan vallen	It won't hurt you (it's a small payment) - Sayings
Hoe kom je d'r bij! 2	[How did you reach that conclusion?] - What you're saying is outrageous
Tasje d'r bij? 2 3 4 5	(Would you like) a bag with it? (cashier asking)
Weg er mee! 2 3 4	Away with it! Throw it out! ‑>>
Weg d'r mee! 2 3	Away with it! Throw it out! (no preceding schwa!)
De stekker d'r uit trekken 2	Pulling the plug (from it) - make an end to it
Begrijp je-n-'t? 2	Do you understand it?

In rather sloppy, lazy Dutch an 'unstressed, voiceless E' is inserted between consonants

standard		sloppy inserts
(het) brood 2		buhrood		bread
(de) melk 2		melluk		milk
elf		elluf		11
twaalf		twaalluf		12
half twaalf 2		halluf twaalluf 2		11:30
help! 2		hellup! 2		help me!
(de) slang 2		suhlang		snake // hose
(het) werk		werruk 2 3		work
kalm 2		kallum		calm
(het) kalf 2 3		kalluf		calf
(de) kalk 2 3		kalluk 2		plaster, lime, chalk, Calcium
draadje		duhraadje		thread, wire, piece of string
bewolkt 2		bewollukt		cloudy
(de) galg 2 3		galluhg		gallows

"volluk!" 2 3 (from:  (het) volk 2 3 ('people, nation'))  ("Hello there, shop!" - slang) - said when you enter a small shop or a café and don't see staff around to help you or take your order

Miscellaneous Pronunciation Examples

stipt huig luwte duwde
(punctual - 'uvula' (throat) - 'lee' (quiet area) - pushed)

barst vorst worst dorstig
(crack - frost - sausage - thirsty)

krant stronk brink
(newspaper - tree stump - village square)

bazen Pasen wasem vazen
(bosses - Easter - vapor - vases)

smak smaak smeren snert smachten smikkelen
(slap, thud - taste - to grease, to smear - pea soup; bad - painful longing - eating with enjoyment)

smet smid smeden smoren smullen
(a dirty spot, a blemish, think of: 'smut' - smith - to forge - to stew - enjoying food)

snip snode sneeuw snavel 2
(a water bird - wicked, scheming - snow - a bird's beak)

kraan kraam traan raam
(faucet, crane - market stall - tear (crying) - window)

braaf brave blaas blazen
(obedient, harmless - bladder - to blow)

vochtig zwichten (damp - to give in)

wringen stengel kronkel drempel
(to wring - plant stem - twist, kink - threshold)

middel model gevel bevel gedwee ongedwongen
(means; waist - model - gable - order, command - obedient - spontaneous, without restraint)

heks (witch) - fiks (~strongly)

extra 2 (extra) - extract 2 (extract, concentrated liquid)

sextant (sextant) - hexagonaal (hexagonal)

xenon (a noble gas) - xenofobie (xenophobia) - Xantippe (Mrs Socrates)

fluor 2 (fluorine) - fluoride (fluoride)

jodium - (iodine) - uranium - silicium (silicon)

smeuïg 2 (appetizing food (or a story) that goes down easily)

On The Street - Op straat

(de) straat

(de) stoep

straat en stoep

(het) straatje

(de) bocht 2

(het) huis

(de) garage (de) auto (de) oprit 2 (de) stoep ((het) trottoir (de) straat garage car driveway sidewalk sidewalk) street

(het) verkeer ((de) auto's )

(de) lantarenpaal

(het) stoplicht 2

(de) fiets >>

(de) auto

(het) zebrapad ((de) voetgangersoversteekplaats 2)

(de) bus

(de) bushalte

(het) bushokje

Fractions

1/2 een half 1/3 één derde 1/4 één vierde 1/5 één vijfde

1/6 één zesde 1/7 één zevende 2 1/8 één achtste 2 1/9 één negende 2

1/10 één tiende 1/100 één honderdste 1/1000 één duizendste

1/32 één tweeëndertigste 2/3 twee derde 3/4 driekwart 2 3/8 drie achtste

3/2

drie tweede

3½

drieëneenhalf 2

'n fractie van 'n seconde 2 [a fraction of a second] - a very short time, 'a split second'
Instead of stressed één ('one') you could also use the definite article ('a') een or 'n (pronunciation explained earlier in this lesson): een derde ('one-third.')
But een half ('one-half') is rarely (if ever) said with the stressed één.
¼ - next to één vierde we also say een kwart (like 'een half' with unstressed 'een.')
Like words we've seen in the 'Colors' lesson, the adjective half also appears as halve - half is used for 'het' words after 'een.'
een half ei ('half an egg') - een halve theelepel ('½ teaspoon.')
Een goed begin is het halve werk ('A good start is half the job' - with a good start the job is already half done)
But - De laatste loodjes wegen het zwaarst (~ 'Finishing a job, the home stretch is the hardest') - so what's in between?
The noun for 'half' is (de) helft - De helft van de bevolking ('Half the population')
1½ - one and a half - anderhalf, anderhalve
Anderhalve man en een paardekop 2 ['one and a half men and a horse's head'] low turnout, small attendance, few people present
<< - numbers, simple math and dimensions - >>

Simon Stevin

(de) wetenschap (de) wetenschapper 2 science scientist (de) wiskunde mathematics

(de) natuurkunde physics (de) scheikunde chemistry >>

(de) sterrenkunde 2 astronomy (de) plantkunde botany

(de) geneeskunde medicine >> (de) aardrijkskunde geography

inches and feet to millimeters (mm) and centimeters (cm)

(de) millimeter		(de) centimeter		((de) decimeter )		(de) meter		(de) kilometer
1 millimeter = 1/1000 meter (~ 1/25 inch)		1 centimeter = 1/100 meter (~ 4/10 inch)		1 decimeter = 1/10 meter (~ 4 inches)		1 meter (~ 31/3 feet)		1 kilometer = 1000 meter (= 0.62 miles)

1 inch = 25.4 millimeter = 2.54 centimeter		1 millimeter = 0.04 inch		1 cm = 0.39 inch		1 centimeter = 10 millimeter
12 inches = 1 foot = 30.48 centimeter

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Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2