Worldly Chatter

Ik snap het een beetje beter! Ik was een beetje bang omdat ik spreek heel slecht Nederlands! Maar het is beter nu, een beetje! (beetje – a little and is one of my favorite Dutch words!)

Dutchie was on the telephone with Momma Dutchie this evening and talking about all sorts of things, one of which was I. How I made new friends at work and how I can understand Dutch a bit better since starting work. It was in Dutch and understood it. Therefore, I said ik snap het een beetje beter! Een beetje! Therefore, Dutchie put Momma Dutchie on the telephone to show her! Ik KAN spreek Nederlands! Ik will graag een kopje koffee en iets. Iets is something and so that can get used often, hence why I know it so well. Repetition is key and I seem to be getting that at work. A co-worker of mine will talk Dutch to me, very simple but says it in Dutch nonetheless. I was in Eemnes today, delivering my little legs off when someone saw me with a map. Zoek je iets? (you looking for something) Ja, ik zoek Laarderweg 112 maar die is 80, waar is 112? Ah, aan de andere kant van de A27. (On the other side of A27, the highway) That’s when I sighed and waited for my co-workers to return because I am not and cannot cross the highway with nothing but my legs and a trolley. My point is, I got it, I understood it, ik snap het!

Oh Hemeltje is another word I love to pieces! I watched a Pooh movie in Dutch and little Piglet said Oh hemeltje instead of Oh dear. It was so adorable it stuck in my head! Asbak is ashtray and the reason why I remembered it is that my brain says assback…wards! It is the strangest things that help me remember but it doesn’t matter so long as I remember. Ik hou van je en ik mis je. Ik denk het niet of echt niet! Luister goed! Ik vergeet het al! Just little things that stick in my head and it adds up, I know this so today is a good day in my understanding of Dutch. Ik kan en ik doe iedere dag! Toch? Ja, toch!

My co-worker said to me I say my numbers like a native today and I couldn’t help but smile. I tried so hard to get the sounds right and there are sounds I still don’t do very well but for the most part its good and clear. I mainly have troubles with a couple of vowel combinations so it isn’t horrid. The comment perked me up a bit for the day. A lovely way to end my week, a comment like that and saying I sounded like I was trying! I love it!

worldly chatter, Dutch, Dutch language, learning Dutch