Language and culture are two sides of the same coin.
That’s why people from one country sometimes have more trouble than others with a particular phenomenon from the target language.
An example: when is it appropriate in Dutch to say “u” to a person, and when to say “jij”? Only a tricky matter for people from cultures where this difference does not exist.
But I learned there is one language phenomenon in Dutch that proves difficult for all non-native speakers, no matter what country they come from.
‘Hoi, ik ben vijf minuutjes laat’, Olimpia from Romania sends out a text to the group app at the start of our class.
‘Ik kom tien minuten laat’, arrives the next text by Azibo from Nigeria a moment later.
“Ik ben laat” is an Anglicism, a literal translation from English, in which speech it is a suitable expression for the phenomenon of arriving later at some appointment than the time agreed.
But correct Dutch it is not.
‘Nee?’ asks Azibo from Nigeria puzzled after his late arrival. ‘Then what do you say? I always say “ik ben laat.”’
I look around the group. ‘Does anyone know?’
Pensive silence.
‘Ik ben te laat,’ I finally answer the question myself.
‘No way, that's too judgy!’ responds Olimpia.
‘Why?’ I don’t get it.
‘Te laat means an hour or so,’ Javi from Spain joins the discussion. ‘Not just a few minutes.’
‘The issue here is not judgment,’ I respond, ‘but the strictly factual observation that the agreed time has been exceeded. Whether it's two minutes or an hour.’
None of my students agree with me. That much is clear.
‘The Dutch are judgy. They will always let you know if you're doing something wrong in their eyes’, Olimpia states firmly.
I never looked at it that way. To me the factual statement ‘te laat’ holds no judgement. But maybe there is something to her remark.
Dutch people usually are pretty punctual.
Could the construction of our language prompt us to be on time?
In other words, is being on time as much a language affair as it is a cultural one?
Minutes before our next class, Olimpia texts, ‘Ik heb vertraging’. (I'm delayed)
Culturally and grammatically one hundred percent correct.
Food lingo
Food - het eten
Bubbles - de bubbels
The speech
A slice of France in Amsterdam, La Parole (the speech) is drowned in both the French culture, more specifically the food, and the French language. This small and cosy place a little off-center serves classic bistro food in a no-nonsense way. From steak tartare to croques, oeufs mayo and moules frites. Try them with a glass of bulles (bubbles) from the Loire region. Only French menu speech needed.
La Parole, Kwakerstraat 24 Amsterdam. Open Mon-Thur 5 PM-10 PM; Fri-Sun noon-10 PM.