This doesn't even scratch the surface of how weird the Dutch are. See this translation isn't really accurate, "Geef me een klap papa" translates to "Hit me father". A more accurate translation would be: "Geef me billenkoek pappie".
(Even though this stil isn't completely accurate, the daddy thing got borrowed from US culture, so would still be daddy even in Dutch)
Now this might be a bit stranger, but not all that different. However when we zoom in on the word billenkoek it gets real weird. Just like other languages, for example German, the Dutch can just omit spaces and create longer and longer compound words. Billenkoek is one of those words, comprised of two words namely "billen" and "koek". The first word translates to buttocks, which makes sense, spanking involves hitting the butt. However the second word doesn't have a direct translation in English, but is a collection term enveloping baked goods such as cookies and certain kinds of cake. So it could be translated into "butt cake" .
What do spanking and cakes have to do with each other? And what exactly is a butt cake? Who knows, the Dutch are just very very weird.
(for all my etymology nerds, the term comes from rewarding good children with cookies and bad children with a different sort of cookies, namely corporal punishment)
It's very strange, it seems Dutch is very like, food-based? That's not a great way to explain it, but stuff like using "lekker", which is Dutch for tasty, as like "good" or "attractive." Context seems v important
Yes context is very important in Dutch. Which is why translations are almost always off. A Dutch speaker can almost instantly recognize whether a translation was done by someone with a native speaking level, or a machine. That's why a lot of Dutch folk prefer English on their computers and phones. The Dutch translations are often terrible, or as the Dutch would say "tenenkrommend".
Dutch is also a language you can very easily unlearn, even as a native speaker. I've experienced this firsthand, where I mostly use English and German every day. My Dutch has gotten terrible over the years.
sounds a lot like the swedish experience as well, especially the unlearning thing. So many people these days are effectively starting to talk a new pidgin language with english mixed into it.
American English as well. “Easy as pie” “That’s a piece of cake” “Don’t cry over spilled milk.” “The proof is in the pudding.” “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.” “As American as apple pie.” “Bring home the bacon.” “Spill the beans.” “Selling like hotcakes.” “Pie in the sky.”
We can't have that. I can't get into americahalla unless I die of gun violence, being stabbed by a.bunch of people just gets you sent to the eternal city, and my Latin sucks
A friend of mine who was learning German was bouncing off words and phrases onto a dutch friend and after comparing the words, she exclaimed "it's like talking [German] through jello!"
37 Comments
Thorry@feddit.org · 82 pts · 346d
This doesn't even scratch the surface of how weird the Dutch are. See this translation isn't really accurate, "Geef me een klap papa" translates to "Hit me father". A more accurate translation would be: "Geef me billenkoek pappie". (Even though this stil isn't completely accurate, the daddy thing got borrowed from US culture, so would still be daddy even in Dutch)
Now this might be a bit stranger, but not all that different. However when we zoom in on the word billenkoek it gets real weird. Just like other languages, for example German, the Dutch can just omit spaces and create longer and longer compound words. Billenkoek is one of those words, comprised of two words namely "billen" and "koek". The first word translates to buttocks, which makes sense, spanking involves hitting the butt. However the second word doesn't have a direct translation in English, but is a collection term enveloping baked goods such as cookies and certain kinds of cake. So it could be translated into "butt cake" .
What do spanking and cakes have to do with each other? And what exactly is a butt cake? Who knows, the Dutch are just very very weird.
(for all my etymology nerds, the term comes from rewarding good children with cookies and bad children with a different sort of cookies, namely corporal punishment)
olafurp@lemmy.world · 38 pts · 346d
That's too many words to explain it, you deserve een billenkoekje
passepartout@piefed.social · 17 pts · 346d
Thank you, this is the kind of sophisticated knowledge I visit the internet for.
Obi@sopuli.xyz · 14 pts · 346d
Well well well, now the monkey comes out of the sleeve.
djsoren19@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 9 pts · 346d
It's very strange, it seems Dutch is very like, food-based? That's not a great way to explain it, but stuff like using "lekker", which is Dutch for tasty, as like "good" or "attractive." Context seems v important
Thorry@feddit.org · 17 pts · 346d
Yes context is very important in Dutch. Which is why translations are almost always off. A Dutch speaker can almost instantly recognize whether a translation was done by someone with a native speaking level, or a machine. That's why a lot of Dutch folk prefer English on their computers and phones. The Dutch translations are often terrible, or as the Dutch would say "tenenkrommend".
Dutch is also a language you can very easily unlearn, even as a native speaker. I've experienced this firsthand, where I mostly use English and German every day. My Dutch has gotten terrible over the years.
InFerNo@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 346d
Tenenkrullend I would say, where do they say tenenkrommend? Just curious about the regional difference :-)
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 339d
sounds a lot like the swedish experience as well, especially the unlearning thing. So many people these days are effectively starting to talk a new pidgin language with english mixed into it.
SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 346d
American English as well. “Easy as pie” “That’s a piece of cake” “Don’t cry over spilled milk.” “The proof is in the pudding.” “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.” “As American as apple pie.” “Bring home the bacon.” “Spill the beans.” “Selling like hotcakes.” “Pie in the sky.”
InFerNo@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 346d
Keep going 🤤
porous_grey_matter@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 346d
Skullgrid@lemmy.world · 63 pts · 347d
come to europe! We have :
Datafag
Fartkontrol
Slutstation
Cuckstoel
geef me een klap papa
Schorsch@feddit.org · 8 pts · 346d
Din fart
hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 346d
And megapussi
KSPAtlas@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 346d
And that's just Germanic languages
Berengaria_of_Navarre@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 346d
Translate "rare pupper" from norwegian to english.
snooggums@piefed.world · 23 pts · 346d
Norwegian: weird tits
Swedish: weird boobs
Danish: nice tits
InFerNo@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 346d
Dutch: weird puppy
petersr@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 346d
Never heard "pupper" in relation to breasts in Danish. Puppe is like cocoon, so would be plural - nice cocoons.
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 339d
it makes no sense in swedish, that's an extremely forced translation
passepartout@piefed.social · 9 pts · 346d
Oh no, that reminds me of a european bird named Kohlmeise in german.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 346d
There are so many things to love and respect about the Dutch. Their language is however incredibly silly
djsoren19@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 18 pts · 346d
I've heard it described as "femboy German" and honestly that makes perfect sense to me.
gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 346d
wait isn't that Poland?
Skullgrid@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 346d
just with a lot more phlegm
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 339d
it's nowhere near cute enough for that, i'd more say "pee-wee herman german"
join@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 346d
Be careful insulting the Dutch or there might be a “stabbing party“ (Literal Dutch translation for a knife attack).
InFerNo@lemmy.ml · 6 pts · 346d
Me thinking mes aanval
But then realised steekpartij :D
Partij like a group of people not like a festive party. That's like saying the republican party is a festive bunch.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 346d
We can't have that. I can't get into americahalla unless I die of gun violence, being stabbed by a.bunch of people just gets you sent to the eternal city, and my Latin sucks
JetpackJackson@feddit.org · 6 pts · 346d
A friend of mine who was learning German was bouncing off words and phrases onto a dutch friend and after comparing the words, she exclaimed "it's like talking [German] through jello!"
daellat@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 346d
Lekker hoor
Blubber28@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 346d
Botertjegeil
Ceruleum@lemmy.wtf · 1 pts · 344d
Word het toch nog gezellig!
vzqq@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 346d
I’m off to eat a butter ham with hail strike.
pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 346d
vzqq@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 7 pts · 346d
Wait, that actually works? It does! Google Translate is getting really good these days.
The reserves also works, of course.
tempest@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 346d
The thing you need to know about the current AI technologies is that they were initially developed for translating.
dalekcaan@feddit.nl · 3 pts · 346d
I mean yeah, they mean the same literal thing, but the Dutch one reads more like "give me a slap, dad."