Language Practice (Help your fluency)

[Linguoboy]

Ich denke, dass Deutsch für Niederländer einfacher ist, aber ich bemerke auch dass es so viele falsche Freunde gibt, sowohl Vokabeln als auch Grammatik, dass es immer noch schwer ist, Deutsch zu lernen.
I think German is easier for Dutch people, but I also notice that there are so many false friends, both vocab and grammar, that it's still difficult to learn German.

De valse vrienden lichten me altijd een voetje.
The false friends always trip me up.

En "er".. Ik weet nooit, wanneer ik dat zou gebruiken.
And "er". I never know when I should use that.

[AwfullyAmateur]

Mon ami avec le nom allemand, nous l'appelons Gus, mais comme l'oiseau.
My friend with the German name, we call him Gus, but like the bird.

[jal]

De valse vrienden lichten me altijd een voetje⁰.
En "er".. Ik weet nooit,¹ wanneer ik die² zou moeten / moet³ gebruiken.

⁰I think this may be an expression, in some old-fashioned Dutch, but it isn't current. I'd never use it.
¹Dutch only uses commas for non-restrictive subclauses.
²I tend towards "die" here, but "dat" may be acceptable.
³Bare "zou gebruiken" is used only in counterfactuals like "ik weet niet waarom ik die zou gebruiken" ("I don't know why on earth I'd use that"). Simple "moet" here is ok, or "zou moeten" if you really want a subjunctive.

"Er", das ist ja eines der größten Probleme, die Niederländischlerner haben...
"Er", yeah, that's one of the biggest problems Dutch learners have...


JAL

[Travis B.]

Ich habe von "er" auf Niederländisch gehört. Was bedeutet es überhaupt?
I have heard about "er" in Dutch. What does it even mean?

[xxx]

Mon ami au nom allemand, nous l'appelons Gus, mais prononcé gousse.
My friend with the German name, we call him Gus, but like the bird.

[bradrn]

Mon ami au nom allemand, nous l'appelons Gus, mais prononcé gousse.
My friend with the German name, we call him Gus, but like the bird.

Ça m’aide à comprendre ce qu’AwfullyAmateur veux dire, merci !

This helps me understand what AwfullyAmateur meant, thanks!

[Raholeun]

De valse vrienden lichten me altijd een voetje⁰.
En "er".. Ik weet nooit,¹ wanneer ik die² zou moeten / moet³ gebruiken.

⁰I think this may be an expression, in some old-fashioned Dutch, but it isn't current. I'd never use it.

This idiom is still in common use, JAL. I would not use it in this context though, as it implies malign intention (whereas '[false friends] trip me up' does not).

[jal]

This idiom is still in common use, JAL. I would not use it in this context though, as it implies malign intention (whereas '[false friends] trip me up' does not).

As a Dutch speaker living in the Netherlands, I disagree. I know it, passively, but would never us it nor have I ever heard it spoken. Which doesn't mean of course that there can't be communities of people in other parts of the country that actively use it (I live and work in the center of the Netherlands).

I have heard about "er" in Dutch. What does it even mean?

It can mean a lot of things, but it's mostly just a grammatical necessary particle in certain constructions, where it functions as some kind of stand-in to make the sentence grammatical. E.g. "ik zag tien mannen" ("I saw ten men") vs. "Ik zag er tien" ("I saw ten"). In the latter case, "er" doesn't have a true meaning. (However, when you say "ik zag er tien mannen", "er" means "there" and must be a reference to a previously mentioned location. Out of contect, "ik zag er tien" is therefore ambiguous with regards to the meaning of "er"). For a more detailed description, see here.

Es ist wieder Montag. Ich bin kein Fan von Montags.
It's Monday again. I'm not a fan of Mondays.


JAL

[Linguoboy]

Es ist wieder Montag. Ich bin kein Fan von Montagsen.
It's Monday again. I'm not a fan of Mondays.

I au nitt.
Me neither.

[Travis B.]

I have heard about "er" in Dutch. What does it even mean?

It can mean a lot of things, but it's mostly just a grammatical necessary particle in certain constructions, where it functions as some kind of stand-in to make the sentence grammatical. E.g. "ik zag tien mannen" ("I saw ten men") vs. "Ik zag er tien" ("I saw ten"). In the latter case, "er" doesn't have a true meaning. (However, when you say "ik zag er tien mannen", "er" means "there" and must be a reference to a previously mentioned location. Out of contect, "ik zag er tien" is therefore ambiguous with regards to the meaning of "er"). For a more detailed description, see here.

Ach, es ist mit Deutsch "da" verwandt aber die Wortstellung ist verschieden.
Oh, it is cognate with German "da" but the word order is different.

[jal]

Oh, it is cognate with German "da" but the word order is different.

Ja, "er" stammt ab von "daar" (mit Vokalreduktion). Statt "er" kann man auch "d'r" benutzen (vor allem in der Umgangssprache).
Yes, "er" comes from "daar" (with vowel reduction). Instead of "er" one can also use "d'r" (especially in colloquial language).


JAL