A language gives a good insight into a culture. Sometimes we find words that don’t have an easy one-word translation in another language. Perhaps because the concept as such doesn’t exist or is not recognised or given importance to in the other language. Or perhaps because the word in language A is an umbrella term for several meanings that exist as separate translations in language B. Explore the Dutch culture through its language and find out more about 3 “untranslatable” Dutch words into English!
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3 "untranslatable" words from Dutch into English
A language gives a good insight into a culture. Sometimes we find words that do not have an easy one-word translation in another language. There is then a “lexical gap” between two languages (in Dutch: taalleemte) which may lead to a feeling, mood or concept not being easily translatable into another language.
How come there are lexical gaps?
Lexical gaps may exist because the concept as such doesn’t exist or is not defined, recognised or given importance to in the other language. In these cases, the original language has a word that has a meaning that is culturally known to be a concept that isn’t captured in one specific word in another language. Of course, this might not occur in all language pairs: it might be easy to translate a word from language A (e.g. Dutch) into language B (e.g. German), but there might not be any 1-on-1 word translation in language C (e.g. English).
In other cases, not having a good one-word translation can occur because the word in language A is an umbrella term for several meanings that exist as separate translations in language B. It then may well be that a translation doesn’t feel like an accurate or complete translation because the translation doesn’t capture the whole meaning or concept of the original word or vice versa (i.e. the translation covers more meanings or concepts than the original word). It seems translatable up to a certain extent, although the feeling or mood attached to it might be different and/or not captured completely.
Apart from a different vocabulary, having words that don’t translate easily into another language can also indicate (spoken) cultural language habits and grammatical constructions which might verbalise a feeling or mood, such as with interjections that exist in one language but not in another.
Explore the Dutch culture through its language and find out more about 3 "untranslatable" Dutch words into English!
1. Gezellig
One of the first words you might come across when learning about the Dutch culture is “gezellig” (adj.). It can be used to describe a situation that is giving a homely feeling, that is cosy, nice and pleasant. For example, “your house looks “gezellig””.
Yet, it goes beyond the meaning of these immediate individual translations or of other translations such as fun, comfortable, convivial and relaxing. It can be used to describe how something looks (a “gezellig” restaurant), but also how a (social) environment is or what you think of a specific event. It is then used in the context of a certain sense of togetherness and nice ambiance. You can say that it is “gezellig” to go and have a coffee with a friend, that a party was “gezellig” or that you had a “gezellige” evening going out. Someone can be “gezellig”, for example to talk to, and a group of people can be “gezellig”, for example your class can be “gezellig”.
• Gezellig in use:
A few other examples of the use of “gezellig”:
- At a house warming: “How lovely decorated! Very “gezellig”!” (Wat leuk aangekleed! Erg gezellig!)
- Making an arrangement: “Would you like to meet for lunch on Thursday?” – “Yes, “gezellig”!” (Vind je het leuk om op donderdag samen te lunchen? Ja, gezellig!)
- After a day away: “How was your day away with Anne?” “It was gezellig!” (Hoe was je dagje weg met Anne? Het was gezellig!)
Of course, “gezellig” can also be used in a non-genuine or sarcastic way: you had a “gezellige” day at the office with a manager or colleague you don’t work well with.
If something is not “gezellig”, it is “ongezellig”. The hotel lobby that is not nicely decorated or a restaurant with fluorescent light can look “ongezellig”.
The noun of “gezellig” is “gezelligheid” and “gezellig” is derived from the word “gezel”. The word “gezel” originally referred to someone who was learning to become a skilled worker usually in the context of a guild, but nowadays, in a weakened form, it has the meaning “companion” and is seen as the basis of words as “gezellig”, “gezelschap”, etc., indicating this underlying sentiment of “companionship”.
2. Hoor
Apart from it being a verb form (e.g. the first person singular and the imperative) of the verb “horen” (with the most common translation “to hear”), “hoor” can also be an interjection, a discourse particle, not related to any verb.
It is usually inserted at the end of a clause or statement – often, but not only, in (informal) spoken Dutch – and can be an affirmation, emphasis or approval of (part of) the sentence, used to reassure, warn, urge or correct. Being a discourse particle, it adds meaning to the sentence by nuancing it, so the sentence is not just a statement of fact anymore.
It is challenging to translate this discourse particle into one equivalent English word as its meaning depends on the context, especially when in combination with specific other words such as “ja” (yes) and “nee” (no). Suggested translations as “right”, “really”, “of course”, “sure”, “no problem”, “you know” are just a few options. It is sometimes said to be untranslatable and therefore it is suggested that you can leave it untranslated, but in these cases intonation or adding or changing other elements in the other language could still be needed to address the nuances in meaning and capture the feeling or mood attached to the statement.
• Hoor in use:
To find out which meaning is used, context is key. The topic of interjections and discourse particles in general is complex and so is “hoor” – which is a broader topic and can be explored in more depth – but a few examples are:
- Kun je me even helpen? Ja, hoor! (Could you help me? Yes, sure!/ Yes, no problem!)
- Ga maar zitten, hoor. (Please take a seat (intonation: assurance in a polite request using the imperative)/ Feel free to just take a seat)
- Dat is echt een geweldig boek, hoor. (It really is a great book (intonation: emphasis/correction of the unspoken assumption that it is not a great book)
- Winkelen? Nee, daar heb ik echt geen zin in, hoor. (Shopping? No, I really don’t feel like doing that (intonation: affirmation/emphasis of “no”))
- Kijk maar uit, hoor. (Well/ mind you, be careful! = “This is likely to be dangerous/difficult/not as easy as you expect, so be careful!” (intonation: warning))
3. Polderen
Tweede Kamer (Nederland), Sisyfus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Even though the word “polder” translates into exactly the same word with the same meaning in English, when it comes to translating the verb “polderen” it seems quite a different story. Where a polder is a geographical indication of low land that was once under (sea)water and is now reclaimed, the verb “polderen” has more to do with politics and problem solving styles. It refers to a way of reaching consensus by using dialogue, discussing problems ceaselessly, reaching compromises and extensive cooperation. This form of working together is not just a means to an end, it is actually more at the core of political policy. Rather than making quick or majority decisions, this consensus model strives to solve problems by trying to get all parties involved and to enter the dialogue in order to come up with a solution together, usually through compromises.
• Polderen & poldermodel in use:
This political and (socio-)economic model of “polderen” is called the “poldermodel” and this term is said to have emerged in the 1990s in Dutch politics. Some historians have claimed that the word might in fact be connected with the geographical term “polder” as it is said that polderen and the poldermodel find their origin in the Netherlands’ long history of battles against water- times in which the regional water authorities (“waterschappen”) were the first democratic governing bodies looking for pragmatic cooperation, as discussed in the article “En ze polderden nog lang en gelukkig…” by the Trouw (2011). Yet, others have questioned both the extent to which such a projection of modern political terms onto historical events would be correct as well as whether the term can be attributed to a specific language/country, as discussed in this article of Historisch Nieuwsblad.
Referring to their modern day use, “polderen” and “poldermodel” can be used in the following ways:
- De opvatting dat het poldermodel een Nederlandse uitvinding is wordt betwist. (The view that the polder model is a Dutch invention is disputed.)
- De ministers hebben weken gepolderd maar nu ligt er eindelijk een akkoord. (The ministers have “gepolderd” (discussed extensively) for weeks but finally an agreement has been reached.)