A typical Dutch hyphen, except that this one was big (and I mean BIG) – several metres in length, in the backdrop to a Europa League game.
Where a noun gets stuck in front of another and serves effectively as a descriptor, i.e. an adjective, you don’t need the hyphen. Similar ones seen recently include:
- a led-light (three errors for the price of one! should be an LED light)
- your existing ERP-system (ERP system)
- open the Excel-document (Excel document)
Just one of several forms of Dutch hyphen usage that aren’t the same as English.
Prevalence: very high. A general issue.
Frequency: moderate. People often have a blind spot for this in certain combinations, while getting it right at other times.
Native: no. We’re pretty clumsy with our hyphenation at times, but not this particular trick.
Advanced Dunglish 