The curve taken under gravity by a thrown object, or a metaphorical upward progression such as a career. Not a generic synonym for a route or pathway.
Category Archives: Mistranslations
Eventually
Most Dutch writers are aware that “eventual” means “uiteindelijk”: in the end. But they’re still often unsure how to deal with the faux-ami “eventueel”.
A monumental mistake
A monument is a structure erected in remembrance of a person or event. They’re often on a grand scale, which is why “monumental” simply means extremely large.
So-called
Watch the overtones: it’s not only telling you a term is used but also implying that it’s incorrect. A so-called expert or so-called friend is not to be trusted!
Different from what?
If you can answer that, “verschillende” can be translated as “different”. Otherwise, “various” is often the better solution.
Sustainability and durability
The word “duurzaam” covers two different meanings in Dutch (eco-friendly and long-lasting), so you can’t use “sustainable” as a catch-all translation.
Coronaspecial
Coronatijd, coronamaatregelen, coronacrisis, coronawerk… Dutch has adopted “corona” as a new prefix, but English hasn’t. Well, not yet. Not really.
Checking the controls
Controls are mechanisms or procedures for making machines or processes behave as you want, i.e. controlling them, not checking them.
Species names
A goldfinch isn’t a goudvink. A coal tit isn’t a koolmees. Your pond is unlikely to be visited by a ring snake or a salamander.
The random nervous system
A prime example of the kind of slip-up that makes a document leave a very dubious impression.
Advanced Dunglish 