Dutch uses the same word for both (relatie), but the meanings in English are distinctly different.
Category Archives: Advanced
Cowboys and Indonesians
Unusually for European languages, Dutch has retained the word “Indisch” as the demonym for the former East Indies and people are always mistranslating it as “Indian”.
Three contronyms
A word that takes diametrically opposed meanings, depending on the context, can’t be translated with a one-size-fits-all solution into a language where different words are used for those meanings.
Invented abbreviations
They’re confusing enough as it is. Don’t go inventing your own!
Corresponding… to or with?
Stick to “correspond with” for communication and “correspond to” for things matching up.
English as she is spoken
The Dutch are great communicators who get their message across well in spoken English. But actually putting the spoken word on paper is a pig with a different snout altogether.
De Ruyter? Sinterklaas?
Who?
The blog’s purpose
There seems to be a common belief that the possessive form must only be used for animate objects. That is (of course) complete bollocks.
Woods, forests and jungles
Your everyday, common-or-garden patch of countryside with trees is a wood or woodland. Forests are bigger, darker and nastier; jungles are definitely more exotic.
Among other things
Although it’s valid English, it’s not all that common a phrase and often not the most natural equivalent of the Dutch “onder andere”.
Advanced Dunglish 