Getting around
Understanding Dutch Train Announcements on the NS
Spoor, vertraging, rijdt niet, wordt gesplitst: the Dutch words in NS train announcements, what they mean for your journey, and what to do next.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Latest guides by Lawrence Arya
Government & admin
Reading a Letter From the Gemeente: Dutch Terms Decoded
Aanslag, beschikking, bezwaar, kenmerk, uiterlijk: the Dutch words on official letters, what each one asks of you, and the deadlines you must not miss.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Phrases & daily life
Telling Time in Dutch: Why Half Drie Means 2:30
Half drie is 2:30, tien voor half drie is 2:20, and Thursday the third is donderdag 3 oktober. How Dutch tells time and dates, and the traps for English speakers.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Work & business
Dutch Job Interview Phrases: The Sollicitatiegesprek Guide
The questions Dutch interviewers ask, how to answer them in Dutch, and the directness that surprises expats: a practical guide to the sollicitatiegesprek.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Health & care
Dutch Phrases for the Huisarts: Your GP Visit in Dutch
From calling the doktersassistente at 8:00 to describing pain and asking what happens next: the Dutch phrases that make a GP visit in the Netherlands easier.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Students, family & social
4 and 5 May in the Netherlands: Remembrance Day and Liberation Day Explained
Dodenherdenking on 4 May (Remembrance of the Dead, two minutes' silence at 20:00) and Bevrijdingsdag on 5 May (Liberation Day): what they mean, how to say them in English, what to do, and whether you get the day off.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Students, family & social
A Dutch Christmas and Oud en Nieuw: Kerst to the Vuurwerk
Two Christmas days, gourmetten at the table and fireworks at midnight: here is how the Dutch do Kerst and oud en nieuw, and the vocabulary to join in.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Students, family & social
School-Run Dutch for Expat Parents and Au Pairs
The Dutch school run has its own world: the schoolplein, the BSO, the class WhatsApp group. Here is the Dutch that gets parents and au pairs through the daily drop-off.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Health & care
Reading the Bijsluiter: The Dutch Medicine Leaflet, Decoded
That folded paper in every Dutch medicine box is the bijsluiter. Here is how it's structured, the sections that matter most, and the vocab to use it safely.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Students, family & social
Code Yellow or Red? Dutch Weather Warnings, Decoded
When Buienradar flashes code geel, oranje or rood, what should you actually do? Here is what the KNMI colour codes mean, the weather words, and when to worry.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Learning Dutch
Colours and Describing Objects in Dutch: Kleuren and More
Rood, blauw, groen, and licht- / donker-: the Dutch colours plus the words for size, shape and material, so you can describe and ask for any object.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Government & admin
Coupling Finances: The Dutch En/Of Joint Account, Explained
Moving in together in the Netherlands often means a joint account. Here is the difference between an en/of and an en/en rekening, and the Dutch to open one.
Lawrence Arya··4 min