Here's some Dutch that you won't find in your textbook

If you’ve been in the Netherlands for a while, like me, your Dutch might be coming along nicely. You can order a coffee without breaking a sweat, you apply the classic, “oehh wat lekker!” in all necessary situations, and even mastered the small talk conversations about the weather with your colleagues. But then, you overhear a group of teens and… nothing. Nada. Zip! You realise you have no idea what they’re talking about.

This is because, like any language, Dutch is forever evolving and changing thanks to the influences from pop culture and/or other cultures around us. These are important to know, yet hardly make their way into the textbooks that you're studying. Here are some examples you might find useful to know.

Borrowing from many cultures

The Dutch language includes a vibrant mix of words borrowed from different languages and cultures, with, for example, English, Yiddish, and Surinamese being common influences. You’ll hear new words often pop up in music, social media and casual banter throughout the country, especially in the big cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. These words are a great representation of the diversity of Dutch culture and its (often complicated) history.

The problem is that these new words may not show up in your Dutch Beginners or Intermediate textbooks, certainly not before they have become relevant in everyday chat around you. This may leave you feeling caught off-guard when hearing and using them out in the wild (outside of your Dutch class, I mean), and when you're trying to put what you’ve learned into practice. 

Learning them can help you understand what’s happening around you, so I’d like to show you some examples I’ve encountered during my four years in Amsterdam.

Gappie

Your mate, buddy, or friend. This is mainly heard in and around Amsterdam, and it comes from the Yiddish word “gabber” or, “chaver”, meaning friend. Over time, the pronunciation has shifted to gappie (sometimes even shortened to “gap”) within urban slang.

If someone calls you “gappie”, it’s usually very friendly, although a small warning: tone matters! Similar to “mate” in English, the way it’s said is important.

How is it used in a sentence? You may hear a guy run into his friend coincidentally on the street, and he says, “Heeej gappie! Hoe is het jongen?” meaning, “Heeey buddy! How’s it going?” 

Damkso

This is simply slang for Amsterdam. It is just one of the many names for the country’s capital, in addition to Mokum and A’dam.

How is it used in a sentence? If someone says they’re going “terug naar Damsko”, they’re (literally) heading back to Amsterdam.

Boomer

Haven’t you ever called anyone a boomer?! I know I have. Creeping in from the English language, boomer comes from the Baby Boomer generation, born during the post-WWII era.

With heavy influences from internet culture, the term has become a label for those who are a bit old-fashioned, resistant to change, and grumpy about youth culture. Are you really sure you’ve never called anyone that?! Not even your parents? What about when they can’t open a Microsoft Word document by themselves… hmm?

All jokes aside, the new generations in the Netherlands have adopted this as their own, and it's something you might hear often on the street around you, mostly used in a light teasing way.

How to use it in a sentence? Well, the same in English, actually. “Ja, oké boomer!”

Osso

Osso originates from the Sranan Tongo word “oso”, meaning “house” or “home”. Though funnily enough, the Surinamese-originating "oso" is actually an adaptation of the English word “house”, proving both languages have had an influence on this modern Dutch term!

It's more often associated with Amsterdam slang, but thanks to Dutch music and social media, it certainly pops up in other cities too, like Rotterdam and The Hague.

How is it used in a sentence? If you hear “Ik ga naar m’n osso”, or even shorter in speaking language, “Ik ga naar osso”, it means “I’m going home.” Doei doei! I’m out of here! 

Cringe

Another English term that has made a fast jump into the Dutch language through pop culture. This simply means “embarrassing”. 

You can use it for virtually anything, for example: “Dat filmpje is echt cringe” means “That video is really embarrassing”

Fissa

Meaning “party”. This comes from the Sranan Tongo “fesa”, and exploded into youth slang across the Netherlands from the early 2000s. You may hear it in a sentence like, “Vanavond is er een fissa bij Lisa thuis.” meaing “There’s a party at Lisa’s place tonight.”

Language is more than your dictionary

You don’t need to work all of these into your daily Dutch to be a real speaker (and in some cases, you probably shouldn’t try), but being able to recognise the evolving language gives you a window into how people actually talk.

So, next time you hear someone who says they’re going “terug naar Damkso, naar m’n osso met m’n gappie”, you might just catch the meaning, and maybe even smile at how much richer the Dutch language becomes when all these worlds meet!