We’re all in the same boat: Nautical sayings in Dutch and English

If you’ve ever felt like learning a language is a bit like sailing into unknown waters… well, you’re not wrong. See what I did there…. 

Languages, much like boats, carry history, habits and ways of seeing the world. And just like ships crossing borders or a sailboat riding the wind, they don’t stay in one place. They travel, they influence each other, and they leave traces. And sometimes, those traces are surprisingly literal! They show up in words and expressions we use every day – especially the ones borrowed from life at sea.

Nautical imagery in Dutch and English

Although there is no language void of this continuous evolution, I can say in my experience that Dutch and English really stand out here and have proven time and time again to echo each other in how they express emotions through nautical imagery. Sometimes loosely, sometimes almost word for word…

So, when a Dutch saying sounds strangely familiar, it’s not just your imagination! It’s a shared history, still floating around in the language. Let’s take a look at some of them!

We’re all in the same boat / We zitten in hetzelfde schuitje

As a former rower myself, I can’t help but smile when I hear this one. Because whether you’re rowing in a boat with eight other people, sailing across the world with your partner, or sitting in a language class with a group you’ve never met before, the image is exactly the same. You’re in it together! 

And in true Dutch fashion, they’ve figured out a way to make it feel even more relatable. The added -je in the word schuitje lets us know that it’s not some kind of big, impressive ship… but just a small boat, gently implying that there’s no escape. So, you'd better be in it together, because you’ve got no other choice! These are the fun little things you start to realise when learning the Dutch language. Such a tiny little sound like -je at the end of a word can give you a big hint about the culture.

To take the wind out of someone’s sails / Iemand de wind uit de zeilen nemen

If you’ve ever been out on the water, you know how crucial wind is. For some, it stops you in your tracks (my fellow rowers will know what that feels like), and for some, it’s the one thing allowing you to move fluidly through the water. It’s such a physical, tangible experience, which is probably why the expression is almost identical in both languages!

When someone loses motivation or confidence, it genuinely feels like that sudden stillness; the same stillness you’d get by taking the wind out of someone’s sails. And for all of my fellow language learners reading this, we’ve all collectively felt the wind taken out of our sails at one point, right?

Like, for example, when you go to the café around the corner and try ordering in Dutch for the first time, but they reply to you in English? Feel familiar? Well, all I have to say is – keep holding on! Keep focused on your goal, stay at the helm, and keep trying! 

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To be at the helm / Aan het roer staan

That’s right! YOU are the one in charge! For the non-boaties out there, the helm (or roer in Dutch) is what steers the boat. So, if you’re at the helm or aan het roer staan, you’re the one guiding direction and making decisions.

There’s something intrinsically positive about this one. It’s not just about control, but about leadership (and often gets used to describe one’s ability to make the best decision). We should all try our best to be at the helm of our life path!

To change course / Van koers veranderen

Simple, yet powerful! Both English and Dutch use this phrase to talk about shifting direction, whether that’s in your career, your plans, or just your mindset. And yet again, it comes straight from navigation! If the conditions change, you adjust your course.

So, it turns out we’ve been speaking like sailors all along! Dutch and English may be very different languages, but when it comes to life on the water, they often follow the same course.

And it doesn’t stop there! If you’re learning Dutch, English or any other language for that matter, you are the perfect example of someone changing their course and not following a straight and rigid path. Although sometimes scary, it leads us to wonderful surprises – take it from me!

Similar expressions

Every language carries its own history in the same way. So, chances are, if you look closely, you’ll find similar expressions in your own language too, and we’d love to hear them!